What are the ingredients for an outstanding news report? From the conflict in Israel & Gaza, to the jungles of Myanmar, our panel of TV insiders look at the finest TV journalism of the past year. 

Annabel Deegan produced Christiane Amanpour for CNN for many years - she tells Alex Zane why preparation is key to any field reporting.

Presenter Sonali Shah worked on BBC's Newsround and explains why having two anchors on a live broadcast can sometimes be better than one.

Plus, we're back at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards to hear how Benedict Sanderson won the Photography: Factual award for The Detectives: Taking Down An OCG, and Andy James and Andy Painter: two sound supervisors responsible for capturing The King's Coronation last year, winning in the Sound: Factual category.

A BAFTA production, produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio. The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

In this episode we discuss the following nominees:

CURRENT AFFAIRS

INSIDE RUSSIA: TRAITORS AND HEROES (STORYVILLE) Paul Mitchell, Anastasia Popova, Mikhail Kozyrev, Daria Olevskaya, Monica Garnsey, Mustafa Khalili – BBC Storyville, BBC World Service, Ronachan Films / BBC Four

PUTIN vs THE WEST Norma Percy, Tim Stirzaker, Lucy Hetherington, Lotte Murphy-Johnson, Max Stern – Brook Lapping / BBC Two

RUSSELL BRAND: IN PLAIN SIGHT (DISPATCHES) Production Team - Hardcash Productions / Channel 4

THE SHAMIMA BEGUM STORY (THIS WORLD) Joshua Baker, Sara Obeidat, Sasha Joelle Achilli, Sarah Waldron, Simon McMahon, Mustafa Al-Ali – BBC Current Affairs / BBC Two

NEWS COVERAGE

CHANNEL 4 NEWS: INSIDE GAZA: ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR Production Team - ITN / Channel 4

SKY NEWS: INSIDE MYANMAR - THE HIDDEN WAR Production Team - Sky News / Sky News

SKY NEWS: ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Production Team – Sky News / Sky News

SHORT FORM

STEALING UKRAINE’S CHILDREN: INSIDE RUSSIA’S CAMPS Production Team – VICE UK / VICE News

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What do we gain from depicting true stories in fiction? And what challenges do our finest actors and actresses face bringing them to our screens? Alex Zane welcomes actor and producer Jo Hartley and TV & film critic Rhianna Dhillon to look at the nominees across this year's acting categories at the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises.

Plus, we're backstage at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards to meet Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali after their win for writing the Black Mirror episode, Demon 79.

A BAFTA production, produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio. The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

In this episode we discuss the following nominees:

LEADING ACTOR

BRIAN COX Succession - Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

DOMINIC WEST The Crown - Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

KANE ROBINSON Top Boy - Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan Films, Dream Crew, SpringHill Entertainment / Netflix

PAAPA ESSIEDU The Lazarus Project - Urban Myth Films / Sky Max

STEVE COOGAN The Reckoning - ITV Studios / BBC One

TIMOTHY SPALL The Sixth Commandment - Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

LEADING ACTRESS

ANJANA VASAN Demon 79 (Black Mirror) - Broke & Bones / Netflix

ANNE REID The Sixth Commandment - Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

BELLA RAMSEY The Last of Us - Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions,, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

HELENA BONHAM CARTER Nolly - Quay Street Productions / ITVX

SARAH LANCASHIRE Happy Valley - Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

SHARON HORGAN Best Interests - AC Chapter One / BBC One

SUPPORTING ACTOR

AMIT SHAH Happy Valley - Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

ÉANNA HARDWICKE The Sixth Commandment - Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

HARRIS DICKINSON A Murder at the End of the World FX Productions / Disney+

JACK LOWDEN Slow Horses - See-Saw Films / Apple TV+

MATTHEW MACFADYEN Succession - Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

SALIM DAW The Crown - Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ELIZABETH DEBICKI The Crown - Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

HARRIET WALTER Succession - Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

JASMINE JOBSON Top Boy - Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan Films, Dream Crew, SpringHill Entertainment / Netflix

LESLEY MANVILLE The Crown - Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

NICO PARKER The Last of Us - Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

SIOBHAN FINNERAN Happy Valley - Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

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Which essential sound effect is added to Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses performance? And why could an eighties sitcom have inspired Succession? Alex Zane runs through the best dramas of the year with screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst and film and TV critic Rhianna Dhillon.

The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website. 

In this episode we discuss the following nominees:

DRAMA SERIES

THE GOLD Production Team - Tannadice Pictures / BBC One

HAPPY VALLEY Sally Wainwright, Sarah Lancashire, Jessica Taylor, Faith Penhale, Will Johnston, Fergus O’Brien - Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

SLOW HORSES Production Team - See-Saw Films / Apple TV+

TOP BOY Charles Steel, Alasdair Flind, Ronan Bennett, Ashley Walters, Kane Robinson, Tina Pawlik - Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan Films, Dream Crew, SpringHill Entertainment / Netflix

INTERNATIONAL

THE BEAR Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Matty Matheson, Tyson Bidner - FX Productions / Disney+

BEEF Lee Sung Jin, Steven Yeun , Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich - A24 / Netflix

CLASS ACT Bruno Nahon, Tristan Séguela, Olivier Demangel, Laurent Lafitte - Unité / Netflix

THE LAST OF US Production Team - Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

LOVE & DEATH Production Team - Lionsgate, David E. Kelley Productions, Blossom Films, Texas Monthly / ITVX

SUCCESSION Production Team - Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

LIMITED DRAMA

BEST INTERESTS Toby Bentley, Jenny Frayn, Sophie Gardiner, Michael Keillor, Jack Thorne - AC Chapter One / BBC One

DEMON 79 (BLACK MIRROR) Charlie Brooker, Richard Webb, Jessica Rhoades, Bisha K. Ali, Annabel Jones, Toby Haynes - Broke & Bones / Netflix

THE LONG SHADOW George Kay, Lewis Arnold, Matt Sandford, Sarah Lewis, Sacha Szwarc, Willow Grylls - New Pictures / ITV1

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT Derek Wax, Brian Woods, Sarah Phelps, Saul Dibb, Frances du Pille - Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

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Escape the humdrum and discover the best entertainment shows and performances from the past year - from the presenters holding it all together and the new formats that bring out extraordinary stories from members of the public.

Alex Zane is joined by entertainment exec Rina Dayalji and TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan to unpick the nominees across four categories from this year's BAFTA TV Awards with P&O Cruises.

The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

Nominations discussed in this episode are:

Factual Entertainment:

CELEBRITY RACE ACROSS THE WORLD Production Team - Studio Lambert / BBC One

THE DOG HOUSE Production Team - Five Mile Films / Channel 4

ENDURANCE: RACE TO THE POLE Alexis Girardet, Mike Warner, Adam Bullmore, Martin Long - October Films / Channel 5

PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Production Team - Storyvault Films / Sky Arts

Comedy Entertainment:

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW Graham Norton, Graham Stuart, Jon Magnusson, Toby Baker, Catherine Strauss, Pete Snell - So Television / BBC One

LATE NIGHT LYCETT Production Team - Rumpus Media, My Options Were Limited / Channel 4

ROB & ROMESH VS Danielle Lux, Murray Boland, Jack Shillaker, Bill Righton, David Taylor, Graham Proud - CPL Productions / Sky Max

WOULD I LIE TO YOU? Peter Holmes, Rachel Ablett, Jake Graham, Zoe Waterman, Liz Clare, Barbara Wiltshire - Zeppotron / BBC One

Entertainment:

HANNAH WADDINGHAM: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Hannah Waddingham, Hamish Hamilton, Katy Mullan, Moira Ross, Raj Kapoor, Nick Todisco - Done + Dusted / Apple TV+

LATER… WITH JOOLS HOLLAND Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC Two

MICHAEL MCINTYRE’S BIG SHOW Production Team - Hungry McBear / BBC One

STRICTLY COME DANCING Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Entertainment Performance:

ANTHONY McPARTLIN, DECLAN DONNELLY I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! - Lifted Entertainment / ITV1

BIG ZUU Big Zuu’s Big Eats – Boom, Big Productions / Dave

GRAHAM NORTON The Graham Norton Show – So Television / BBC One

HANNAH WADDINGHAM Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – BBC Studios / BBC One

JOE LYCETT Late Night Lycett - Rumpus Media, My Options Were Limited / Channel 4

ROB BECKETT, ROMESH RANGANATHAN Rob & Romesh Vs – CPL Productions / Sky Max

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are comic duos making a comeback? Can dying on stage lead to success on screen?

Host Alex Zane is joined by guests TV critic Boyd Hilton and actress Susan Wokoma to talk all things scripted-comedy and tell us why dangling from a Ferris wheel isn't a commissioning dealbreaker.

The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

Nominations discussed in this episode are:

BIG BOYS Jack Rooke, Jim Archer, Bertie Peek, Ash Atalla, Alex Smith - Roughcut TV / Channel 4

DREAMING WHILST BLACK Thomas Stogdon, Dhanny Joshi, Adjani Salmon, Ali Hughes, Nicola Gregory, Yemi Oyefuwa - Big Deal Films, A24 / BBC Three

EXTRAORDINARY Emma Moran, Toby Macdonald, Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Charlie Palmer, Jennifer Sheridan - Sid Gentle Films / Disney+

SUCH BRAVE GIRLS Kat Sadler, Simon Bird, Catherine Gosling Fuller, Jack Bayles, Phil Clarke - Various Artists Limited / BBC Three

ADJANI SALMON Dreaming Whilst Black - Big Deal Films, A24 / BBC Three

DAVID TENNANT Good Omens - BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Narrativia, The Blank Corporation / Prime Video

HAMMED ANIMASHAUN Black Ops - BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Mondo Deluxe Productions / BBC One

JAMIE DEMETRIOU A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou - BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Guilty Party Pictures / Netflix

JOSEPH GILGUN Brassic - Calamity Films / Sky Max

MAWAAN RIZWAN Juice - Various Artists Limited / BBC Three

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the Spider-Man of Paris have in common with The Enfield Poltergeist? Alex Zane reveals the documentaries in contention for the BAFTA TV Awards 2024 with P&O Cruises.

Find out as Alex is joined by TV exec Faraz Osman and foreign affairs journalist, documentary filmmaker and author Ramita Navai to discuss a challenging yet creatively ambitious year for factual production teams.

The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

Nominations discussed in this episode are:

FACTUAL SERIES

DUBLIN NARCOS Benedict Sanderson, Claire McFall, Sacha Baveystock, Edmund Coulthard, Megan Taylor, Laura Dunne – Blast! Films / Sky Documentaries

EVACUATION Production Team - Wonderhood Studios / Channel 4

LOCKERBIE Nancy Strang, John Dower, Claire McFall, Barnaby Fry, Dejan Cancar, Charlie Hawryliw - Mindhouse Productions / Sky Documentaries

ONCE UPON A TIME IN NORTHERN IRELAND Production Team - KEO Films, Walk On Air Films, The Open University / BBC Two

SINGLE DOCUMENTARY

DAVID HOLMES: THE BOY WHO LIVED Dan Hartley, Kevin Konak, Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, Vanessa Davies, Amy Stares - Lightbox, HBO / Sky Documentaries

ELLIE SIMMONDS: FINDING MY SECRET FAMILY Jasleen Sethi, David Thompson, Colleen Flynn, Kathryn Jein, Nick Underhill - Flicker Productions / ITV1

HATTON Daniel Dewsbury, Paul Yoshida, Sam Bergson, Ian Davies, John McKenna - Noah Media Group / Sky Documentaries

VJERAN TOMIC: THE SPIDER-MAN OF PARIS Jamie Roberts, Dan Reed - Amos Pictures / Netflix

SPECIALIST FACTUAL

CHIMP EMPIRE James Reed, Matt Houghton, Callum Webster, Matt Cole - KEO Films, Underdog Films / Netflix

THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST Jerry Rothwell , Al Morrow, Stewart le Maréchal, Nicole Stott, Jonathan Silberberg, Davis Guggenheim - MetFilm, Concordia Studio / Apple TV+

FORCED OUT Luke Korzun Martin, Sophie Perrins, Chibuikem Oforka, Josh Green, Tom Pullen, Richard Bond - Dragonfly / Sky Documentaries

WHITE NANNY, BLACK CHILD Andy Mundy-Castle, Natasha Dack Ojumu, Rochelle Newman, Zeb Achonu, Ross Leppard, Rachael McLean-Anderson - Doc Hearts, TigerLily Productions, BFI / Channel 5

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Eurovision in Liverpool to horse racing in Cheltenham... it’s all things live, as we look at the the biggest events and sporting-fixtures of the last year. Alex Zane is joined by Entertainment Editor at Heat Magazine Boyd Hilton and CEO and Exec Producer at television company Nine Lives, Cat Lewis.

Find out how ending a live sports broadcast is even more important as the result, why actress Hannah Waddingham turned into a sought-after live host... and plenty of backstage gossip behind your favourite TV moments of the past year.

The transcription of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

Nominees discussed today include:

LIVE EVENT COVERAGE

THE CORONATION CONCERT Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2023 Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

SPORTS COVERAGE

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY ONE Richard Willoughby, Paul McNamara, Mark Demuth, Bridget Toomey, Rob Oldham, Dionne Robinson-Smith - ITV Sport / ITV1

MOTD LIVE: FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023 Production Team – IMG / BBC One

WIMBLEDON 2023 MEN’S FINAL Production Team – BBC Sport, Wimbledon Broadcast Services / BBC One

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to be nominated for a BAFTA? In this new series we're looking at the nominees of the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards with P&O Cruises and Television Craft Awards - bringing together stars, industry insiders and expert voices to celebrate another incredible year in British television.

In this episode, Alex Zane is joined by writer and 'Queen Of Soaps' Sharon Marshall and TV Critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan to discuss the nominees for Soap, Reality and Daytime.

Find out why locking celebrities up in prison is must see TV, why the age of binge watching is under threat - and why Shakespeare and the Bible are still influencing TV makers.

The transcript of this episode will be available on the BAFTA website.

Reality

BANGED UP Production Team - Shine TV / Channel 4

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT UK Danielle Lux , Murray Boland, Rachel Viner, Susy Price, James Kayler, Dermot Caulfield - CPL Productions / E4

MY MUM, YOUR DAD Production Team - Lifted Entertainment / ITV1

SQUID GAME: THE CHALLENGE Production Team - Studio Lambert, The Garden / Netflix

Soap

CASUALTY Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

EASTENDERS Production Team - BBC Studios / BBC One

EMMERDALE Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV1

Daytime

LOOSE WOMEN AND MEN Production Team - ITV Studios Daytime / ITV1

LORRAINE Production Team - ITV Studios Daytime / ITV1

MAKE IT AT MARKET Martin Connery, Aman Mistry, Iain Robson, Kim Merrick, Lauren Elliott, Andrew Snowball - Flabbergast TV, BritBox / BBC One

SCAM INTERCEPTORS Rowland Stone, Sherry Knight, Nick Stapleton, Odin Gillies, Sue Malone, Mark Lewis - BBC Studios Documentary Unit / BBC One

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Zane returns for a new series of Countdown To The BAFTAs - this time, looking at the nominees for the BAFTA Television Awards 2024 with P&O Cruises, and the BAFTA Television Craft Awards.

Follow the show now to get new episodes twice a week - and tune in on the 12th May on BBC One and iPlayer to discover the winners.

A BAFTA production

Host: Alex Zane

Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer James Wilson talks with Alex Zane about the extensive research process they undertook to accurately depict the Höss family and their lives in the house next to Auschwitz; and the meticulous attention to detail in building the garden.

The interview also reveals how Sandra Hüller was approached for the role of Hedwig, and how Christian Friedel, who played Nazi Commandant Rudolf Höss, sent a self-tape without knowing much about the film initially.

‘The Zone Of Interest’ was longlisted for Best Film at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024. To discover who wins the trophy, tune in on 18th February on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK as well as around the world, including on BritBox in North America - and discover more interviews with the nominees and longlisted movies when you follow Countdown To The BAFTAs.

To read the transcript from this episode visit the BAFTA website, where they will be available soon.

Produced by Matt Hill and Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio

Sound Design by Peregrine Andrews

Hosted by Alex Zane

A BAFTA production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.