Did Bafta bend the rules to gift Killing Eve with 14 nominations? BBC’s hit spy drama should have only received an international drama nod – because it premiered in the US
- Hit spy show does not count as a British show according to Bafta guidelines
- This is because it debuted on BBC America, which is separate to UK broadcaster
- Bafta has hit back, saying its ‘television committee is the arbiter of all eligibility
Sandra Oh (pictured, left, with co-star Jodie Comer, right) won a Golden Globe for Killing Eve, which has been nominated for 14 Baftas
Bafta may have bent its own rules to net the hit spy comedy Killing Eve a massive 14 nominations for this year’s awards.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s show left rivals trailing when it secured more nominations than any other programme for the Baftas.
But technically it may only be entitled to one, due to the fact that Jodie Comer’s portrayal of assassin Villanell first aired in the US.
The rules state that eligibility for a nomination means series ‘must have had the worldwide premiere transmission in the UK’ between 1 January and 31 December 2018.
They also say ‘a UK broadcaster must have the primary editorial control over the programme’.
The only exception to these guidelines is found in nominations for the international series category.
Killing Eve – which stars Sandra Oh as MI5 agent Eve Posner – was originally commissioned by BBC America.
Pictured: Sandra Oh starring in Killing Eve as the show’s 14 Bafta nominations spark a row over the programme’s eligibility due it first airing in the US
The US pay TV channel is owned by both the BBC and the American network AMC and the show first premiered in the states in April.
The licence fee does not fund BBC America, which is a separate entity to the British original.
Killing Eve only appeared on UK screens when the BBC acquired the show in June 2018.
So the rules suggest that technically Killing Eve could only be nominated for an international series nod.
But Bafta has responded to the eligibility fallout saying its TV committee considers it a British show because of ‘significant creative contribution from key UK talent throughout the production’.
Its statement did not address the fact that Killing Eve premiered in the US five months before its UK debut.
A spokesman for Bafta said: ‘BAFTA’s Television Committee deems Killing Eve a British series.
‘Killing Eve received 14 nominations, 9 of which were eligible under BAFTA’s criteria, and 5 of which were deemed eligible by the TV committee due to the significant creative contribution from key UK talent throughout the production.
‘The Television committee is the arbiter of all eligibility.’
Its British credentials include creator Waller-Bridge, Bloomsbury-based production firm Sid Gentle Films and the Codename Villanelle series of books, penned by Luke Jennings.
The show’s origins are also British, as the series was originally in development at Sky before BBC America got hold of it.
Sid Gentle said in a statement that it was ‘absolutely thrilled’ its ‘small small British series has made waves around the world’.
Killing Eve is set for a second series next month – which will also air in America before Britain. A launch is expected on BBC One and Three later this year.
As well as being nominated for 14 Baftas, the first series saw Sandra Oh take the Golden Globe for Actress in a Drama TV Series. The programme was also nominated for a Drama TV Series Golden Globe.
What are Bafta’s nomination rules?
Below, in full, is the statement on eligibility for the British Television Awards as taken from page 3 of Bafta’s own rules and guidelines for 2019:
‘Programmes must have had their first transmission in the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2018 on terrestrial, cable, satellite or digital channels, including web-based broadcasters who commission content (e.g. Netflix, Amazon, You Tube Originals).
‘Programmes may be regional or networked. Programmes will be considered for one category only.
‘Unless otherwise specified in the rules of the individual category, all programmes must have a minimum scheduled running time of 20 minutes, not including any commercial breaks.
‘For a programme to qualify for the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards, the programme must have had the worldwide premiere transmission in the UK.
‘The programme should have been initiated and developed in the UK; with creative control residing within the UK and/or a UK broadcaster must have the primary editorial control over the programme.
‘Where your programme falls outside of this eligibility, it can only be considered in the International category.
‘Programmes previously entered into the British Academy Children’s Awards or the EE British Academy Film Awards are not eligible for the Television Awards.
‘Programmes that are self-commissioned and self-published are not eligible for the Television Awards.’
Source: Bafta.org