Stephen Fry led a strong contingent of British winners at the International Emmy awards in New York, where UK television productions picked up seven honours.

Fry’s BBC Two film, The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive, scooped the award for best documentary. The comic actor talks in the film about his own and other people’s experiences of living with bipolar disorder.

Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent shared the best actor award for his role in the BBC One drama The Street, which was also named best drama series at the ceremony at the Hilton New York hotel. Simon Schama’s Power of Art: Bernini, a film about the Baroque sculptor, produced by the BBC and the US WNET Thirteen channel, won the best arts programming award.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, the BBC One West End talent search won by Connie Fisher, scooped best nonscripted entertainment series, while Little Britain Abroad was named best comedy.

Death of a President, the controversial More 4 film that centred on the fictionalised assassination of George Bush, won best TV movie or mini-series. The 35th International Emmys recognised excellence in TV programming produced outside the US. After picking up his award, Fry said: “It’s a lucky evening for us. We’re lucky to have this institution, the BBC, and that’s helped generations of people [in television].”

Al Gore was also honoured for his role in launching the cable/satellite channel Current TV and his efforts to sound the alarm over global warming.

Mr Gore, who received the Founders Award from Robert De Niro, said the future of democracy depended “on democratising television”.

“Television has had the greatest potential for educating and informing of any medium in the history of communications,” he said.

The winners

Best performance by actor Jim Broadbent and Pierre Bokma (The Chosen One)

Best performance by an actress Muriel Robin ( Marie Besnard – The Poisoner)

Arts Simon Schama’s Power of Art: Bernini

Best comedy Little Britain Abroad

Best drama The Street

Best documentary Stephen Fry – The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive

Best nonscripted (reality) entertainment How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Best TV movie/ mini-series Death of a President

Founders Award Al Gore

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