Game Of Thrones had a record-breaking night at the Emmys, where the stars of The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story were honoured with a host of acting awards.

The Sky Atlantic fantasy was named best drama series and picked up gongs for outstanding writing and directing to become the most-awarded narrative show in Emmy history.

The show, based on George RR Martin's novels, took its tally to 38 Emmy wins, beating Frasier's record of 37.

The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, the television drama based on the murder trial of OJ Simpson, was named outstanding limited series, while Sarah Paulson, Courtney B Vance and Sterling K Brown won awards for their roles in the show.

There was also British success at the ceremony in Los Angeles, with Emmys for Dame Maggie Smith, comedian John Oliver and BBC drama Sherlock.

Dame Maggie, who did not attend the show, was named best supporting actress in a drama series for her role in Downton Abbey, while Oliver's Last Week Tonight won outstanding variety talk show.

Sherlock The Abominable Bride received the television movie award, with writer Steven Moffat referring on stage to The Great British Bake Off's move from the BBC to Channel Four.

He told the audience: "Thank you to the BBC who we love above all bakery. British people will get that."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus paid a heartfelt tribute to her father who died on Friday as she won an Emmy for her role in the political satire Veep, which was named best comedy series.

The American fought back tears as she collected the outstanding lead actress in a comedy series award.

"I'd like to dedicate this to my father William Louis-Dreyfus who passed away on Friday," she said.

"I'm so glad that he liked Veep because his opinion was the one that really mattered."

It is the fifth time in a row Louis-Dreyfus has won the award for her role in the US version of BBC comedy The Thick Of It.

Jeffrey Tambor won best lead actor in a comedy series for his role in the Amazon series Transparent and urged the television industry to provide more opportunities for transgender actors.

"Please give transgender talent a chance," he said. "Give them auditions. Give them their stories."

Paulson was joined at the Emmys by Marcia Clark, the prosecutor she portrayed in the People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. The pair hugged after Paulson was named outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her performance.

On stage, she said described Clark as a "complicated, whip smart, giant-hearted mother of two" who dedicated herself to "righting an unconscionable wrong".

Brown, who played prosecutor Christopher Darden in The People v OJ Simpson, beat his co-stars John Travolta and David Schwimmer to win best supporting actor in a limited series or movie.

Meanwhile, Courtney B Vance was named outstanding actor in a limited series for his portrayal of defence lawyer Johnnie Cochrane, beating co-star Cuba Gooding Jr who played OJ Simpson.

Rami Malek was named best lead actor in a drama series for his role in Mr Robot, while Tatiana Maslany won best actress in a drama series for her performance in BBC America series Orphan Black.

Tom Hiddleston, who starred in The Night Manager, presented the award for outstanding directing in a limited series or movie to the show's director Susanne Bier.

The 68th Emmy Awards, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, took place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.</s>LOS ANGELES — “Game of Thrones” conquered the Emmy kingdom Sunday, honored as top drama for the second consecutive year and becoming the most honored prime-time TV series ever on a night of surprises and sharp political jabs.

“Veep” repeated as best comedy series and its star, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, won a record-breaking sixth Emmy as best comedy actress. Jeffrey Tambor’s trophy as top comedy actor for “Transparent” also was his second.

But the top drama acting trophies were far from predictable: Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot” and Tatiana Maslany of “Orphan Black” were the winners, both overcoming heavyweight competition.

“Oh, my God. Please tell me you’re seeing this too,” said a stunned Malek, who plays an emotionally troubled engineer caught up in a dangerous hacking conspiracy.

“Games of Thrones,” the fantasy saga based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, received a total of 12 awards Sunday and at last weekend’s technical arts ceremony for a cumulative 38, besting “Frasier” by one to claim most prime-time series awards ever.

The Emmys proved more adroit than the Oscars at recognizing and honoring diversity in Hollywood’s top ranks, with trophies going to minority actors and behind-the-scenes artists including writers Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang of “Master of None.”

But Viola Davis of “How to Get Away with Murder” failed to repeat her 2015 best drama actress win, the first for a woman of color.

Louis-Dreyfus used her victory to take a dig at GOP contender Donald Trump in a ceremony loaded with election-year asides.

Jeffrey Tambor captured his second consecutive best comedy actor trophy for “Transparent,” in which he plays a transgender character.

He called for Hollywood to make him the last non-transgender actor to get such a role.

A shaking Louis-Dreyfus ended her speech by dedicating the trophy to her father, who she said died Friday. Before that, she honed in on GOP contender Donald Trump’s campaign.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to personally apologize for the current political climate,” she said. “I think that ‘Veep’ has torn down the wall between comedy and politics. Our show started out as a political satire but it now feels more like a sobering documentary.”

She promised to “rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it.”

Her victory gave her six best comedy wins — five for “Veep,” one for “The New Adventures of Old Christine” — and broke her tie with Candice Bergen and Mary Tyler Moore.

Maggie Smith was honored as best supporting actress in a drama series for the final season of “Downton Abbey.” It was her third win for playing the formidable dowager. As has become her custom, she didn’t attend the ceremony. And after Smith’s win Kimmel said her Emmy would not be mailed to her but would be kept in the Microsoft Theater’s Lost and Found until she shows up to claim it.

Ben Mendelsohn of “Bloodline” won as best supporting drama actor and also was a no-show.

John Oliver captured the best variety talk series award for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” besting competitors including Jerry Seinfeld and host Jimmy Kimmel — who received barbed consolation on stage from Matt Damon, his longtime faux nemesis. The loss “makes a lot of sense,” Damon said.

“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” which earned the second-highest number of nominations, converted five to trophies Sunday.

The dramatic retelling of the football star’s murder trial was honored as best limited series and writing, and earned awards for stars Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown and Sarah Paulson.

“Obama out, Hillary in,” Vance said as he wrapped his victory speech.

Regina King claimed the award for supporting actress in a limited series for “American Crime,” her second trophy for the program.

Louie Anderson was honored as best supporting actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of a loving but tough mom in “Baskets.”

“Mom, we did it!,” Anderson shouted, hoisting his trophy and dedicating the award to his late mother, Ora Zella Anderson. “I have not always been a good man but I play one hell of a woman.”

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Kate McKinnon won the trophy for best supporting actress in a comedy for, officially, playing various characters. But she knew who to credit.

“Thank you, Ellen DeGeneres, thank you, Hillary Clinton,” she said, naming two of the famous people she’s caricatured on the show.

The Democratic presidential contender responded quickly with a tweet: “Congratulations on your Emmy, Kate! Big fan of yours, too.”

The ceremony started out with a political edge. In a video bit, Jimmy Kimmel was shown trying to get to the ceremony and encountering former GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush as a limo driver.

“Did you know you could make $12 an hour working for Uber?” a game Bush said, smiling. He adv

Writing for a Drama Series: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss “Game of Thrones”

Writing for a Comedy Series: Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”</s>With 12 Emmy nominations in the bag - including an acting nod for Tom Hiddleston - The Night Manager appeared to be one of the productions to watch on Sunday.

But the 35-year-old actor came up empty-handed as he lost out to The People vs. O.J. Simpson's Courtney B. Vance, but he did get to present his series' sole trophy.

On a night that was largely disappointing for the Brits, The Night Manager director Susanne Bier was handed a coveted award by Tom at the Los Angeles ceremony.

His nominated co-stars Hugh Laurie (Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie) and Olivia Colman (Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie) also failed to hear their names announced as winners on the night.

And Tom wasn't the only Brit in his category to walk away disappointed, as he faced off against fellow Londoners Idris Elba (Luther) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: The Abominable Bride).

After finally coming to an end following a celebrated five-year run, Downton Abbey lost out to Game Of Thrones in the Drama Series category.

Yet on a night where The People v. OJ Simpson and Game Of Thrones dominated the awards haul, the period drama enjoyed a win via Dame Maggie Smith.

The veteran actress, 81, came away the winner in the Supporting Actress In A Drama Series category - but she wasn't on hand to accept her coveted honours.

Her win meant losses for a number of her fellow Brits, coincidentally all Game Of Thrones co-stars, Lena Heady, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams.

Game Of Thrones' Kit Harington was also forced to count himself among those going home empty-handed, as he watched Bloodline's Ben Mendelsohn win big in the Supporting Actor In A Drama Series category.

Benedict's Sherlock: The Abominable Bride was also a rare beacon of light on the night for the UK contingent, scooping TV Movie honours.

The People vs. O.J. Simpson was a major victor on the night, taking home the Outstanding Limited Series or Movie gong.

Meanwhile, Game Of Thrones earned the Outstanding Drama Series prize at the 68th annual event, held in downtown Los Angeles.

Game Of Thrones also made history, winning three awards during the televised portion of the show bringing its total to 38.

The trophy haul brings the show one award ahead of previous all-time record holder, Kelsey Grammer's show Frasier.

The emotional high-note occurred when the People vs. OJ Simpson's Sarah Paulson apologised to Marcia Clark directly while accepting the gong for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

The 41-year-old actress portrayed the real-life prosecutor in the FX biographical drama series and addressed the crowd.

She said: 'I along with the rest of the world have been superficial and careless in my judgement and I am glad to be able to stand here today in front over everyone and tell you I'm sorry.'

This was her first win at the Emmys after being nominated five times previously in various American Horror Story miniseries along with a 2012 nomination for TV Movie Game Change.

Sarah was not the only big winner as her co-stars Courtney B. Vance and Sterling K. Brown won the Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, respectively.

During his acceptance speech Courtney had a sweet dedication for his wife of nearly 20 years Angela Bassett.

The 56-year-old actor said: 'Last but not least, to the woman who rocks my chain thank you Angela Bassett, this one's for you girl.'

Sterling was very gracious in his acceptance speech as he said: 'A lot of you may not have known who I was, but you checked the box anyway. And that makes me very, very happy.'

The FX series also won the biggest prize possible as they won the Outstanding Limited Series or Movie gong.

They received a total of 22 nominations, good for second behind HBO series Game Of Thrones in all categories. American Crime Story had already won four gongs at the Creative Arts Emmys going into the event.

Not to be forgotten Game Of Thrones received the most nominations and earned arguably the biggest prize of the night.

The show concluded with the highly-popular series being presented with the Outstanding Drama Series prize.

Game Of Thrones had the most total nominations but the second most at the event to the FX series with six but had the most nominations total including the creative arts, directing and writing ones with 23.

Another big winner was Kate McKinnon who couldn't help but thank Hillary Clinton for helping her earn her shiny new trophy.

The 32-year-old actress won the Supporting Actress in a Comedy series gong at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards which kicked off on Sunday evening.

She won the award for her various characters on Saturday Night Live with her signature one being the former New York Senator.

Overcome with emotion she thanked her loved ones and even had a special shout-out for the Democratic president hopeful as she said: ' Thank you Ellen Degeneres, thank you Hillary Clinton.'

Last year, the 68-year-old Democratic nominee joined Kate who was dressed up as her during a bar sketch on the live comedy show.

The first gong of the night went to Louie Anderson as he won the prize for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Baskets.

As he plays the mother of the main character, Christine Baskets, he joked: ' I have not always been a very good man, but I play one hell of a woman!'

In the least surprising win of the night, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fifth consecutive gong in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for Veep.

The 55-year-old comedienne made a joke about how their comedy has influenced this presidential election before hitting an emotional high point.

Her voice began to crack as she dedicated the win to her late father, William Louis-Dreyfus, who passed away on Friday.

Her show Veep also received the biggest honour in comedy, Outstanding Comedic Series, as Executive Producer David Mandel had a hilarious speech and had an interesting dedication as he said: 'This is for chubby jews from the Upper Westside wherever you are'

Another repeat winner with Transparent's Jeffrey Tambor who took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series gong for the second year in a row.

The 72-year-old actor showed his respect to his fellow nominees as he said: 'There is no best actor, alright, I am so honoured to be in this category with these artistic killers.'

Rami Malek was a first time winner as he took home the coveted Outstanding Actor in a Drama gong for his role in Mr. Robot.

The 35-year-old actor channelled his character Elliot Anderson as the first thing he said at the podium was: 'Please tell me you are seeing this too.'

The annual gala was hosted by ABC late night chat show host Jimmy Kimmel.</s>LOS ANGELES — “Game of Thrones” conquered the Emmy kingdom Sunday, honored as top drama for the second consecutive year and becoming the most honored prime-time TV series ever on a night of surprises and sharp political jabs.

“Veep” repeated as best comedy series and its star, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, won a record-breaking sixth Emmy as best comedy actress. Jeffrey Tambor’s trophy as top comedy actor for “Transparent” also was his second.

But the top drama acting trophies were far from predictable: Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot” and Tatiana Maslany of “Orphan Black” were the winners, both overcoming heavyweight competition.

“Oh, my God. Please tell me you’re seeing this too,” said a stunned Malek, who plays an emotionally troubled engineer caught up in a dangerous hacking conspiracy.

“Games of Thrones,” the fantasy saga based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, received a total of 12 awards Sunday and at last weekend’s technical arts ceremony for a cumulative 38, besting “Frasier” by one to claim most prime-time series awards ever.

The Emmys proved more adroit than the Oscars at recognizing and honoring diversity in Hollywood’s top ranks, with trophies going to minority actors and behind-the-scenes artists including writers Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang of “Master of None.”

But Viola Davis of “How to Get Away with Murder” failed to repeat her 2015 best drama actress win, the first for a woman of color.

Louis-Dreyfus used her victory to take a dig at GOP contender Donald Trump in a ceremony loaded with election-year asides.

Jeffrey Tambor captured his second consecutive best comedy actor trophy for “Transparent,” in which he plays a transgender character.

He called for Hollywood to make him the last non-transgender actor to get such a role.

A shaking Louis-Dreyfus ended her speech by dedicating the trophy to her father, who she said died Friday. Before that, she honed in on GOP contender Donald Trump’s campaign.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to personally apologize for the current political climate,” she said. “I think that ‘Veep’ has torn down the wall between comedy and politics. Our show started out as a political satire but it now feels more like a sobering documentary.”

She promised to “rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it.”

Her victory gave her six best comedy wins — five for “Veep,” one for “The New Adventures of Old Christine” — and broke her tie with Candice Bergen and Mary Tyler Moore.

Maggie Smith was honored as best supporting actress in a drama series for the final season of “Downton Abbey.” It was her third win for playing the formidable dowager. As has become her custom, she didn’t attend the ceremony. And after Smith’s win Kimmel said her Emmy would not be mailed to her but would be kept in the Microsoft Theater’s Lost and Found until she shows up to claim it.

Ben Mendelsohn of “Bloodline” won as best supporting drama actor and also was a no-show.

John Oliver captured the best variety talk series award for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” besting competitors including Jerry Seinfeld and host Jimmy Kimmel — who received barbed consolation on stage from Matt Damon, his longtime faux nemesis. The loss “makes a lot of sense,” Damon said.

“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” which earned the second-highest number of nominations, converted five to trophies Sunday.

The dramatic retelling of the football star’s murder trial was honored as best limited series and writing, and earned awards for stars Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown and Sarah Paulson.

“Obama out, Hillary in,” Vance said as he wrapped his victory speech.

Regina King claimed the award for supporting actress in a limited series for “American Crime,” her second trophy for the program.

Louie Anderson was honored as best supporting actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of a loving but tough mom in “Baskets.”

“Mom, we did it!,” Anderson shouted, hoisting his trophy and dedicating the award to his late mother, Ora Zella Anderson. “I have not always been a good man but I play one hell of a woman.”

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Kate McKinnon won the trophy for best supporting actress in a comedy for, officially, playing various characters. But she knew who to credit.

“Thank you, Ellen DeGeneres, thank you, Hillary Clinton,” she said, naming two of the famous people she’s caricatured on the show.

The Democratic presidential contender responded quickly with a tweet: “Congratulations on your Emmy, Kate! Big fan of yours, too.”

The ceremony started out with a political edge. In a video bit, Jimmy Kimmel was shown trying to get to the ceremony and encountering former GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush as a limo driver.

“Did you know you could make $12 an hour working for Uber?” a game Bush said, smiling. He adv

Writing for a Drama Series: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss “Game of Thrones”

Writing for a Comedy Series: Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”</s>LOS ANGELES: Fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” made television history at the 68th Emmy Awards on Sunday, becoming the most decorated fictional show since the awards began nearly seven decades ago.

The HBO series picked up 12 total Emmys this season — nine awards in technical categories and three top prizes at the glitzy ceremony in downtown Los Angeles — television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The blood-spattered, sex-filled saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne took home the most coveted prize of the night, the best drama Emmy — along with statuettes for writing and directing.

That gives it a total haul over the years of 38 — more than any other narrative series since the first Television Academy prize-giving in 1949, overtaking the haul of 37 won by long-running comedy “Frasier.”

But it went down to the wire, as “Thrones” drew a blank in the acting categories, despite being a hot favorite and having multiple nominees, and only set the record with the last prize of the night.

Three of its stars — Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams — dominated the betting in the supporting actress category, but the statuette went to Maggie Smith of “Downton Abbey.”

Peter Dinklage missed out on a supporting actor trophy, as did co-star Kit Harington, the category’s favorite, with Ben Mendelsohn picking up the prize for “Bloodline.”

“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” also glittered, picking up a total of nine awards this season, including the prize for best limited series.

“If your show doesn’t have a dragon or a white Bronco in it, go home right now,” host Jimmy Kimmel joked at the start of the three-hour broadcast, a reference to “Thrones” and the infamous car Simpson was in when he went on a wild ride through Los Angeles before his arrest.

The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes nonfiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” with 45 awards, one of them handed out Sunday to Kate McKinnon for best supporting actress.

It was a night of recognition for old hands in the comedy categories, while the drama awards went to relative newcomers.

In the best actress in a comedy category, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won a fifth consecutive Emmy for her role as the hapless acting president on HBO’s “Veep.”

“I would like to dedicate this to my father who passed away on Friday, and I’m so glad that he liked ‘Veep’ because his opinion was the one that really mattered,” she said in an emotional tribute, her voice breaking.

“Veep” later picked up the Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

The award for best actor in a comedy went for the second year in a row to Jeffrey Tambor for “Transparent,” who pleaded with producers and directors to give transgender talent a chance in television.

In the tightest race of the night, lead actress in a drama, Tatiana Maslany won for “Orphan Black,” pipping favorite Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) and last year’s victor Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”).

Kevin Spacey, who has never won an Emmy, missed out again in for outstanding actor in a drama, which went to Rami Malek, the start of cyberspace security thriller “Mr. Robot.”

Ex-presidential hopeful Jeb Bush made a surprise appearance as a limo driver in a televised opening joke sequence, asking host Jimmy Kimmel what it’s like to be nominated.

Several stars took aim at divisive Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, either in prepared jokes or in acceptance speeches.

“I want everyone to know that after careful consideration, I decided I’m going with Trump — which is why I’m saying we should get rid of all Hispanic and Muslim actors,” said award-winning comedian and writer Aziz Ansari.

The win for FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson” for best limited series was the most widely predicted victory of the night, and the show — a scripted drama recounting the American football star’s shocking fall from grace — swept up acting prizes.

Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance were rewarded in the lead acting categories for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran.

Sterling K. Brown took home a statuette for his supporting actor role, while D.V. DeVincentis was recognized for the show’s writing.

 “Playing a real person, you want to get it right for them,” said Paulson.

“And the more I learned about Marcia Clark, who dedicated herself to righting an unconscionable wrong, I’m glad to be able to stand here today in front of everyone and tell you, I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing for having initially misjudged the prosecutor.

In the battle of the networks, perennial leader HBO finished top with 22 Emmys — six on Sunday to add to its 16 from the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony last weekend.

FX, which scored the most nominations in history for a basic cable network, ended the night on 18 in total — twice as many as third-placed Netflix. – AFP</s>The kids from Netflix’s Stranger Things were cute, cool and adorable. There’s that. The sizzle that surrounded them when they appeared on the red carpet and were interviewed was a testament to the continuing power of contemporary television to seduce everyone. There’s that.

But there’s this: The Television Academy and the vast army of people who vote in such things summoned up the courage to nominate new and deserving talent and shows for Emmy awards, and then delivered, mostly. Diversity and excellence – the Emmy Awards have it over the Oscars already.

If you said that TV’s biggest night, as they call it in Los Angeles, was a routine acknowledgment of the usual suspects, you would not win an award for outstanding statement of the obvious. You would be wrong. The Emmy Awards on Sunday night was a fun, zippy broadcast for the most part, and the establishment won a handful of awards, but the strength, artistic superiority and strangeness of TV was on full, glaring display. Even Canadian Tatiana Maslany finally won for Orphan Black an overdue acknowledgment of extraordinary work playing multiple characters on a show that is, really about her, not the tangled story she inhabits.

Read more: Game of Thrones, Veep take honours at Emmys

Read more: Canadian Tatiana Maslany wins Emmy for best lead actress in a drama

There was some expectation that many of the deserving recent performances and new nominees would be left looking on as Game of Thrones, Veep and Modern Family took home tons of awards. That didn’t happen. Instead The People vs O.J. Simpson took a ton of Emmys and deservedly. The series and its baroque style of dramatizing a key event in recent American history won and won again, emphatically sending a message about the innovation and artistry that resides in cable TV now. It also delivered a message about the channel FX challenging HBO for superiority in programming. There was also an unexpected nod to the utterly new as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series went to Rami Malek for his extraordinary work, anchoring the excellent Mr. Robot.

It was good TV, unusually so for an awards show, and that was mainly thanks to host Jimmy Kimmel, who took the show this way and that, sometimes into the outer limits of taste but always funny. At one point there was an announcement that multiple Emmy winner Dr. Bill Cosby would appear next. And Kimmel strolled back on-stage to say, “Don’t worry, he’s not really here, I just wanted to see what you guys would do.” Nobody had applauded, to the relief of a watching world.

In truth there aren’t enough Emmys to reward all the excellence across network, cable and streaming platforms. Somebody has to be snubbed and that somebody might have done excellent work. There were some categories in which it was truly hard to pick a deserving winner. But the important thing is that the energy of television as a storytelling medium was on full display.

For years the Emmys amounted to a hard-to-watch, insider awards show because the same-old, same-old was rewarded each year. The knock against the Emmy Awards was that only older voters actually paid attention, and then only paid attention to old favourites. That’s not the case now.

Television is now so vast and expansive in the amount of great productions.

British TV was everywhere at the Emmy Awards – there were Brit contenders in many categories, including the John le Carré adaptation The Night Manager, Luther, Sherlock, War and Peace, Downton Abbey and Catastrophe, and it was a very big night for the BBC, which had 22 nominations, but the old principle that prestigious wards in acting and writing went to British productions did not hold up. The fact that Dame Maggie Smith won again for Downton Abbey was, in fact, am enduring source of comedy for Kimmel for much of the broadcast.

It’s true that HBO’s Game of Thrones and Veep repeated their wins as best drama and comedy respectively. The two wins had been predicted, yet there was little that was predictable about this awards show.

There were signals throughout that there is a change that is ongoing even in the stuffy traditions of the Television Academy. It was large-scale and small-scale, from Tatiana Maslany’s win to the fact that Last Week Tonight With John Oliver won best variety talk show, a category that has almost automatically been won by The Daily Show for years. The Daily Show failed to get a nomination this year.

Things change and what changed this year was that the Emmy Awards was not only fun to watch but an accurate reflection of the superbness of television as it exists now.</s>LOS ANGELES: Blood and guts fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” is tipped to triumph on Sunday as the most successful show ever at the coveted Emmy Awards, television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The HBO series already has nine statuettes from last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, which mainly reward behind-the-scenes personnel, giving it a total haul over the years of 35 — more than any other drama series.

When Emmys in top categories are handed out at a glitzy evening ceremony in downtown Los Angeles, experts predict the show will pass the 37 won by long-running sitcom “Frasier.”

HBO’s saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne is the odds-on favorite in the coveted best drama category according to Gold Derby, a website pooling experts’ awards predictions.

It is also ahead in the supporting actor, supporting actress and directing categories, and is running a close second in drama writing behind cyber-security thriller “Mr Robot.”

If the prize-giving goes as expected, “Game of Thrones” would be the most-awarded narrative series since the first Television Academy prize-giving in 1949.

“I think ‘Game of Thrones’ will be a big winner on Emmy night,” Debra Birnbaum, executive editor for TV at entertainment industry magazine Variety, told AFP.

“With all the nominations it has in those five categories, it’s going to take home at least three trophies, and break the record.”

The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes non-fiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” with 44 awards.

FX’s hotly-tipped “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” has 13 nominations — more than any other show — in multiple categories on Sunday, having already won four technical Emmys.

Its victory for best limited series is seen as the surest thing of the night while Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance are expected to be rewarded for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran.

Sterling K. Brown is odds on for his supporting actor role while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszeski lead a writing category in which three of the six episodes nominated are from “The People v. O.J. Simpson.”

“We gave the script to a few people. Our producing partners and the studio were responding really positively so we said, ‘Oh that’s cool,'” Alexander told AFP.

“But you never know if something is going to be a hit. Anyone who says that is a liar.”

FX’s acclaimed spy drama “The Americans” could pull some surprises at Sunday’s ceremony, hosted by funnyman Jimmy Kimmel, with Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell seen as popular outside bets for best actor and actress in a drama.

Russell is running third in the betting for tightest race of the night, with Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) expected to just about pip last year’s victor Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”).

“There is almost as much drama in the race for best drama actor,” said Gold Derby editor Tom O’Neil.

“Like Robin Wright, her co-star Kevin Spacey has never won an Emmy, but now he has decent odds to break through — 7/2. However, ‘Mr. Robot’ star Rami Malek leads with 8/11 odds.”

In the battle of the networks, perennial favorite HBO leads the nominations, though with a reduced tally from last year.

But the biggest early success story has been Fox’s FX subsidiary, which got 56 nominations, a new record for a basic cable company.

ABC’s four-hour telecast begins with “Countdown to the Emmy Awards: Red Carpet Live” at 4:00 pm (2300 GMT), with the ceremony due to begin about an hour later. – AFP</s>LOS ANGELES: Blood and guts fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” is tipped to triumph on Sunday as the most successful show ever at the coveted Emmy Awards, television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The HBO series already has nine statuettes from last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, which mainly reward behind-the-scenes personnel, giving it a total haul over the years of 35 — more than any other drama series.

When Emmys in top categories are handed out at a glitzy evening ceremony in downtown Los Angeles, experts predict the show will pass the 37 won by long-running sitcom “Frasier.”

HBO’s saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne is the odds-on favorite in the coveted best drama category according to Gold Derby, a website pooling experts’ awards predictions.

It is also ahead in the supporting actor, supporting actress and directing categories, and is running a close second in drama writing behind cyber-security thriller “Mr. Robot.”

If the prize-giving goes as expected, “Game of Thrones” would be the most-awarded narrative series since the first Television Academy prize-giving in 1949.

“I think ‘Game of Thrones’ will be a big winner on Emmy night,” Debra Birnbaum, executive editor for TV at entertainment industry magazine Variety, told Agence France-Presse.

“With all the nominations it has in those five categories, it’s going to take home at least three trophies, and break the record.”

The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes nonfiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” with 44 awards.

FX’s hotly tipped “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” has 13 nominations — more than any other show — in multiple categories on Sunday, having already won four technical Emmys.

Its victory for best limited series is seen as the surest thing of the night while Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance are expected to be rewarded for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran.

Sterling K. Brown is odds-on for his supporting actor role while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski lead a writing category in which three of the six episodes nominated are from “The People v. O.J. Simpson.”

“We gave the script to a few people. Our producing partners and the studio were responding really positively, so we said, ‘Oh, that’s cool,'” Alexander told AFP.

“But you never know if something is going to be a hit. Anyone who says that is a liar.”

FX’s acclaimed spy drama “The Americans” could pull some surprises at Sunday’s ceremony, with Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell seen as popular outside bets for best actor and actress in a drama.

“They are geniuses. They are unbelievable, incredible together,” show creator Joe Weisberg said at a discussion panel for Emmy-nominated writers in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

“We are always talking about the fact that no matter what we write for them, they do something with it that we hadn’t expected.”

Russell is running third in the betting for tightest race of the night, with Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) expected possibly to squeak past last year’s victor Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”).

“There is almost as much drama in the race for best drama actor,” said Gold Derby editor Tom O’Neil.

“Like Robin Wright, her co-star Kevin Spacey has never won an Emmy, but now he has decent odds to break through — 7/2. However, ‘Mr. Robot’ star Rami Malek leads with 8/11 odds.”

And in the best actress in a comedy category, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is going for her fifth consecutive Emmy for her role as the hapless acting president on HBO’s “Veep.”

In the battle of the networks, perennial favorite HBO leads the nominations, though with a reduced tally from last year.

But the biggest early success story has been Fox’s FX subsidiary, which got 56 nominations, a new record for a basic cable company.

The festivities will begin in the late afternoon — under clear, sunny skies — with the usual red-carpet parade by the stars.

The ceremony, hosted by funnyman Jimmy Kimmel, starts roughly at 5:00 pm (0000 GMT Monday). AFP</s>The 68th Emmy Awards are underway, with “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” already picking up several awards, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won her fifth consecutive Emmy in the comedy actress category. The night’s biggest awards are still to come.</s>Blood and guts fantasy epic "Game of Thrones" is tipped to triumph on Sunday as the most successful show ever at the coveted Emmy Awards, television's equivalent of the Oscars.

The HBO series already has nine statuettes from last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, which mainly reward behind-the-scenes personnel, giving it a total haul over the years of 35 -- more than any other drama series.

When Emmys in top categories are handed out at a glitzy evening ceremony in downtown Los Angeles, experts predict the show will pass the 37 won by long-running sitcom "Frasier."

HBO's saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne is the odds-on favorite in the coveted best drama category according to Gold Derby, a website pooling experts' awards predictions.

It is also ahead in the supporting actor, supporting actress and directing categories, and is running a close second in drama writing behind cyber-security thriller "Mr Robot."

If the prize-giving goes as expected, "Game of Thrones" would be the most-awarded narrative series since the first Television Academy prize-giving in 1949.

"I think 'Game of Thrones' will be a big winner on Emmy night," Debra Birnbaum, executive editor for TV at entertainment industry magazine Variety, told AFP.

"With all the nominations it has in those five categories, it's going to take home at least three trophies, and break the record."

The all-time Emmy list of winners -- which includes non-fiction -- is topped by NBC comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live," with 44 awards.

FX's hotly-tipped "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" has 13 nominations -- more than any other show -- in multiple categories on Sunday, having already won four technical Emmys.

Its victory for best limited series is seen as the surest thing of the night while Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance are expected to be rewarded for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran.

Sterling K. Brown is odds on for his supporting actor role while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszeski lead a writing category in which three of the six episodes nominated are from "The People v. O.J. Simpson."

"We gave the script to a few people. Our producing partners and the studio were responding really positively so we said, 'Oh that's cool,'" Alexander told AFP.

"But you never know if something is going to be a hit. Anyone who says that is a liar."

FX's acclaimed spy drama "The Americans" could pull some surprises at Sunday's ceremony, hosted by funnyman Jimmy Kimmel, with Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell seen as popular outside bets for best actor and actress in a drama.

Russell is running third in the betting for tightest race of the night, with Robin Wright ("House of Cards") expected to just about pip last year's victor Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder").

"There is almost as much drama in the race for best drama actor," said Gold Derby editor Tom O'Neil.

"Like Robin Wright, her co-star Kevin Spacey has never won an Emmy, but now he has decent odds to break through -- 7/2. However, 'Mr. Robot' star Rami Malek leads with 8/11 odds."

In the battle of the networks, perennial favorite HBO leads the nominations, though with a reduced tally from last year.

But the biggest early success story has been Fox's FX subsidiary, which got 56 nominations, a new record for a basic cable company.

ABC's four-hour telecast begins with "Countdown to the Emmy Awards: Red Carpet Live" at 4:00 pm (2300 GMT), with the ceremony due to begin about an hour later.
The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards is held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with Game of Thrones winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Veep winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story winning the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series.