I’m not a fan of the award shows for the most part. I watch the Oscars but tend to disagree with the winners more often than not. I find most of the other award shows to be even more political and snobbish than the Oscars. The shows that usually win are seldom the shows that mainstream audiences watch or care about.
I didn’t actually the Emmy Awards ceremony on television last night as I was busy watching Dallas handle the Packers, but I was pleasantly surprised that at least a few things went right.
As much as I like The Office, I can’t complain about any of the wins 30 Rock brought in this year. In addition to the three awards the show had already picked up at last week’s Creative Arts Awards portion of the Emmys, 30 Rock brought in four awards last night. The show won Outstanding Comedy Series and picked up awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Tina Fey), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Tina Fey), and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Alec Baldwin). Overall, Tina Fey won three individual awards (writing, acting, and producing), and the show tied the all-time single season record for comedy series set by All in the Family in 1972.
I was also very happy to hear that Jeff Probst won the very first ever Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality/Competition Show. I have long contested that Probst is the best host working in television so his win was well deserved. I still think Survivor deserves an Emmy for Reality Series instead of The Amazing Race which won yet again.
HBO won a leading 26 Emmys despite not having a drama series nominee for the first time in a decade. They won big with the excellent mini-series, John Adams. The historical drama about one of America’s founding fathers set a record for most awards, 13, including eight previously announced. The record of 11 was held by HBO’s Angels in America, the TV academy said.
Mad Men and Breaking Bad managed to pull out big wins as well. Mad Men made history as the first basic cable show to ever win Outstanding Drama Series. Meanwhile, Bryan Cranston (the father on Malcolm In the Middle) pulled off an upset win in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Breaking Bad.
The complete list of winners:
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Dame Eileen Atkins, Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Laura Linney, John Adams (HBO)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Paul Giamatti, John Adams (HBO)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
Louis J. Horvitz, The 80th Annual Academy Awards
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
The Daily Show with John Stewart (Comedy Central)
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM
Don Rickles, Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (HBO)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Barry Sonnenfeld, Pushing Daisies - “Pie-lette” (ABC)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, 30 Rock - “Cooter” (NBC)
OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
Recount (HBO)
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
John Adams (HBO)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Jay Roach, Recount (HBO)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Kirk Ellis, John Adams - “Independence” (HBO)
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race (CBS)
OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY/COMPETITION SHOW
Jeff Probst, Survivor (CBS)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Greg Yaitanes, House - “House’s Head” (Fox)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Matthew Weiner, Mad Men - “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (AMC)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Mad Men (AMC)
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock (NBC)
30 Rock winning was awesome…really wish more people watched the show because it IS that good.
Also, the reality hosts angle of the show was just absolutely horrible and boring and tough to sit through. Ricky Gervais was the best part of the night.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO)…. and Entourage might have been the best episode last night ever… really good stuff, with Piven solidifying why he won….
Ironically, no one watched it because they were watching the Emmys…
but thats what DVR's are for… or in your household Ana!!
I'd like to thank the Academy. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have a career recording TV Show after TV Show so people wouldn't need a life outside of their living room. And to my wonderful manager: You rock! Thank you, and God bless!
…She did watch it… I'll have to ask for the replay later.
That sounds like something couples do in their bedrooms…
Hmm…we have very different ideas of what that means…