"Mad Men," "John Adams" make Emmy record book

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two period dramas set 200 years apart in American history -- "Mad Men" and "John Adams" -- claimed a place in the Emmy record books on Sunday as U.S. television's highest honors were presented in a ceremony rife with political undertones.

"Mad Men," the critically acclaimed new AMC series set in New York's advertising industry at the cusp of the 1960s social revolution, became the first show from a cable network other than HBO to win the Emmy for best drama.

Meanwhile, HBO's seven-part story of the nation's second president, "John Adams," finished the evening with 13 Emmys, the most ever by a miniseries, surpassing the previous record of 11 set in 2004 by HBO's adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Angels in America."

Emmy voters also repeated history by crowning a parody of the TV industry itself, "30 Rock," as best comedy series for a second straight year, while another NBC workplace satire, "The Office," was snubbed for a third year in a row.

The difference this year was that "30 Rock" also brought its two stars, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, along for the ride.

Fey was named best actress in a comedy as the harried head writer of a TV variety show, a role loosely based on her experience on "Saturday Night Live." Baldwin won the prize as best comedy actor for playing her venal, egotistical boss.

Fey, the show's creator and producer, also won for best writing on a comedy series. The series came away with seven Emmys in all, second only to the tally for "John Adams."

"We're very grateful to be up here again and so grateful to have survived into our third season," Fey said on stage of her show, which has struggled to build an audience.

On the drama side, five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close was named best actress, as widely expected, for portraying a ruthless trial lawyer on the new FX legal series "Damages."

But in the night's biggest upset, the Emmy for best actor in a drama went to Bryan Cranston for starring on another new cable TV show, AMC's "Breaking Bad," as a terminally ill high school teacher who cooks crystal methamphetamine.

Cranston, who previously played the dad on the long-running Fox family sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle," noted the disparity between his Emmy honor and the small viewership of his show -- something many Emmy winners this year had in common.

"We're on a small network, not a lot of people see it, so hopefully this will bring some attention to us," he said backstage.

HISTORY AND POLITICS

"John Adams" was the biggest winner overall with 13 awards, including best miniseries. The prize for best actor in that category went to its star, Paul Giamatti, best known on the big screen for playing a sad-sack wine enthusiast in "Sideways."http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif

Co-star Laura Linney was named best actress in a miniseries for playing Abigail Adams, the wife of the patriot who helped organize the American revolution and succeeded George Washington as president.

"Our founding fathers were community organizers, and they were remarkable men," Linney said backstage, alluding to recent remarks by Republican politicians disparaging Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's experience working for the poor in Chicago.

Linney's comments echoed a strong political undercurrent that ran through much of the night less than two months before the U.S. presidential election.

"As you know, the election between (Thomas) Jefferson and John Adams was filled with innuendo, lies, a bitter, partisan press and disinformation," movie star Tom Hanks, an executive producer on John Adams, said from the stage. "How great we've come so far since then."

Martin Sheen, former star of the White House drama "West Wing," even made an appearance to urge Americans to vote.

The show also was notable for a heavy dose of nostalgia and vintage TV clips as the 60th anniversary Emmys show saluted the medium's glory days and veteran stars, with tributes to old hits ranging from "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" to "Seinfeld."

Looking to more recent hits, organizers recognized the rise of non-scripted programming by including a first-ever category for outstanding reality show host, a prize that went to Jeff Probst of the CBS's "Survivor." He was declared the winner after all five nominees were called to the stage, then made to wait through a commercial break, as on a reality show.

But as it has for the past six years, the nation's most watch show, "American Idol," lost out to "The Amazing Race" in the contest for best competitive reality series.

Comedy Central's satirical newscast, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," likewise won for best variety series for a sixth straight year.

Emmy voters further demonstrated their affinity for repeat winners by bestowing the prize for best supporting actor in a comedy on Jeremy Piven for a third straight year. He plays a sly Hollywood agent on the HBO series "Entourage."

The award for best supporting actress in a comedy went to Jean Smart, the overbearing mother of a woman with amnesia on the new ABC series "Samantha Who?"

On the drama front, Zeljko Ivanek was named best supporting actor for playing a smooth-talking lawyer on the new FX legal hour "Damages." And veteran screen actress Dianne Wiest was named best supporting actress as a psychotherapist's therapist on the HBO series "In Treatment."

Reuters/Nielsen