The British Academy Television Award for Best Specialist Factual Programme is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. According to the BAFTA website, the category is "specifically for arts, religion, history, natural history and science programmes or series and can include both factual and performance programmes."
The category has gone through several changes in name and type of nominees considered for the category: It was first awarded as Best Specialized Programme from 1965 to 1972 and then as Best Specialized Program from 1973 to 1977. Also, another category was presented during similar years, the Best Specialized Series (from 1973 to 1976). From 1980 to 1985, the Best Programme/Series without Category was presented. A category for just arts programming was presented as Huw Wheldon Award for Best Arts Programme from 1987 to 2000. Then, from 2001 to 2004 it received the name Huw Wheldon Award For Specialised Programme or Series. Since 2005 the category is named Best Specialist Factual.
Winners and nominees 1960s Best Specialized Programme Year Recipient(s) Title1965 Ned Sherrin 1966 Peter Watkins Culloden Gerry Anderson Stingray Ken Russell Debussy/Douanier Rousseau Humphrey Burton Workshop: GoetterdaemmerungEroicaMichael TippettLiverpool Conducting CompetitionOur World of Opera1967 Ken Russell 1968 Basil Coleman 1969 Jack Gold The World of Coppard
1970s Best Specialized Programme Year Title Recipient(s)1970 Blue Peter Biddy Baxter, Edward Barnes, Rosemary GillGirls Wanted Istanbul Wendy ToyeOmnibus: "A Dream Divided"Omnibus: "Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Fred Burnley|- | Civilisation || Michael Gill, Peter Montagnon |- | The Goshawk || David Cobham |- | Omnibus || Norman Swallow |- | Omnibus: "Woman from the Shadows"Omnibus: "The Confessions of Marian Evans" || Don Taylor |- | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|1971 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|On Trial: The Chicago Conspiracy Trial Christopher Burstall Omnibus: "A Requiem For Modigliani" Fred Burnley Omnibus: "Dance of The Seven Veils" Ken Russell Omnibus: "I Regret Nothing" Michael Houldey Aquarius Humphrey Burton and the Production Team1972 Omnibus Norman Swallow Bird's Eye View: A Land for All Seasons John Bird The Issue Should Be Avoided Robert Vas The Search for the Nile Christopher Ralling
Best Specialized Program Year Title Recipient(s)1973 Omnibus: "Vincent The Dutchman - Van Gogh" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Mai Zetterling and the Production Team|- | Omnibus: "Who Needs a Conductor - André Previn" || Herbert Chappell |- | Who Sank The Lusitania? || Paul Bonner |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1974 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Omnibus: "Colette - A Window on the War" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Colin Nears|- | Aquarius: "Hello Dali" || Bruce Gowers |- | Second House: A Long Drawn-Out Trip || Gerald Scarfe |- | Times of Bronze and Jade || Michael Gill |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1975 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Horizon: "Joey" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Brian Gibson|- | Omnibus: "Joseph Conrad" || Colin Nears |- | Omnibus: "The Goldwyn Touch" || Gavin Millar |- | The Sun is God || Michael Darlow |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1976 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Explorers: "Amundsen" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|David Cobham|- | Explorers: "Captain Cook" || John Irvin |- | Omnibus: "Nijinsky, God of the Dance" || Colin Nears |- | Explorers: "Pizarro" || Fred Burnley |- | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|1977 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|On the Move David Hargreaves Aquarius Derek Bailey Claude Monet John Read One Man and His Dog Philip S. Gilbert That's Life Esther Rantzen
Best Specialized Series Year Title Recipient(s)1973 Ways of Seeing - John Berger Michael Dibb Aquarius Humphrey Burton and the Production Team Omnibus Mike Wooller1974 Vision On Patrick Dowling Aquarius Humphrey Burton The Ascent of Man Adrian Malone Chronicle Paul Johnstone1975 Aquarius Humphrey Burton Face the Music Walter Todds Microbes and Men Peter Goodchild Omnibus Michael Wooller1976 Explorers Michael Latham The Fight Against Slavery Christopher Ralling Mastermind Bill WrightOmnibus
1980s Programme/Series Without Category Year Title Recipient(s)1980 The South Bank Show Melvyn Bragg It'll Be Alright on the Night II Paul Smith Jacqueline du Pre Master Class Rodney Greenberg Timothy West as Beecham Robin Lough1981 Omnibus Leslie Megahey Arena Alan Yentob Mastermind Bill WrightThe South Bank Show1982 Arena Alan Yentob Film '81 Judy Lindsay, Margaret Sharpe Clive James at the Movies Nicholas Barrett The South Bank Show Melvyn Bragg1983 Arena Alan Yentob Clive James on Television Nicholas Barrett Did You See...? John Archer The South Bank Show Melvyn Bragg1984 Arena Alan Yentob Clive James on Television Nicholas Barrett Did You See...? Chris Mohr, John Archer The South Bank Show Melvyn Bragg1985 Did You See...? John Archer Arena Alan Yentob Clive James on Television Nicholas Barrett The South Bank Show Melvyn Bragg
Huw Wheldon Award for Best Arts Programme Year Title Recipient(s)1987 Arena: Scarfe On Scarfe Gerald Scarfe Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker Christopher Ralling Dirk Bogarde - Above The Title Nick Gray Omnibus: The Bolshoi Ballet Michael Houldey Sondheim On Broadway - Follies: Four Days In New York The South Bank Show: Michael Powell David Hinton The South Bank Show: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Story Alan Benson1988 LS Lowry: A Simple Man Ian Squires, Gillian Lynne Arena: Dennis Potter Anthony Wall The South Bank Show: Maria Callas Tony Palmer Omnibus: George Gershwin Remembered Peter Adam1989 The South Bank Show: Bertolucci and the Last Emperor David Hinton John Gielgud: An Actor's Life Dave Heather, John Miller Omnibus: HRH The Prince Of Wales - A Vision Of Britain Christopher Martin, Nicholas Rossiter The South Bank Show: The Art of Walt Disney Alan Benson
1990s Huw Wheldon Award for Best Arts Programme Year Title Recipient(s)1990 Omnibus: "Art in the Third Reich" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Peter Adam|- | The South Bank Show: "Barry Humphries" || Nigel Wattis |- | The South Bank Show: "Dustin Hoffman" || Tony Knox |- | Arena: "Tales From Barcelona" || Jana Boková |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1991 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"| The South Bank Show: "The Partnership Between Robert Bolt and Sir David Lean" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|David Thomas|- | Omnibus: "Bernstein" || Peter Maniura, Humphrey Burton |- | The South Bank Show: "Alan Parker" || Frances Dickenson |- | The South Bank Show: "Spitting Image" || Alan Benson |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1992 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Without Walls: "J'Accuse - Citizen Kane" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Gary Johnstone|- | The South Bank Show: "Jose Carreras - A Life Story" || Chris Hunt |- | The South Bank Show Special: "Kiri Te Kanawa" || Nigel Wattis |- | The South Bank Show: "Terry Gilliam" || Frances Dickenson |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1993 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Omnibus: "Angela Carter's Curious Room" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Kim Evans|- | Bookmark: Miss Pym's Day Out || James Runcie |- | The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing And We Dance || Chris Bould, Chipps Chipperfield |- | The South Bank Show: "The Making of Sergeant Pepper" || Alan Benson, Nick De Grunwald |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1994 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Bookmark: The Vampire's Life Anand Tucker Omnibus: "Magic Lantern" Dennis Marks The South Bank Show: "Sylvie Guillem" Nigel Wattis Theremin: An Electric Odyssey Steve Martin1995 Without Walls: "An Interview with Dennis Potter" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Melvyn Bragg, David Thomas, Nigel Wattis|- | Shakespeare on the Estate || Penny Woolcock |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|1996 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Children of the Revolution John Wyver, David Hinton Arena Peter Lydon The Homecoming Archie Baron A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies Florence Dauman1997 Rhythm: Leaving Home Sue Knussen, Hilary Chadwick A History of British Art Gillian Greenwood American Visions Nicholas Rossiter Dancing in the Street: A Rock and Roll History Hugh Thomson1998 The South Bank Show: "Gilbert and George" Gerald Fox Bookmark: Not Waving but Drowning Aysha Rafaele Dancing for Dollars Angus Macqueen Omnibus: "Jack Rosenthal - Jack The Lad" Anne Elletson, Randall Wright1999 The Arena'': "Brian Epstein Story" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Debbie Geller, Diana Mansfield, Anthony Wall |- | The Secret Art of Government || Nick Rossiter |- | The Arena: "Noel Coward Trilogy" || Adam Low |- | Vile Bodies'': "Naked" Adam Barker, Edmund Coulthard
2000s Huw Wheldon Award for Best Arts Programme Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2000 This is Modern Art Ian MacMillan, Matt Collings Channel 4 The Abba Story Chris Hunt, Steve Cole ITV The Hip Hop Years David Upshal, Stephen Lambert Channel 4 Reputations: Hitchcock/Alfred The Great/Alfred The Auteur Tim Kirby BBC Two
Huw Wheldon Award For Specialised Programme or Series Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2001 Howard Goodall's Big Bangs Paul Sommers, Howard Goodall, Jan Younghusband Channel 4 Arena: "Wisconsin Death Trip" Maureen Ryan, James Marsh, Anthony Wall BBC Two A History Of Britain by Simon Schama Martin Davidson, Simon Schama Elizabeth Mark Fielder, Steven Clarke, David Starkey Channel 42002 Arena: "The Private Dirk Bogarde" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Anthony Wall, Adam Low || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|BBC Two |- | The 1940s House || Alex Graham, Simon Shaw, Caroline Ross Pirie || rowspan="2"|Channel 4 |- | colspan="2"|The Six Wives of Henry VIII |- | Walk On By: The Story of Popular Song || Michael Poole, Alan Lewens || BBC Two |- |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|2003 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|The Trust Channel 4 A History Of Britain by Simon Schama BBC TwoLife of Mammals BBC OneRevealed Five2004 The National Trust Claire Kavanagh, Nick Kent, Patrick Forbes BBC Four Leonardo Michael Mosley, Lesley Megahey, Alan Yentob BBC One Operatunity Roy Ackerman, Michael Waldman Channel 4Seven Wonders of the Industrial World BBC Two
Best Specialist Factual Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2005 Dunkirk Rob Warr, Alex Holmes BBC Two D-Day Richard Dale, Tim Bradley BBC One D-Day: The Ultimate Conflict Mark Lewis, Ana Paula Lloyd, Simon Greenwood Five Howard Goodall's 20th Century Greats Paul Sommers, David Jeffcock, Francis Hanly Channel 42006 Holocaust - A Music Memorial Film From Auschwitz BBC Two The Boy with The Incredible Brain Martin Weitz, Toby Trackman, Steve Gooder Five Arena: "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan" Nigel Sinclair, Anthony Wall, Martin Scorsese BBC TwoLife in the Undergrowth BBC One2007 Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand Peter Nicholson, Simon Berthon, Dan Korn, Piers Vellacott Channel 4 Munich: Mossad's Revenge Anthony Geffen, Tom Whitter, Peter Miller, Calum Walker Channel 4 Planet Earth Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield BBC One Simon Schama's Power of Art Clare Beavan, Simon Schama, Basil Comely, Mark Harrison BBC Two2008 Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain Andrew Marr, Chris Granlund, Tom Giles, Clive Edwards BBC Two The Genius of Photography Tim Kirby, Alex Graham, Michael Jackson BBC Four Earth: The Power of the Planet Dr Iain Stewart, Jonathan Renouf, Phil Dolling BBC Two The Relief of Belsen Justin Hardy, Susan Horth, Peter Guinness, Lucy Bassnet-McGuire Channel 42009 Life in Cold Blood BBC One Lost Land of the Jaguar BBC One Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery Claudia Lewis, Kim Shillinglaw BBC Four Stephen Fry and the Gutenberg Press: The Machine That Made Us Stephen Fry, Patrick McGrady, Lucy Ward, Philip Crocker
2010s