MDR series “Following in Fritzi’s footsteps – What was it like in the GDR?” won an Emmy for international television production. At the awards ceremony in New York, the children’s series beat competitors from Brazil, Great Britain and South Africa in the “Kids: Factual & Entertainment” category. The partially animated six-part series “In Fritzi’s Traces” by Ralf Kukula and Matthias Bruhn takes place in divided Germany shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In his acceptance speech, Kukula said that he himself could remember the final days of the GDR: “36 years later, I stand here and feel like this is absolutely crazy,” he said. “We wanted to show what it was like when Germany was the happiest country in the world. I think it’s very important for us to be able to remember that again.”
“Herrhausen” went home empty-handed
Another German production made it onto the shortlist: “Herrhausen – The Lord of the Money,” about the fatal bomb attack on the former CEO of Deutsche Bank, was empty-handed in the TV film/miniseries category. In contrast, the British production of “Lost Boys & Fairies,” a drama about a gay couple preparing to adopt a child, won.
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards the awards separately from the national Emmys, which are given out in September. The 53rd edition of the gala took place at the New York Hilton Midtown, hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. 64 applicants from 26 countries were nominated and prizes were awarded in sixteen categories. The United Kingdom was nominated the most with twelve productions.
The landmark award for best drama series was then also given to the UK, for its production of “Rivals” starring David Tennant, which aired on Disney+. Spain’s Oriol Pla was awarded best actor for “Yo, Adicto” and best actress was Anna Maxwell Martin for her performance in the British production of “Until I Kill You”. The United Kingdom was also the winner in comedy, with “Ludwig” taking the trophy.
Prices for important documentation
Current affairs reports and documentaries were also honored, again with the UK as the night’s winner: “Dispatches: Kill Zone. Inside Gaza” won in the “Current Affairs” category. “Hell Jumper,” the story of a British volunteer killed in the Ukrainian War, won the documentary category. Al Jazeera channel won in the News category with “Gaza, the Search for Life”. The best sports documentary, “It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football,” tells the story of official Luis Rubiales’ kiss on the mouth of soccer player Jennifer Hermoso to talk about sexism in professional sports.
The awards ceremony also reflects the latest trends in the industry. The nominations have shown that streaming provider Netflix continues to dominate the market. Netflix productions were shortlisted seven times, including “Love is Blind: Habibi,” an Arabic adaptation of the US reality TV format, which is set in the United Arab Emirates and brings together singles from various countries. However, the Danish production “Shaolin Heroes” won in the “Unscripted Entertainment” category.
The telenovela boom is also reflected in related categories. Netflix and Disney+ in Spain produce nominated daily soap operas, such as “Valle Salvaje” and “Regreso a Las Sabinas.” Amazon MGM Studios stood out as a streaming provider in the miniseries category with “Vencer o Morir” about the armed resistance against dictator Augusto Pinochet, but like many of the night’s other nominees, it had to concede defeat to Britain.
