Emmy Awards

Popular AMC series Breaking Bad, which ended its much-lauded run on TV last year, struck gold at the 66th Emmy awards by winning the outstanding drama series and acting honours for Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul.

It was the second consecutive win for ‘Breaking Bag’, which re-wrote television history with its story of a chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin.

The show ended last year after five seasons. “Thank you so much for this farewell to our show. You have been very kind to us indeed,” said show’s creator Vince Gilligan, noting that TV was going through its best phase. The other big winners of the night were comedy series ‘Modern Family’ and detective drama ‘Sherlock: His Last Vow’. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman won best actor and best supporting actor in a mini-series while Steven Moffat won best writing in a mini-series for the final episode of ‘Sherlock’s third series.

Modern Family won its fifth consecutive Emmy Award for best comedy. In addition, the show’s Ty Burrell won outstanding supporting actor and Gail Mancuso won for directing. Breaking Bad’s Cranston picked up his fourth lead-actor Emmy for his performance as Walter White while Aaron Paul won his third supporting-actor award for playing Cranston’s sidekick Jesse Pinkman.

“I don’t know why I’ve been blessed. I love to act and I will do it to my last breath. I’d like to dedicate this word to all the Sneaky Petes (his family nickname) of the world who thought that settling for mediocrity was a good idea because it was safe.

Don’t do it — take a chance, find a passion, fall in love,” Cranston said. Paul thanked Gilligan. “My God, ‘Breaking Bad’ has changed my life and I’m standing up here because of one man.

Thank you for believing in me and letting me play this guy. I miss him.” Their co-star Anna Gunn became a two-time winner, and the show was also honoured in the writing category with the award going to Moira Walley-Beckett.

The show was facing tough competition from HBO’s moody detective drama ‘True Detective’, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series was bagged by ‘Veep’ star Julia Louis—Dreyfus, who was also one of the presenters of the evening. Allison Janney bagged the best supporting actress in a comedy series for ‘Mom’.

The ceremony also paid tribute to industry members who died in the past year. They included James Garner, Ruby Dee, Sid Caesar, Carmen Zapata and Elaine Stritch. It concluded with a special homage to Robin Williams by long-time friend Billy Crystal, who remembered the actor as “the brightest star in a comedy galaxy”.

ITV drama ‘Downton Abbey’ walked away empty-handed despite nominations for its stars Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith, Joanne Froggart and Jim Carter. BBC series ‘Luther’ also lost out in the best mini-series category to FX’s small screen adaptation of ‘Fargo’. ‘Game of Thrones’ actress Lena Headey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Helena Bonham Carter, Minnie Driver and Ricky Gervais were among the other British stars who were nominated but failed to bag awards. (PTI)