“Homeland,” the frightening series about an American POW turned into a terrorist while in al Qaeda captivity, won huge at the Emmys last night — ending the longtime reign of “Mad Men.”
This was the year that Hollywood expected to be a changing of the guard — with a new generation of TV shows taking the Emmys from the shows that have had a death grip on TV’s top prize for the past few years.
“Mad Men,” the ’60s period cable show that brought back skinny ties and full skirts, had won the best drama award for four years in a row — something only “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law” and “The West Wing” had done.
But it was “Homeland,” based on a hit Israeli series, that took four of the seven drama awards, heralding the arrival of a new addictive serial.
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In the comedy category, “Modern Family” — which has dominated for two years in row — extended its honeymoon as Tinseltown’s favorite funny show.
“Girls,” the surprise hit starring creator Lena Dunham as a young striver in New York, was being touted as the hot new thing in comedy, but, in the end, there was only one surprise in the comedy categories: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
She won the best actress in a comedy award for her role as the US vice president in HBO’s “Veep.” (She may be the only comedian to win Emmys for three different shows, including “Seinfeld” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.”)
Harder to handicap was the best drama category, dominated for three years in a row by “Breaking Bad” and its star, Bryan Cranston.
The gritty show, about a high-school science teacher who becomes a drug dealer after getting cancer, is set to finish a long run next summer. Cranston had been poised to make Emmy history, winning best actor for four years in a row.
But it was “Homeland” that took both ends of the acting awards — Damian Lewis, who plays a turncoat Marine, for best actor, and a pregnant Clare Danes, who plays the bipolar CIA analyst chasing him, for best actress.
KISS & BELLE: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (above) celebrates her third Emmy for best actress in a comedy, this one for “Veep.” Hayden Panettiere, of ABC’s “Nashville,” only won accolades for her dress. (Getty Images)
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The YouTube moment of the night belonged to “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, who was halfway across the stage from a microphone when he started reading the names of the nominees in a reality TV category.
“Oh, THERE’S the f–king mike,” he tweeted minutes after.
Julianne Moore won an Emmy for playing Sarah Palin in the HBO movie, “Game Change.”
“The Hatfields & McCoys,” the miniseries that took 25 years to get to the screen, brought a first-time Emmy to Kevin Costner.
Comedian Louis C.K. also had a big night, winning two comedy-writing prizes, one for his FX series, “Louie,” and another for a live concert he sold on his Web site for $5 per download.