HBO's historical miniseries John Adams wins big at Banff TV awards
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 | 8:43 AM ET
The Canadian Press
Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney in a scene from the award-winning HBO miniseries John Adams, which won three awards at the Banff World Television Festival this week. (Kent Eanes/HBO/Associated Press)HBO's much-touted miniseries John Adams has won the grand jury prize and the best drama award at the Banff World Television Festival in Alberta.
The acclaimed historical drama, which depicts the life and times of the second president of the United States, was the big winner in the second night of a two-night award ceremony Monday. John Adams picked up a prize for best miniseries on Sunday.
The grand prize for best Canadian program went to Passage, a 19th-century tale about a real-life Hudson's Bay Company doctor who found the last navigable link in the Northwest Passage and uncovered the gruesome circumstances surrounding the doomed Sir John Franklin expedition.
Other Canadian grand prize winners included the Food Network reality show, Family Restaurant: The Quons, named best entertainment show, and Bravo's animated short I Met The Walrus, named best children's and animation show. It was also named best animated program in Sunday's ceremony.
The best documentary was the U.K.'s The Curse of the Mona Lisa, while France's Ne Dites pas à ma mère (Don't Tell My Mother) was named best francophone program.
The 30th Banff World Television Awards run through Wednesday.
Gross, Garber, McKinney among others honoured
Also on hand to receive awards Monday were film and TV star Paul Gross, recipient of the NBC Universal Canada Award of Distinction, veteran actor Victor Garber, who received the Cineflix Award of Excellence, and Kids In the Hall member Mark McKinney, who took home the Sir Peter Ustinov Award for comedy.
Earlier Monday, an awards luncheon honoured TV companies including Shaftesbury Films, DVS Digital Video Systems and Lionsgate Television. Broadcasting veteran Trina McQueen received the lifetime achievement award.
John Adams stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. It has also racked up a Peabody Award, four Golden Globes and 13 Emmys. It's set to air this fall on History Television.
