LOS ANGELES – Like the struggling NBC network it satirises, 30 Rockfoundered at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, a year after winning six prizes including best comedy.
The NBC sitcom failed to win a single prize this time, despite receiving 15 nominations. Not only was its three-year reign as best comedy cut short by rookie ABC entrant Modern Family, two-time winner Alec Baldwin lost the best comedy actor race to Jim Parsons of CBS's The Big Bang Theory.
Star/creator Tina Fey and co-star Jane Krakowski were also passed over in their respective lead and supporting actress races.
General Electric-owned NBC also did the worst among the four major broadcast networks, winning eight awards – as many as the event's most-decorated show, HBO's The Pacific.
Somewhat embarrassingly for the ratings laggard, the Emmys were broadcast this year on NBC and hosted by its late-night personality, Jimmy Fallon.
Paradoxically, the embarrassment would have been compounded had NBC won an Emmy for Conan O'Brien's short-lived stint at The Tonight Show. O'Brien and NBC parted ways earlier this year after the network undertook a disastrous restructuring of its late-night programming.
The Tonight Showlost the variety, music or comedy series race to Comedy Central's usual winner The Daily Showwith Jon Stewart.
ABC's Lostwas largely missing in action, three months after the mystery series ended. Nominated 12 times, it had to be happy with just an editing award.
Among other losers, the seven-year winning streak for CBS's The Amazing Racecame to an end as Bravo's Top Chefwas named best reality competition programme.
For all the hype it generated, Fox's new high school musical series Gleecame up a little short. Some pundits had predicted it could win best comedy. The show earned 19 nominations, second only to 24 for The Pacific, but went home with four awards, including Jane Lynch's supporting turn.
Mad Men, the Madison Avenue soap, was named best drama for a third consecutive year – one of four awards from 17 nominations.
Its producers though must be wondering what they need to do to win an acting honour. The show has received a total of 12 acting nominations, including six this year, but contenders such as Jon Hamm and John Slattery have been overlooked every time.
Actor George Clooney was presented with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his support of such causes as the crisis in Darfur, the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Katrina. “It’s important to remember how much good can get done because we live in such strange times where bad behaviour sucks up all of the attention and the press,” he said. – (Reuters)