In the BAFTA Television Craft Awards Aisling Bea has been nominated for the Breakthrough Talent Award for her work as the writer on This Way Up. This Way Up was created by and stars Aisling Bea. It is a comedy about moving on, moving forward and trying to find happiness. Aine, played by writer Aisling Bea, is a whip smart English-as-a-foreign language (TEFL) teacher trying to pull her life back together after a “teeny little nervous breakdown” as her sister Shona, played by Sharon Horgan, worries, not only about her younger sibling, but also about her own life choices. The TEFL school where Aine teaches brings together a room full of characters also trying to find their own hope, direction and happiness in this messy world. Happiness is a destination we all want to reach, but how we get there is never easy. This Way Up is a pin-sharp, poignant comedy which, with warmth and keen-edged wit, shows that the journey to happiness is harder for some than others. This Way Up aired on Channel 4 in the UK and Hulu in the US. It is still available on All4 in the UK, Hulu in the US and BritBox in the US and Canada. This Way Up was directed by Alex Winckler, produced by Gavin O’Grady and the executive producers were Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan and Aisling Bea. The series has also been nominated for Comedy Series: English Language in the 2020 Rockie Awards, Aisling Bea was nominated for the Breakthrough Award in the 2020 RTS Programme Awards and director Alex Winckler was nominated for Best Director – Comedy Drama/Situation Comedy in the 2019 RTS Craft & Design Awards.
Aine (Aisling Bea), Eileen (Sorcha Cusack), Shona (Sharon Horgan) in This Way Up
In the BAFTA Television Awards Sarah Kendall has been nominated for Female Performance in a Comedy Series for Frayed. Frayed was created by and stars Sarah Kendall. Set in 1989, Frayed follows the journey of Sammy Cooper, a fabulously wealthy London housewife who is forced to return to the town in Australia she grew up in. In coming home, Sammy must revisit her past and the events that led her to flee as a teenager years ago. Painfully funny and sometimes dark, Frayed is full of complex characters, dubious decisions, and unfortunate events; and at its heart is the journey of one flawed family confronting their secrets and trying to find a way back. Frayed aired on Sky One and ABC Australia. The entire series is still available to watch on NOW TV in the UK and will be available on HBO Max in the US from 30th July. Frayed was directed by Shaun Wilson & Jennifer Leacey, produced by Nicole O’Donohue and the executive producers were Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan, Rick Kalowski, Que Minh Luu, Kevin Whyte & Morwenna Gordon. Sarah Kendall also serves as an associate producer. The series was also nominated for 5 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, including Best Comedy Programme.
Sammy (Sarah Kendall) in Frayed
Also in the BAFTA Television Awards Catastrophe has been nominated for Scripted Comedy. Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan write and star in this comedy that follows an American man and an Irish woman who make a bloody mess as they struggle to fall in love in London. Scorching chemistry, instant pregnancy, and genuine disaster provide the foundation for the flaming hovel of a relationship between Rob and Sharon. Carrie Fisher, Ashley Jensen, and Mark Bonnar play supporting characters in the series. The fourth and final series of Catastrophe aired from January 2019 on Channel 4. All series are still available to watch on All4 in the UK and Amazon Prime in the UK and US.
Sharon (Sharon Horgan) and Rob (Rob Delaney) in Catastrophe
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards will be streamed online on Friday 17 July and will be hosted by Stephen Mangan and and the BAFTA Television Awards will take place on Friday 31 July, live streamed on BBC One.