Shameless is hoping to follow up its success at last year's ceremony

Channel 4 has the most nominations, with 26, compared with 13 each for BBC One and BBC Two and 12 for ITV1.

Shameless, which won the most awards last year, will battle Doctor Who and Bodies for the best drama series prize.

Bleak House is in the running for best drama serial alongside Elizabeth I and To the Ends of the Earth.

The second series of Shameless is nominated this year after the first run of the drama about families on a northern council estate took three prizes in 2005.

Charles Dance is nominated for his role in BBC One's Bleak House

Bleak House has Charles Dance up for best actor while director Justin Chadwick is nominated for the behind the scenes breakthrough prize.

Shameless creator Paul Abbott will go head-to-head with Bleak House scriptwriter Andrew Davies for best drama writer.

BBC political comedy The Thick of It has three nominations - best sitcom, best comedy writer and best comedy performance for Peter Capaldi.

The actor is up against Catherine Tate and Little Britain duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas.

BBC Two's Tribe, which saw explorer Bruce Parry meet six of the world's most remote civilisations, is also nominated for three awards, including best documentary series.

TV successes

Channel 4's Peep Show is up for two prizes, including best sitcom.

Despite high viewing figures and critical success, Doctor Who is only in the running for best drama series.

The entertainment award pits The X Factor against The Catherine Tate Show and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

In the single documentary category, Channel 4's Make Me Normal is nominated along with Children of Beslan and Taxidermy: Stuff the World, which were both on BBC Two.