Emmy Awards: 'Breaking Bad' is a big winner but broadcast shows still do well
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Molly Driscoll Staff Writer
Cable shows, especially 鈥�Breaking Bad鈥� of AMC, may have done well at the 2014 Emmy Awards, but programs from networks like ABC and CBS still cleaned up at the show, with comedies like 鈥�Modern Family鈥� and 鈥�The Big Bang Theory鈥� and dramas like 鈥�The Good Wife鈥� taking top prizes.聽
鈥淏ad,鈥� which was honored for its final season, took home the Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Awards and actor Bryan Cranston took the Lead Actor in a Drama prize, with Aaron Paul receiving the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama prize and Anna Gunn being honored with the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama award. One of the few prizes 鈥淏ad鈥� missed out on was the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series award, which went to Cary Joji Fukunaga for the HBO show 鈥淭rue Detective.鈥澛�
However, many other categories showed broadcast wins. The ABC program 鈥淢odern Family鈥� took the best comedy series award (it鈥檚 now tied for the most wins in that category with the show 鈥淔rasier,鈥� according to ), triumphing in a cable and Netflix-dominated category that found it facing off against HBO鈥檚 鈥�Veep鈥� and 鈥淪ilicon Valley,鈥� Netflix鈥檚 鈥淥range Is the New Black,鈥� and FX鈥檚 鈥�Louie鈥� as well as the CBS show "The Big Bang Theory." In addition, 鈥淔amily鈥� actor Ty Burrell won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy award, while Gail Mancuso took the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series award for the sitcom. In addition, actor Jim Parsons won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy award for "The Big Bang Theory," actress Allison Janney won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy prize for the CBS sitcom 鈥淢om,鈥� and actress Julianna Margulies took home the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama prize for the CBS show 鈥淭he Good Wife.鈥澛�
By contrast, nominees from cable shows took home the statuettes in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award (Tony Hale for "Veep"), the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series prize (Merritt Wever for "Nurse Jackie"), and the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama award (Claire Danes for "Homeland") last year, though 鈥淔amily鈥� still won Outstanding Comedy Series and Parsons still took the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy award.聽
Other winners at the 2014 ceremony included Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy award for the HBO show 鈥淰eep鈥�; comedian Louis C.K. won the best writing for a comedy series award for the FX show 鈥淟ouie鈥�; and the FX program 鈥淎merican Horror Story鈥� and the PBS British import 鈥淪herlock鈥� dominated the "miniseries or movie" categories, with 鈥淪herlock鈥� actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman winning the Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor prizes in those categories and 鈥淎merican鈥� actresses Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates winning the Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress awards, respectively. The exception was the FX program 鈥淔argo鈥� taking the Outstanding Miniseries award.
Many TV seasons this year were exceptionally strong, with the nominees for the Best Drama category (鈥淒ownton Abbey,鈥� 鈥淏reaking Bad,鈥� 鈥淕ame of Thrones,鈥� 鈥淢ad Men,鈥� 鈥淭rue Detective,鈥� and 鈥�House of Cards鈥�), to name one, being some of the most acclaimed TV shows ever, let alone of this year. One race that was especially tough to call was that for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama prize, with some predicting 鈥淭rue Detective鈥� actor Matthew McConaughey would win over Cranston.聽
