Network
“30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin received a second win for his portrayal of a slick and unscrupulous network executive. AMCs “Mad Men” won best dramatic series for the second consecutive year yesterday at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by actor Neil Patrick Harris on CBS Corp.s television network.
Broadcasters took six of the seven comedy awards presented on the show. The networks are adding humor to their lineups in the TV season that begins today to attract advertisers, John Rash, director of media analysis at Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis, said in an interview. NBC gave comedian Jay Leno a 10 p.m. weeknight talk show, while ABC is airing two hours of comedy on Wednesdays.
“Comedy can generally make people feel better, and that is needed everywhere right now, especially for many advertisers,” Rash said. “That focus leads to the best comedy writers and directors finding more opportunities on the networks.”
General Electric Co.s NBC won a total of 11 awards, the second most, with five for “30 Rock,” a satire set behind the scenes of a network variety show. “30 Rock” co-creator Tina Fey took a jab at NBC for replacing scripted programs with Lenos talk show to reduce costs.
“We want to thank our friends at NBC for keeping us on the air,” Fey, also one of the shows stars, said after accepting the award, “even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show.”
Lower Ratings
While broadcast networks ruled comedy, cable networks including Bethpage, New York-based Cablevision Systems Corp.s AMC and Time Warner Inc.s HBO dominated drama. HBO garnered 16 Emmys, the most overall, with six stemming from the television movie “Grey Gardens.”
Dramas on cable networks dont face the same level of regulation as broadcast shows and the programs can survive on cable while drawing a smaller audience, Rash said.
“The lower ratings expectations mean the shows dont have to play as broad, allowing for a Breaking Bad and other intense dramas to be nominated,” Rash said.
There were multiple repeat winners. Glenn Close and Bryan Cranston both won for the second year in a row for their leading dramatic roles in FX Networks “Damages” and AMCs “Breaking Bad.” FX is owned by New York-based News Corp.
Toni Collette received the award for best lead actress in a comedy for her role as a mother with an identity disorder in Showtimes “United States of Tara.”
“The Amazing Race,” on CBS, won the award for best competition reality show, and “Grey Gardens” won best made- for-television movie.
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” from Viacom Inc.s Comedy Central received awards for best program and best writing in variety-comedy-musical categories.
Host Neil Patrick Harris, who was nominated for supporting actor in a comedy for “How I Met Your Mother,” also presented the Tony Awards for theater earlier this year. The 36-year-old Harris, who became famous playing a teenage doctor in televisions “Doogie Howser M.D.,” will appear as a guest judge on Foxs “American Idol” this season.
Cherry Jones, who plays U.S. President Allison Taylor in Foxs action thriller “24,” won best supporting actress in a drama. It was Joness first Emmy nomination.
Jon Cryer won best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as a hapless father in CBS Corp.s “Two and a Half Men,” and Kristin Chenoweth also won for supporting actress in a comedy for her role in ABCs “Pushing Daisies.”
Prime-time audiences fell at three of the four biggest U.S. TV networks last season, with only CBS gaining both total viewers and the 18-to-49-year-olds that advertisers target most, according to Nielsen Co. CBS ended the season as the most- watched network and Fox finished with the most viewers 18 to 49.