61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

“How I Met Your Mother”  star Neil Patrick Harris, breathed some new life to the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards as host. For the second year in a row, Mad Men, which was nominated for 16 awards, won Best Drama Series at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, while Alec Baldwin of the NBC Series 30 Rock, which was nominated for a stunning 22 awards, won Best Actor for the second year in a row. The show still held some surprise winners. Toni Collette won Best Actress for her portrayal of a woman with multiple personalities on Showtime’s United States of Tara, while Kristin Chenoweth won Best Supporting Actress for Pushing Daisies, which was canceled. Jon Cryer won Best Supporting Actor for Two and a Half Men. Cable series dominated the nominations: 99 nods went to HBO series. HBO’s series Grey Gardens won three Emmys, including one for lead actress Jessica Lange, who appeared stunned as she accepted the statue.  The show had a new twist where while winners walked to the  their favorite hobbies and other trivial facts were revealed (courtesy of comedian John Hodgman).  There was a really nice montage accompanied by a live rendition of Sarah McLachlan’s  “I Will Remember You,” reminding viewers of just how many beloved actors, television personalities, and entertainment heavyweights we’ve lost over the past 12 months, including Bea Arthur, Dom DeLuise, Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze, Walter Cronkite, Natasha Richardson, and Paul Newman. The CBS travel competition “The Amazing Race” continues its lock on the reality competition series Emmy with this seventh consecutive win — it has yet to lose since this category was introduced in 2003. “The Daily Show” also made it seven in a row as top variety music or comedy series and reclaimed its hold on the VCM writing award after a two-year break.