Image Credit: Fox
Mad Men won its fourth consecutive Emmy and Modern Family claimed its second at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday that aired live on Fox.
Despite other predictable wins like Kate Winslet for Mildred Pierce, The Amazing Race for best competition reality show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart winning for its ninth straight year, the three-hour ceremony hosted by Glee’s Jane Lynch featured plenty of first-time victors: Peter Dinklage won for Game of Thrones, Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights, Martin Scorsese for directing Boardwalk Empire, Barry Pepper for The Kennedys and veteran film and TV actress Margo Martindale for the FX drama Justified. “Sometimes, things just take time,” she said, fighting back tears. “With time comes great appreciation.”
Julie Bowen also won her first Emmy for Modern Family, but viewers probably didn’t hear her speech because they were too busy staring at her very low-cut dress. Her win was immediately followed by a prize for her on-camera hubby (and first-time victor) Ty Burrell, who performed a well-received stand-up act instead of muttering a bunch of ho-hum thank-yous. Early in the show, the ABC comedy also dominated in the directing and writing categories, prompting Lynch to quip, “Welcome back to the Modern Family awards!”
Early in the show, Charlie Sheen took the stage to introduce the winner for best comedy actor, which he referred to as “his category.” “I want to take a moment to get something off my chest, to say a few words to everyone here from Two and a Half Men,” he began. “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television.” When winner Jim Parsons went up to collect his second Emmy in a row for his work on The Big Bang Theory – another show run by Two and a Half Men‘s producer Chuck Lorre — he said, “This is odd for so many reasons.”
One of the funniest moments of the telecast occurred in the best actress category, when all the nominees took the stage as if it were a beauty pageant. (The gag came courtesy of nominee Amy Poehler). The six women received a standing ovation before Melissa McCarthy was singled out for her work on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. She was then given a tiara and bouquet of roses, as well as plenty of hugs from her fellow actresses. “I’m from Plainville, Illinois and I’m standing here and it’s kind of amazing,” said a teary-eyed McCarthy.
Here’s what else was amazing: The multiple wins for Downton Abbey, a little known (but critically acclaimed) British series featuring Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern that airs on PBS. It took home four statues including best miniseries. “This is really a David and Goliath story,” said writer Julian Fellowes. ”It seems perfectly extraordinary that we’ve won.” The second season returns to PBS in January.
The ceremony opened with a skit featuring Lynch talking to “Mr. President of Television” Leonard Nimoy — a role that had originally been given to Alec Baldwin until his joke about NewsCorp chief Rupert Murdoch was left on the cutting room floor. The 30 Rock actor reportedly took a swipe at Murdoch and the much-publicized phone-hacking scandal — which Fox ultimately deemed was in poor taste. (On Thursday, Baldwin had tweeted, “I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me NewsCorp may cut the funniest line.”)
And the night’s oddest moments came courtesy of the “Emmytones,” a singing group made up of TV actors like Zachary Levi, Wilmer Valderrama, Joel McHale, and Taraji P. Henson. Their sole job was to (awkwardly) introduce each award genre with a snappy tune.
Here are the night’s winners:
Outstanding comedy series: Modern Family
Outstanding drama series: Mad Men
Outstanding miniseries or movie: Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actress, miniseries or movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special: Brian Percival, Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
Outstanding supporting actress, miniseries or movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Outstanding lead actress, drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Outstanding supporting actor, drama: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Outstanding directing, drama: Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding supporting actress, drama: Margo Martindale, Justified
Outstanding writing, drama series: Jason Katims, Friday Night Lights
Outstanding variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live (host: Justin Timberlake)
Outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding reality competition: The Amazing Race
Outstanding lead actress, comedy: Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Outstanding lead actor, comedy series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Outstanding writing for a comedy: Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman (“Caught in the Act”), Modern Family
Outstanding director, comedy: Michael Alan Spiller (“Halloween”), Modern Family
Outstanding supporting actor, comedy: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Outstanding supporting actress, comedy: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Why can’t I get into the live blog?! That’s the best part of watching award shows!
glad it is not just me–missing it and not sure why it won’t load for me.
Guess high traffic.
Me neither. This whole site is pretty slow. :/
I can’t get on either. When I click the page link I get a timed out page. “The server at allaccess.ew.com is taking too long to respond.” after just a few seconds.
What a bummer!
I can’t get in either and I’d just LOVE to see what all the Professional EW writers are saying about Jim Parsons & Melissa McCarty ROBBING the truly deserving others.
Jim Parsons AGAIN? over steve carrell? no way.
Where did you do your study. I am far from overweight. Well I could use a breast reduction. I am tired of my DD but other wise, I am slender. Speak for yourself.
No joke. Julie looks like she needs a burger and a bra. Love her, love the show but she looks ill.
A burger and a bra? Do you mean a burger and a beer?
bra? short for bratworst? So GLAD she won. Everyone on that show deserves one. Fortunately the SAG awards take care of that.
I find it common for overweight people to make fun of fit people. Hope it makes that double cheeseburger go down easier.
agree – def a burger and a BRA – not making fun of fit people — she is way underweight!
People have a right to their opinions. I find you common.
Underweight isn’t any more fit than overweight. Especially when the body is so desperate for food that it’s feeding on it’s internal organs.
Oh, hell. -its-
Folks, she gave birth to twins, she has gone the opposite direction. She doesn’t want to be big anymore. God bless her, she does great!
I didn’t see the awards but Googled Julie’s pic from last night. It looks to me like her dress was not fitted well. If the top were a bit more snug, she would have looked better in it.
I still can’t get it to load. No live blog boo.
You get what you pay for, huh? hah ah ahaha
EW, thanks for writing “Here are the night’s winners” instead of “Here’s the winners.” That would have been wrong. Proper English lives!
Odd to bring that up when it was written correctly…guess u want to impress everyone that u mastered elem school grammar!
It’s written incorrectly so often that it’s a shock to see it written the right way.
“Here’s the list of winners”.
Jeez, whatever.
I thought Melissa McCarthy was Grimace. Kept waiting for Ronald McDonald to join her on stage.
Awesome! So well deserved for both Julie and Ty!
yikes…Julie Bowen looks emaciated. Melissa McCarthy looks 10x healthier. Julie either needs to eat a donut or get off the meth.
She definitely needs to gain some weight. Too thin.
her teets looked like two toads run over by a semi. plus she’s got those freaky Madonna arms. she needs to see a doctor, pronto.
Freaky madonna arms… T-Rex’in it
I agree that her body is skinnier than my personal preference, but she’s apparently a pretty passionate runner. Those people burn LOTS of calories and are often fairly skinny. If she’s happy and healthy, then good for her. But it’s not for us to judge what is and isn’t healthy just based on someone’s body size – that’s a matter for her and her doctor to determine. Let’s leave the poor woman be, rather than body snarking.
I think it was just a very, very poor taste in dress. Here boobs aren’t right for that neckline and she has a somewhat athletic body type and that dress just looked all kinds of wrong on her.
I agree. The dress was just wrong for her body. Plus, it looked (intentionally or not) like she was trying to look younger than she was, which was a turn off.
seriously? you think melissa mccarthy looks healthier than julie bowen? with those clogged arteries? please. julie bowen probably exercises like mad to look good for the camera. she looked great. americans are way too fat and accepting of fat.
Yeah!! Let’s just turn our backs on all of the talented people who aren’t a size 4 and try to shame them into losing weight until they look attractive to you! ‘Cause that’s what America should be all about…shunning and ridiculing people who don’t look like you! Oh, wait…
If Julie looks that thin on TV imagine how skinny she really is. Sorry, too much excercise is stilla disorder.
Julie looks too thin and MM has gained even more weight, at one time I thought she was losing weight…..is there no middle ground?
Modern Family is owning the Comedy category. And absolutely well deserved.
Such a well-written, brilliantly acted, funny show with a lot of heart and emotion! Keep the awards comin’!
I love Modern Family, but it didn’t really deserve all those awards. Parks and Recreation was better and far more consistent last season.
agreed
As long as Modern Family or Parks and Recreation won that best comedy award, I’d be happy. Modern Family, in my opinion, earned every award it received. Its just that darn good.
3 for 3 for Modern Family. They’re gonna wipe this thing tonight!
Yeah – the blog link here isn’t working.
Go to tvline.com – Slezak’s live blog is accessible
@Andy Thanks for the tip!
Happy for Julie but really wanted Sofia to win.
Me too. But I am happy for Modern Family. It is an amazing television show.
@laura – good question – me neither
Chris Colfer should have won for GLEE!!!! He was robbed!
Chris Colfer turned in an emmy winning performance in season 2. However, it was primarily drama. He had no shot at winning this. If the writers can overcome their Kurt crying addiction this year then maybe Colfer will have a chance to win next year
No he wasn’t. It’s a comedy category, not a weepy-overdramatic category.
I am so sad for Steve Carell. he really should’ve won for his last season on The Office.
I also felt bad for Mr. Carell ( and Jon Hamm ) . Steve is such a standup guy that he didn’t look upset at the lost. But, his wife was pissed.
I so agree. Jim Parsons AGAIN? Bleh. Carell was robbed.
@ KD – try memorizing every word that comes out of Sheldon Cooper’s mouth in every episode of The Big Bang Theory… Every nominee in this category deserved the win, and yes it would have been great for Steve but he’s off to a better world and hopefully he’ll get his shot with his future work (and honestly, just the idea that it wasn’t won by a Modern Family cast member is good enough for me). I’m proud of Jim and I cannot wait to see if Big Bang will still be my favorite comedy this year!
I was actually hoping steve would win for his last year on The Office.
I completely agree! Jim Parsons sucks! Cant believe Steve didnt win! Steve was robbed!
Yeah, I love Jim Parsons, but the fact that Steve Carrel never won an Emmy for playing Michael Scott will go down as one the the worst mistakes in the show’s history.
i know right
since the live blog wont load – anyone else keep hearing what sounds like a cell phone ringer constantly going off? It is such a distraction and may have to turn the show off
Yes! I hear it too! It’s driving me crazy!
I thought it was one of my daughter’s toys! It is so annoying!
Definitely hearing weird noises. I thought it was my TV.
So thankful I’m not the only one hearing that! I just got a new TV and I thought I would have to take it back!
I went on line to specifically see if anyone else was hearing this. What in teh world is it?
subliminal message frequency.. don’t mind that
Its been driving me insane all night and my roommate doesn’t hear it so I thought I was going crazy!
Thank you for mentioning! I almost had to turn the show off from that as well. So annoying!
Well, if Carrell didn’t win in his final year, then all other bets tonight are off.
I cannot believe Steve Carrell was best by the dumbass from Big Bang. Emmys are crap.
It was unbelievable. What a pile of crap. That one note idiot from big bang beat Carell again.
Yep, that whole character is one note. I can not believe it
The Emmys love Chuck Lorre, and apparently Modern Family.
Chuck Boring.
Oh this is classic with each nominee coming on stage.
Assuming you are being sarcastic. Awful idea to amplify the losers’ discomfort.
Yeah, that was dumb and really odd. Felt like I missed something. So the women get this silly pageantry and the men get normal clips? Doesn’t make any sense, kind of sexist really.
Um, that “silly pageantry” was a joke that the women nominees brilliantly came up with…something the men probably wished they were clever enough to do. The gag earned a standing ovation–nothing sexist there.
For me, this is easily the best emmy moment in recent history.
Agreed! I really liked it, like they banded together to say that they all think each others work is worthy, a show of solidarity during an event meant to pit them against each other. I liked it a lot. Amy should have got the win though!
Yeah, I liked it too. Well executed.
Dang. Was hoping Steve Carell would win, not necessarily for this season of The Office but for all the times he didn’t win for really good seasons. Happy for Jim Parsons though and very happy it wasn’t Alec Baldwin.
Steve Carrell definitely should have won.
I agree, because I thought that this was his last season on The Office so I felt very certain that he should have won.
So Brian, sounds like you’re saying for sentimental he should’ve won?
it is more that michael scott is an iconic character and steve has played him to perfection for years. honestly, he should have won an emmy years ago, at least one, and given this was their last chance to recognize his work on the office he absolutely should have taken the award.
Parks and Recreation was robbed.
@ LOL- I agree P&R was robbed- esp Amy Phoeler, Mike and Molly won over her? really?