Margulies, Winslet hit home runs at Emmys

The Emmys keep buying what ‘Mad Men’ is selling.

The 1960s Madison Avenue saga won its fourth consecutive best drama series award on Sunday, while big-hearted romp ‘Modern Family’ claimed its second best comedy trophy.’Modern Family’ producer Steve Levitan, whose picture of the American family today includes gay couples and interracial families, told of being approached during shooting by a real-life gay couple who wanted to say thanks.’They said, ‘You’re not just making people laugh, you’re making them more tolerant’,’ said Levitan, whose show received a total of five awards.While ‘Mad Men’ gained the top drama award, it couldn’t pull individual honours for stars Jon Hamm or Elisabeth Moss.Julianna Margulies , a popular choice among viewers, won top drama acting honours for ‘The Good Wife’. Margulies, who navigates politics, law and family in the show, added to her Emmy stash. As part of the ‘ER’ medical drama cast, she won a supporting actress Emmy in 1995.A new category, which combines the previously separate best mini-series and made-for-TV movie nominees, included the mini-series ‘Mildred Pierce’, with British film star Kate Winslet nominated in the role of an embattled mother, and the movie ‘Too Big to Fail’, about the US fiscal crisis in 2008.Winslet, an Oscar winner, captured the trophy for lead actress, while her co-star Guy Pearce won the award for best supporting actor.Dame Maggie Smith won supporting actress honours for the miniseries ‘Downton Abbey’. There’s ‘Mad Men’ And Then There’s ‘House”Modern Family’ won the first four Emmys, capturing best supporting comedy actress, best supporting comedy actor, best writing for a comedy and best direction for a comedy series.Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, who play husband and wife on the series, won best supporting actor honours for a comedy series.’Oh, my God, I don’t know what I’m going to talk about in therapy next week,’ said a shocked-looking Bowen. ‘I won something.’Melissa McCarthy of ‘Mike & Molly’ was honoured as best lead actress in a comedy series with an Emmy and a glitzy prom queen’s crown, while Jim Parsons of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ earned his second trophy in the best actor category.After weeks of speculation over who would win for best actor in a drama (the long-denied Hamm for ‘Mad Men’ or British star Hugh Laurie for ‘House’?), Kyle Chandler’s name was called for his performance as a Texas high school football coach in the final season of ‘Friday Night Lights’.Chandler was a surprise winner, blocking odds-on favourites among his fellow nominees, including Hamm. Chandler also beat out Steve Buscemi of ‘Boardwalk Empire’.It was a fitting victory for Chandler and ‘Friday Night Lights’, which was critically acclaimed but struggled for an audience.The directing trophy, won by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, was the sole award for ‘Boardwalk Empire’, HBO’s lavishly produced tale of Prohibition-era mobsters and crooked politicos on the make in freewheeling Atlantic City, New Jersey.The Resurrection Of Charlie SheenCharlie Sheen presented the lead actor award, using his time onstage to make nice with his former ‘Two and a Half Men’ colleagues. He was fired from the show after bitterly clashing with its producer and studio, and was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.’From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season,’ he said. ‘I know you will continue to make great television.’Steve Carell of ‘The Office’ made his last Emmy stand for his fifth and final season as clueless manager Michael Scott, but lost again.Barry Pepper, who played Robert F Kennedy in the controversial mini-series ‘The Kennedys’, won the lead actor award.In the reality competition category, perennial winner ‘The Amazing Race’ returned to triumph after losing last year to ‘Top Chef’. The hugely popular ‘American Idol’ was yet again overlooked, this time for a season in which it successfully navigated the loss of key judge Simon Cowell.- Nampa-AP