Brits sweep International Emmys
- Published: 25 November 2008 09:18
- Author: Kate McMahon
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- Last Updated: 25 November 2008 10:06
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British talent dominated the International Emmys in New York last night, winning seven of the 10 awards.
Kudos' Life on Mars was named best drama series, while the BBC's Wallace and Gromit spin off children's series Shaun the Sheep won the children and young people award.
David Suchet took home best actor for his portrayal of tycoon Robert Maxwell in the 2007 BBC drama Maxwell.
Speaking after the event, Suchet said: "It's been an unbelievable night for the Brits. I'm absolutely thrilled to bits, I can't believe it's really true.
"This is my first Emmy ever, and I can't tell you what it feels like to win for England because it's international, and to represent my acting community as well."
Channel 4 programmes cleaned up the rest of the awards.
Lucy Cohu was named best actress for her role in the drama Forgiven, where she plays a housewife who reports her husband for abusing their daughter.
Talkback Thames' The IT Crowd was named best comedy.
Strictly Bolshoi won the award for arts programming and Darlow Smithson Productions mountain climbing epic The Beckoning Silence won best documentary.
Forty nominees from 16 different nations competed for awards, which recognised excellence in television programmes produced outside the US.
Law & Order creator Dick Wolf was given the International Emmy Founders Award.
Other awards were given to the controversial Dutch pretend reality programme The Big Donor Show, which was awarded an Emmy for non-scripted entertainment.
The show sparked a national furore after producers said a terminally ill woman would decide which of three contestants needing a transplant would receive her kidney. It was later revealed it was a hoax to pressure the government into reforming organ donation laws.
Jordan and Argentina won their first ever Emmy awards for telenovela al-ijtiyah (The Invasion) and TV movie/mini series Por la Identidad respectively.
Click here to see the full list of nominees
