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MUMBAI:
A notorious crime family, a fictional sketch-comedy show,
an iconic singer, and a female British detective were among
the big winners at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took
place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and was telecast
on US broadcaster Fox.
The
Sopranos, HBO's acclaimed production about the travails
of a New Jersey crime boss and his intertwined biological
and criminal families took the prize for Outstanding Drama
Series. 30 Rock, NBC's look at the backstage activity
at a late-night sketch-comedy show, was named Outstanding
Comedy Series.
The
Sopranos, the HBO movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,
the AMC miniseries Broken Trail and the PBS Masterpiece
Theatre production Prime Suspect: The Final Act led
the recipients of multiple awards with three each.
The
ABC comedy Ugly Betty took two, including Outstanding
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for its star, America Ferrera.
Ricky Gervais, creator and star of HBO's Extras, took
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
James
Spader won the award for Actor in a Drama Series for ABC's
law-firm saga Boston Legal. Sally Field won for Actress
in a Drama Series for ABC's Brothers and Sisters.
The
host for the ceremony was American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.
Other highlights included a 30th anniversary tribute to a
groundbreaking miniseries and a moving musical send-off to
one of the most celebrated series in television history.
In
the aftermath of last year's Primetime Emmys, the Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences' board of governors made adjustments
to the voting procedures, most notably a move to give equal
weight to the results of the Blue Ribbon judging panels that
had been instituted in 2006 and the Academy-wide vote, as
opposed to last year, when the results of the panels were
given priority.
The
changes resulted in what was generally regarded as a broader,
more representative list of nominees - including thirty-three
first-timers - lending a fresh perspective to this year's
proceedings.
A
fresh perspective was also evident Sunday evening at the Shrine
courtesy of a circular stage, a Primetime Emmys first, which
lent an intimate, theater-in-the-round feel to the proceedings
by bringing seats directly to the main presentation and performance
area.
Terry
O'Quinn won an Enmy for his performance as intense castaway
John Locke on ABC's Lost. Referring to the arduous
conditions he endures on the show, O'Quinn said, "Sometimes
when we're hitting each other and stabbing each other and
shooting each other and they're pouring blood and turning
on the sprinklers, I wonder what it would be like to bake
a sheet of cookies on Wisteria Lane [the fictional setting
of ABC's Desperate Housewives] and get one of their checks.
"But
then I think about my cast mates and crew mates represented
here by the glorious Michael Emerson, and I realise why I
have the best job in the world."
Thomas
Haden Church won an Emmy for AMC's Western miniseries Broken
Trail. In his speech, Church thanked his co-star Robert Duvall
and director Walter Hill and then joked about the Emmy statuette.
"This is probably going to be my daughter's favorite
toy when I get home, next to Sponge Bob - product placement!"
he concluded by thanking his father, "who taught me to
love Westerns when I was a little kid."
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