Julie Walters up for International Emmy for Mo

Julie Walters has been nominated for an International Emmy award for her portrayal of former cabinet minister Mo Mowlam. The Channel 4 film, Mo, centred on Mowlam's time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and showed her battling the brain tumour that eventually killed her. Julie is nominated for the best actress award and the film is nominated for best TV movie or mini-series in the awards which recognise the best work in television outside the United States. There is recognition for other British talent including former Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston, who is nominated for best actor for his performance in Jimmy McGovern's Accused. BBC1's Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the updated take on the master detective, is nominated for best drama, along with the French police thriller Spiral, which runs on BBC4. BBC2's Gareth Malone Goes To Glyndebourne is nominated for the arts programming award, while Channel 4's Facejacker is in the running for best comedy. Winners will be announced on November 21 in New York. SUBSCRIBE to TV Times magazine NOW and you could save up to 29%

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.