‘Top Boy great, Happy Valley game changing. Ridiculous’
Top Boy was crowned Best Drama at the 2024 Bafta TV Awards, beating Happy Valley to the prestigious prize.
The Netflix show was one of the big winners on the night, but it was a surprise to many to see it beat Happy Valley to one of the night’s main awards.
Happy Valley didn’t go away empty handed though, with Sarah Lancashire being named best actress, whilst the BBC series also won the memorable moment prize for the final showdown between Sergeant Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce in her kitchen.
Top Boy first aired on Channel 4 in 2011 for two seasons, before it was picked up by Netflix in 2017. The streamer then produced three more seasons of the show, with the final run being released last year.
The crime drama stars Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson as two drug dealers on a Hackney estate, and the show’s producer Charles Steel paid tribute to the pair as he collected the best drama gong.
Top Boy wins the BAFTA for Drama Series
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) May 12, 2024#BAFTATVAwards with @pandocruises pic.twitter.com/xX5IBIGwrQ
He praised the actors who “created these incredible characters and brought them to life”.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Jobson was named best supporting actress for her performance in the show.
Although it has received critical acclaim over the years, it was still a surprise for many to see it pip Happy Valley to the night’s big award.
The police drama also aired its final season last year, and had been the favourite in many people’s eyes for the prestigious prize.
Reacting on social media, one person wrote: “I’ve never seen (or heard of) Top Boy so I can’t judge its quality but I can’t believe there was a TV show better than Happy Valley last year. It was a masterclass of writing and acting (& every other department) & an event across the UK. It should have swept the board.”
Another said: “Wait, what? I mean Top Boy was good, but Happy Valley??”
A third wrote: “Top Boy great, Happy Valley game changing. The best drama for a generation. Ridiculous.”
And someone else commented that Happy Valley had been “robbed of the Bafta for best drama!”
After the Kings Coronation, Happy valley was the most watched drama/ show on TV last year! Over 10 million viewers…
— Janice Black (@Janblack20) May 12, 2024
robbed of the BAFTA for best drama#BAFTA2024
But others agreed with the win. One person commented: “FYI, Top Boy was a phenomenal drama with spectacular performances and 100% deserved its #BAFTATVAwards win.”
FYI, Top Boy was a phenomenal drama with spectacular performances and 100% deserved its #BAFTATVAwards win.
— Morgan Jeffery (@morganjeffery) May 12, 2024pic.twitter.com/7W6z8ELZF4
A second penned: “Well deserved! Top Boy is the best thing I’ve seen for a long time… love Happy Valley but Top Boy shines.”
Another wrote that Top Boy was “easily the winner”, whilst a fourth said: “Happy Valley was amazing all these people saying it was robbed have you even watched Top Boy that was also an amazing piece of drama and yes I’ve watched both.”
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