Comedy shows win RTS craft awards

People Just Do Nothing, Murder In Successville and Flowers were among the winners at the Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards last night.

Channel 4 comedy Flowers, starring Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt, picked up two awards - for editing and best original score.

The citation for Selina MacArthur, who won the gong for best editing in comedy or entertainment said: ‘The jury was particularly impressed with the cutting on this show, which was performed with skill and sensitivity, but also the bravery and originality of some of the editing decisions which successfully complimented the quirky yet moving subject matter of this comedy series.’

And of Arthur Sharpe’s music, the judges said: ‘There was a lot going on in this score and the music effectively became another character in the show with a sense of quirkiness and drama – which is hard to pull off, but done so with aplomb.’

People Just Do Nothing’s Jack Clough won the award for best director in comedy-drama or sitcom. beating Rob and Neil Gibbons for their work on Alan Partridge: Scissored Isle and Richard Laxton for Mum.

Judges said: ‘The jury were blown away by the winners’ joyous mastery of the comic documentary style – even making the downright ordinary look beautiful. His smart and varied choices make the comedy and characters totally take off, making this show a stand-out comic tour de force, totally confident in its own world.’

Murder In Successville’s Antony Cartlidge won the award for best production design in entertainment and ‘non’ drama. The jury said: ‘ Working to a low budget and unforgiving schedule the success of the production design was absolutely at the heart of this entertaining show. Rigorous, ambitious and witty, the design achieved this with a knowing and impressive flourish.’

The make-up team on Tracey Ullman's Show also won their category, with judges praising the ‘extraordinary range of transformations… executed with the highest level of skills’ achieved by Vanessa White, Floris Schuller and Neill Gorton.

All the awards were presented at the London Hilton, Park Lane. 

Published: 29 Nov 2016