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Brits rule International Emmys

20/11/2007

British programming has ruled the roost at the 35th annual International Emmy awards in New York, with BBC productions coming up trumps.

UK TV shows won seven out of their eight nominations at the Manhattan ceremony, with all but one of the winners made by the BBC.

Jimmy McGovern's sprawling drama The Street took two awards, winning the best drama series category while Jim Broadbent scooped the best actor award.

David Walliams and Matt Lucas – recently forced to delay production on the US version of their hit sketch show due to the Hollywood writers' strike – took the best comedy prize for Little Britain Abroad, while How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? was voted the best non-scripted entertainment.

Other UK winners included historian Simon Schama, who won the best arts programming award for his Power of Art: Bernini documentary, while More4's Death of a President – a fictionalised account of a the assassination of George Bush – was the only non-BBC British winner.

And much-loved actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry won the best documentary award for his revealing The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive.

After accepting the award at the Hilton New York hotel, Fry told the BBC: "It's a lucky evening for us. We're lucky to have this institution, the BBC, and that's helped generations of people."

Former US vice-president Al Gore received the International Emmy founders award, with presenter Robert De Niro praising Gore for his work to promote "our common humanity".

"He has used his prominence as a concerned world leader to wield enormous influence," De Niro added. "When you see an international figure or head of state coming out in support of the fight against global warming look closely, you may see Al Gore behind him, pushing him."