Robbie Coltrane in running for TV BAFTA for National Treasure

Robbie Coltrane starred alongside Julie Walters in National Treasure.

The Glasgow-born actor, who starred alongside Julie Walters in Channel 4 series National Treasure, will be up against Benedict Cumberbatch for his role in the BBC historical The Hollow Crown.

Coltrane, a previous BAFTA winner for his role as a criminal psychologist in the crime drama Cracker, is one of four contenders in the best leading actor category.

He has also helped National Treasure win a nomination for best mini-series for next month’s awards.

In National Treasure, Coltrane’s character, Paul Finchley’s life is turned upside down when he is arrested after an accusation of rape dating back to the 1990s, before a series of allegations are made against him. He is cleared of all charges only for viewers to discover that Finchley was guilty.

Speaking about his decision to take on the role before the series was aired in September, Coltrane said: “I believe with all my soul that it’s the job of drama to deal with things that the judiciary’s not very good at, the police aren’t very good at, the politicians aren’t very good at, the civil service aren’t very good at.

“All of us involved in it are really proud of it. And I think it’s important to deal with these issues in some way and help people understand them. And hopefully to prevent it from happening again. Because you’re really doing it for the victims. A lot of people’s lives have been ruined by this kind of stuff. You have to do it right out of respect for them.”

Netflix royal drama The Crown leads the race for BAFTA honours, with five nominations, including best drama series and Claire Foy as best leading actress.

Foy’s rivals for the award include Nikki Amuka-Bird for NW, Jodie Comer for Thirteen and Sarah Lancashire for the Yorkshire-set crime series Happy Valley.

It will be competing with The Crown, The Durrells, which is based on author Gerald Durrell’s semi-autobiographical books about living on Corfu, and the BBC’s latest adaptation of War & Peace in the best drama series category.

Also in the running for their performances in The Crown are Jared Harris, John Lithgow and Vanessa Kirby.

Damilola, Our Leading Boy, a drama about the murder of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor in London in 2000, also has three nominations, including a leading actor nod for star Babou Ceesay.

Also up for three honours is Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hit BBC comedy, which started life as one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013, and is returning to the event this summer.

Olivia Colman is up against Fleabag co-star Waller-Bridge for the prize for the best female performance in a comedy programme. Harry Enfield and Steve Coogan are among the contenders in the equivalent category for male performers.

Strictly Come Dancing star Claudia Winkleman will be up against comics Graham Norton, Michael McIntyre and Adam Hills for best entertainment performance. Ed Balls’ Gagnam Style routine on Strictly is up for “must see moment” of the year.

The winners will be announced on 14 May.

FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS

Leading Actor

Adeel Akhtar – Murdered by My Father

Babour Ceesay – Damilola, Our Loved Boy

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses

Robbie Coltrane – National Treasure

eading actress

Claire Foy – The crown

Jodi Comer – Thirteen

Nikki Amuka-Bird – NW

Sarah Lancashire – Happy Valley

Supporting Actor

Daniel Mays – Line of Duty

Jared Harris – The Crown

John Lithgow – The Crown

Tom Hollander – The Night Manager

Supporting Actress

Nicola Walker – Last Tango in Halifax

Siobhan Finneran – Happy Valley

Vanessa Kirby – The Crown

Wunmi Mosaku – Damilola, Our Loved Boy

Drama series

The Crown

The Durrells

Happy Valley

War and Peace

Mini-Series

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses

National Treasure

The Secret

The Witness for the Prosecution

Entertainment Programme

Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway

Britain’s Got Talent

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

Strictly Come Dancing

Entertainment Performance

Adam Hills

Claudia Winkleman

Graham Norton

Michael McIntyre

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme

Asim Chaudry – People Just Do Nothing

David Mitchell – Upstart Crow

Harry Enfield –The Windsors

Steve Coogan – Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme

Diane Morgan – Cunk on Shakespeare

Lesley Manville – Mum

Olivia Colman – Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge - Fleabag

Scripted Comedy

Camping

Fleabag

Flowers

People Just Do Nothing

Reality and Constructed Factual

First Dates

Muslims Like Us

The Real Marigold Hotel

The Secret Life of Five-Year-Olds

Comedy Entertainment Programme

Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe

Cunk on Shakespeare

The Last Leg

Taskmaster

International

The Night Of

The People V OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

Stranger Things

Transparent

Current Affairs

Inside Obama’s White House

Teenage Prison Abuse Exposed

Charlie Hebdo Attacks

Unarmed Black Male

Features

The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs

The Great British Bake Off

Travel Man: 48 Hours in...

Who Do You Think You Are?

Factual Series

24 Hrs in Police Custody

Exodus: Our Journey to Europe

Kids on the Edge

Prosecutors: Real Crime & Punishment

Single Documentary

Behind Closed Doors

Hillsborough

How to Die: Simon’s Choice

Hypernormalisation

Live Event

Centenary of the Battle of the Somme: Theipval

Shakespeare Live!

Stand Up to Cancer

The Queens 90th Birthday

Specialist Factual

Alan Bennett’s Diaries

Attenborough’s Life That Glows

Grayson Perry: All Man

Planet Earth II

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