Special BAFTA for MoffatBookmark and Share

Saturday, 19 May 2012 - Reported by Marcus
Steven Moffat, Executive Producer and Lead Writer on Doctor Who, is to be presented with a special BAFTA award in recognition of his outstanding creative writing contribution to television.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is honouring the writer with the award, presented in memory of the playwright Dennis Potter, at the Television BAFTA's which take place at London's Royal Festival Hall on May 27.

Moffat began his television scripting career on Press Gang, the ITV Children's drama, in 1989. Since then he has gone onto to work on a wide variety of programmes including Stay Lucky, Joking Apart, Murder Most Horrid, Chalk, Jekyll and Coupling.

Steven Moffat was one of the first writers approached by Russell T Davies when he was planning the return of Doctor Who in 2005, leading to Moffat writing one of the most critically acclaimed stories of that first series, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. Moffat went on to write several more episodes of the show, creating aliens such as The Weeping Angels and characters such as River Song. When Davies left the series, Moffat was the obvious successor, taking the helm of the show for the introduction of Matt Smith as The Eleventh Doctor and creating the characters of Amy and Rory.

Running parallel to the success of Doctor Who, Moffat has, in collaboration with Mark Gatiss, created Sherlock, updating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and placing Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson's firmly in the 21st century.

In announcing the special award Tim Corrie, Chairman of BAFTA, 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 27 May. 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.
Steven Moffat said he was thrilled with the award.
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.
The award was won by Russell T Davies in 2005. Other recent winners include Alan Plater, Stephen Poliakoff and Lynda La Plante.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Awards/Nominations