Nearly a year after wrapping up, the AMC drama Breaking Bad has another nice going-away present: the winner of the Emmy Award for best drama series.
It was the second straight win in the category for the dark tale of chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston. Cranston also won his four Emmy Award for best actor in a drama as well. Cranston beat the reigning Oscar winner for best actor, Matthew McConaughey, nominated in this category for his role in True Detective. In his acceptance speech, the actor joked about enjoying romantic scenes with Anna Gunn, who played his wife on the show, and urged viewers not to settle for comfort in their own lives.
"Find that passion, rekindle it, fall in love all over again - it's really worth it," he said.
Another big winner was ABC's Modern Family, winning the Emmy Award for best comedy series. It's the fifth year in a row the hit ABC series has taken the big prize, tying a record winning streak set by Frasier.
Rivals were The Big Bang Theory, Louie, Orange Is the New Black, Silicon Valley and Veep.
CBS' The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons was crowned as best comedy series actor, giving him his fourth Emmy and putting him in league along with all-time sitcom winners Kelsey Grammer and Michael J Fox.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who received her third consecutive best comedy actress Emmy for the political comedy Veep, drew big laughs as she stopped to exchange faux heated kisses with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, who earlier was her co-presenter and who appeared with her on Seinfeld.
Allison Janney was honored as best supporting comedy actress for CBS' Mom, adding to the trophy she'd already picked up as guest actress on Masters of Sex. Modern Family also captured a best comedy supporting actor trophy for Ty Burrell.
McConaughey, bringing movie-star sizzle to the ceremony, was the object of too-handsome jokes by presenter Jimmy Kimmel and adoration by winner Gail Mancuso, honored as best director for an episode of Modern Family.
“If you don’t mind, Matthew McConaughey, I’m gonna make eye contact with you right now,” she said from the stage, making good by holding the actor’s gaze for much of her speech.
The ceremony honoring the best of TV wasn't shy about playing the movie-star card. "Six minutes to Woody Harrelson" flashed on screen during British director Colin Bucksey's acceptance speech for best miniseries direction for Fargo.
Harrelson and his True Detective co-star were given time to banter before announcing that British actor Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock was the winner of the best miniseries actor award.
"So you won an Oscar, (People magazine's) Sexiest Man Alive and now you want an Emmy, too. Isn't that a little bit greedy?" Harrelson teased his fellow nominee.
Fargo was named best miniseries, and the award for best miniseries actress went to Jessica Lange of American Horror Story: Coven.
Buffering the miniseries awards was a parody routine about top nominees by “Weird Al” Yankovic. Musical numbers usually look out of place at the Emmys, and this one was no different.
Host Seth Meyers kicked off the ceremony by tweaking his home network, NBC, and other broadcasters for being eclipsed in the awards by cable series and online newcomers like Orange Is the New Black.
Noting that the Emmys moved to Monday night to avoid a conflict with Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, he said that MTV doesn’t really specialize in videos anymore.
“That’s like network TV holding an awards show and giving all the trophies to cable and Netflix. That would be crazy,” Meyers joked.
First-time host Meyers was unflappable, even when comedy bits fell flat. There was muted laughter when he bantered with stars in the audience – including Melissa McCarthy, who asked if her illegally parked car would be towed – although Andre Braugher asking to use the bathroom and getting a key with an Emmy attached from Josh Charles was cute enough.
All eyes were on the telecast for more history to be made, although it was not. Netflix's freshman comedy series nominee Orange Is the New Black and sophomore drama series contender House of Cards failed to score breakthroughs as the first online shows to win top Emmy Awards.
The ceremony’s traditional “in memorian” tribute to industry members who have died in the past year flashed images of stars including James Garner, Ruby Dee, Sid Caesar, Carmen Zapata and Elaine Stritch as singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles sang “Smile.” It concluded with a heartfelt tribute to Robin Williams by his best friend Billy Crystal.
*Associated Press
