Last night PBS period drama 'Downton Abbey' bagged four Emmy Awards, making it one of the biggest winners of the night, and helping PBS land the coveted spot of top broadcast network at the awards.

Together with the Creative Arts Emmys, which were held last week, PBS scooped 14 Emmys in total, making it the most successful broadcast network. HBO was the top cable network, with 19.

'Downton Abbey' won the Emmy for Outstanding Made For Television Movie/Miniseries, in what creator Julian Fellowes called a David and Goliath story, "except in this case Goliath was wonderful, some wonderful shows that we were up against, and it seems perfectly extraordinary that we've won."

The Masterpiece drama was victorious in a strong field dominated by Emmy powerhouse HBO, which had three nominations -- 'Mildred Pierce,' 'Too Big to Fail' and 'Cinema Verité.'

It's been announced that Ray Winstone ('Sexy Beast,' 'The Departed') has signed on to star in a new TV version of Charles Dickens' novel 'Great Expectations.'

The three-part miniseries is a BBC/PBS Masterpiece co-production, and filming's slated to start in London in July. Producers describe it as "Part thriller, part mystery, with a powerful love story at its heart and Dickens' trademark wit and characterisation throughout.

Winstone will play the pivotal character of Abel Magwitch: "'Great Expectations' is my favourite novel, and I'm thrilled to be playing Magwitch. I've wanted to play him for ages ... and I can't wait to get stuck in."