LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES - It was a night for the little guy, even though the bully of the block got his share.
A little movie on a basic cable channel stole the show from the likes of The West Wing and The Sopranos last night at the 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
TNT's Door to Door, about a salesman with cerebral palsy, took four Emmys in the movie or mini-series category, including best show. William H. Macy won as actor, Steven Schachter won as director, and the two shared the writing Emmy.
CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond, named best comedy series, also had four Emmys. NBC's West Wing won as best drama series, and now-departed executive producer Aaron Sorkin gave a subdued swan-song speech.
The surest bet last night, Edie Falco, who plays Carmela Soprano, won her third Emmy for drama-series actress. James Gandolfini, who plays her husband, Tony, in HBO's The Sopranos, matched her feat and took the category's actor Emmy.
In a minor upset, another basic-cable guy, Tony Shalhoub, won a deserved Emmy as actor in a comedy series, for USA's Monk. He dedicated the award to his nephew, who died last week. It was a rare moment of real emotion in an especially dull awards show.
Debra Messing was named best actress in a comedy series - on her fourth try - for NBC's Will & Grace.
Including Emmys presented last week, HBO won the Emmy sweepstakes with 18. CBS had 16; NBC, 15, and other networks were far behind.
While TV may be aimed at the young, Emmy continues to skew old. Everybody Loves Raymond's Doris Roberts won as supporting actress in a comedy series for the third straight year. Roberts got her first Emmy 20 years ago for St. Elsewhere. Brad Garrett, her colleague on Raymond, won his second consecutive Emmy as supporting comedy actor.
Tyne Daly took her sixth career Emmy, for dramatic supporting actress in Judging Amy. Her first Emmy came for Cagney & Lacey in 1983. "How delightful to see you all again," Daly quipped.
Of the 10 nominees for best supporting performer in a movie or miniseries, only Juliette Lewis was under 50. Ben Gazzara, 73, and Gena Rowlands, 69 (both from HBO's Hysterical Blindness), won the awards.
It took 45 minutes to get to the first Emmy rookie, comedy director Robert B. Weide for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.
But no matter how hackneyed the choices sometimes are, the Emmy still means a lot in television. First-time winner Messing was ebullient. Joe Pantoliano could barely hold back tears as he said his thank-you's for being named best supporting actor in a drama series. The professional tough guy received his first nomination after his character lost his head, literally, on HBO's The Sopranos last season.
The Amazing Race beat American Idol and Survivor in the competition/reality program category. It's also the only one of those likely to be canceled.
Wayne Brady of ABC's Whose Line Is It Anyway? took best performer in a variety series.
The Emmys offered a cavalcade of jokesters, as Fox tried to liven up what have frequently been moribund proceedings.
Conan O'Brien, Wanda Sykes, Ellen DeGeneres, Garry Shandling, Bernie Mac, Darrell Hammond, George Lopez, Miller, Garrett, Short and Stewart all tried for laughs, but generally failed to get more than a few groans.
Bill Cosby, hiding behind sunglasses, was none too pleased to be picked out in the audience by the wisecracking Sykes, who affects an inner-city patois. When she praised him for The Cosby Show, he responded haughtily: "We spoke English."
Ray Romano introduced Cosby, who won the second Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, and a cornucopia of clips ensued. Cosby thanked wife, Camille, for her unconditional love, and praised children's-show legend Fred Rogers, who died Feb. 27.
Emmy Winners
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Shalhoub, Monk, USA
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos, HBO
Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
William H. Macy, Door to Door, TNT
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Debra Messing, Will & Grace, NBC
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Edie Falco, The Sopranos, HBO
Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Maggie Smith, My House in Umbria, HBO
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Joe Pantoliano, The Sopranos, HBO
Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Ben Gazzara, Hysterical Blindness, HBO
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Tyne Daly, Judging Amy, CBS
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Gena Rowlands, Hysterical Blindness, HBO
Comedy Series
Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS
Drama Series
The West Wing, NBC
Miniseries
Steven Spielberg Presents Taken, Sci Fi
Made-for-TV Movie
Door to Door, TNT
Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Cher - The Farewell Tour, NBC
Children's Program
Through a Child's Eyes: September 11, 2001, HBO
Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race, CBS
Writing for a Comedy Series
Everybody Loves Raymond: Baggage, CBS
Writing for a Drama Series
The Sopranos: Whitecaps, HBO
Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Door to Door, TNT
Main Title Theme Music
Monk, USA
Writing for Nonfiction Programming
American Experience: Seabiscuit, PBS
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Gene Wilder, Will & Grace, NBC
Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Charles S. Dutton, Without a Trace, CBS
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Friends, NBC
Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Alfre Woodard, The Practice, ABC
Casting for a Comedy Series
Sex and the City, HBO
Casting for a Drama Series
Six Feet Under, HBO
Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special
Live From Baghdad, HBO
Choreography
Smuckers Stars on Ice, A&E;
Costumes for a Series
American Dreams: Where the Boys Are, NBC.
Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special
Napoleon: Part 2, A&E;
Costumes for a Variety or Music Program
Cher - The Farewell Tour, NBC
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Wayne Brady, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, ABC
Directing for a Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Krazee-Eyez Killa, HBO
Directing for a Drama Series
The West Wing: 25, NBC.
Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
The 56th Annual Tony Awards, CBS
Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Door to Door, TNT
Directing for Nonfiction Programming
American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till, PBS
Commercial
Fish, PBS Promo
Animated Program Less Than One Hour
The Simpsons: Three Gays of the Condo, Fox
Animated Program One Hour or More
Chased by Dinosaurs, Discovery
Nonfiction Special Traditional
Benjamin Franklin, PBS
Nonfiction Series Traditional
American Masters, PBS
Nonfiction Program Alternative
Cirque Du Soleil Fire Within, Bravo
Voiceover performance
Hank Azaria, The Simpsons: Moe Baby Blues, Fox
Individual achievement in animation (multiple winners)
Dan Krall and Scott Wills, Samurai Jack, Cartoon Network; Maciek Albrecht, Through a Child's Eye: September 11, 2001, HBO
Governor's Award
The Lifetime cable channel for its "Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Violence Against Women " initiative