All in a day's work for '24'

Show awarded best drama Emmy, and Sutherland gets best dramatic actor; 'The Office' also wins

BY VERNE GAY | Newsday Staff Writer

12:19 AM EDT, August 28, 2006

Hallelujah, the Emmys finally got it right Sunday night: "24" got a first-ever best drama award while "The Office" picked up the award for best comedy.

In other words, the two best shows in their respective categories actually won: When was the last time you or anyone else heard those words in connection with an Emmy Awards ceremony?

Also -- perhaps trying to prove that Emmy voters can even pick the best actor in a drama -- Kiefer Sutherland won for the first time in eight career attempts. "What a nice evening this has been for us," he said.

The first indication that a favorable wind might actually blow for "24" arrived halfway through last night's broadcast, when "24" director Jon Cassar, won the prestigious directing/drama award. But early on it looked like it was going to be Emmy Night of the Living Dead when a batch of recently canceled shows won key awards.

Accepting the award for "The Office" -- NBC's lauded single-camera comedy based on the BBC show of the same name -- executive producer Greg Daniels joked to old pal and broadcast host, Conan O'Brien, "Twenty years ago, we were roommates and he always said someday he'd host the Emmys, I'd win one and we'd lose our virginity. Tonight, I hope it comes true."

A few minutes later, "24" executive producer (and Roslyn native) Howard Gordon said of his winner, "the reason '24' works is because we bring out the best in each other." Fans could probably cite a few others.

The biggest "shocker" of the night? That would be Mariska Hargitay, who plays Det. Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," winning for best actress in a drama. Nothing wrong at all with Hargitay: She's a good actress with a good role, but the far-and-away favorite in this category was Kyra Sedgwick of "The Closer" (while others fully expected "Six Feet Under's" Frances Conroy to finally get her due).

And you'd have to call Julia Louis-Dreyfus' win as best actress in a comedy ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") a surprise, too. "I'm not somebody who believes in curses," she joked, holding her statue aloft and, of course, referring to the presumed "Seinfeld" jinx -- "but curse this, baby." In fact, there were no clear-cut favorites in this category.

But proving yet again (as if it needs proving yet again) that Emmy voters love nothing more than a multiple repeat winner, Tony Shalhoub won the best comedy actor statue for "Monk" -- his third win out of four nominations.

The night began well for another undying favorite of Emmy voters (even though the show expired last year after a long run) -- "Will & Grace" -- when Megan Mullally won for a second time as best supporting actress in a comedy series. She's been nominated in the category every year for the past six years, winning only in 2000. Shortly thereafter, another old favorite got a best supporting actor in a drama win, Alan Alda, for his role as presidential candidate Arnie Vinick in "The West Wing." That's right, another expired show, except in the hearts of Emmy voters. The last time Alda won an Emmy was in 1982 for "M*A*S*H." Next up was the award for best supporting actress in a drama and -- remarkably, though perhaps not for this strange Emmys season -- there was yet a third win for a dearly departed show, "Huff," when Blythe Danner won for her role as Isabelle "Izzy" Huffstodt. Said she, "It's not supposed to work this way, when you say good-bye to something," adding, "I guess I have to thank Showtime, even though they canceled us."

Then, finally, a nod to the living: Jeremy Piven got his first Emmy, as a best supporting actor in a comedy for his portrayal of attention-deficit-disordered agent Ari Gold on HBO's "Entourage."

There was a little more deja vu last night, when Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" won outstanding variety, music or comedy series for the fifth time in six years. Stewart -- also winner of writing for variety -- offered a modest thanks, but Greg Garcia, creator of "My Name Is Earl," won the coveted best writing/comedy award with one of the more amusing thank-you speeches in recent Emmy history, citing people he didn't want to thank, such as his eighth-grade teacher for telling him to sit down and shut up, "'cause you're not funny."

André Braugher was honored as best actor in a miniseries or movie for "Thief," the FX heist drama of last March, while Helen Mirren won for "Elizabeth I," which also won for best mini. The prestigious drama/writing award went to "The Sopranos" executive producer (and Brooklyn native) Terence Winter.

Oh, yes, and before we forget: "The Amazing Race" was named outstanding reality-competition program for the fourth time.