Appropriate Adult leads TV Bafta race

Emily Watson played the "appropriate adult" who sat in on police interviews with Fred West

Appropriate Adult, ITV1's dramatisation of the investigation into serial killer Fred West, leads the nominations for this year's Bafta TV Awards.

The two-part drama received four nominations, including best mini-series, best actor for Dominic West and best actress for Emily Watson.

BBC One series Sherlock and Channel 4 drama This Is England '88 received three nominations each.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in London on 27 May.

In the leading actor category, Dominic West will take on Benedict Cumberbatch, who is nominated for his role as Sherlock Holmes, plus John Simm, who is named for his role in Exile, and This is England '88's Joseph Gilgun.

Watson is nominated in the best actress category alongside Romola Garai for The Crimson Petal and the White, Nadine Marshall for Channel 4's Random and Vicky McClure for her performance as Lol in This Is England '88.

McClure won the Bafta last year for the same role in This Is England '86.

Five-time Bafta winner Dame Maggie Smith is nominated in the best supporting actress category for Downton Abbey.

She will go up against comedian Miranda Hart, who starred in Call the Midwife, The Hour's Anna Chancellor and Monica Dolan for Appropriate Adult.

Sherlock did not qualify for best drama series due to a change in the rules this year

Sherlock's other two nominations came in the supporting actor category, with Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott recognised for their roles as Watson and Moriarty.

But it missed out being able to defend its title for best drama series after a change in the rules this year.

To qualify, a drama has to have between six and 19 episodes, but the second series of Sherlock had only three episodes.

Misfits, Spooks, The Fades and Scott and Bailey will all compete for the best drama series prize.

Appropriate Adult, about the serial killer who was charged with 12 murders committed mainly in the 1970s, is also nominated for best mini-series.

It will compete against The Crimson Petal And The White, This Is England '88 and Top Boy.

Coronation Street and EastEnders face Holby City and Shameless in the soap and continuing drama category.

Bafta ceremony host Dara O'Briain is up for best comedy performance in Mock The Week

Bafta ceremony host Dara O'Briain is up for best comedy performance for Mock The Week, and will face Graham Norton, Alan Carr and previous two-time winner Harry Hill.

A new category - reality and constructed factual - has been introduced this year and will be contested by An Idiot Abroad, Don't Tell The Bride, Made In Chelsea and Young Apprentice.

However The Only Way Is Essex, which was the surprise winner of last year's audience award, failed to make the cut.

Simon Cowell shows Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor also failed to make it on to the shortlist for best entertainment programme.

Instead, it will be fought out between Harry Hill's TV Burp, Derren Brown: The Experiments, Michael McIntyre's Christmas Comedy Roadshow and Celebrity Juice.

Rev, Mrs Brown's Boys, Friday Night Dinner and Fresh Meat are all nominated in the sitcom title category, with Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe, Comic Strip: The Hunt for Tony Blair, The Cricklewood Greats and Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle all battling for the comedy programme prize.