The top 100 most influential people in TV have been unveiled by Radio Times, with the ensemble cast of ITV‘s Mr Bates vs The Post Office coming out on top.
The four-part drama, based on a true story, laid bare the scandal of how hundreds of subpostmasters had been wrongly accused of theft and fraud due to a faulty computer system.
The show was so impactful that it led to a new law being introduced to quash the subpostmasters’ convictions.
The series, which came out in January, starred Toby Jones as the subpostmasters’ leader Alan Bates, Julie Hesmondhalgh as his wife Suzanne Sercombe and Monica Dolan as subpostmaster Jo Hamilton.
ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo said Mr Bates vs the Post Office is the channel’s ‘biggest drama since records began over 20 years ago’, having been watched by more than 14 million viewers in just three months.
ITV’s Alan Bates vs The Post Office laid bare how hundreds of subpostmasters had been wrongfully accused of theft and fraud
Morgan Jeffery, executive editor of RadioTimes.com, said that because it ‘demonstrated the power that television truly has to shape the world that we live in, there could only ever be one winner’.
Helen Daly, associate editor of RadioTimes.com, said the team behind the ITV drama ‘cemented the importance of television in society and have given subpostmasters a loud voice that they didn’t have before’.
This is the first time an ensemble has taken the number one spot in the power list, which is compiled by industry experts and top TV executives.
The Radio Times TV 100 celebrates people in front and behind the camera responsible for landmark TV moments and ‘changed the entertainment landscape for the better over the past 12 months’.
Runner-up in the list is Kieran Culkin, 41, for his performance as Roman Roy in the fourth and final season of HBO’s Succession.
Zai Bennett, Sky UK and Ireland Managing Director of Content, said: ‘Kieran not only brought the laughs as arguably the funniest of the Roy siblings, but he also left you feeling sympathetic for this multifaceted character, who is ultimately just seeking is father’s approval.’
Sarah Lancashire, 59, comes in third for her ‘phenomenal performance’ as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC’s Happy Valley.
BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore said said the actress is ‘one of the most remarkable talents of our age’, adding that she ‘has an incredible depth and range that means you just can’t take your eyes off her.’
Kieran Culkin (pictured) was the runner up for his role as Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession
Sarah Lancashire (pictured) was in third place for her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC’s Happy Valley
Bella Ramsey (pictured), 20, is fourth in the list for their part as Ellie in the hit show The Last of Us
Bella Ramsey, 20, is fourth in the list for ‘showcasing versatility on screen’ as Ellie in HBO’s drama The Last of USSky’s Zai Bennett said: ‘Bella had the daunting task of making a much-loved character their own and they more than delivered.’
Ncuti Gatwa, 31, who topped last year’s list, came in fifth this year for his ‘ground-breaking performance’ as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
BBC’s Charlotte Moore said: ‘Ncuti has exploded on to our screens and very quickly established himself as our incredible new Doctor. His performance is electrifying. You just want to spend time with him on his wild adventures in space and time.’
Coming in sixth is Sally Wainwright, 61, television writer and producer of the BBC’s Happy Valley.
BBC boss Charlotte Moore said: ‘Sally Wainwright is a genius, a multi-award winning writer lauded for creating strong and complex female characters, combining humour with authentic dialogue and so often shining a light on Yorkshire.’
Ncuti Gatwa (pictured) is fifth on the list for his role as the Fifteenth Doctor in the BBC’s flagship sci-fi show Doctor Who
Sally Wainwright (pictured) is the sixth most influential person in TV for her work as writer and producer on the BBC’s Happy Valley
Claudia Winkleman, 52, host of The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing, is seventh after winning a Bafta for the reality show last year
Seventh on the list is the host of The Traits and Strictly Come Dancing, Claudia Winkleman, 52, who won a Bafta for the reality show last year.
Thames TV managing director Charlie Irwin hailed her ‘unparalleled contributions to the world of television and broadcasting’, as well as her ‘wit, charm and genuine passion for popular entertainment and the people that make it, on and off camera.’
He added that ‘her versatility it self-evident across a wide spectrum of shows’ and that her influence extends beyond the screen as a ‘cultural icon’.
Number eight is Ayo Edebiri, 28, after the success of the Disney+ series The Bear and her performance as chef Syndey Adamu winning her a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award.
Dame Pippa Harris, co-founder of Neal Street Productions described her as ‘one of the most exciting comedic actor/writers of her generation,’ adding that ‘not only has she stolen the show in two movies (Theater Camp and Bottoms) but audiences were captivated by her dazzling performance as sous chef Sydney in The Bear’.
Ninth on Radio Times’s top 100 is Jesse Armstrong, 53, screenwriter of HBO’s hit show Succession.
Sky’s Zai Bennett said: ‘To say Jesse Armstorng had made an impact on the TV landscape would be an understatement. Succession can only be described as a masterpiece with Jesse at the helm.’
Other succession cast members include Sarah Snook at 41.
Runner-up in the list is Kieran Culkin , 41, who played Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession
In tenth place is Hannah Waddingham, who played Rebecca Welton in Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso.
RadioTimes.com drama writer James Hibbs said: ‘A hugely charismatic, funny and soulful presence, it’s no wonder that off the back of her role in [Ted Lasso], she has picked up jobs such as starring in ITV’s Tom Jones and, of course, presenting the Eurovision Song Contest.
Other people to make it into the top 20 include Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, Eastenders executive producer Christopher Clenshaw, comedian Paul O’Grady, The Crown’s Elizabeth Debicki and Beef’s Ali Wong & Steven Yeun.
The annual list is compiled by leading figures from across the creative industries, including Kevin Lygo, Managing Director, Media & Entertainment ITV; Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content; Zai Bennett, Sky UK and Ireland Managing Director of Content; Dame Pippa Harris, Neal Street Productions, Co-Founder; and Charlie Irwin, Thames TV, Managing Director, whose nominations of the most exciting, influential names working in television today, was then curated into a final list by RadioTimes.com’s team of expert editors and critics.
