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2009 Emmys Best and Worst Moments



Surprises? There were a few. 'Two and a Half Men' star Jon Cryer won his first Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy, besting two '30 Rock' stars and Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris ... Kristin Chenoweth nabbed Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series statue for a show -- 'Pushing Daisies' -- that was canceled before nominations were even announced ... '30 Rock''s Tina Fey and 'Mad Men''s Jon Hamm lost Lead Actress and Actor categories to Toni Collette and Bryan Cranston, respectively.

And then there were the expected winners: '30 Rock' and 'Mad Men' repeated as Best Comedy and Drama, and also won best writing awards; Alec Baldwin took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy -- again.

Also not a surprise: The charming first-time host performance of fan-favorite NPH, whose love of TV was on full display as he sang, joked, paid homage to TV shows and stars, and, best of all, actually helped keep the Emmy telecast lively and on schedule. -- By Kimberly Potts



HOST WITH THE MOST: A little song, a little dance, a little kick in the pants -- to awards shows past and their annoying tendency to run OT -- was just part of infinitely charming first-time Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris' opening moments. "I love that we're already 27 minutes behind," he joked early on. Just more proof of why there should be a show called 'Everybody Loves NPH.'
Watch Neil Patrick Harris' Emmy opening


THE EVENING'S BIGGEST SURPRISE, PART 1: What? The show is being divided into five parts, five different genres? Is NPH serious? Did we know about this? And comedy, reality, drama ? what are the other two?

MAYBE SHE WASN'T KIDDING? PART ONE: "Amy and I are proud to be presenting on the last official year of network television," Julia Louis-Dreyfus jokes while presenting the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy nominees.




QUOTABLE
"I'm unemployed now, so I'd like to be on 'Mad Men.' I also like 'The Office' and '24.'" -- Outstanding Supporting Actress winner Kristin Chenoweth, using her acceptance speech to score a new gig

MAYBE SHE WASN'T KIDDING? PART DEUX: "Basically, it's the one category that can be bought," Amy Poehler had joked while introducing the nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy. And then 'Two and a Half Men' star Jon Cryer won, defeating favorites Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer from '30 Rock' and Emmy host and 'How I Met Your Mother' star Neil Patrick Harris.

WHAT A WASTE: John Hodgman -- the PC guy in the Mac vs. PC ads -- is making hilarious color commentary while winners are taking the stage to accept their Emmys, but with all the hulabaloo, a lot of people are probably missing a lot of it. Can this be the first Emmy ceremony we need to re-watch on TiVo?

OK, IT ALL MAKES SENSE AGAIN: Alec Baldwin reclaims the night for '30 Rock,' winning the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy for the second consecutive year. "I'd give this up to look like him," Baldwin jokes of Rob Lowe, who presented him with the statue.

QUOTABLE
"It's not awkward. I won't let it get awkward. But little change of plans, we're going to go a lot faster now." -- Host Neil Patrick Harris, after losing the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Emmy


SHORT, BUT SWEET: No, we're not talking about Ryan Seacrest, but rather the acceptance speech by Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program Emmy winner Jeff Probst, who said, "I wanna share this with anybody who has a dream, because I am living my dream, right here, in this moment ? in the words of the great storyteller Joseph Campbell, 'The adventure you're ready for is the one you get. Life is short, go for it.'"

ANYONE FLIPPING OVER TO CATCH A NEW 'BRIDEZILLAS'?: This whole dividing the show up into genres business ? Guess the producers just don't care that this "movie/miniseries" section is officially the go potty/get a snack/sneak in a few minutes of the 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' season premiere break for viewers?


BEST PERFORMANCE BY ERNST/YOUNG REPRESENTATIVES: The best way to deal with that annoying part of every awards show when producers have to explain the voting/ballot/tabulation process is to not do it at all, which is what NPH and guest star Nathan Fillion did when they hacked the Emmy telecast with a clever 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' sketch. Complete with a joke about Zima!


Dr. Horrible Interrupts the Show

QUOTABLE
"This is the greatest awards ceremony in the world, definitely ... Thing about the Oscars and the Golden Globes is they got film stars there, with their jawlines and chiseled looks, making me feel bad. But in this room ... I'm probably above average. Steve Carell is considered handsome! Rainn Wilson ... no, we've got to be honest. He is weird, even in this company." -- 'The Office' creator Ricky Gervais, who host Neil Patrick Harris introduced as "The Duke of Ha-Ha, the Earl of Guffaw, the Lord of the Laugh, Sir Ricky Gervais"

WELL, THEY ARE A LITTLE INTENSE ... : NPH's introduction of presenters Kiefer Sutherland ('24') and 'Fringe' star Anna Torv, "Please welcome the comedy stylings of Kiefer Sutherland and Anna Torv!"

WHEN JIMMY MET AN AUTO-TUNER: The silliest, but still one of the most fun bits of the night, came when Jimmy Fallon took the stage and everything he said was filtered through an auto-tuner, right down to the "ouches" he mumbled when he took a pratfall.

WHY JON STEWART LOVES NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: "You're doing a wonderful job," Stewart told the evening's host while accepting his award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. "And these shows, we've been to a lot of these, and they usually suck."


Jimmy Fallon Meets the T-Pain Auto-Tune App


In Memorium: In a touching tribute to TV celebs who passed away in the last year, Sarah McLachlan sang 'I Will Remember You,' as we saw photos of stars like Eartha Kitt, Patrick McGoohan, Karl Malden, James Whitmore, Bill Melendez, Pat Hingle, Dom DeLuise, Dominick Dunne, Robert Prosky, Fred Travalena, David Carradine, Michael Crichton, Ricardo Montalban, Ed McMahon, Army Archerd, Larry Gelbart, Don Hewitt and Farrah Fawcett. The celebs who got the biggest crowd response were Walter Cronkite, Natasha Richardson, Bea Arthur, Paul Newman, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze and Ron Silver.

GREAT ADVICE: Nominees for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series were asked what piece of advice they would give to aspiring directors. From winner Rod Holcomb (who nabbed the Emmy for directing the 'ER' series finale): "If you're having trouble with somebody on the set, learn how to tell them to go to hell in such a way that they'll want to go."


QUOTABLE
"Lee Trevino was struck by lightning twice, and now I know how he feels ... I'm a poor kid from the Valley, I don't know what I'm doing up here. I feel like Cinderfella ... 'Breaking Bad' is a story about a good man who makes bad decisions. I stand before you a humbled man, very grateful for the decision the Academy has made to honor me with this award." -- ''Breaking Bad' star Bryan Cranston, upon winning his second consecutive Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama

DON'T TEMPT THEM, TINA: While winning a third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, '30 Rock''s Tina Fey took a little jab at NBC's 'The Jay Leno Show' while thanking her network for "keeping us on the air even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show."

DON'T TEMPT THEM, NPH: "Well, that's all the time we have. May the winners enjoy their Emmys, may the nominees hold their heads high and may we see you again on broadcast television again next year," was the official sign-off for host Neil Patrick Harris, who was referring to rumors that if awards-shows ratings don't get a boost, the telecasts will be sent to cable channels in the future.

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Emmys Show & Backstage Photos
Check out what happened onstage and backstage the 2009 Emmy Awards.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
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Emmys 2009 Show Photos

    Actors Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin onstage at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA United States September 20, 2009 Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com To license this image (16964272), contact WireImage.com

    Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com

    Presenter Ricky Gervais and TV personality Jon Stewart onstage at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA United States September 20, 2009 Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com To license this image (16964583), contact WireImage.com

    Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com

    Presenter Ricky Gervais onstage at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA United States September 20, 2009 Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com To license this image (16964582), contact WireImage.com

    Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com

    Actresses Blake Lively and Leighton Meester onstage at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA United States September 20, 2009 Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com To license this image (58428192), contact WireImage.com

    Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com

    Presenter Sigourney Weaver onstage at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA United States September 20, 2009 Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com To license this image (16964952), contact WireImage.com

    Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Host Neil Patrick Harris (L) and guest during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Neil Patrick Harris

    Getty Images

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Winners of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Hugh Jackman Opening Number at the 81st Annual Academy Awards onstage during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Winners of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Hugh Jackman Opening Number at the 81st Annual Academy Awards onstage during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Winners of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Hugh Jackman Opening Number at the 81st Annual Academy Awards onstage during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Winners of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Hugh Jackman Opening Number at the 81st Annual Academy Awards onstage during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    Getty Images


USER COMMENTS (259)

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Notify! by Italia1989 aim icon 60 days ago

The Show , on the whole , was great! NPH outstanding as usual.

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Notify! by Italia1989 aim icon 61 days ago

I want to add one more thing... the dog beating from the family guy creator WAS disgusting and should have been cut. Shock value is getting old guys... try and have a social conscience or get into another profession , Michael Vickwannabee.

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Notify! by dahacla98 aim icon 62 days ago

agree with you PUDGEUNCLE...what was wrong with her face...one too many plastic surgeries? now, glenn close...that's a talent...agree?

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Notify! by Popcorn132 aim icon 62 days ago

network could have done something better with the 3 hours

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If you notice the comments closely you will see that all the " patriotic " icons chosen from the : far right, fox news devotees, pro my way or the highway, militia members and others who are no longer in any sort of power position, thankfully, HATED the show and anything to do with it. That's a fair and balanced report about the hate mongers.

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Notify! by SampHut aim icon 62 days ago

This had to be the most boring show in the history of award shows. No real clips, no production numbers. ********** the Tony's for a few minutes, even if you aren't familiar with the shows nominated the presentation, timing and flow is just spectacular. Sorry Neal Patrick Horris, no matter how much you begged I did end up changing the channel....

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Notify! by SampHut aim icon 62 days ago

This had to be the most boring show in the history of award shows. No real clips, no production numbers. ********** the Tony's for a few minutes, even if you aren't familiar with the shows nominated the presentation, timing and flow is just spectacular. Sorry Neal Patrick Horris, no matter how much you begged I did end up changing the channel....

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Notify! by Pudgeuncle aim icon 62 days ago

Jessica Lange? She's the most boring actress of all time.

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Notify! by GSands9334 aim icon 62 days ago

Switched Mad Men at 10 o'clock. Found the show boring - dresess were beautiful though. Host did a good job. But-------- sigh----

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Notify! by ashadeofblue925 aim icon 62 days ago

I hate just about every comment I've read here...

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Notify! by DeneStamas aim icon 62 days ago

the show sucked. it was boring and distasteful. the worst show i ever saw. the jokes we not funny. abuse of the dog was sick.

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Notify! by Shelbe200 aim icon 62 days ago

shelbe200 Sorry, but I strongly disagree with you regarding actor Drew Barrymore and her red carpet dress. I believe it was one of the most beautiful, fit her perfectly, was gogeoust with her beautiful completcion and hair. She has rarely looked as beautiful. Again perhaps the experts should again re-think about how Drew looked. Not only beautiful, but highly intelligent, kind and as genuine as a person can be.

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I thought the jokes were flat and not funny, the lags too long, the presentation was somewhat saved by Neil Patrick Harris' smile and great presence, and the awards show was most likely the most boring awards show I've ever "tried" to watch. I turned it off after about 45 minutes, because it just wasn't interesting at all...and I like the shows that were nominated.. I felt the show dragged like crazy

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For those complaining about the cost of the gowns, did you know that many of the stars donate the gowns to an auction and the money goes to charity? I can't find the link right now, so there is some giving back. The mother from "Malcom in the Middle" started it a few years ago.

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Notify! by lricarol aim icon 62 days ago

agnteightyeight........You are right on. Couldn't have said it better. In addition to the cost of the programming our homeless, troops fighting for our country plus all the chairites needing money for research for cancer, alzheimer's, etc. should be sent the cost of the gowns. Shame on those that spend thousands to impress themselves.

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WE DEFINATELY COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT THE DOG BEATING ALSO "OH MY GOD" AND WHAT THE HELL IT IS STILL A TIME WHEN CHILDREN WERE UP AND BELIEVE ME, WATCHING , LEARNING HOW TO BE STUPID!!!

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Notify! by SC4801 aim icon 63 days ago

Hollywood is a disgusting disgrace to the world...hate them all! Only people that are REAL should get rewarded!!!!!!!!

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Notify! by AshCulpepper aim icon 63 days ago

*sigh* That's Joseph CAMPBELL.

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Notify! by Davissings aim icon 63 days ago

Family guy segment very distaseful. Dance segment was cool...but too little of Karina and Max. Please producers, eliminate the silly banter and just do the awards. Most of us ********** the show just want to see all the stars, how they are dressed and so on. The usually failing attempts at comedy by the presenters are just a waste of time.

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I just recently saw a comment on here about the word "watch" being censored from a post, but can't find it now, so it was probably censored, lol. I'm against censorship on principle (unless we could find a way to censor stupidity, but then I guess 98% of board posts would disappear), however, I find automated "censoring" programs particularly annoying. I've noticed several posts where the poster has stated that chose not to watch the show - actually they typed the word "didn't" or the words "did not" followed by the word "watch." And voila, not counting the space, you have the letter "t" followed by the letters "wat", which of course, probably no one would have noticed, if not for the poor attempt at censorship causing people to analyze what was written. I'm interested to see what horrible words I may have inadvertently included in this post, according to the "auto-censors", or if it will be deleted in its entirety, since it is critical of the state, uhm I mean the application...

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Check out the best and worst moments from the 2009 Emmys.
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