Period dramas make Emmy record book

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"Mad Men," the critically acclaimed new AMC series set in New York's advertising industry at the cusp of the 1960s social revolution, became the first show from a cable network other than HBO to win the Emmy for best drama.

Meanwhile, HBO's seven-part story of the nation's second president, "John Adams," finished the evening with 13 Emmys, the most ever by a miniseries, surpassing the previous record of 11 set in 2004 by HBO's adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Angels in America."

Emmy voters also repeated history by crowning a parody of the TV industry itself, "30 Rock," as best comedy series for a second straight year, while another NBC workplace satire, "The Office," was snubbed for a third year in a row.

The difference this year was that "30 Rock" also brought its two stars, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, along for the ride.

Fey was named best actress in a comedy as the harried head writer of a TV variety show, a role loosely based on her experience on "Saturday Night Live." Baldwin won the prize as best comedy actor for playing her venal, egotistical boss.

Fey, the show's creator and producer, also won for best writing on a comedy series. The series came away with seven Emmys in all, second only to the tally for "John Adams."

"We're very grateful to be up here again and so grateful to have survived into our third season," Fey said on stage of her show, which has struggled to build an audience.

On the drama side, five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close was named best actress, as widely expected, for portraying a ruthless trial lawyer on the new FX legal series "Damages."

But in the night's biggest upset, the Emmy for best actor in a drama went to Bryan Cranston for starring on another new cable TV show, AMC's "Breaking Bad," as a terminally ill high school teacher who cooks crystal methamphetamine.

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