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AMC's glossy 1960s Madison Avenue saga "Mad Men," which last year became the first basic cable show to win a top series award, won the best drama trophy for a second time.
"It is an amazing time to work in TV," said "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner. "And, I know that everything is changing, but I'm not afraid of it because I feel like all these different media is just more choice and more entertainment. It's better for the viewers in the end and I'm glad to be a part of it."
NBC's "30 Rock," a satirical take on life inside a TV variety show, was honored for the third time as best comedy series, while star Alec Baldwin won his second award as best comedy actor.
"We want to thank our friends at NBC for keeping us on the air ... even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show," said "30 Rock" creator and star Tina Fey, a sly reference to Jay Leno's new daily prime-time comedy show, which NBC notes is cheaper to produce than a scripted series - a fact that has irked some members of the creative side of the industry.
Glenn Close's performance as a ruthless trial attorney on "Damages" and Bryan Cranston's turn as a meth-making, cancer-stricken teacher on "Breaking Bad" were honored with the top drama series acting Emmys, the second consecutive awards for both.
"Oh my goodness," exclaimed Cranston. "I'm a poor kid from the valley. I don't know what I'm doing up here. I feel like Cinder-fella."
Close called it a "huge privilege" to be part of entertainment community, then tweaked her show's writers, saying her role is "maybe the character of my lifetime, depending on what they do this season."
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Michael Emerson, who plays the cruelly devious Ben on "Lost," and Cherry Jones, the stalwart U.S. president on "24," were honored as best supporting actors in drama series.
"Wowza," Jones said. Emerson accepted his award for what he called "the role of my lifetime."
Toni Collette of Showtime's "United States of Tara" was honored as best lead actress in a comedy series for her role as a mother with multiple personalities, providing a rare incumbent defeat by depriving Fey from consecutive wins in the category for "30 Rock." But Fey took the stage a few moments later to acknowledge a guest actor award she received for her Sarah Palin impersonation on "Saturday Night Live."
Kristin Chenoweth of "Pushing Daisies" and Jon Cryer of "Two and a Half Men" won supporting acting Emmys for their comedies and proved that acceptance speeches can be entertaining.
"I'm not employed now so I'd like to be on `Mad Men.' I also like `The Office' and `24,"' said Chenoweth, alternating between tears and smiles as she accepted for her canceled ABC series. "Thank you so much to the academy for recognizing a show that's no longer on the air."
Chenoweth later was examined by paramedics because she felt a migraine coming on, her publicist said. But the actress felt better after lying down and was considering take part in some of Sunday's post-Emmy activities, spokeswoman Meghan Prophet said.
Cryer, whose series is the most-watched comedy on TV, brought a wry tone to his speech.
"I used to think that awards were just shallow tokens of momentary popularity, but now I realize they are the only true measure of a person's worth as a human being," said Cryer, who turned the win over fellow nominee Harris into a funny bit of onstage banter with the "How I Met Your Mother" star.
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" won the trophy for best variety, music or comedy series, its seventh in a row. Also keeping its amazing streak alive: "The Amazing Race," which won its seventh consecutive Emmy in the outstanding reality-competition category, once again turning top-rated "American Idol" into an also-ran.
"Grey Gardens," the story of a reclusive mother and daughter who were relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the Dickens adaptation "Little Dorrit" won for best movie and miniseries, respectively.
Harris, who moved the show along with good-natured humor, started the evening on a lively note, performing "Don't Touch That Remote," a custom-made tune from Broadway composers Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman of "Hairspray" fame. Harris implored viewers to stay glued to the show and called attention to some of the stars in the house.
"I see legends galore, Lange, Barrymore," Harris sang to Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, later adding, "But like next season on `Idol' I'm not seeing Paula Abdul." Meanwhile, the camera panned to an empty seat at the Nokia Theatre.
Harris' winning turn as host was lauded onstage by many, including Jeff Probst, honored as best reality show host for CBS' "Survivor." Probst was one of the five reality hosts who emceed the Emmys last year and received scathing reviews.
"Neil Patrick Harris, THIS is how you host the Emmys. Nice job," Probst said, pointing his Emmy toward him.
An exception to the upbeat mood came in clips from animated series "Family Guy," which showed the dog character Brian beaten bloody, followed by a reality show snippet with barely concealed swearing.
The TV academy, meanwhile, hoped to avoid an unwanted rerun of last year: paltry viewership. The 2008 ceremony was the least-watched ever with an audience of 12.3 million.
Acclaimed but low-rated series like "Mad Men" are seen as one reason viewers bypassed the awards, so major categories were expanded this year to increase the odds for more popular fare. There were as many as seven nominees per category, compared with the traditional five (the Oscars have made a similar play this year, expanding the best-picture category from five nominees to 10).
Harris and Emmy executive producer Don Mischer promised to keep the scheduled three-hour ceremony snappy, but they had less room to maneuver than planned. A TV academy proposal to pre-tape some acceptances and show them in a truncated version - gaining time for something more entertaining than speeches - was quashed by industry opposition.
HBO went into the ceremony as the awards leader after last weekend's Creative Arts Primetime Emmys ceremony for technical and other achievements. The channel earned 16 trophies, followed by NBC with 11 and Fox and ABC with eight awards each. CBS, PBS and Cartoon Network had six each.
After Sunday, HBO emerged with a leading 21, followed by NBC with 16, ABC with 11 and Fox with 10. CBS and PBS had nine each.
- Photos: Red carpet arrivals at Emmy Awards
- Video: Celebrity interviews at Emmy Awards
- Blog: List of winners at 2009 Emmy Awards
- Blog: More entertainment at OnTheRedCarpet.com
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