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The Guardian - UK

National

Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles

War echoes in Emmy rollcall

Given the political situation in the United States, perhaps it was inevitable that The Gathering Storm, the acclaimed drama about Winston Churchill in the years before the second world war, should win an Emmy at last night's ceremony in LA.

Albert Finney won the award for best actor in a made-for-TV movie or mini series for his portrayal of Churchill, to whom President Bush now makes frequent references.

Finney, 66, won the US Television Academy of Arts and Sciences award in a category in which Kenneth Branagh and Sir Michael Gambon had also been nominated for their portrayals of the explorer Shackleton and former presi dent Lyndon Johnson respectively. For Finney, cheerfully and famously unimpressed by awards and titles, it was the latest in a long line of successes.

Band of Brothers, which has a large British contingent in its cast, won the best mini series award.

Two British musicians took trophies. Sting won the Emmy for best individual performance in a variety or music programme for A&E in Concert: Sting in Tuscany. Ozzy Osbourne and his family, who make up the cast of the reality MTV cult series The Osbournes, won the best non-fiction programme award. Osbourne's wife, Sharon, who has cancer, thanked her fans for their good wishes.

But the night belonged to the familiar talents of Friends and The West Wing. The latter won the Emmy for best drama for the third year in a row while Friends took the best comedy series prize. Since this is widely seen as the ninth and last series of the show, the prizes were regarded as a fitting way of saying goodbye to old Friends.

Jennifer Aniston won best actress in a comedy series. Ray Romano, of Everybody Loves Raymond, won the best actor in a comedy category.

Six Feet Under, the drama series about a funeral home, which has won most critical plaudits this year, was largely buried, to everyone's surprise. The series creator, Alan Ball, won a best director award for his pilot show but the acting members of the cast who had been tipped for awards were largely missing in action.

"We are just as surprised as you are," Aaron Sorkin, the creator of West Wing, told the audience at the 54th annual ceremony as he picked up his prize.

Stockard Channing had a double win with a prize for her role in The Matthew Shepard Story, the drama about a gay student murdered in a homophobic killing, and for best supporting actress for her role as the first lady in The West Wing.

Her co-star John Spencer, who plays the White House chief of staff, won the best supporting actor prize. Michael Chiklis was named best actor in a drama series for his part of a bent cop in The Shield.

There were other old friends among the prizes. Late Show With David Letterman scored in the variety category. Oprah Winfrey won a special new prize, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, which follows a $1m donation by Hope to the academy. Actress Julia Roberts described Winfrey in a pre-recorded tribute as "a girlfriend to the world".

The Governors Award was shared by the big networks for the post-September 11 programme America: A Tribute to Heroes.

Night belongs to the West Wing and friends

Best comedy series Friends

Best drama series The West Wing

Best mini series Band of Brothers

Best made-for-TV movie The Gathering Storm

Best variety, music or comedy series Late Show With David Letterman

Best variety, music or comedy special America: A Tribute to Heroes

Best actor, comedy series Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond

Best actress, comedy Jennifer Aniston, Friends

Best actor, drama series Michael Chiklis, The Shield

Best actress, drama series Allison Janney, The West Wing