Mad Men blow out the network shows to win top Emmy

TIME to loosen the tie, light up a Lucky Strike and sink a Martini. Mad Men, the American drama series set among the Sixties world of hard-drinking, compulsive smoking and sexist advertising executives scooped the top prize at the 60th annual Emmy awards.

Despite attracting a US audience of just two million viewers, Mad Men, which is shown on a cable channel, beat off network competition such as House, to win best drama series and the award for best drama writing.

Mad Men, which is shown on BBC 4/BBC 2, follows the fortunes of a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the early 1960s. It has been criticised for the constant smoking, which the creators have defended on grounds of accuracy.

Filmed in Los Angeles, the actors use herbal cigarettes to conform to stringent anti-smoking legislation. The drama's creator, Matthew Weiner, initially wrote the script in 1999 before becoming a regular writer on The Sopranos. At the Emmys, he said: "I want to thank all the people that went before us in television to make a show like this because we're just channelling it every day and we love going to work."

The other big winner at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday was the historical mini-series John Adams, which won five awards, including best mini-series. The drama , which follows the fortunes of America's second president through the revolution and his great friendship and rivalry with Thomas Jefferson, secured acting awards for Paul Giamatti (lead actor), Laura Linney (lead actress) and the British actor Tom Wilkinson, who won best supporting actor.

John Adams, which is shown on More4 on Saturday, is an unlikely success. Based on a Pulitzer prize-winning biography by David McCulloch, the drama's champion was Tom Hanks, who loved the book and persuaded HBO to invest in the project.

Unfortunately the evening proved to be a disappointment for British talent, with Dame Eileen Atkins as the only other home winner. The 74-year-old won the award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Deborah Jenkins in the BBC costume drama Cranford.

Her victory meant disappointment for the only Scottish nominee, Ashley Jenson, 39, who was up for her role as Maggie Jacobs in Ricky Gervais's Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale. Extras was also nominated for best made-for-television movie, best writing and best directing in a mini series, movie or a dramatic special, best supporting actress – but missed out on all these awards.

Gervais, who won best lead actor in a comedy series last year, took part in an awkward sketch with Steve Carrell, who said he was going to hold Gervais's Emmy award hostage last year when the Briton could not attend the ceremony. He said: "I've come to get it back." He also joked that he was going "off-script" and said the ceremony's producers were getting nervous as he walked to where Carrell was sitting in the front row of the audience to retrieve his award.

The TV satire 30 Rock dominated the comedy side of the awards, winning four honours including best series. The comedy's stars, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, took home the best acting honours while Fey also won the comedy writing award.

Baldwin, who had to be begged by the producers to take the role as a corporate boss, afterwards declared: "This is the greatest job I've ever had in my life." Fey said: "We are all very grateful to have jobs in this turkey-burger economy."

The series creator also used her moment in the spotlight to beg for more viewers as, despite critical acclaim, ratings have been low. She said: "30 Rock is available to be viewed on NBC.com, Hulu.com, iTunes, Verizon phones, United Airlines and occasionally on actual television."

Glenn Close, the five-time Oscar nominee, was named best actress in a drama for her portrayal of a ruthless trial lawyer on the legal series Damages. Co-star Zeljko Ivanek won the best supporting actor award.

Entourage, the HBO comedy about young Hollywood described as "Sex and the City for guys" was rewarded with Jeremy Piven, who plays agent Ari Gold, named for best comedy series supporting actor.



And the winners are…

• Best Series, Drama: Mad Men

• Best Writing, Drama Series: Matthew Weiner, Mad Men

• Best Series, Comedy: 30 Rock

• Best Actor, Drama: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

• Best Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

• Best Actress, Drama: Glenn Close, Damages

• Best Actress, Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

• Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, Entourage

• Best Made for Television Movie: Recount

• Best Miniseries: John Adams

• Best Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Laura Linney, John Adams

• Best Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

• Best Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Giamatti, John Adams

• Best Writing, Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special: Kirk Ellis, John Adams

• Best Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Eileen Atkins, Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre)

• Best Writing, Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock