It was, fittingly, a night of milestones — among them, a new home, the stylish NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in downtown's latest entertainment hub; a new category, outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition program; and a first win in the outstanding drama category for a basic cable series (also fitting: the show is set in the '60s).
But that's not all. The 60th Primetime Emmys also featured a new twist on hosting duties, as all five nominees in the reality host category — Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst and Ryan Seacrest — served as cohosts of the ABC telecast. But it was Probst, of CBS's Survivor, who ultimately upended his colleagues by winning the reality host award.
Acknowledging the newness of the category, Probst told the crowd, "Thank you for letting reality in."
As is often the case, HBO was the big winner of the night. The premium cable network took ten awards at the telecast, which it added to the sixteen it had picked up the week before at the Creative Arts ceremony.
The HBO miniseries John Adams took thirteen statuettes overall, including outstanding miniseries as well as lead actor and actress awards for Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, who played John and Abigail Adams; a supporting statuette for Tom Wilkinson, who portrayed Benjamin Franklin; and a writing award to Kirk Ellis.
The seven-part, $100 million-plus Adams has now become the most honored miniseries in Emmy history. Upon accepting the statuette for his exhaustive and heavily costumed role as America's second president, Giamatti joked, "I'm living proof to kids at home watching that anybody can play the president."
While accepting the award for outstanding mini-series for Adams, executive producer Tom Hanks struck a more somber tone. "The election between Jefferson and Adams was filled with innuendo, lies, a bitter partisan press and disinformation. How great we've come so far since then."
HBO also garnered awards for another politically themed project. Its movie Recount, about the historic 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush, earned outstanding made-for-television movie and a directing award for Jay Roach, who was also one of the film's executive producers.
A show that made Emmy history was AMC's advertising drama Mad Men, which became the first basic cable series named outstanding drama. Creator-executive producer Matthew Weiner, who also picked up a statuette for outstanding writing for the show, reflected wryly on the unparalleled win: "I guess I'm going to have to find something new to complain about."
Bryan Cranston gave AMC yet another reason to celebrate: he won as lead actor in a drama series for the cable network's freshman series, Breaking Bad. The victory marked the actor's first Primetime Emmy win after three nominations in the comedy acting category for Fox's Malcolm in the Middle.
The winners' list featured some other critical favorites, as NBC's 30 Rock took the top comedy prize for the second year in a row. The show's creator, executive producer, writer and star, Tina Fey, received three statuettes, for outstanding series, writing and acting.
While Fey downplayed her efforts on Rock — "We're all just grateful to have jobs in this turkey-burger economy" — her costar Alec Baldwin warmly praised her.
Upon winning outstanding lead comedy honors for his role as Rock's pompous network executive, Baldwin called Fey "the Elaine May of her generation."
Jeremy Piven, of HBO's Entourage, was also a repeat winner. For his role as abrasive Hollywood agent Ari Gold, he picked up his third consecutive Emmy as outstanding supporting actor.
Meanwhile, a new record was set for consecutive wins in a single category when Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart prevailed as outstanding variety, music or comedy series and CBS's The Amazing Race was named outstanding reality-competition program.
Their victories marked six straight for both shows, breaking the mark of five in a row held by NBC's Frasier in the outstanding comedy series category and CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman in the outstanding variety, music or comedy series category.
Marking her second career Emmy among eleven nominations, Glenn Close was named outstanding lead actress in a drama series. The veteran actress appears as Patty Hewes, the brilliant but devious attorney in FX's acclaimed legal thriller Damages.
Close's colleague on Damages, Zeljko Ivanek, won as outstanding supporting actor in a drama series; he portrayed Ray Fiske, a troubled attorney representing a volatile billionaire, played by Ted Danson.
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series went to Dianne Wiest for her performance as psychotherapist Gina Toll on HBO's In Treatment; it was the second Emmy of a distinguished career that also includes two Oscars.
On the comedy side, outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series went to Jean Smart, as Christina Applegate's mother on ABC's Samantha Who? It was the third Primetime Emmy of Smart's career.
Greg Yaitanes was awarded for outstanding directing for a drama series, for Fox's House, while directing for a comedy series went to Barry Sonnenfeld for an episode of ABC's Pushing Daisies. Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy program went to Louis J. Horvitz, for ABC's 80th Annual Academy Awards; he accepted from a nearby production truck, where he was directing the Emmys for the thirteenth time.
Among recipients of multiple awards this Primetime Emmys season, following John Adams's thirteen wins, was 30 Rock, which took seven overall. Mad Men won six; Damages, Pushing Daisies, Recount, CBS's 50th Annual Grammy Awards and PBS's The War captured three each.
Breaking Bad, PBS's Cranford, In Treatment and HBO's Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project all won two, as did ABC's 80th Annual Academy Awards, PBS's American Masters, HBO's Autism: The Musical, Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica, ABC's Dancing with the Stars, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live and Showtime's This American Life.
With the presidential election only weeks away, several winners offered both serious and not-so-serious political commentary during the three-hour event.
Tom Smothers, who received a commemorative Emmy for outstanding writing for the 1960s-era The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, told the audience: "Freedom of expression and freedom of speech aren't really important unless they're heard. It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war."
On a lighter note, presenters Stephen Colbert (who, with the writers on his show The Colbert Report, won an Emmy for outstanding writing) and Jon Stewart offered a bit in which Colbert munched on prunes while Stewart tried to present an award. "I think right now America needs a prune," Colbert said. "Granted, it is shriveled and at times hard to swallow... but this dried-up fruit has the experience we need."
In honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the Primetime Emmys, executive producer Ken Ehrlich wove vintage television clips into the production, and several sets were reminiscent of classic shows, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The West Wing, Seinfeld and Desperate Housewives.
Cast members from the 1960s Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — Ruth Buzzi, Lily Tomlin, Gary Owens, Alan Sues and Joanne Worley — appeared in costume to hand out an award. And singer Josh Groban paid homage to the past with a medley of TV themes.
Comic highlights included a bit in which Ricky Gervais, who won an acting Emmy last year for HBO's Extras, but was not on hand to accept it, demanded that Steve Carell — who accepted the award in his stead — give him the Emmy. "I've made you who you are," Gervais said to a frowning Carell in the audience, "and I get nothing back. Have you even seen Ghost Town? I sat through Evan Almighty. Give me my Emmy!"
The laughs continued when eighty-two-year-old Don Rickles, an Emmy winner for the HBO special Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, took the stage with Kathy Griffin and promptly went off script, to hilarious effect. He discussed his wife, describing her days at the beach, sitting on the sand with "her jewelry, signaling ships."
A production of AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC, the show was directed by Louis J. Horvitz; the producer was Renato Basile; Danette Herman was coproducer. The chairs of the Television Academy's 60th Primetime Emmys show committee were John Moffitt and Stacey Luchs Struber; Nancy Bradley Wiard was chair of the primetime awards committee; Beth Bohn was vice-chair.
See complete list of winners here.
