“Arrested Development” and “The Big Bang Theory” will vie with the Brits’ “Family Tree” and “The Wrong Man” in the best sitcom category at the upcoming Canadian TV conference.
TORONTO – U.S. and British TV producers will continue a tradition at the upcoming Banff World Media Festival with their annual Banff Rockie Awards shoot-out.
The sitcom category will pit U.S. entries like Arrested Development and The Big Bang Theory against British competition from Family Tree and The Wrong Man, a U.K.-U.S. co-production from BBC and Hulu, with the Canadian comedy Package Deal and the Belgium-Holland co-production Safety First also contending.
In the serial drama competition, North America has the edge, asHouse of Cards and The Bible from the U.S. and Canada’s Orphan Black vie with Britain’s Downton Abbey, Korea’s Good Doctor and Hostages from Israel.
In all, British producers received 31 Banff Rockie nominations, followed closely by U.S. producers, with 30 nods.
The neck-and-neck competition in Banff is reflected in the procedural drama category, where U.S. contenders Justified and Person of Interest will square off against the U.K. series The Fall and Luther, and Bron (The Bridge) from broadcasters in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, and Germany’s Scene of the Crime.
The Banff Rockie Awards, which sees U.S. TV shows compete against international fare, features three American contenders in the best reality category — Beyond Scared Straight, Project Runway All-Starsand Cold Justice.
They will go up against British competition from The Call Center and Strictly Come Dancing, and the Canadian adaptation Big Brother Canada.
The Americans dominate the sci-fi and action competition in Banff, with entries Arrow, Helix and Agents of SHIELD up against Canada’s Continuum and Britain’s Doctor Who.
The Banff Rockie Awards will hand out trophies in 26 categories next month, including documentary, kids, animation and web series.
The Banff World Media Festival is set to run from June 8 to 11 in the Canadian Rockies.