Downton leads Emmy nominations pack

Hit period drama Downton Abbey could win big at the forthcoming Emmy Awards, with the show and its stars picking up a total of seven nominations - the most for any UK show.

Penned by Oscar winner Julian Fellowes, the show is up for the Outstanding Drama Series award, but faces tough competition from fellow nominees like Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Homeland.

Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Crawley, also gets a nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, while Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham is up for Outstanding Lead Actor.

In the categories for Supporting Actor and Actress, Brendan Coyle (valet John Bates), Jim Carter (butler Charles Carson), Joanne Froggatt (head housemaid Anna) and Maggie Smith (the inimitable Dowager Countess of Grantham) are all nominated.

It's rare to find a drama that the audience connects with so strongly and we're extremely proud to have commissioned a series that has become such a phenomenon.

Laura Mackie, ITV

It falls to another period drama, hugely popular US offering Mad Men, to rack up the most nominations overall though - with a whopping 17 chances of taking home an award.

Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are also in with a shout in the Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie category.

Downton, aired on UTV, is due to return for a third series later this year and will follow the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants as they move into the Roaring Twenties.

The Emmy awards are presented at a glittering ceremony on 23 September.