White Teeth shines at TV awards

Naomie Harris took the best actress award

Channel 4's drama White Teeth, based on Zadie Smith's novel, has won two awards at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

It won best mini-series for its production company, Company Pictures, while Naomie Harris won best actress for her part as Clara, a young Jamaican woman living in London.

The BBC won the best television film prize for Out Of Control, which followed the lives of three young men and starred former EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite.

The best direction award also went to the BBC for Murder, directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Julie Walters and Om Puri, who also starred in White Teeth.

In awards for producers, the team behind US drama series 24 shared the outstanding producer of the year award, while its star Kiefer Sutherland won best actor.

War coverage

US comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - shown in the UK on BBC Four - won best comedy, while its star Larry David won best actor.

ITV comedy Barbara won the best European sitcom prize.

There were further awards for the BBC in the news category when BBC News 24 won best 24-hour news programme for its coverage of the bombing of a Baghdad market during the war in Iraq.

It also won the best news programme prize for its coverage of the war.

A BBC Two Correspondent programme - Kenya: White Terror - took the Red Cross prize.

And honorary awards were presented to Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, and Reg Grundy.

Mr Grundy's company, which was bought out by Fremantle in 1995, produced hit Australian soap Neighbours.