Modern Family triumphed with trophies for best comedy, best supporting actor and writing, while Mad Men won its third consecutive Emmy for best drama at the 62nd Primetime Emmys, held Sunday in Los Angeles and broadcast on NBC.
HBO, as usual, ruled in the movies categories, with multiple wins for Temple Grandin and the miniseries The Pacific. Al Pacino also won for You Don’t Know Jack.
Wins for ABC’s freshman comedy began early with trophies for creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd for writing, and co-star Eric Stonestreet (Cameron Tucker), who accepted the prize for supporting actor by saying “all I wanted to be was a clown in the circus when I was a kid growing up.” When accepting the Emmy for best comedy, Levitan gave a shout-out to all the show’s fans, big and small. “We are so thrilled that families are sitting down together to watch a television show, and we just wanted to say we are so happy that you have let us into your families,” he said on stage, with the full cast behind him.
In contrast, the creator of Mad Men behaved as if he never left the stage when accepting the Emmy for best drama. Having already won the gold earlier in the night for writing, Matthew Weiner took the stage at ceremony’s end by saying ”So where was I?” Remarkably, the actors on the drama have never won an Emmy, though castmembers like Jon Hamm, John Slattery and Elisabeth Moss have received multiple nominations.
Though Glee was a huge favorite going into tonight’s Emmys, the only prizes given to the Fox dramedy went to co-star Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) and creator Ryan Murphy, who won for directing the pilot that first aired last May but ran again — as a director’s cut — at the start of the 2009-10 season.
Edie Falco, an Emmy favorite because of her work on The Sopranos, won for starring in Showtime’s Nurse Jackie. Falco was a critic pick but clearly, she wasn’t expecting to take home another statue and as a result, is now the first woman in Emmy history to post wins for a comedy and a drama. “Oh, this is the most ridiculous thing that has ever, ever happened in the history of this lovely award show,” she said on stage. “I’m not funny.”
Jim Parsons earned a statue for Big Bang Theory while Kyra Sedgwick finally took home her first Emmy for The Closer. And Breaking Bad ruled in the male actor categories, with nods for star Bryan Cranston – his third consecutive win – and co-star Aaron Paul.
Other surprises for the night included Archie Panjabi, who was awarded the supporting actor prize for The Good Wife, and Bravo’s Top Chef for winning in the best reality category. The show’s producers were so convinced they weren’t going to win (probably because The Amazing Race has dominated the category for the last seven years) that executive producer Dan Cutworth said on stage that “this is something that we never expected, and I think a lot of people come up here and say this. I really mean it.”
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart won again in the variety show category – a well-deserved honor, even though there was some sentiment for a win for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. In the days leading up to the telecast, there was lots of speculation over what the ex-NBC employee would and wouldn’t say if he were to win an Emmy. O’Brien starts his TBS late show in November.
The three-hour show began with host Jimmy Fallon kicking off an inspired riff on Glee, with celebrities like Tina Fey, Jorge Garcia, Joel McHale and Jon Hamm joining in on a sing-along of “Born to Run.” The gang — which included a surprise appearance by Kate Gosselin — ended up on stage and was met with huge cheers from the audience inside the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Other highlights included Ricky Gervais distributing bottles of beer and Fallon impersonating Elton John and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, while crooning a genius redux of songs like “Candle in the Wind” and “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)“ as a way to say goodbye to 24, Law & Order and Lost. See below for list of winners:
OUTSTANDING COMEDY
WINNER: Modern Family
Glee
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Nurse Jackie
30 Rock
The Office
OUTSTANDING DRAMA
WINNER: Mad Men
Lost
Breaking Bad
Dexter
True Blood
The Good Wife
OUTSTANDING MOVIE
WINNER: Temple Grandin
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
WINNER: The Pacific
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MOVIE
WINNER: Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MOVIE
WINNER: Mick Jackson, Temple Grandin
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MOVIE
WINNER: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MOVIE
WINNER: Adam Mazer, You Don’t Know Jack
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE
WINNER: David Strathairn, Temple Grandin
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE
WINNER: Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin
OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
WINNER: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
WINNER: Bucky Gunts, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
In Performance At The White House
The Kennedy Center Honors
63rd Annual Tony Awards
The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
WINNER: 63rd Annual Tony Awards
82nd Annual Academy Awards
Bill Maher “But …I’m Not Wrong”
The Kennedy Cener Honors
Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
WINNER: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Mariska Hargitay (Special Victims Unit)
Glenn Close (Damages)
January Jones (Mad Men)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A DRAMA SERIES
WINNER: Dexter (The Getaway): Steve Shill
Breaking Bad (One Minute): Michelle MacLaren
Lost (The End): Jack Bender
Mad Men (Guy Walks into the advertising agency): Lesli Linka Glatter
Treme (Pilot): Agnieszka Holland
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
WINNER: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Hugh Laurie (House M.D.)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Matthew Fox (Lost)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
WINNER: Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Sharon Gless (Burn Notice)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Rose Byrne (Damages)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
WINNER: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Martin Short (Damages)
Terry O’ Quinn (Lost)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
WINNER: Mad Men (Shut the door. Have a Seat): Matthew Weiner, Erin Levy
Friday Night Lights (The Son): Rolin Jones
The Good Wife (pilot): Michelle King, Robert King
Lost (The End): Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse
Mad Men (Guy Walks into a advertising agency): Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner
OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
WINNER: Top Chef
Project Runway
Top Chef
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
American Idol
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
WINNER: Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Lea Michele (Glee)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Toni Collette (The United States of Tara)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
WINNER: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
WINNER: Glee (pilot): Ryan Murphy
Glee (Wheels): Paris Barclay
Modern Family (pilot): Jason Winer
Nurse Jackie (pilot): Allen Coulter
30 Rock (I do I do): Don Scardino
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
WINNER: Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and A Half Men)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
WINNER: Modern Family (pilot): Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd
Glee (pilot): Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
The Office (Niagra): Greg Daniels, Mindy Kaling
30 Rock (Anna Howard Shaw Day): Matt Hubbard
30 Rock (Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter) Tina Fey, Kay Cannon
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
WINNER: Jane Lynch (Glee)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Holland Taylor (Two and A Half Men)
Matthew Fox deserves a win! Lost, too!
There has been no love for Lost so far….hopefully that will change in the best drama category.
Suck it Gleetards!!!
EVERYONE is a winner, right?
I love you…you love me…
except for Glee. That show sucks. And swallows.
um…some of my favorite things/people suck and swallow. Is that bad?
really people? Grow up!
Matthew Fox was robbed!!! I can’t believe that Hollywood passed him up for a crap show called Breaking Bad. Oh, wait…I forgot for a second that Hollywood is made up of a bunch of narcissistic elitist idiots.
are you kidding me!? im a hardcore lost fan but saying breaking bad is a crap show is unbelievably idiotic. one of THE most brilliant shows out there right now. get it right.
Agreed. Foxy should have won
I’m a huuuuge LOST fan, but sweet god, Breaking Bad this year just knocked me out completely. Cranston & Paul both deserved their Emmys.
Breaking Bad is amazing.
Agreed Lost in my opinion is or was the best show on tv but Breaking Bad is an excellent show with some amazing writting. What I am more upset with is Terry O’Quin not winning in the supporting catagory. That to me was robbery!!!
I loved Lost. LOVED it. However, Breaking Bad is pretty fantasic. This was a tough call – Cranston is great. I do kinda wished they’d given it to Fox and Carnston next year though.
I’m more upset that Michael C. Hall of “Dexter” lost. He was the one really robbed. Matthew Fox is just seemed to be the sentimental favorite.
Breaking Bad is a pretty good show, but I do agree that Matthew Fox should have won. His performance was stronger than Brian Cranston this year. I was really hoping that he would take home a trophy– but you know the Emmy voters are senior citizens, once they vote for something or someone, they have to do it every other time its/their nominated.
Hey Beth, putting together a bunch of big words in a sentence doesn’t prove you right. OK? I absolutely agree with ”seriously”. I’m a huge lost fan and i am ecstatic that Brian Cranson won. He did an amazing job last season and the show is incredible. Just ask the dozens of critics who agree with me.
*Cranston
I’m sorry Terry O’Quinn HAS an Emmy already. Aaron Paul deserved his Emmy. Lost is great but it’s not everything and just because it didn’t win, DOES NOT mean that the people who did shouldn’t have won or didn’t earn it with great work.
For the LOST haters – When stupid shows like Breaking Bad and Glee are over, there aren’t going to be people paying over a million dollars on props. Face it, there are no shows on TV worth watching anymore.
Can we pretend that Aaron Paul’s win was a win for Lost? He was the narc in the episode where Locke lives on a pot commune, right?
Beth, somehow I am guessing you are not going to stop watching TV though? Just because you don’t/can’t appreciate another show besides Lost does not mean they all suck. That’s just bad logic.
beth – you think that a successful prop auction is the measure of a series’ worth? Wow. I guess you’d better buy TWO copies of the complete “Lost” on DVD, since you’ll wear out the first in a couple of years. I mean, with nothing else worth watching on TV, and all.
I never have had, nor will i ever have, the desire to see Breaking Bad or Mad Men. I am so sick of Mad Men winning every freaking year.
No, that was Justin Chatwin playing Eddie
Don’t pretend that you watch the show enough to say that it sucks. I was rooting for Matthew Fox, but Bryan was BRILLIANT and deserving.
beth, do yourself a favor and watch Breaking Bad. I watched every episode of Lost as it aired, including the pilot. I hung out on the Fuse, and I discussed it with friends for hours the day after each episode. Now it’s over and I’m enjoying Fringe, Breaking Bad, and The Wire. Open your freaking mind.
Lost or Breaking Bad should have won best Drama Series. But I’m happy Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston won. They deserve it.
Agreed. Mad Men just seems overrated at this point.
Mad Men is genius. Sorry it goes over your head.
MAD MEN is genius. Well said Devin
Mad Men isn’t even best show on its own network, and I LIKE Mad Men. I watch 5 of those 6 drama nominees (no Good Wife for me). I think BB deserved it this year, but was rooting for Lost.
Mad Men won…again…sigh…I’m sick of all these critics and “intellectuals” who say that television has to be cynical and possess a pessimistic view of mankind in order to be “intelligent”. LOST ended on an emotional, inspirational and uplifting note, so screw the Emmys if they don’t recognize it. LOST, Terry O’ Quinn, Matthew Fox, and Michael Giacchino: so what if the Emmys passed you guys up? Time will agrieve this error in judgement, but until then, LOST will always have a special place in the hearts of its fans
Mad Men is overrated.
Matthew Fox should have won. Without a doubt.
Why? Lost faltered this year unfortunately.
LOST was fantastic this year with some of the best episodes towards the end… so no it did not falter….
no way. Not over Bryan Cranston. Everyone just wants Lost to get accolades because its over. Seriously, this last season turned me off to the show so much. I can’t even recommend it to people anymore. “Watch Season 1-5, and then make up an ending in your head.”
Mad Men won…again…sigh…I’m sick of all these critics and “intellectuals” who say that television has to be cynical and possess a pessimistic view of mankind in order to be considered “intelligent”. LOST ended on an unbelievably emotional, inspiring and uplifting note and scr*w the Emmys if they can’t figure that out. So to all those who worked on LOST, especially Matthew Fox, Terry O’ Quinn, Michael Emerson and the incomparable Michael Giacchino (I still cannot believe he did not win!): Time will surely agrieve this error in taste and judgement, but until then, take solace knowing the LOST will always have a special place in the hearts of its true fans!
Sorry for the double-post, my computers acting up…
LOST was robbed.
Screw Glee….Kudo’s to Modern Family. Best. Show. On. Television.
No it isn’t. Except for Ed O’Neil it’s unwatchable, and flat-out UNFUNNY. I love Julie Bowen and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (who was brilliant in ‘The Class’) but they are completely wasted on MF. Hate. This. Show.
ALL of the Drama/Actor nominees are so great, don’t know how they chose one.
I agree. This “he was robbed” crap is getting on my nerves. They were all deserving. Only one could win. Get over it people.
Go Jim Parsons!
I was estatic about his win!
YYYAAAAYYYYYY Sheldon!!!!!
Please give one to Dr House…
They really hate CBS now, dont they… Survivor not nominated, TAR lost…
Jim parsons won, geeks everywhere unite!
Geeks are going BAZINGA!
Hell yeah!
Julie Bowen’s name isn’t on the nominee list
o wait never mind
Yeah Jim! Sheldon RULES!!!!!
Told you guys- Lost is not winning tonight, people need to accept that and should have never been so stupid to get their hopes up.
Its my favorite show, its a show I worship but it never had a chance.
‘Lost’ won in 2005, so don’t get all ‘wahh wahhh’.
But, even though I love ‘MM’, I wanted to see something else win.
Not entirely sure why they nominated anyone for drama other than Mad Men… Not that it is a good show, quite the opposite. It is overacted drivel that the Emmy board eats up.
Who let you out of the asylum?
I agree Entirely!… I think Mad Men is garbage
it’s not garbage, but it is entirely overrated. breaking bad is infinately better than mm…still wanted lost to win though.
“Overacted drivel”? No, Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian is “overacted drivel.” “Mad Men” is actually quite understated with its performances.
I’m so sick of everyone being so sick of Mad Men. It’s officially become cool to bad mouth MM now, just because it gets so many accolades. I ignore every awards show out there and just watch what I like. I enjoy MM, BB, and Lost equally.
Mad Men is just cynical; thats the only reason the Emmy board likes it..
ACK! Matthew Fox didnt win?!
OK Cranston deserved it though.
Really, three straight Emmy’s for Brian Cranston?
Did we somehow not know that Cranston did really well on Breaking Bad? Seriously how do you get 3 straight awards for THE SAME ROLE?
By being outstanding in it every year and improving year on year?
Forgive me if I just feel that an actor shouldn’t be able to win an award for a role more than once.
Seriously, the Emmy voters are like teenagers who can;t decide what to eat on a Friday night, so they just end up ordering that really good pizza they had last week.
mmmmm Pizza.
I somewhat agree with BonBon. The Emmys needs some sort of retirement rule. Three-peats should lead to automatic Hall of Fame induction, and removal from nominations.
For acting, Cransont was only repeat winner, so the whole ‘unoriginal’ theory is out the window!
it’s out this year, but they have a fair complaint. how many years in a row has the same show or same actor or actress won after winning the previous year? it didn’t hold as true this year, but it happens far too often.
Sorry but it’s akin to saying “let’s hire this person over the superior worker because they need a break. The other guy already has a job.”
That doesn’t fly with me. Whether they’ve won in the past or not, the award should go to the best actor…that is what it’s for right?
I don’t think his performance was better than Matthew Fox’s (or even Michael Hall’s) this year. He’s an excellent actor, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think he deserved it.
Well that’s just you layla. Bryan Cranston was amazing on Breaking Bad this year so you’ll have to accept that Matthew Fox didn’t win. Live with it sweetie, live with it.
@laylagalise, thankfully, you are in a small minority. He deserved to win, and he did. Fox would be a sentimental win–his acting, while great, is hardly on the same level as others.
@Casey: It’s not a case of the winner being better that many people are so mad about, it’s a case of the Emmy voters being lazy and saying “Well this person/show won before, so it must be good, so I’ll just vote for them.”
Seriously? I’m sorry Matthew Fox. You deserved at least one. You deserved every year that Lost was on. Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn should have tied for a win. Seriously. This is crap.
Matthew Fox was only nominated because it was the last season of the show. His acting was nowhere near the league of Cranston or Hall
Usually, no. But with this last season of Lost, he was really stellar – it was a culmination of everything his character had been building towards and he executed it perfectly.
Matthew Fox was amazing this year. That last 10 min of the finale, if Matthew didn’t carry it off then the whole ending would have failed. I still get goosebumps thinking about the death scene.
I agree. LOST got nothing. That is insanity.
I agree. Fox’s “acting” on the beach after the *SPOILER ALERT* sub blew up was groan-worthy. I found “LOST” intriguing, but never great—even at “The End.”
The only time Fox blew me away this season was the church scene with his dad. Cranston continually impressed me all season. They made the right choice.
Lost was rubbish this year. The whole thing was so contrived. I feel like I was robbed of six years of my television watching life and clearly the Emmy voters agree!
Breaking Bad and Cranston can win all the Emmys in the world, the show’s ratings are still gonna suck!
FOX deserved the Emmy… hands down….
Beth, Matthew Fox didn’t carry it off and the finale DID fail! Horrible final season of LOST. Stop crying.
I loved “Lost” but Matthew Fox didn’t deserve the Emmy. Hugh Laurie is by far the best actor out of the bunch and its a disgrace that he’s never won!
he did win for “House”
Aaron Paul & Bryan Cranston do fantastic work on the BEST show on TV. “Breaking Bad” is awesome.
No one’s disputing that at all. But aren’t two consecutive Emmy’s enough to prove that? If there’s only a handful of people that win, why bother watching?
There isn’t a limit on emmys as long as your acting is great why not win year after year?
totally agree mikejones. it’s for whose best. if you’re consistently the best, then what’s wrong? never understood people wanting old winners/nominees to get out just because they’ve won/been nominated once or twice.
It’s about who is the best that year. If Bryan Cranston is the best for however long BB runs, power to him. And it should be motivation for other actors, they shouldnt be rewarded for being second best because Cranston was previously the best.
No fair! Let’s just give everyone awards and then watch a Barney video! Yay!
the big shocker of the night (so far at least) is archie winning. she’s great, but i don’t think anyone really expected her when faced with christine baranski and the 2 mad men women.
Archie was good… Of course any one of the four was up in the air. I didn’t think Mad Men was going to win AGAIN. I thought it would be Good Wife or Lost for sure.
I picked Archie and Eric Stonestreet to win!
As much as i like Mad Men i agree it would have been nice for another show to win instead. I really don’t know why Hendricks and Moss were nominated at all(though they are good)considering they were hardly on last season. The show should only have gotten three acting noms for Ham, Jones(eventhough she is not much of actress she is quite good in the role) and the little girl who plays Sally Drapper.
I feel that if any person or show wins three consecutive times they should be made to sit out the next awards season.
I am so glad that Archie won. Love her!!!!