"Modern Family" creator Steven Levitan summed up the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards telecast when he accepted another outstanding comedy award for the show.
"This may be the saddest Emmys of all time, but we could not be happier," he said.
The CBS telecast, hosted with gusto by Neil Patrick Harris, was smothered by five "in memoriam" tributes to individuals as well as a montage late in the telecast. It was, in a word, a bummer.
Harris tried to bring up the energy with jokes and a mid-broadcast song-and-dance number called "The Number in the Middle of the Show." But nothing seemed to help. Every time the show got moving, a tribute cast a pall over the proceedings.
Most of the presenter banter was strained and only a few acceptance speeches drew laughs. Here are the night's best moments, which were few. (Click through the gallery at top of page for images from the telecast.)
Stephen Colbert
Accepting the variety series Emmy for "The Colbert Report," Colbert cracked, "It's a cliche to say it's an honor just to be nominated. It's more than that; it's also a lie. This is way better." When he accepted the writing award, he said, "Wow, the Emmys are so good this year." If only that were true.
EHD
In a pre-taped howler, the cast of "How I Met Your Mother" do a commercial for the Ryan Seacrest Center for Excessive Hosting, where they send Neil Patrick Harris because he is suffering from Excessive Hosting Disorder.
Awards imitate art
When Julia Louis-Dreyfus accepted her award for "Veep." fellow winner and costar Tony Hale followed her to the stage, standing behind her just like his "Veep" character does in the show. He whispered names and comments into her ear so she could complete her speech.
Surprise!
Merritt Wever, a surprise supporting actress winner for "Nurse Jackie," was rendered pretty much speechless, thus delivering the night's most honest and brief acceptance. "Thank you so much," she said. "I gotta go. Bye."
Future hosts?
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey show why they are the funniest ladies of the moment, again. During Harris' opening skit in which past hosts offered him advice, the women cat call him from the audience with comments like,
"Take your pants off! And twerk it!" When he said that would be degrading, Poehler responded, "It might be degrading, but we would be de-grateful."
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll, who was the first African-American to win in Emmy way back when, showed she's still a pro. "It's been such a long time since I've been standing in this place, I don't know what to do," Carroll said. "But the men are much more beautiful than when I was doing television. I don't know where you came from, but I'm very happy to see you."
Naughty Michael Douglas
After winning for playing gay pianist Liberace in HBO's "Behind the Candelabra," Michael Douglas went a little blue. "This is a two-hander," he said, acknowledging his costar and co-nominee Matt Damon. "So you deserve half of this. You want the bottom or the top?"
AND THE EMMYS WENT TO ...
DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad," AMC
COMEDY SERIES
"Modern Family," ABC
MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"Behind the Candelabra," HBO
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes, "Homeland," Showtime
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom," HBO
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jim Parsons, "Big Bang Theory," CBS
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep," HBO
LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Michael Douglas, "Behind The Candelabra," HBO
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Laura Linney, "The Big C: Hereafter," Showtime
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bobby Cannavale, "Boardwalk Empire," HBO
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad," AMC
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tony Hale, "Veep," HBO
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Merritt Wever, "Nurse Jackie," Showtime
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ellen Burstyn, "Political Animals," USA
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
James Cromwell, "American Horror Story: Asylum," FX
REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
"The Voice," NBC
VARIETY SERIES
"The Colbert Report," Comedy Central
VARIETY SPECIAL
"Louis C.K.: Oh My God," HBO
DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"House of Cards," Netflix
DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
"Modern Family," ABC
DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"Behind the Candelabra," HBO
WRITING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"The Hour," BBC America
DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
"Saturday Night Live," NBC
WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
"The Colbert Report," Comedy Central
WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"Homeland," Showtime
WRITING FOR COMEDY SERIES
"30 Rock" ("Last Lunch"), NBC
GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bob Newhart, "The Big Bang Theory," CBS
GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Melissa Leo, "Louie," FX
HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, "Project Runway," Bravo
GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Carrie Preston, "The Good Wife," CBS
GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Dan Bucatinsky, "Scandal," ABC
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.
"This may be the saddest Emmys of all time, but we could not be happier," he said.
The CBS telecast, hosted with gusto by Neil Patrick Harris, was smothered by five "in memoriam" tributes to individuals as well as a montage late in the telecast. It was, in a word, a bummer.
Harris tried to bring up the energy with jokes and a mid-broadcast song-and-dance number called "The Number in the Middle of the Show." But nothing seemed to help. Every time the show got moving, a tribute cast a pall over the proceedings.
Most of the presenter banter was strained and only a few acceptance speeches drew laughs. Here are the night's best moments, which were few. (Click through the gallery at top of page for images from the telecast.)
Stephen Colbert
Accepting the variety series Emmy for "The Colbert Report," Colbert cracked, "It's a cliche to say it's an honor just to be nominated. It's more than that; it's also a lie. This is way better." When he accepted the writing award, he said, "Wow, the Emmys are so good this year." If only that were true.
EHD
In a pre-taped howler, the cast of "How I Met Your Mother" do a commercial for the Ryan Seacrest Center for Excessive Hosting, where they send Neil Patrick Harris because he is suffering from Excessive Hosting Disorder.
Awards imitate art
When Julia Louis-Dreyfus accepted her award for "Veep." fellow winner and costar Tony Hale followed her to the stage, standing behind her just like his "Veep" character does in the show. He whispered names and comments into her ear so she could complete her speech.
Surprise!
Merritt Wever, a surprise supporting actress winner for "Nurse Jackie," was rendered pretty much speechless, thus delivering the night's most honest and brief acceptance. "Thank you so much," she said. "I gotta go. Bye."
Future hosts?
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey show why they are the funniest ladies of the moment, again. During Harris' opening skit in which past hosts offered him advice, the women cat call him from the audience with comments like,
"Take your pants off! And twerk it!" When he said that would be degrading, Poehler responded, "It might be degrading, but we would be de-grateful."
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll, who was the first African-American to win in Emmy way back when, showed she's still a pro. "It's been such a long time since I've been standing in this place, I don't know what to do," Carroll said. "But the men are much more beautiful than when I was doing television. I don't know where you came from, but I'm very happy to see you."
Naughty Michael Douglas
After winning for playing gay pianist Liberace in HBO's "Behind the Candelabra," Michael Douglas went a little blue. "This is a two-hander," he said, acknowledging his costar and co-nominee Matt Damon. "So you deserve half of this. You want the bottom or the top?"
AND THE EMMYS WENT TO ...
DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad," AMC
COMEDY SERIES
"Modern Family," ABC
MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"Behind the Candelabra," HBO
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes, "Homeland," Showtime
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom," HBO
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jim Parsons, "Big Bang Theory," CBS
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep," HBO
LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Michael Douglas, "Behind The Candelabra," HBO
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Laura Linney, "The Big C: Hereafter," Showtime
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bobby Cannavale, "Boardwalk Empire," HBO
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad," AMC
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tony Hale, "Veep," HBO
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Merritt Wever, "Nurse Jackie," Showtime
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ellen Burstyn, "Political Animals," USA
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
James Cromwell, "American Horror Story: Asylum," FX
REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
"The Voice," NBC
VARIETY SERIES
"The Colbert Report," Comedy Central
VARIETY SPECIAL
"Louis C.K.: Oh My God," HBO
DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"House of Cards," Netflix
DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
"Modern Family," ABC
DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"Behind the Candelabra," HBO
WRITING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
"The Hour," BBC America
DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
"Saturday Night Live," NBC
WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
"The Colbert Report," Comedy Central
WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"Homeland," Showtime
WRITING FOR COMEDY SERIES
"30 Rock" ("Last Lunch"), NBC
GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bob Newhart, "The Big Bang Theory," CBS
GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Melissa Leo, "Louie," FX
HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, "Project Runway," Bravo
GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Carrie Preston, "The Good Wife," CBS
GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Dan Bucatinsky, "Scandal," ABC
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.