Reporting Jenn McBride
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — ABC’s Modern Family and AMC’s Mad Men took home television gold for the second year in a row Sunday night as series winners at the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Modern Family swept the show with five wins – including Outstanding Comedy Series – which prompted host Jane Lynch to jokingly rename the show “The Modern Family Awards” after the first commercial break. FOX phenom Glee was snubbed after receiving 12 nominations for its sophomore season, but in true Sue Sylvester style, Lynch’s performance did not disappoint.
Click To View Photos
Even with just one trophy, Mad Men made Emmy history by tying Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and The West Wing with its fourth win for Outstanding Drama Series. It also earned a jaw-dropping 19 nominations – the most ever for a drama series.
As the cast and crew filed into the press room, January Jones, who gave birth to a baby boy last Tuesday, was notably absent. From my seat, it appeared Jon Hamm was missing as well, until he peered around one of the stage monitors and met my eye. I froze, staring not at Hamm, but seemingly at the captivating Don Draper himself. I immediately remembered interviewing Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt at an event four years ago, before the show’s series premiere. She sweetly kept trying to plug “his new show on AMC” and, at the time, I stupidly assumed it wouldn’t last more than a season. Now I find it hard to see him, John Slattery, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks as actors. To me, and to many others, they have become their ever-so-complicated characters, a true sign of both exemplary talent and brilliant television.
“We all get to go to work tomorrow, and that’s all we ever wanted to do,” Mad Men director Matthew Weiner said. “This is, for us and our families, this is an incredible dream.”
Later, attention turned to Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominee Sofia Vergara, when a reporter asked the Modern Family star what she was wearing under her stunning coral-colored Vera Wang gown. (Hendricks shot the same reporter down minutes before when she refused to answer his questions about her sultry figure.)
“Underneath, I wear my underwear form Kmart from my Kmart line. It’s a tiger-print G-string,” the Colombian beauty flirtatiously obliged.
CBS was also one of the night’s biggest winners, with an impressive four awards.
Julianna Margulies won top prize for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife.
“To everyone at CBS: Les Moonves, Nina Tassler, David Staph from CBS Studios – thank you for allowing us to be the show that we are and for embracing us wholeheartedly,” she told the audience. “And to my spectacular husband, I love being your good wife, and I’m so grateful you have no political aspirations.”
The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, who won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the second year in a row, admitted he thought fellow nominee Steve Carell would win for his final season as Michael Scott on The Office.
“That was what my mother had said, along with other prognosticators,” he quipped backstage.
Melissa McCarthy of CBS’ new hit comedy Mike and Molly donned her own purple creation when she took home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
“It’s so fun to trip and fall along the way,” she said about her role as lovable teacher Molly Flynn.
The Amazing Race won its ninth award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.
“On the road it’s pretty frantic,” host Phil Keogan shared. “We really work very hard on the road. From go until the finish, we’re constantly moving.”
Be sure to watch CBS’ fall lineup, which kicks of Monday, Sept. 19, with new episodes of Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Hawaii Five-O, and the series premiere of 2 Broke Girls.
