Guest Author - Pam Lawrence

Groundbreaking police drama Prime Suspect kept viewers enthralled for 15 years over 22 hours and seven stories, and with this week's Emmy scoop has proven itself once again one of the most outstanding pieces of British drama to emerge in the past 20 years.

Prime Suspect: The Final Act was honoured with three Emmys at this year's ceremony in LA, for Philip Martin for Outstanding Director of a mini-series, Glaswegian Frank Deasy for his visceral writing and an Outstanding Lead Actress gong for Dame Helen Mirren. The programme aired on PBS as part of last year's Masterpiece Theatre season.

Writer Deasy, quoted in the Scotsman online claimed "when it began, the storytelling was quite graphic by the standards of American television. Over the last 15 years, a lot has changed, both in Britain and the US, and strong, character-driven female leads have been responsible for that.”

It was a fitting and sentimental Hollywood send off for a show that has become “ a piece of iconic television”, in Mirren's words, on both sides of the pond.

Over 15 years we have seen the tribulations of one woman in a very male world, portrayed with an uncompromising 'anti-glamour' stance by Mirren. Here is a sixty something actress, looking every one of her years and unafraid to do so. Only someone of Mirren's calibre could pull this off, and director Martin praised her for “inspiring us all to do our best work"

The six previous series of Prime Suspect won equal acclaim in the States, with the award for Outstanding Miniseries going to PS 2, PS 3 and PS 5. Mirren won the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for PS 4.

It was the second year running for Mirren to win the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy; in 2006, her portrayal of Elizabeth I in the Channel 4/HBO series with Jeremy Irons earned her rave notices, and some flak over her “a** over t**” comment as she accepted her statue.

2007 has already been a stellar awards year for Mirren, with her first Oscar for a piercing portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the triumphant Brit Flick of 2006, The Queen. She also scooped a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a New York Film Critics Circle Award for the same role.

Ricky Gervais was the only other British winner at the Emmys, for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy for Extras, which is broadcast in the US by HBO. The big joke was that as Gervais was unable to attend the ceremony his award was collected by Steve Carell, Gervais' counterpart in the US version of The Office.