Moffat's Special BAFTA

[SiHart]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/10249094

Steven Moffat will pick up the Special Award at the event at the Royal Festival Hall in central London on May 27.

The Scot, who first made his name with children's show Press Gang, said: "Blimey. A Special Award. I didn't even know I was ill. So thrilled by this - especially after two years of Sherlock and Doctor Who, my two favourite shows ever.

"Of course the work, and the people I get to work with, has always been all the reward I need - a fact I'm very glad that Bafta has disregarded."

Moffat, whose other credits include Coupling and Murder Most Horrid, became executive producer on Doctor Who in 2008 and a year later joined up with Mark Gatiss to create Sherlock - a modern-day take on Arthur Conan Doyle's distinguished detective.

Bafta chairman Tim Corrie said: "Steven has had an outstanding year with Doctor Who and Sherlock, not to mention the feature film The Adventures of Tintin, and we are delighted to honour his contribution to television and the arts at the Bafta ceremony on May 27.

"He is one of the finest exponents of his craft and his award, presented in honour of the late, great Dennis Potter, is very well-deserved indeed."

The awards, formally known as the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards, will be hosted by Dara O'Briain and broadcast on BBC One.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.

[Stuart Wallis]

The Scot, who first made his name with children's show Press Gang, said: "Blimey. A Special Award. I didn't even know I was ill.

Anyone who can't tell the difference between a BAFTA and a suppositary...

[J.R. Southall]

He's a touch young for Lifetime Achievement awards...

[Stuart Wallis]

Nah, that's just the plastic surgery doing it's job...

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

It's worth belatedly bearing in mind that the Dennis Potter award was the same one awarded to Russell T Davies a few years back when he was still in charge of Who and it was considered socially acceptable to slag him off to high heaven (not that I ever did just making the point that nothing's really changed in the last 5 years).

[Anthony Williams]

Even if I didn't enjoy what the Moff did with our beloved Who in Series Six, I will never say that he doesn't have talent. Some of the best stories in the RTD-era were penned by him, as well as several excellent stories in Series Five. I've loved what he's done with Sherlock. And there's no doubting that he's had an extremely successful career, with all his other ventures, such as Press Gang and Coupling...

But, I can't help but agree with those who say that he's a bit young to be receiving a lifetime achievement award. And I'd say that that was true of RTD a few years ago, too!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

He's a touch young for Lifetime Achievement awards...

The actual wording is "The Dennis Potter Award for Outstanding Writing for Television" - there's no mention of it being a lifetime achievement recognition such as the BAFTA Fellowship.

As Anthony has said, whilst we might think some of his ideas are eccentric to put it mildly he is undoubtedly an outstanding writer in a totally different way to Russell.

[J.R. Southall]

Sorry, I was just being facetious!