Downton Abbey fails to pick up single BAFTA nomination for first time since it began

In it's first year it was nominated in the Best Drama section and in it's second year Dame Maggie Smith won a nomination for best supporting actress.

But this year Downton Abbey has failed to pick up a single nomination at the BAFTA Television Awards.

The lack of acknowledgement for the third series, which received a mix reception at the time, has led to speculation that the fourth series of the stately home drama will be it's last.

Scroll down for a list of nominees

No acknowledgment: The latest series of Downton Abbey did not receive any BAFTA nominations for the first time

It is thought that the show, which was one of the most-watched throughout the whole of 2012, has suffered after a number of the key stars have left, including Dan Stevens who played Matthew Crawley.

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The news comes as the BBC has overtaken ITV in terms of nominations, receiving five times the amount of the channel on which Downton is aired, with TV film The Girl and crime series The Accused leading the nominations.

The BBC-HBO co-produced movie The Girl, about the tumultuous relationship between director Alfred Hitchcock and actress Tippi Hedren, has received nods in four categories.

Sienna Miller is up for Leading Actress, Toby Jones for Leading Actor and Imelda Staunton for Supporting Actress for her role as Hitchcock's wife Alma.

Snubbed: It is thought Downton failed to win any nominations after key characters have left the show

Acclaimed: The Girl, starring Sienna Miller as Tippi Hedren and Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock is up for four BAFTA TV Awards

Crime drama series The Accused is also up for nod, including Leading Actor for Sean Bean, Supporting Actor for Stephen Graham and Supporting Actress for Olivia Colman.

Olivia is up for two accolades, including Female Performance In A Comedy Programme for Twenty Twelve.

BBC comedy series Twenty Twelve has a total of four nods in three categories, with Olivia set to battle co-star Jessica Hynes for Female Performance In A Comedy Programme.

What a day! BBC coverage of the London 2012 Olympics 'Super Saturday', which saw Jessica Ennis win gold, is up for Sports & Live Event

Hit: Stephen Graham is up for Supporting Actor and Sean Bean for Leading Actor for The Accused

Downton wasn't the only surprise snub, hit BBC series Call The Midwife only had one nod for the Radio Times Audience Award.

However, Downton star Hugh Bonneville has been acknowledged for his performance in Twenty Twelve with a Male Performance In A Comedy Programme nod.

Parade's End is up in two categories, including Leading Actress for Rebecca Hall.

Leading ladies: Sheridan Smith in Mrs Biggs and Rebecca Hall in Parade's End are both up for Leading Actress

She will compete with Sienna, Sheridan Smith for Mrs Biggs and Anne Reid for Last Tango In Halifax.

Unsurprisingly, the London 2012 Games feature heavily in the Sport & Live Event category, including the Olympics 'Super Saturday', Opening Ceremony and the Paralympic Games.

Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony is also up for the Radio Times Audience Award, which is voted for by the public.

Funny: Olivia Colman and Hugh Bonneville have both been nominated for Twenty Twelve

The star-studded ceremony will be host by Graham Norton, who himself is up for Entertainment Performance for his BBC chat show.

The winners of the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards will be announced at London's Royal Festival Hall on May 12.

Popular: The Great British Bake Off, starring Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, is up for Features and the Audience Award

BAFTA Television Awards 2013 nominees Leading Actor:

Ben Whishaw - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Derek Jacobi - Last Tango in Halifax

Sean Bean - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Toby Jones - The Girl

Leading Actress:

Anne Reid - Last Tango in Halifax

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Sheridan Smith - Mrs Biggs

Sienna Miller - The Girl

Supporting Actor:

Peter Capaldi - The Hour

Stephen Graham - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Harry Lloyd - The Fear

Simon Russell Beale - Henry IV, Part 2 (The Hollow Crown)

Supporting Actress:

Anastasia Hille - The Fear

Imelda Staunton - The Girl

Olivia Colman - Accused ('Mo's Story')

Sarah Lancashire - Last Tango in Halifax

Entertainment Performance:

Alan Carr - Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Ant and Dec - I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Graham Norton - The Graham Norton Show

Sarah Millican - The Sarah Millican Show

Female Performance In A Comedy Programme:

Jessica Hynes - Twenty Twelve

Julia Davis - Hunderby

Miranda Hart - Miranda

Olivia Colman - Twenty Twelve

Male Performance In A Comedy Programme:

Greg Davies - Cuckoo

Hugh Bonneville - Twenty Twelve

Peter Capaldi - The Thick of It

Steve Coogan - Welcome to the Places of My Life

Single Drama:

Everyday

The Girl

Murder

Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Mini-Series:

Accused

Mrs Biggs

Parade's End

Room at the Top

Drama Series:

Last Tango in Halifax

Ripper Street

Scott and Bailey

Silk

Soap & Continuing Drama:

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Shameless

International:

The Bridge

Game of Thrones

Girls

Homeland

Factual Series:

24 Hours in A&E

Great Ormond Street

Make Bradford British

Our War

Huw Wheldon Award for Specialist Factual:

All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry

The Plane Crash

The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes

The Secret History of Our Streets

Robert Flaherty Award for Single Documentary:

7/7: One Day in London

Baka: A Cry from the Rainforest

Lucian Freud: Painted Life

Nina Conti – A Ventriloquist's Story: Her Master's Voice

Features:

Bank of Dave

Grand Designs

The Great British Bake Off

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs

Reality and Constructed Factual:

The Audience

I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Made in Chelsea

The Young Apprentice

Current Affairs:

Britain's Hidden Housing Crisis (Panorama Special)

The Other Side of Jimmy Savile (Exposure)

The Shame of the Catholic Church (This World)

What Killed Arafat? (Al Jazeera Investigates)

News Coverage:

BBC News at Ten: Syria

Channel 4 News: Battle for Homs

ITV/Granada Reports: Hillsborough – The Truth at Last

Sport & Live Event:

The London 2012 Olympics: 'Super Saturday'

The London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: 'Isle of Wonder'

The London 2012 Paralympic Games

Wimbledon 2012 – Men's Final

Lew Grade Award for Entertainment Programme:

Dynamo: Magician Impossible

The Graham Norton Show

Have I Got News For You

A League of Their Own

Comedy Programme:

Cardinal Burns

Mr Stink

The Revolution Will Be Televised

Welcome to the Places of My Life

Situation Comedy:

Episodes

Hunderby

The Thick of It

Twenty Twelve

Radio Times Audience Award:

Call the Midwife

Game of Thrones

The Great British Bake Off

Homeland

The London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

Strictly Come Dancing