Killing Eve, A Very English Scandal lead BAFTA TV Award nominations

Killing Eve and A Very English Scandal are leading this year’s BAFTA Television Award nominations.

The full list of nominees for the British TV Awards event were announced on Thursday (March 28), and LGBT+ content is leading the way.

BAFTA TV Awards: Sandra Oh in Killing Eve. (BBC)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s lesbian serial killer drama Killing Eve landed the most nominations of any show.

The drama is up for 14 awards including best drama series, with Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer both nominated for Leading Actress, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge nominated for best writer.

BAFTA TV Awards: LGBT+ shows lead nominations

The second most-nominated show is A Very English Scandal, the gay BBC limited drama series based on the real-life scandal that enveloped Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe, who was accused of attempting to have his lover Norman Scott murdered to save his political career

Hugh Grant, who has previously been nominated for three BAFTA Film Awards, gets his first BAFTA TV Award nomination for his role as Jeremy Thorpe, while Ben Whishaw is also nominated in the supporting actor category for his role as Scott.

Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English Scandal. (BBC)

The show landed a total of 12 nominations, including a best writer nomination for Russell T Davies and a best director nomination for Stephen Frears.

The third-most nominated show is Benedict Cumberbatch drama Patrick Melrose, which has only six nominations, putting Killing Eve and A Very English Scandal well ahead of the rest.

Other LGBT+ shows also landed nominations

Sky lesbian comedy series Sally4Ever also picked up three nominations, including best scripted comedy. The show’s creator and star Julia Davis is also nominated for best female actress in a comedy.

Netflix’s Queer Eye also landed a surprise nomination for must-see TV moment, for hero Tom’s transformation in the show’s very first episode.

The BAFTA TV Awards will be held on May 12.

The BBC’s A Very English Scandal also won the Drama Award at the PinkNews Awards 2018.

Speaking to PinkNews about the role last year, Hugh Grant: “I think he [Thorpe] was very very tormented. When you feel your family’s threatened we’re all capable—however privileged or genteel—of surprising violence.”

Grant revealed he “just went for it” when it came to filming the raunchy gay sex scenes.

“There we were one Sunday morning,” the actor teased. “We did our whole love story in a day… Just went for it. I got a rash – I went home to my kids with a rash from Ben’s beard.”

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