He Lin wins an Emmy for best actress

This year's International Emmy TV awards have been handed out. The awards are given in recognition of the best international TV outside the USA. For the first time, a Chinese television production has won an award for drama. This report from Vincent Dowd:

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He Lin's performance in China Movie Channel's 'Slave Mother' netted her the Best Actress award in New York -- her acceptance speech was as overawed as such speeches tend to be. But it's a sign of China's increasing attainment in quality TV that He Lin was able to fight off stiff competition from acting talent in the UK and Norway and Brazil.

Once the International Emmy awards were dominated by one or two big European broadcasters, pre-eminently the BBC. Now achievement in TV is spread more evenly. Canada got two awards -- for Comedy and for Children's Programmes.

The continuing fascination for World War Two among TV executives was shown in two awards -- that to the BBC for the arts programme 'Holocaust - A Musical Memorial Film from Auschwitz' and for ZDF Germany's 'The Drama of Dresden' about that city's bombing in 1945.

But the biggest Emmy success was perhaps Denmark's. They won the mini-series award with a 2-part drama about Hans Christian Andersen AND the top drama series award with the crime story 'The Eagle'. The Danes have now taken the top drama award at the Emmys for three out of the past four years with contemporary drama set in Denmark. That's a remarkable achievement.

Listen to the words

netted her
won her

overawed
emotional, showing how impressed she was

increasing attainment in quality TV
television programmes are continually getting better and better

stiff competition
many other talented actresses who could also have won the award

dominated by
controlled by, the most important

pre-eminently
mainly

continuing fascination
ongoing extreme interest

the mini-series award
the prize for the best small group of programmes

crime story
drama based on illegal activities

contemporary drama
modern stories

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