Five Biggest Jaw-Droppers at the 2011 Emmys

From Kyle Chandler finally getting his due to HBO's lack of dominance, get a load of the biggest shocks from the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards

By Natalie Finn Sep 19, 2011 1:45 PMTags
Kyle ChandlerKevin Winter/Getty Images

Another year, another bunch of television shows honored—some for the first time, some for the umpteenth time.

What makes each Emmys telecast unique, however, are the little things, the special moments that have us applauding from our couches and the "wha-huh?!" moments that have us slapping our foreheads so collectively you can hear the thwack from Hollywood to Hoboken.

We combed through the best and the blah from the 63rd Primetime Emmys (which didn't live up to last year's energetic ride despite Jane Lynch's valiant hosting effort), here's what stood out in an eye-popping kind of way.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

3. No Longer a Bridesmaid: Melissa McCarthy, the non-tiger-blood-drinking star of Chuck Lorre's newest hit, Mike & Molly, enjoyed her first Emmy win for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Actually, despite not being able to prevent Charlie Sheen from taking the stage, Lorre had a pretty great night, what with The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons repeating for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (and sending Steve Carell off into Movie Land with no Emmys) and Sheen tamely wishing his former Two and Half Men colleagues nothing but success this season. And there's always the satisfaction of knowing that Sheen had no choice but to toe the line if he ever expects to eat lunch in this town (at the big-boy table, anyway) again.

4. Knight of Badassdom: Woot-woot! Tyrion Lanister won an Emmy! Well, not the George R.R. Martin character himself, but the much-desreving Peter Dinklage, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. And considering Emmy has pretty much ignored True Blood (and nominated and then ignored The Walking Dead), it's nice to know there's a wee spot of glory reserved for excellent work done in the not-very-realistic realm. And this year, the supporting categories were kind to the conflicted. Margo Martindale was the surprise winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as the quietly murderous matriarch of a family of drug dealers on Justified.

Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

5. Mildred Pierced: HBO has found its kryptonite, and it's called PBS. The public station that you don't have to pay for trounced the pay-cable giant—and by trounced, we mean tied—with four wins tonight, including the win for Outstanding Miniseries or TV Movie for its veddy British period epic Downton Abbey. Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce put up a fight for the Ole Home Box Office, winning Outstanding Actress and Supporting Actor for the six-part adaption of James M. Cain's Mildred Pierce. But no best drama, miniseries or TV movie wins this year? Maybe, just maybe, HBO got the memo that it can't expect to win stuff just because it once was the home of The Sopranos and Band of Brothers. Heck, Reelz Channel won four Emmys this year—Showtime only scored two—for The Kennedys, the ugly stepchild of miniseries that the History Channel put up for adoption. Pay cable, consider yourself on notice.

(Originally published on Sept. 19, 2011 at 5:30 a.m. PT)