Bad break for Brits and Downton Abbey as US shows dominate the Emmys

 
Louise Jury|David Gardner23 September 2013
The Weekender

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America's top television awards honoured Claire Danes and Jeff Daniels but saw Brits largely frozen out of the glittering ceremony in Los Angeles.

Abi Morgan was a rare exception with a writing honour for The Hour. But stars including Hugh Bonneville, Dame Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery from Downton Abbey left empty-handed — and the ITV drama was credited only for its music.

Bonneville joined Damian Lewis, nominated for the spy thriller Homeland, and Kevin Spacey, for House of Cards, Netflix’s internet-only re-make of the British series, in losing out to Newsroom star Jeff Daniels.

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Reuters

The heavyweight category for lead actor in a drama also included Jon Hamm from Mad Men and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, prompting Bonneville to observe at a pre-show party that he did not expect to win. “I don’t think the pressure is on me, frankly,” he said.

But even Daniels, who plays the anchor and managing editor of a fictional cable television station, seemed surprised by his victory. “Well crap, I didn’t expect this,” he said.

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Getty

Claire Danes partly made up for Damian Lewis’s loss by capturing top actress honours for her troubled CIA agent in Homeland.

Danes, taking her second consecutive trophy for the terrorism drama, paid tribute to one of the series’ writers, Henry Bromell, who died last March and who received a writing Emmy posthumously.

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Getty

Breaking Bad, about a high school chemistry teacher with cancer who turns to crime, received its first best drama Emmy award, Anna Gunn, who plays the teacher’s wife, took best supporting actress. The show concludes in the UK next week.

Laura Linney was named best actress in a miniseries or movie for another cancer drama, The Big C: Hereafter, beating Helen Mirren in Phil Spector and Elisabeth Moss for Top of the Lake.

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Modern Family won its fourth consecutive trophy for top comedy series while other awards included Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep, Merritt Wever for Nurse Jackie and Jim Parsons, who received a third gong for The Big Bang Theory.

The Voice won best reality competition programme, Tiny Fey won for writing 30 Rock and Bobby Cannevale was best supporting actor in a drama for Boardwalk Empire.

Emmy Awards 2013 winners

Best Drama: Breaking Bad

Best Comedy: Modern Family

Best Miniseries or Movie: Behind the Candelabra

Best Reality Competition: The Voice

Best Actor in a Drama: Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom

Best Actress in a Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland

Best Actor in a Comedy: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress in a Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: Tony Hale, Veep

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Meritt Wever, Nurse Jackie

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra

Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter

Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum

Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals

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