LOS ANGELES - “Little Dorrit”, the BBC’s Dickensian adaptation, triumphed at the Emmy Awards by winning seven trophies. It beat advertising drama “Mad Men” and popular sitcom “30 Rock” to be ahead in the award race.

“Little Dorrit”, which stars Matthew Macfadyen, Pam Ferris and Sir Tom Courtenay, was the surprise star of the show at Hollywood’s Nokia Theatre. It was named as best mini-series and snapped up awards for outstanding writing, directing, art direction, costumes and cinematography, the guardian.co.uk reports.

“Little Dorrit”, regarded as a neglected Charles Dickens work, was aired in Britain last year. The costume drama tells the story of the changing fortunes of the Dorrit family, who emerge from the Marshelsea prison for debtors to discover they are heirs to a fortune.

“We’re thrilled that ‘Little Dorrit’ has gone down so well this side of the Atlantic,” said Anne Pivcevic, the executive producer of the show.

BBC’s Iraq war drama “House of Saddam”, a co-production with HBO, won an Emmy, while Irish actor Brendan Gleeson won an Emmy as the best lead actor in a mini-series for his role as Winston Churchill in “Into The Storm”.

For “Mad Men”, it was a second time victory at Emmy’s. The series that depicts the lives of an office full of chainsmoking 1960s advertising executives was named best drama for the second consecutive year.

In the comedy category, “30 Rock”, which stars Alec Baldwin as an arrogant television executive, topped the charts with five Emmys, having chalked up a total of 30 nominations.

Other winners included Glenn Close for her role as a ruthless lawyer in “Damages”. Australian actress Toni Collette was rewarded for her performances as a housewife with an identity disorder in the comedy the “United States of Tara”.

American actress Kirsten Chenoweth won an Emmy for “Pushing Daisies”.

“The Amazing Race” was named the best reality show, and the satirical news programme the “Daily Show” walked away with and an award as the best variety programme.