Advanced Television

Liverpool’s LA Productions picks up 4 BAFTA noms

April 29, 2021

Liverpool’s independent film and TV company LA Productions is celebrating after picking up an incredible four nominations at this year’s BAFTA TV and Craft Awards, for its inspiring programmes, Anthony and Moving On.

Drama, Anthony, has been nominated in three categories, including Best Supporting Actress for Rakie Ayola; Best Emerging Talent: Fiction for dubbing mixer Harry Tulley; and Best Single Drama.

Anthony tells the story of Huyton teenager Anthony Walker, who was the victim of a racist murder in 2005. It focuses on how the talented young man’s life may have turned out.

Written by BAFTA-winning screenwriter, Jimmy McGovern, directed by Terry McDonough and produced by Colin McKeown and Donna Molloy, Anthony’s imagined life is told through reverse chronology as viewers witness him realise his dreams and enjoy the life he had a right to live before fate – and hate – took it all away.

Supporting Actress nominee Rakie Ayola gives an incredibly emotional and captivating performance as Anthony’s inspiring mother, Gee Walker, while Emerging Talent nominee Harry Tulley is being recognised for his first major piece of work after being trained by the team at LA Productions.

The one-off drama received rave reviews from critics when it first aired on BBC One in July 2020. The Guardian awarded it five stars and The Times’ critic called it “powerful stuff. Unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

Series 11 of LA Productions’ acclaimed daytime drama anthology series, Moving On, has also been recognised, with the production team nominated in the Best Daytime category.

Another creation of Jimmy McGovern, the show tells five powerful, yet heart-warming, stories about ordinary people who have reached a crossroads in their lives. Series 11 focused on important, contemporary issues including homophobia in sport, living with a prison tag, and the nuances of redundancy, and was broadcast on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer in March 2020.

Moving On Series 12 is still airing on BBC iPlayer and features stories about family estrangement, living with a hearing impairment, and how to reinvent yourself in later life.

Moving On is renowned for attracting A-list actors and established writers, as well as offering valuable new opportunities for new talent both in front of, and behind, the camera. Acting talent in Series 11 included Kacey Ainsworth, Mark Addy and Neve McIntosh, with three of the five episodes providing the first broadcast commission for writers Paul Womack, Dave Kirby and Mandy Redvers Rowe.

Colin McKeown, Producer at LA Productions, said: “I am immensely proud of the team. It is an amazing achievement for a local production company in Liverpool to be nominated for not one, not two, not three, but four BAFTA TV awards. We knew when we created Anthony that we had made something really special. The team behind it, from writer Jimmy McGovern, to producers myself and Donna Molloy, to director Terry McDonough, are all proudly from Liverpool and the subject was extremely close to our hearts. We wanted to do Gee Walker and the family proud and do their story justice. It is a real accolade to be nominated for these national awards and testament to the fantastic cast, scriptwriter and crew who helped produce this powerful piece of television, which brought to life such an important issue. We are also overwhelmed to have Moving On recognised for the first time at the TV BAFTAs. For over a decade we have brought this authentic and thought-provoking drama anthology series to a daytime audience and again it is testament to our fantastic team that not only do we continue to be commissioned to share these powerful stories, but that we are now recognised for this achievement by BAFTA TV.  And, to top off the celebrations it’s really wonderful news about our very own Harry Tulley. Working with emerging talent and giving people the opportunities they deserve is everything we are all about at LA Productions, so to have one of our talented up and coming team members recognised on such a prestigious stage is an incredibly proud moment for all of us. We have our fingers crossed to bring home all four awards to Liverpool.”

The BAFTA Television Awards and the BAFTA TV Craft Awards celebrate the very best of British television over the last year.

Anthony and Moving On will now go head-to head with fellow nominees including The Crown, I May Destroy You, Sitting in Limbo and The Windermere Children at the BAFTA TV Awards on Sunday 6 June.  The BAFTA TV Craft Awards will be announced in a separate ceremony on Monday 24th May.

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