Politics, stars take center stage at Emmys

Veteran winners dominated top categories at the 68th Emmy Awards, underscoring the institution’s challenge in keeping up with a television landscape that has changed rapidly in recent years.

The series, based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, has already won nine Creative Emmys this year for technical achievement and will compete with Downton Abbey for outstanding drama series.

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”.

Newcomers did make some inroads into high-profile categories.

Other Emmy newcomers included Canadian Tatiana Maslany, a surprise best drama actress victor who beat out presumed front runner Robin Wright for playing a woman with multiple cloned personalities in “Orphan Black”.

FX almost swept the field for limited series, an increasingly important battle ground as more networks invest in shows with short runs and lots of star power.

– Glory for “People v. O.J. Simpson” -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.

Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama: Susanne Bier, “The Night Manager”.

The first award of the night went to Louie Anderson, for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Baskets”.

“Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fifth straight Emmy for her role in the satirical White House comedy in which she plays a graspingly ambitious and inept president battling to stay in power.

A shaking Louis-Dreyfus ended her speech by dedicating the trophy to her father, who she said died Friday.

Streaming companies continued to gain ground.

Indian-American Aziz Ansari shared a writing Emmy with Asian-American Alan Yang for their comedy series “Master of None”, while black actress Regina King won for her role in “American Crime” and African-American comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were honored for their sketch series “Key & Peele”.

Comedies with somber doses of drama made an impact on the acting categories.

Courtney B. Vance won Lead Actor in a Limited series for playing Johnny Cochrane.

Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Sarah Paulson, “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”.

James’s Late Late Show will take on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Real Time With Bill Maher, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Jerry Seinfield’s Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee for outstanding talk series.

“Because everyone in L.A. knows if you want to win, sit next to Marcia Clark”, Kimmel said.

“I’m so glad that he liked Veep”, she said, her voice breaking, “because his opinion was the one that really mattered”.