Hat-trick of Bafta noms for Hat Trick's Kumars

With the show's format currently being piloted in the US and Australia, Hat Trick's comedy interview series The Kumars at No. 42 has chalked up a total of three nominations for this year's Bafta awards, taking place April 13.

The spoof chatshow has been nominated for best entertainment programme, alongside BBC's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and Test the Nation, and ITV's reality show I'm a Celebrity.

Furthermore, The Kumars stars Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal are both in the running for best entertainment performance (up against Angus Deayton and Paul Merton from another Hat Trick show Have I Got News for You). With Bedtime's Sheila Hancock also up for best actress, Hat Trick has a total of six nominations.

Hat Trick's joint md Denise O'Donoghue confirmed to C21 that the Kumars format is being piloted as Greeks On The Roof for Australian network Seven, on top of an earlier pilot for The Ortegas for NBC in the US. {A Dutch pilot also goes into production for NPS next month,{ she said, {and we've sold options into Italy [Mediaset], Israel [Matar] and Germany.{

Another Bafta regular, TalkBack Productions has four nominations this year – I'm Alan Partridge, Jamie's Kitchen, Look Around You and Smack the Pony. Tiger Aspect clocked up three, for dramas Teachers and Murder, with the latter's star Julie Walters also up for best actress.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Branagh has two nominations for best actor, for his performances in Channel 4's Shackleton and BBC2's Conspiracy.

In the sitcom stakes, The Office looks the favourite against My Family, The Book Group and Phoenix Nights. The Office star Ricky Gervais is also up for the best comedy performance gong.

By channel, the BBC stormed the nominations with 39, Channel 4 picked up 16, ITV took nine, Five got two and Sky has one.

Bafta nominations 2003

Best actor
Kenneth Branagh, Shackleton, Foresight Films for Channel 4;
Kenneth Branagh, Conspiracy, HBO/BBC Films for BBC2;
Albert Finney, The Gathering Storm, HBO/Scott Free/BBC Films for BBC2;
James Nesbitt, Bloody Sunday, Granada Film/Hell’s Kitchen for ITV1.

Best actress
Sheila Hancock, Bedtime, Hat Trick for BBC1;
Vanessa Redgrave, The Gathering Storm, HBO/Scott Free/BBC for BBC2;
Jessica Stevenson, Tomorrow La Scala!, BBC Films/Film Council for BBC2;
Julie Walters, Murder, Tiger Aspect for BBC2.

Entertainment performance
Sanjeev Bhaskar, The Kumars at No 42, Hat Trick for BBC2;
Angus Deayton, Have I Got News for You, Hat Trick for BBC1;
Paul Merton, Have I Got News for You, Hat Trick for BBC1;
Meera Syal, The Kumars at No 42, Hat Trick for BBC2.

Comedy performance
John Bird and John Fortune, Bremner, Bird & Fortune, Vera for C4;
Steve Coogan, I'm Alan Partridge, TalkBack for BBC2;
Ricky Gervais, The Office, BBC for BBC2;
Peter Kay, Phoenix Nights, Ovation Entertainment for C4

Single drama
Bloody Sunday, Granada Film/Hell’s Kitchen for ITV1;
Conspiracy, HBO/BBC Films for BBC2;
Flesh & Blood, BBC for BBC2;
Tomorrow La Scala!, BBC Films/The Film Council for BBC2.

Drama series
Clocking Off, Red Productions for BBC1;
Cutting It, BBC for BBC1;
Spooks, Kudos Productions for BBC1;
Teachers, Tiger Aspect for C4

Drama serial
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, BBC for BBC1;
Dr Zhivago, Granada for ITV1;
Murder, Tiger Aspect for BBC2;
Shackleton, Firstsight Films for C4

Soap
Coronation Street, Granada for ITV1;
Doctors, BBC for BBC1;
EastEnders, BBC for BBC1;
Hollyoaks, Mersey Television for C4

Huw Wheldon award for factual series or strand
History of Britain, BBC for BBC2;
Life of Mammals, BBC NHU for BBC1;
Revealed, Five;
The Trust, Hart Ryan for C4.

Flaherty documentary award
9/11: The Tale of Two Towers, Michael Attwell Productions for Five;
Feltham Sings, Century Films for C4;
SAS Embassy Siege, BBC for BBC2;
Thalidomide – Life at 40, BBC Scotland for BBC2.

Features
Faking It, RDF for C4;
Jamie's Kitchen, TalkBack for C4;
Lad's Army, 20/20 TV for ITV1;
What Not to Wear, BBC for BBC2.

Sport
Last night of athletics at the Commonwealth Games, BBC for BBC1;
ITV World Cup 2002, ISN/Carlton for ITV1;
World Rally Championship, Chrysalis for C4;
World Cup: England v Argentina, BBC for BBC1.

News coverage
Collapse of the Paul Burrell Trial, BBC1 and News 24;
The death of the Queen Mother, ITN for ITV1;
Jenin and Bethlehem – What Chance of Peace? ITN for C4;
Soham – August 16/17, Sky News.

Current affairs
Corruption of Racing (Panorama), BBC for BBC1;
Licence to Murder (Panorama), BBC for BBC1;
Palestine is Still the Issue – Report by John Pilger, Carlton for ITV1;
Young, Nazi & Proud, Steve Boulton for C4.

Entertainment programme or series
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Open Mike for BBC1;
I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!, LWT for ITV1;
The Kumars at No 42, Hat Trick for BBC2;
Test the Nation, Talent TV for BBC1.

Situation comedy
The Book Group, Pirate Productions for C4;
My Family, DLT Entertainment for BBC1;
The Office, BBC for BBC2;
Phoenix Nights, Ovation Entertainment for C4.

Comedy programme or series
Alistair McGowan's Big Impression, Vera for BBC1;
Bremner, Bird & Fortune, Vera for C4;
Look Around You, TalkBack for BBC2;
Smack the Pony, TalkBack for C4.