BAFTAs 2021: 8 Ups & 7 Downs

Downs...

7. Pointlessly Splitting The Show Over Two Nights

With the impact of the pandemic still being felt around the world, this year's BAFTA ceremony of course had to adapt, resulting in nominees video-calling into the show while the in-person audience was replaced with a virtual equivalent.

The more surprising alteration to the typical BAFTAs' format, however, was the decision to split the broadcast over two nights, where eight "lesser" awards - such as Best Casting, various crafts categories, and the two Short Film gongs - were given out in a one-hour ceremony on the Saturday night.

The more traditional two-hour main show took place on the Sunday, of course, but largely left one wondering why the BBC didn't simply make the show a single three-hour broadcast ala the Oscars or Golden Globes?

The split did nothing but allow those who don't care about these eight categories to avoid them, but shouldn't an awards show present all of the year's achievements - technical and otherwise - in a holistic celebration?

It might seem like a nitpick, but considering the BBC's rather meagre coverage of the BAFTAs' crafts awards in previous years - generally relegating them to a montage at the end of the show - it still feels like they're treating them a bit like an arbitrary obligation.