Bafta Nominees

I'm torn over who should win for best lead actor on British television. The youngest Dr Who, or the latest Sherlock Holmes?*

Pitting Sherlock against Dr Who is a tough call. Who do you think would win in a bar fight? The guy with the giant brain, or the one wielding a sonic screwdriver?

In a way, Sherlock is the classier choice. (No offence intended to the Timelord).

Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the modern incarnation of a complex, contradictory character sourced from classic literature.

In contrast, Matt Smith plays the most recent re-incarnation (or to be technical, regeneration) of a kooky time travelling alien with a soft spot for Earth.

Sherlock (the series) is more about quality than quantity. Every episode has a filmic veneer, but let's face it- maintaining a high production standard is somewhat easier if your premiere season only spans three episodes.

Dr Who, on the other hand, is a long-running serial where dodgy special effects are downright celebrated. The show has a complex history and there's no denying some of it's a tad kitsch on the eye.

Frankly, elegant understatement has never been Dr Who's forte.

Then there's the genre issue. Historically, science fiction never does well on the mainstream awards circuit. The fact that Smith is the eleventh actor to play the Doctor, yet the first to score a Bafta nomination, pretty much sums it up.

BUT...

As brilliant as Cumberbatch is in his portrayal of Sherlock, it has to be conceded that Smith tackles a unique acting challenge every time he dons that bow tie 'n tweed (which he does with such panache).

How would an actor even begin to embody the personality of a character that's existed for centuries? More importantly, how can an actor instil a child-like, almost flippant social persona over the established patina of a reall-y old soul?

Just ask Matt Smith. He does a beautiful job of exactly that, hence the nomination.

Either way, I'm glad they both scored a nod. Fantastically deserved, my dear Watson!

(*The two nominations are also a sideways nod to Steven Moffat and the entertaining television he's putting out into the world, since he's executive producer and writer for both Dr Who and Sherlock. Other nominees in the category include Jim Broadbent and Daniel Rigby, but I'm backing one of the slender, erratically intelligent misfits from the Moffat universe).