'Mad Men,' 'Modern Family' win Emmys

AMC's "Mad Men" won its fourth consecutive Emmy for best drama series Sunday night, joining three of TV's most acclaimed dramas, "L.A. Law," "The West Wing" and "Hill Street Blues," as four-time winners.

"I did not think that was going to happen," said show creator Matthew Weiner of the win. If so, he was the only one.

ABC's "Modern Family" won best comedy series for the second year in a row. "We appreciate every single second of this," said co-creator Steve Levitan.

Meanwhile, there were three major upsets. Steve Carell, who left "The Office" this season, was denied an Emmy for lead actor in a comedy when just about everyone expected this would finally be his year. Instead, Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory" won for a second year in a row. "Well, this is awkward," he deadpanned.

Kyle Chandler -- hard-driving, softhearted Coach Eric Taylor of "Friday Night Lights" -- won lead actor in a drama, striking a blow against conventional wisdom, which had "Mad Men's" Jon Hamm winning.

Melissa McCarthy of the CBS sitcom "Mike & Molly" won for lead actress in a comedy. Stunned, McCarthy blurted out thanks to (seemingly) everyone, while adding: "Anybody I forgot, I just want to say thank you." Laura Linney of Showtime's "The Big C" was considered the favorite. Julianna Margulies, considered a sure bet, did win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama.

It was a good night for "Modern Family": Julie Bowen won as best supporting actress in a comedy just minutes into the telecast. Ty Burrell won best supporting actor, besting three other "Modern Family" nominees. Other highlights:

ALEC BALDWIN, MIA. Leonard Nimoy was a last-minute sub for Alec Baldwin on the Emmy opening because of a flap over a joke about News Corp.'s phone hacking scandal. Baldwin had taped the segment, playing a fictional president of the television academy, with show host Jane Lynch. But Baldwin asked that he be left out when Fox nixed the joke that referenced the hacking scandal in Britain involving the now-closed News of the World tabloid. Both Fox and News of the World are owned by News Corp. Fox said the network believed it was inappropriate to make light of an issue being taken seriously by the company. Baldwin was not at the Emmys because of a previous commitment to attend Tony Bennett's birthday party in Manhattan.

THAT MUSICAL OPENING. A rush of images and song that lasted for 8 minutes or so? Where have we seen this before? Right -- last year with Jimmy Fallon's "Born to Run" parody. Lynch waltzed and sang through the sets of a couple dozen shows, from "Grey's Anatomy" and "Mad Men," even "Mythbusters" and finally "Glee," where she was confronted by her tracksuit-wearing character, Sue Sylvester.

CHARLIE SHEEN PRESENTS. Sheen didn't really surprise anyone Sunday night when he turned up to present the award for lead actor in a comedy. But after receiving a cool welcome, he put his head down, lowered his voice, and made no reference to tiger blood: "From the bottom of my heart," he said to the cast and probably still-angry crew of "Two and a Half Men," "I wish you nothing but the best for the upcoming season. With AP