Emmy Awards: Sherlock and Breaking Bad win big

BBC One drama Sherlock has won a hat-trick of awards at the US Primetime Emmys in Los Angeles.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman won best actor and best supporting actor in a mini-series, although neither was at the ceremony.

Steven Moffat also won best writing in a mini-series for the final episode of Sherlock's third season.

Drug drama Breaking Bad was the biggest winner on the night, scooping five awards including best drama series.

It was the second consecutive year that the show, which ended last September after five seasons, had picked up the ceremony's highest honour.

Breaking Bad actors Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and Bryan Cranston posed with their Emmy Awards

Steven Moffat was at the Los Angeles ceremony to accept the best writing in a miniseries award

Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston was named best actor in a drama series for a fourth time as the teacher-turned-drug kingpin Walter White.

He beat a host of Hollywood heavyweights including Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for their roles in the acclaimed crime drama True Detective.

"I have gratitude for everything that has happened," Cranston said.

His co-stars Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn were also honoured for best supporting actor and supporting actress in a drama series.

Collecting the award for best drama series, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan said: "Holy cow! This is indeed a wonderful time to be working in television. Thank you for this wonderful farewell to our show."

In other categories, The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies won the Emmy for best lead actress in a drama series for her part as lawyer Alicia Florrick.

"I feel like this is the golden age of television, but it's also the time for women in television," she said. "I feel very grateful to be here."

There were also best actress and best supporting actress in a mini-series awards for Oscar winners Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates for their roles in American Horror Story: Coven.

Modern Family won best comedy series for a fifth consecutive year

Julia Louis-Dreyfus collected the best actress in a comedy series for her role in Veep

Although there was a considerable amount of British talent up for awards, success only came from Sherlock's triple win and a best director award for Colin Bucksey for Fargo.

ITV drama Downton Abbey walked away empty-handed despite nominations for its stars Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith, Joanne Froggart and Jim Carter.

BBC series Luther also lost out in the best mini-series category to FX's small screen adaptation of Fargo.

Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Helena Bonham Carter, Minnie Driver and Ricky Gervais were among the other British stars who were nominated.

Sitcom Modern Family was named best comedy series for a fifth consecutive year, equalling the record set by 1990s show Frasier for most comedy wins.

Ty Burrell also walked away with best supporting actor in a comedy for his role on the show.

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons won best actor in a comedy series. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her third consecutive Emmy for playing foul-mouthed US Vice President Selina Meyer in political satire Veep.

Allison Janney won the best supporting actress in a comedy series for Mom.

The ceremony also paid tribute to industry members who died in the past year.

They included James Garner, Ruby Dee, Sid Caesar, Carmen Zapata and Elaine Stritch.

It concluded with a special homage to Robin Williams by long-time friend Billy Crystal, who remembered the actor as "the brightest star in a comedy galaxy".

"It is very hard to talk about him in the past because he was so present in our lives," Crystal said.

"While some of the brightest of our celestial bodies are actually extinct now, their energy long since cool, but miraculously, because they float in the heavens so far away from the sound, their beautiful life will continue to shine on us forever.

"And the glow will be so bright, it will warm your heart, it will make your eyes glisten, and you'll think to yourself, Robin Williams - what a concept."

The main ceremony at the Nokia Theatre followed the Creative Arts Emmy prize-giving on 16 August, honouring TV guest stars and behind-the-scenes crew.

There were four awards for Sherlock including best cinematography, music, single-camera picture editing and sound editing.

"It's great to see Sherlock being recognised so spectacularly at the Emmys," Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC drama said.

"I'm delighted that the BBC is home to so much world class acting and writing talent."