Mr Bates vs The Post Office Wins a Peabody Award
(May 1, 2025) Mr Bates vs The Post Office as seen on MASTERPIECE on PBS has been recognized with a Peabody Award. Respected for their integrity and standards of excellence, the Peabody Awards recognize stories that powerfully reflect the pressing social issues and the vibrant emerging voices of our day. The winners were chosen by a unanimous vote of 27 jurors from over 1,000 entries.
“Whether enlightening audiences on global issues or bringing a smile and sense of community through thoughtful entertainment, these works deserve to be recognized and celebrated,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “A Peabody is like an Oscar wrapped in an Emmy inside a Pulitzer,” said Stephen Colbert, multi Peabody Award winner. The winners of the 85th Annual Peabody Awards will be celebrated on Sunday, June 1 in Beverly Hills, CA.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part drama based on the true story of U.K. Subpostmasters who were falsely accused of theft due to a faulty computer system, revealing one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. The series sparked outrage when broadcast in the UK. Within a week after Mr Bates vs The Post Office’s UK premiere in January of 2024, over a million people had signed a petition demanding justice for the accused, and then British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was before Parliament promising a new law to seek swift exoneration and compensation for the victims.
Award-winning actor Toby Jones (Empire of Light, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Sherlock) stars in this shockingly true David vs Goliath story. When money started to seemingly disappear from its local branches, the government-owned UK Post Office wrongly blamed its own managers for the apparent loss. Hundreds were harassed, accused of theft and fraud, even sent to prison—leaving lives, marriages, and reputations in ruins. But the issue was actually caused by errors in the Post Office’s own computer system; something it denied for years. The stellar ensemble cast includes Julie Hesmondhalgh (The Pact, The Trouble With Maggie Cole), Alex Jennings (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Victoria, Unforgotten), Ian Hart (The Responder), Lia Williams (The Crown, The Capture), Will Mellor (Coronation Street, No Offence), Clare Calbraith (Grace, Home Fires, Unforgotten, Baptiste), Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack, It’s A Sin, Grantchester), Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey, Beecham House), and Katherine Kelly (Bloods, Gentleman Jack), among others.
In addition to its Peabody Award win, Mr Bates vs The Post Office received six nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) Awards including Best Limited Series. This was the second most nominations for any show.
Delve deeper into the real-life drama by exploring our special features related to the miniseries. Plus, get an inside look at Mr Bates vs The Post Office as the cast introduces you to the story in a short video.
