British shows take top honours
2006-11-21 13:18
New York - British television shows swept most of the top honours at the International Emmy Awards, led by police saga Life on Mars which won for best drama series and Ray Winstone who was named best actor for his detective series Vincent.
Little Britain, a satirical look at contemporary Britain with a cast of transvestite, obese and other eccentric characters, was chosen as best comedy at Monday night's gala awards ceremony in the grand ballroom of the New York Hilton.
The Emmy for non-scripted entertainment went to Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares which features celebrated London chef Gordon Ramsay, known for his explosive personality, dishing out advice on how to save failing restaurants.
The awards ceremony closed with the presentation of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Founders Award to producer-director Steven Spielberg in recognition of his distinguished television career.
The International Emmys honour excellence in television programming produced outside the United States.
Maryam Hassouni, a Moroccan living in the Netherlands, won for best actress for portraying a Palestinian woman suspected of planning a terrorist attack in the Dutch TV production Offers.
The award for best TV movie/miniseries went to Nuit Noire, October 17, 1961.
The German entry Knowledge Is the Beginning won in the arts programming category.
The documentary award went to Hiroshima, a BBC co-production with partners in Japan and other countries, that looks at the events leading to the first use of an atomic bomb.
A British series, Sugar Rush, which explores the world of a 15-year-old lesbian, won in the children and young people category. Teleradio Moldova's youth-oriented talk show, Let's Play, received the special International Children's Day of Broadcasting Award presented by actress Susan Sarandon.
On the net:
www.iemmys.tv
- AP