National Television Awards 2013: Downton Abbey beats Doctor Who, Sherlock and Merlin to top prize Julian Fellowes' drama was crowned the cream of the year's TV drama at the annual awards ceremony (RADIO TIMES)

Julian Fellowes' period drama beat Merlin to the prize and also made it an award-free night for Sherlock and Doctor Who after their stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Matt Smith missed out in the Best Drama Performance category to Colin Morgan.

Phyllis Logan, who plays Mrs Hughes in the ITV series, accepted the award, saying "To be in such exhalted company as the other nominees is doubly exhalting". She also praised Fellowes for "capturing the imagination of you all, and everyone around the world".

READ MORE: (SPOILER) http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-01-23/national-television-awards-2013-downton-abbey-beats-doctor-who-sherlock-and-merlin-to-top-prize

Hugh Bonneville: Downton star's high tea auction (AUCKLAND TODAY)

A chance for High Tea with Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville is being auctioned as part of Starship's Spring Clean fundraiser.

Prime and Sky TV have donated the experience to support the annual fundraiser for the Auckland hospital.

The package, which will be listed on Trade Me from September 13-20, includes flights from main centres to Auckland for the 60-minute High Tea with Bonneville on either the 26th, 27th or 28th of September. Transport will also be provided if the lucky winning bidder lives in Auckland.

Bonneville, who is a patron of London children's charity Scene & Heard and international medical relief charity Merlin, was delighted to offer his time in support of the cause.

"I'm truly looking forward to meeting the auction winner and encourage all Kiwis to support Starship's Spring Clean however they can; whether they are interested in High Tea with me or one of the other fantastic "money-can't-buy" auctions that are running as part of this event."


READ MORE http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/whats-on/7677422/Downton-stars-high-tea-auction

Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith: TV Choice Nominations (MSN)

TVChoice 2012 nominations: Sherlock's Cumberbatch takes on Dr Who's Matt Smith
The shortlist for the TVChoice Awards 2012 has been unveiled and Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch will take on Dr Who's Matt Smith.


Best New Drama
Call The Midwife (BBC1)
Homeland (C4)
Once Upon A Time (C5)
Prisoners' Wives (BBC1)

Best Drama Series
Downton Abbey (ITV1)
Shameless (C4)
Sherlock (BBC1)
Skins (E4)

Best Family Drama
Doctor Who (BBC1)
Glee (Sky1)
Merlin (BBC1)
Waterloo Road (BBC1)

Best Actor
Martin Clunes, Doc Martin
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Colin Morgan, Merlin
Matt Smith, Doctor Who

Best Actress
Karen Gillan, Doctor Who
Miranda Hart, Call The Midwife
Jaye Jacobs, Waterloo Road
Freya Mavor, Skins

Best Comedy Series
Benidorm (ITV1)
The Big Bang Theory (E4/C4)
Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC1)
Outnumbered (BBC1)

Best Reality Show
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (C4)
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! (ITV1)
Made In Chelsea (E4/C4)
The Only Way Is Essex (ITV2)

Best Talent Show
The Apprentice (BBC1)
Britain's Got Talent (ITV1)
The Voice UK (BBC1)
The X Factor (ITV1)

Best Entertainment Show
Alan Carr: Chatty Man (C4)
Celebrity Juice (ITV2)
The Graham Norton Show (BBC1)
Russell Howard's Good News (BBC3)

Best Daytime Show
Come Dine With Me (C4)
The Jeremy Kyle Show (ITV1)
Pointless (BBC1)
This Morning (ITV1)

Best Factual Entertainment
Embarrassing Bodies (C4)
Frozen Planet (BBC1)
One Born Every Minute (C4)
Top Gear (BBC2)

Best Lifestyle Show
Antiques Roadshow (BBC1)
Four In A Bed (C4)
Gok's Clothes Roadshow: Get The Look For Less (C4)
Supersize Vs Superskinny (C4)

Best Food Show
Gok Cooks Chinese (C4)
The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation (BBC2)
Jamie's Great Britain (C4)
Saturday Kitchen (BBC1)

Best Soap categories Sponsored by Daz
Best Soap Actor
Chris Fountain as Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street (ITV1)
Steve Halliwell as Zak Dingle in Emmerdale (ITV1)
Shane Richie as Alfie Moon in EastEnders (BBC1)
Emmett Scanlan as Brendan Brady in Hollyoaks (C4)

Best Soap Actress
Charlie Brooks as Janine Butcher in EastEnders (BBC1)
Jo Joyner as Tanya Jessop in EastEnders (BBC1)
Michelle Keegan as Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street (ITV1)
Alison King as Carla Connor in Coronation Street (ITV1)

Best Soap Newcomer
Tony Discipline as Tyler Moon in EastEnders (BBC1)
Jamie Foreman as Derek Branning in EastEnders (BBC1)
Natalie Gumede as Kirsty Soames in Coronation Street (ITV1)
Gemma Oaten as Rachel Breckle in Emmerdale (ITV1)

Best Soap
Coronation Street (ITV1)
EastEnders (BBC1)
Emmerdale (ITV1)
Hollyoaks (C4)


READ MORE: http://tv.uk.msn.com/features/tvchoice-2012-nominations-sherlocks-cumberbatch-takes-on-dr-whos-matt-smith

David Tennant: ‘Spies Of Warsaw’ Cast David Tennant And Janet Montgomery (TV EQUALS)

Actor David Tennant (Fright Night, Doctor Who) and actress Janet Montgomery (Black Swan, Merlin) have joined the cast of the upcoming BBC Four Alan Furst adaption drama entitled Spies Of Warsaw.

It was announced that the two will play love interests with Tennant on board as a decorated war hero and Montgomery set to portray a Parisian lawyer for the League of Nations.

The new period piece that takes place in 1933 to 1943, from creator Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, chronicles the Germans as they “slowly consolidate their political stranglehold on Europe, Furst’s stories are portraits of subjugated peoples who try to resist the suffocating inevitability of Hitler’s regime. They show the potency and importance of espionage and pure intelligence in the run up to the war.”

‘Spies Of Warsaw’ is Alan Furst at his best – a tense, passionate and sexy love story set against the increasingly strident clang of coming war,” Richard Klein, the Controller of BBC Four, shared. “I think David Tennant playing Mercier and Janet Montgomery as Anna is such an exciting way to explore Furst’s hugely convincing central characters, and I am delighted that Ian and Dick have produced such an enthralling script.”


READ MORE:  http://www.tvequals.com/2012/04/05/spies-of-warsaw-cast-david-tennant-and-janet-montgomery/