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Emmys: A night of awkward and awesome moments, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Sep 19, 2011, 11:50 GMT

US actress Margo Martindale holds her Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Justified at the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmys Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA, 18 September 2011. EPA/PAUL BUCK

Last night's 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 in Los Angeles had some predictable moments, happy surprises, fashion don'ts and awkward celebrity moments.

Jane Lynch, through it all, was a sleek glamazon who did the best with what the writers gave her. She was neither mean or too edgy, and looked fantastic doing it all.

The voice-over announcer who spoke during award transitions or when an award winner was approaching the stage, and the Emmytone singers were just awful and needed to be scrapped.  The "In Memorium" segment music was off-putting too.

Best moments of the night happened in the category of TV drama, as FX "Justified" star Margo Martindale - who played Kentucky Mountain mama Mags Bennett with a fierceness that hearkened a mashup of Tony Soprano and Paula Deen after hearing an Anthony Bourdain snark - took the award for her category.  Margo ate the scenery in last season's tale of a US marshal sent back to his blue grass holler, facing old townie demons.

Other winners included the ABC sitcom "Modern Family," PBS' "Downton Abbey," the AMC drama "Mad Men," Julianna Margulies for CBS' "The Good Wife", Kate Winslet for HBO's "Mildred Pierce," CBS reality show "Amazing Race," Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," and then Jason Katims took the best writing Emmy for critic favorite (ratings lagger) NBC/DirecTV drama "Friday Night Lights."

FNL also netted Kyle Chandler a best actor award. Peter Dinklage winning for his impish hedonistic role as Tyrion Lannister on HBO's stunning effort "Game of Thrones" made the night extra sweet.

The bad included the never ending mea culpa tour of Charlie Sheen, set to war in ratings with his old show tonight as "Two and a Half Men" goes up against his Comedy Central Roast, most of the good bits already leaked by the network. Sheen, looking thin and drawn, presented the award for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.

Earlier this year, Sheen went on a bizarre rambling implosion over his anger with executive producer Chuck Lorre, calling him names like "maggot" and even the nicest co-star in the world, Jon Cryer, was slagged with undeserved insults.  CBS fired Sheen, who took his insane act on the road.  Sheen is obviously surrounded by damage control PR people who are advising him on how to salvage his career so he isn't a Wal Mart greeter in his old age.

"Giving the new kid a little advice..! With @aplusk backstage at the Emmy's..." Sheen tweeted about Ashton Kutcher, the actor who is stepping into Sheen's once highly lucrative gig.

For awkward moments, the pre show was rife with them. ABC's "Modern Family" star Sarah Hyland hemmed and hawed a bit when E! hostess Giuliana Rancic started in about her remarks over "Glee" star Lea Michele’s red-carpet poses.

“It was just in jest, and that was it, and I hate that it’s gotten to such a level, but I mean…I don’t know,” Hyland said.

The Fug Girls always do a bang up fashion run down for red carpets and had this to say about Sarah: "...Sarah Hyland, who's wearing Christian Siriano, which makes sense, as we saw her at his show this week...She also says she's wearing "Lorraine jewelry," which we assume means Lorraine Schwartz? This may be the last time Lorraine loans Sarah anything. Then, sadly, Sarah apologizes for making fun of Lea Michele's red carpet posing on Fashion Police, because apparently she's getting flack for it from the Gleeks. Which is insane. Honey, you didn't say she was an evil she-beast from hell, you just joked that she over-serves it on the red carpet, which she does. You can come take a seat next to us."

Then the weirdest moment for me was Kathy Griffin and Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet.

The history of these two going back and forth began back in 2003, as Seacrest allegedly opened Griffin's blouse while the duo presented the American Music Awards' Fans' Choice Award. Griffin retaliated by implying Seacrest was gay.

Griffin allegedly said "Ryan Seacrest physically assaulted me," according to AP Radio. "Follow me to the precinct, he's going down! Look, maybe I did walk up the freaking stairs like Shania. But Ryan Seacrest took my top off! That would never happen to Shania."

Seacrest's response? "It was an unscripted presentation of an award, and quite frankly, we had a good time up there," he told TVGuide.com. "And when I walked backstage, Kathy said, 'Thanks. I thought that was great.' And that was it. There's no feud between the two of us."

Later at the Crystal + Lucy awards which Monsters and Critics attended, Griffin was a performer and joked with the crowd making sure Seacrest wasn't there so she could unleash her best barbs at his expense.

So when Kathy Griffin planted a big kiss on Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet. “Are you still banging the dancer?” Griffin remarked about Julianne Hough, Seacrest was visibly unnerved. Seacrest turned to the cameras and asked if someone could help him scrape the remnants of Kathy Griffin off of him.