International Emmys to honor "Law & Order producer Dick Wolf; Britain, Brazil lead nominees

Paisner said the International Academy wanted to get the jump in honoring Wolf with its Founders Award before "Law & Order," now in its 19th season, overtakes "Gunsmoke" (1955-75) as the longest-running prime time drama series in U.S. television history.

The Founders Award is presented annually to a person who has made a difference in the worldwide television business. "Law & Order and its spinoffs - in the original U.S. and locally franchised versions - have been sold to almost 300 television markets around the world, Paisner said. Earlier this year, deals were inked to make locally produced versions using existing U.S. "Law & Order" scripts in Britain, France and Russia.

But Paisner says there is a growing two-way exchange as television quality improves outside the U.S. and a growing number of channels need programming.

"Lots of shows are coming from other countries and ending up here," said Paisner. "Everything from `Ugly Betty' to `The Office' started someplace else and they're now becoming mainstays of the U.S. television schedule." said Paisner.

There have also been Americanized versions of several past International Emmy winners, including "Life on Mars," "Little Britain," "Supernanny, " and "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares."

Paisner said the global economic crisis is likely to accelerate the trend of International Emmy nominees and winners being picked up in the U.S. and other countries.

"In tough economic times, you tend to look for surer things and something that has already been developed someplace, that's played to audiences and worked ... if you're a television executive that's the kind of thing you're going to look to," said Paisner.

The event, hosted again by Roger Bart (Broadway's "Young Frankenstein"), will feature several celebrity presenters from U.S. film and television, including Judith Light ("Ugly Betty"), Willie Garson ("Sex & The City") and John Waters ("Hairspray"), as well as actresses Malu Mader of Brazil and Cecilia Suarez of Mexico.

The academy is the largest organization of global broadcasters, with more than 600 members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies.

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