North-East stars take to the red carpet for Royal Television Society Awards in Gateshead (From The Northern Echo)

North-East stars take to the red carpet for Royal Television Society Awards in Gateshead

12:06pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in News By Andrew Douglas, Deputy News Editor

Hebburn – BBC2’s new comedy drama series set on South Tyneside – picked up the Best Drama Award at the Royal Television Society annual awards event in Gateshead last night (Saturday, March 2).

Cast members including Vic Reeves, Chris Ramsay and writer Jason Cook collected the award from the creator of classic TV hits “Reggie Perrin” and “A Bit of a Do” David Nobbs.

Other winners at the RTS North East and Border annual awards - the biggest awards ceremony of its kind outside London - included Sue Perkins’ documentary about the Von Trapp Family – Climbed Every Mountain produced by Newcastle-based Northern Upstarts.

Gayle Woodruffe of Northern Film and Media received the prestigious Centre Award for her work in bringing countless film and television productions to locations across the North-East from Alnwick (Harry Potter) to Durham (Inspector George Gently). Gayle received her award from the new chief executive of the Royal Television Society Theresa Wise.

And producer Alan Fairholm – who has worked in the production of North-East childrens’s dramas from Byker Grove to Wolfblood for more than 25 years – received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the director of BBC North Peter Salmon.

Chris Jackson, the host of the BBC current affairs series Inside Out won Best Presenter, whilst ITV Tyne Tees correspondent Kenny Toal picked up two awards for Best Journalist and Scoop of the Year – for his work exposing the G4S Olympic security story before it made national headlines.

More than four hundred guests, including Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, singer Joe McElderry and actress Melanie Hill attended the ceremony hosted by BBC presenter Kirsten O’Brien at the Gateshead Hilton.

Chairman of the Royal Television Society in the North East and Borders Graeme Thompson said: “Television and film production in the region in 2012 was worth around £10 million. That activity creates and sustains hundreds of jobs in the creative industries. We are delighted this event is able to showcase and celebrate the best of television and digital media production from this part of the UK.”

The ceremony also highlighted the achievements of the next generation of creative professionals.

Jenny Wotherspoon a Video Journalist from the recently launched Sky Tyne and Wear on-line service was named Best Newcomer.

Meanwhile, students from the University of Sunderland won Best Student Entertainment and Best Student Factual.

Teesside University won Best Student Animation and Northumbria University won the award for Student Drama (Fiction). The winning student entries gain automatic entry into the RTS National Student Awards in May.

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