Gervais and Wood lead Bafta winners

Victoria Wood and Ricky Gervais were among the winners at this year's Bafta TV Awards in London last night.

Gervais picked up the award for best comedy performance for his role in 'Extras', beating his co-star Stephen Merchant.

However, he was unable to collect his award, because he was filming in the US, leaving it to Merchant to collect it on his behalf. Merchant said: "He could have mentioned this before; talk about rubbing salt into the wound.

"I'm sure he would like me to say I've been robbed and I would agree. And it's not like he hasn't got enough already."

Gervais has now won a total of seven Baftas - the same as Victoria Wood, who collected two awards for ITV Second World War drama 'Housewife, 49'. Wood, who wrote and starred in the show, picked up the awards for best actress and best single drama.

Wood beat Samantha Morton, nominated for her role as Myra Hindley in 'Longford', Anne-Marie Duff, nominated for 'The Virgin Queen' and Ruth Wilson, nominated for 'Jane Eyre', to win the best actress award.

'The X-Factor' repeated its success last year, again winning best entertainment programme.

However, there were some surprises at Sunday night's event at the London Palladium.

Hospital drama 'Casualty' won the best continuing drama category, beating soaps 'Emmerdale', 'Coronation Street' and 'Eastenders'. It is the first time that the BBC series has won a Bafta.

The BBC's 1970s police drama 'Life On Mars' had been tipped to win best drama series, while star John Simms had been tipped to win best actor, but failed to win either award. However, the popular series did win the Pioneer Audience Award - the only award voted for by the public.

Jim Broadbent beat Simm to the best actor award, winning for his performance as Lord Longford in 'Longford', a drama about the campaign to free Moors murderer Myra Hindley.

He also beat Andy Serkis, who played Ian Brady in the same show, and Michael Sheen, who was nominated for his portrayal of comic actor Kenneth Williams in 'Fantabulosa!'

ITV's fictionalised account of the Moors murders, 'See No Evil' was also named best drama serial, beating the final series of 'Prime Suspect' starring Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren.

Jonathan Ross won the award for best entertainment performance for 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross', beating Ant & Dec for 'Saturday Night Takeaway', Stephen Fry for 'QI' and Paul Merton for 'Have I Got News For You?'. However, he did not attend the ceremony.

'The Royle Family' one-off return to the small screen scooped the award for best situation comedy, beating 'Green Wing', 'The IT Crowd' and 'Pulling'.

'That Mitchell And Webb Look' won the award for best comedy programme or series, beating 'The Catherine Tate Show', 'Little Britain Abroad' and 'Little Miss Jocelyn'.

Former 'Eastenders' star Ross Kemp's Sky One show 'Ross Kemp on Gangs' won the best factual series award, while Northern drama 'The Street' won the best drama series.

(KMcA/JM)