ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office up for National Television Award

Former postmistress Jo Hamilton (second left) poses with cast members from Mr Bates vs The Post Office and a special award for the TV drama, at the TRIC (The Television and Radio Industries Club) Credit: PA

The cast of ITV's drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, are hoping to add a National Television Award (NTA) to their accomplishments at London's O2 on Wednesday.

The four-part miniseries series brought renewed attention to the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal.

Over than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and given criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 due to Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon IT system, which made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.

The series, which shone a light on the issue, will compete for the new drama prize at the annual awards ceremony alongside the Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, romantic drama One Day and thrillers Fool Me Once and Red Eye.

One prize has already been secured for the ITV drama after it was announced last week that they had been awarded the NTA Impact Award for creating a “huge cultural shift”.

Actor Toby Jones has also been nominated in the drama performance category for his role as former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates, one of more than 550 claimants who have brought legal action against the Post Office.

Toby Jones whoo plays former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates in 'Mr Bates vs the post office' Credit: PA

He faces some tough competition from fellow nominees including actress Jessica Gunning who has been recognised for her role as Martha Scott in dark comedy thriller Baby Reindeer.

Comedian Joel Dommett will return to host the annual star-studded ceremony, which will be broadcast live on Wednesday from 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...