New York, November 19, 2007 – The 35th International Emmy Awards gala took place in New York on Monday, honoring television shows from everywhere in the world other than the United States.  People flew in from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America for the gala, and yet the awards show will not be televised in the U.S.  Interesting choice of locale, right?

Poland won it’s first international Emmy, and awards also went to productions from France, Thailand, The Netherlands and the U.K., which took several.  But never fear – like every other award during the past year, from the Oscars to the Nobel Peace Prize - Al Gore received one for Current TV, the network he founded.  And Robert De Niro presented it to him, reminding our foreign guests that the biggest stars are still American. 

Other presenters included the always funny Alan Cumming, Sam Waterston, 30 Rock’s Katrina Bowden, Heroes’ Kristen Bell and Broadway-strike refugee Drew Tyler Bell, who performed only six times in Spring Awakening before the strike closed it down.  Roger Bart, who stars in the poorly reviewed Young Frankenstein, one of the few Broadway shows still operating, spent his evening off hosting the gala.  He can’t wait for the labor dispute to be settled. “I’m sure everyone would prefer everybody being back on the streets in midtown and making it difficult for all of us to get to work every day.  Really, the big pleasure is playing to them”, Bart told us.