Kiefer Sutherland and Fox’s `24′ Win Top Emmy Awards (Update1)
August 28, 2006 on 5:07 pm | In USA, CBS, Alan Alda, Emmy, The Office, Steve Carell, Tony Shalhoub, Jack Bauer, Emmy Awards, 24, Music and Passion, Kiefer Sutherland, Barry Manilow, Thief, Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I, Los Angeles, Andy Fixmer, Daniel Taub, The Daily Show with John Stewart, The Amazing Race, John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald, The Girl in The Cafe, Andre Braugher, Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order, Jeremy Piven, Ari Gold, Entourage, Megan Mullally, Will & Grace, Arnold Vinick, The West Wing, Blythe Danner, Izzy Huffstodt, Huff, Helen Mirren, The Sopranos, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Lost, Desperate Housewives, ABC, HBO, Michael Scott, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Fox, Sutherland, Bloomberg | No CommentsBy Andy Fixmer and Daniel Taub
Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) — The crime drama “24” won the Emmy for best drama for the first time and the show’s star Kiefer Sutherland won for best actor in a drama.
Sutherland was recognized for his role as Jack Bauer in the conspiracy show’s fifth season on News Corp.’s Fox network. The awards were presented yesterday in Los Angeles.
While HBO won the most awards of any channel, genre-bending shows on network television like “24,” which takes place in real time, and NBC’s “The Office,” a sitcom filmed in a documentary format, dominated the Emmy’s major categories.
“This was non-traditional TV that came out the winner,” said Tom O’Neil, a columnist for TheEnvelope.com said after the awards show. “Let’s hope this encourages the broadcast channels to take more creative chances.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was named best lead actress in a comedy at the 58th annual primetime Emmys, the U.S. TV industry’s biggest award show, for her role as Christine Campbell in CBS’s “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Tony Shalhoub who won for outstanding actor in a comedy series for “Monk,” a USA series about a neurotic detective.
Outstanding Comedy
The award for outstanding comedy series went to “The Office,” which stars Steve Carell as Michael Scott, a socially inept manager in a small, satellite office of a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
“The Sopranos,” heading in its final episodes, won an Emmy for outstanding drama writing. “Elizabeth I” won nine awards, including best miniseries. Fox’s “24” was second with five awards.
“Broadcast channels rallied dramatically this year at the Emmys,” O’Neil said. “It seems very odd to have an Emmy Awards without HBO winning a top award in the series categories.”
Cable channels typically have a creative advantage over broadcasters because they aren’t constrained by federal regulators or advertisers, O’Neil said. The broadcast networks are losing viewers not only to pay cable channels such as HBO, but to advertiser-supported cable networks, according to a study by Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
The 58th annual primetime Emmy ceremony, broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium, is the U.S. television industry’s biggest awards show.
Most Emmys
HBO won the most Emmys with 10, an increase from the seven it won last year. It came into this year’s award’s show with 95 nominations, the most of any network, and was poised to win the most for the fourth straight year. HBO had led in nominations every year since 2000.
“The Sopranos” stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco weren’t nominated for their performances. Last year’s best drama winner “Lost” and hit comedy “Desperate Housewives,” both from Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, also missed out in the biggest categories.
The omissions followed a change in academy voting designed to focus attention on lesser-known programs. Under new rules, academy members vote for their favorites in certain categories and the leading vote-getters then go before a final panel that includes actors, directors and casting directors.
Previously, actors, actresses and others voted for peers and those votes determined the nominations.
`Elizabeth I’
“Elizabeth I,” about England’s Queen Elizabeth I, starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, won awards for best miniseries, outstanding directing in a miniseries and best actor in a miniseries.
Three of the four best supporting actor and actress awards went to performances in canceled shows: “Will & Grace,” “The West Wing,” and “Huff.”
Megan Mullally won for supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in NBC’s “Will & Grace.” Alan Alda won best supporting actor in a drama for his role as Arnold Vinick on NBC’s “The West Wing.” And Blythe Danner won best supporting actress in a comedy for her role as Izzy Huffstodt on Showtime’s “Huff.”
“I guess I’m supposed to thank Showtime even though they’ve canceled us,” said Danner in her acceptance speech. “They’re nice guys. They couldn’t help it, I guess.”
Jeremy Piven won best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as fast-talking talent agent Ari Gold on HBO’s “Entourage,” which follows an up-and-coming movie star and his group of hanger-on best friends.
Outstanding Actress
Mariska Hargitay won the Emmy for outstanding actress in a drama series for her role in NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Kelly Macdonald won best supporting actress in a miniseries for her role as Gina in HBO’s “The Girl in The Cafe,.” Jeremy Irons won best supporting actor in a miniseries or movie for his role of the Earl of Leicester in HBO’s “Elizabeth I.” The best actor in a miniseries went to Andre Braugher for his role in FX Network’s “Thief.”
Performer Barry Manilow won best individual performance in a variety or musical program for the PBS show “Barry Manilow: Music and Passion.”
“The Daily Show with John Stewart” won the Emmy for best comedy series and best writing for a variety, music or comedy show. CBS’s “The Amazing Race” won the Emmy for best reality competition program.
To contact the reporters on this story: Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles at afixmer@bloomberg.net ; Daniel Taub in Los Angeles at dtaub@bloomberg.net .
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