Bernard Cribbins tribute will definitely be included in Bafta TV Awards ceremony
Bafta has confirmed to Screen OD that a tribute to the late actor Bernard Cribbins will be included in the TV Awards ceremony in May after his absence from this weekend’s Film Bafta Awards ceremony drew widespread criticism.
A Bafta spokesperson told Screen OD: “Bernard Cribbins will be remembered in our upcoming BAFTA Television Awards ceremony broadcast in May.”
Many took to social media on Sunday evening to complain after Cribbins was absent from the Bafta tribute section of the awards in London which included Anne Heche, Olivia Newton-John, William Hurt and Robbie Coltrane.
Bafta responded with a message on social media that read: “With limited time in our broadcast it isn’t possible to honour all those who have sadly passed away.
“Bernard features in our online records… and given his influential work in TV, he will be considered for inclusion in the next Television Awards broadcast.”
However, this intervention appeared to make things worse as Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies took exception to the idea that such a legend of the screen would only be be ‘considered’.
Quoting the initial response from Bafta on Instagram, Davies said: “It’s fair enough to remember Bernard Cribbins at the TV @bafta, not the film. To say he’s being ‘considered’ is the work of an idiot.”
Cribbins, who died in 2022 at the age of 93 enjoyed a long and celebrated career on stage, television and in film and will be remembered by many for his performances in the Carry On films, The Wombles and The Railway Children to name but a few.
Science fiction fans will also remember Cribbins for his performance as Wilfred Mott, the grandfather of Catherine Tate’s character Donna Noble, during the era of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor. It is understood that Cribbins returned briefly to film scenes for the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials in 2022 shortly before his death and will be seen on screen in the episodes in November 2023.
After the death of Cribbins, Russell T Davies expressed his great admiration for the actor and detailed his love for Doctor Who.
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