FUN WORLD

London -- Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Glee and Danish crime drama The Killing will compete for best International show at this year's British Academy Television awards, to be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel May 22.

The inclusion of The Killing marks a rare nomination for a foreign-language drama in a category usually dominated by American shows, underlining the tense 22-hour murder series' near universal critical acclaim.

In the best actor category, Two-time Bafta award winner Jim Broadbent will take on Doctor Who star Matt Smith, Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch and Eric and Ernie comedy talent Daniel Rigby.

Broadbent, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Iris in 2002, earned the best actor nomination for his portrayal of writer, spy and man-of-the-world Logan Mountstuart in the television adaptation of William Boyd's novel Any Human Heart.

Anna Maxwell Martin's portrayal of an inspirational girls' schoolteacher in South Riding earned her a best actress nom alongside VickyMcClure for This Is England '86, Natalie Press for Five Daughters and Juliet Stevenson in Accused.

In the best drama series category, sci-fi dramas Being Human and Misfits compete against drama period piece Downton Abbey and updated crime classic Sherlock.

The Bafta television awards will broadcast near-live on BBC1 on May 22.

Main Bafta TV Nominations:

Leading actor
Jim Broadbent – Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock (BBC1)
Daniel Rigby – Eric and Ernie (BBC4)
Matt Smith – Doctor Who (BBC1)

Leading actress
Anna Maxwell Martin – South Riding (BBC1)
Vicky McClure – This Is England '86 (Channel 4)
Natalie Press – Five Daughters (BBC1)
Juliet Stevenson – Accused (BBC1)

Supporting actor
Brendan Coyle – Downton Abbey (ITV1)
Martin Freeman – Sherlock (BBC1)
Johnny Harris – This Is England '86 (Channel 4)
Robert Sheehan – Misfits (E4)

Supporting actress
Gillian Anderson – Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
Lynda Baron – The Road to Coronation Street (BBC4)
Lauren Socha – Misfits (E4)
Jessie Wallace – The Road to Coronation Street (BBC4)

Drama series
Being Human – Rob Pursey, Philip Trethowan, Toby Whithouse, Colin Teague (BBC3/Touchpaper Television)
Downton Abbey – Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge, Nigel Marchant (ITV1/Carnival Films)
Misfits – Murray Ferguson, Petra Fried, Howard Overman, Kate Crowe (E4/Clerkenwell Films)
Sherlock – Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Sue Vertue, Beryl Vertue (BBC1/Hartswood Films)

International
Boardwalk Empire – Martin Scorsese, Terence Winter, Tim Van Patten, Howard Korder (Sky Atlantic/HBO)
Glee – Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk (E4/Twentieth Century Fox)
The Killing – Soren Sveistrup, Piv Bernth, Birger Larsen, Sophie Grabol (BBC4/DR/ZDF Enterprises)
Mad Men – Matthew Weiner, Scott Hornbacher, Jennifer Getzinger (BBC4/Lionsgate Television)