Los Angeles: Saving the world from assorted terrorists paid off for the cast of 24 at Sunday night's Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Fox thriller picked up the award for best drama and star Kiefer Sutherland picked up the award for best actor in a drama for playing crusading CTU agent Jack Bauer.
"What a nice evening this has been for us; my father's sitting over there," he said, pointing to Donald Sutherland, who also was nominated for his role in Human Trafficking. We're going to have to have dinner now."
"Every once in a while, you're going to have an evening that reminds you that you have too much," he said.
HBO was the big winner of the evening with 26 awards, including nine Emmys for the miniseries Elizabeth I.
Mariska Hargitay won the best actress in a drama award for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Former Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was clearly shaken after winning the Emmy for best actress in a comedy for The New Adventures of Old Christine.
"I'm not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby," she said, referring to the difficulty she and her Seinfeld cast-mates have had duplicating the show's success.
She almost forgot to thank her husband, comedian Brad Hall, during her acceptance speech.
The Office won the award for best comedy series.
Tony Shalhoub won the best lead actor in a comedy Emmy for his role as the neurotic detective in the USA series Monk.
"I couldn't quite process (the win). What comes after deja vu?" Shalhoub asked.
Will & Grace star Megan Mullally took home the first award of the evening, winning for supporting actress in a comedy.
Mullally thanked her co-stars and crew on the show, which wrapped up its run this year.
"We had eight great years of happy employment and that's more than most people could ever hope for," she said.
Alan Alda won the Emmy for supporting actor in a drama for the role of Sen. Arnold Vinick in NBC's The West Wing, which also went off the air this year.
Alda's win was the 26th for the show, tying it with Hill Street Blues for the most total Emmy's for a drama.
Blythe Danner won best supporting actress in a drama for her role in Showtime's now-canceled series Huff.
"It's a sweet way to say goodbye," she said.
Jeremy Piven of "Entourage" was named best supporting actor in a comedy.
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"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" picked up the award for best variety, music or comedy series.
"I think this year you made a terrible mistake, but thank you," Stewart said before praising his staff and network Comedy Central. The show also won in the best variety, music or comedy writing category.
The NBC comedy My Name is Earl won the awards for best writing and best directing in a comedy, which added to the two awards it picked up at an August 19 ceremony.
The Amazing Race won the Emmy for best reality show for the fourth straight year, beating out American Idol, Survivor, Project Runway and Dancing With the Stars.
This year's Emmys earned controversy for some of the other nominations.
A change in judging procedures was intended to lead to a more diverse slate of nominees, given that in the past, the television awards have tended to be beholden to a handful of favorites. The results were mixed.
Newcomer Grey's and previously ignored Two and a Half Men picked up plenty of kudos, but Lost, last year's best drama, came up empty in that category, and Sopranos leads - and perennial favorites - James Gandolfini and Edie Falco were shut out.
Emmy host Conan O'Brien poked fun at the controversy.
In the show's opening montage, O'Brien wound up on an island after a plane crash and was greeted by Lost star Jorge Garcia.
O'Brien told Garcia he had to get to the Emmys and asked him to come with him.
"We weren't exactly invited," Garcia said.
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