As part of a pretaped satirical bit that was to air during the opening of the show, Emmy-winner Alec Baldwin played a fictional network president talking on the phone — and worked in a zinger about Rupert Murdoch listening in. But Fox, which broadcast the show this year, apparently did not find the gag about its parent company amusing. On Thursday, Baldwin tweeted that “I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me News Corp may cut the funniest line. #NewsCorphumorlessaswellascorrupt”

That might have had something to do with the Murdoch empire’s exhaustive and continuing phone hacking scandal in the U.K. – a stunning breach of privacy by News Corp that affected not just gossip-page celebrities but the families of soldiers and murder victims.

The joke — and subsequently, the whole bit — were scrubbed, and instead of a little phone-tapping humor to kick off the evening, viewers instead were treated to Leonard Nimoy giving a pep talk to host Jane Lynch. Baldwin confirmed Sunday via Twitter that “Fox did kill my News Corp hacking joke. Which sucks bc I think it would have made them look better. A little.” He also bowed out of attending the show, though he says it wasn’t an act of petulance. Instead, he opted to attend a New York gala for Tony Bennett’s 85th birthday. “I skipped the Emmys… because I wanted to be here,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

Fox, meanwhile, insists that it received no directive from the mothership to ax the joke. Instead, a rep says they cut it because it might be viewed as insensitive to the victims.

That may be so, but it should be noted that other arms of the Murdoch organization have made it abundantly clear that they don’t really see the big deal over a little criminal activity — and don’t take kindly to any sassing back on the subject. Back in July, a “Fox and Friends” segment audaciously declared the criminal scandal a case of “piling on” and noted, with remarkable disregard for the distinction between being a victim and a perpetrator, that “Citicorp has been hacked into. Bank of America has been hacked into. American Express has been hacked into.” The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, used the indignation over News Corp’s abuse of power as an excuse for an editorial on how all the criticism could “perhaps injure press freedom in general.”

Maybe a light joke about Murdoch eavesdropping would seem in poor taste when so many people have been grievously hurt by the actions of those within his company. Then again, when you’re under the Murdoch umbrella, you’ve already got a longstanding reputation as the entity most likely to take offense at satire and criticism aimed at Murdoch. Or, as Baldwin wrote Sunday on Twitter, “If I were enmeshed in a scandal where I hacked phones of families of innocent crime victims purely 4 profit, I’d want that 2 go away 2.”

The “Modern Family” steamroller (best comedy series, writing, direction, supporting actress Julie Bowen, and supporting actor Ty Burrell) would have been tedious and depressing if the show weren’t so good. Its run was broken by awards for “Big Bang Theory” (repeat winner Jim Parsons) and “Mike and Molly” (Melissa McCarthy). Parsons beat outgoing “The Office” star Steve Carell, who hadn’t won an Emmy yet and should have been a shoo-in. In an awkward but charming show of solidarity, the six best actress nominees went up onstage together, and the winner was handed a tiara and a bouquet of roses along with her statuette.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna talk about in therapy next week now,” said Bowen, accepting Emmy as best supporting actress in a comedy while rocking a dress slit nearly to the navel. Burrell reflected on his relationship with his father, who died before he had a chance to see his son perform: “If he were here tonight, I think he would say, ‘But why the makeup?’” 

Lynch made light of the sitcom’s sweep late in the program, telling viewers, “Welcome back to the ‘Modern Family’ awards. We’ve decided to throw them into the drama category to see what happens.”

“Mad Men” and “Mildred Pierce,” the big dogs of the drama and movie/miniseries categories, came perilously close to going home empty-handed.

As the evening wore on, it became clear that Matthew Weiner’s AMC series about a swank 1960s advertising agency was not going to sweep the awards as some had predicted. Instead, the just-concluded “Friday Nights Lights” got a bit of love, taking home Emmys for best writing in a dramatic series (by showrunner Jason Katims) and best lead actor (for Kyle Chandler, beating out Jon Hamm, who has now gone win-less for four straight seasons). Accepting his award, Katims quoted the series’ slogan “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.” The show’s only previous Emmy was for casting, in 2007. 

Margo Martindale won a deserved Emmy as best supporting actress in a drama for her performance as Mags Bennett, the redneck Mama Corleone on FX’s crime drama “Justified.” Martin Scorsese won an Emmy for dramatic series directing, for helming the opening episode of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” the most expensive pilot in the cable channel’s history. Julianna Marguilies won best actress in a drama for CBS’ “The Good Wife” — her first Emmy win since 1995, when she took home a best supporting actress statuette for playing nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC’s “ER.”

HBO’s miniseries “Mildred Pierce” went into the ceremony seeming a likely candidate for a sweep; even though the series got mixed reviews from critics, it was a ratings success, and the pay cable network has had a near-lock on the miniseries and movie category for the last 15 years. Instead, the PBS and BBC production “Downton Abbey” snuck in for several major upsets, including best miniseries/movie, best writing, best directing, and best actress (no-show Maggie Smith, whose award was accepted, somewhat surreally, by the cast of “Entourage”). Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce won best actress and supporting actor, respectively. It was a measure of the evening’s genial volatility that by by the time “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner got up onstage with his co-producers and cast to accept the best drama award, it seemed like an underdog-makes-good moment.

 The coolest winner by far was Peter Dinklage, who is often cast in comic roles but projects a George Clooney-like, nothing-to-prove glamour in person. The “Game of Thrones” star thanked his wife and his dogsitter and exclaimed, “Wow, I followed Martin Scorsese!” It was the only major award for “Game of Thrones,” a critical and popular success that already seems doomed — like “Star Trek,” ”Battlestar Galactica,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and other great fantasy and sci-fi series before it — to be dismissed by its own industry as “Not bad for a genre show.” (Only ABC’s “Lost” managed to break this curse.)

Still, it was hard to argue that any of the awards were completely undeserved. It was an altogether strong crop of winners. And the ceremony itself was briskly paced, blessedly free of the saggy midsection that usually drags down televised awards shows. The musical components (provided mostly by the “Emmytones” — Wilmer Valderrama, Jane Lynch, Joel McHale, Kate Flannery and Taraji P. Henson) were creatively iffy but mostly enjoyable, and there was one brilliant musical number two-thirds of the way through (a medley of songs from “Saturday Night Live,” featuring Lonely Island, Michael Bolton and Akon) that felt like a Dada-esque spoof of every musical number on any awards show since the beginning of time. Co-presenters Rob Lowe and “Modern Family” costar Sofía Vergara — who plays the trophy wife of  Ed O’Neill — were the show’s most unnervingly handsome couple. (“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, whose program won two Emmys, joked, “If the world does need to repopulate at some point, the announcing team of Sofia Vergara and Rob Lowe would make nice children.”)

Lynch was a capable and appealing host. She even managed to survive a clever but overlong videotaped musical opening that found her careening through rooms in an apartment building that was supposed to represent TV itself. Various series stars took part in confessions modeled on NBC’s “The Office,” and Leonard Nimoy played a sort of uber-network president — a last-minute replacement for “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin, who quit after the Fox network cut a joke about its owner, Rupert Murdoch, and the British tabloid phone-hacking scandal.

Kudos to “Modern Family” creator Steve Levitan, who somehow managed to make the sitcom’s 4,328th win (for best comedy) charming even though it came at the end of a long night that it had completely owned.  Levitan even managed to acknowledge one of the show’s groundbreaking aspects — its refreshingly laid-back, Big Tent affection toward interracial and same-sex couples — without coming off as self-serving.

Levitan said that during shooting, gay couples would approach him and say, “You’re not just making people laugh, you’re making them more tolerant.” Then Levitan added, “We are showing the world that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a loving, committed relationship between an old man and a hot young woman. And looking around this room tonight, I see many of you agree!”

– Writing, Drama Series: Jason Katims, “Friday Night Lights,” NBC.

– Directing, Drama Series: Martin Scorsese, “Boardwalk Empire,” HBO.

– Comedy Series: “Modern Family,” ABC.

– Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS.

– Actress, Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly,” CBS.

– Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, “Modern Family,” ABC.

– Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, “Modern Family,” ABC.

– Writing, Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, “Modern Family,” ABC.

– Directing, Comedy Series: Michael Spiller, “Modern Family,” ABC.

– Miniseries or Movie: “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.

– Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce,” HBO.

– Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Barry Pepper, “The Kennedys,” ReelzChannel.

– Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.

– Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce,” HBO.

– Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Brian Percival, “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.

– Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Julian Fellowes, “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.

– Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.

– Variety, Music or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

– Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC.

– Writing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

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Online:

For a complete list of winners: http://www.emmys.tv/

They earned a standing ovation from many in the audience, which seemed fitting in a year in which TV shows and movies are giving women edgier leading roles. Among them is the box-office hit “Bridesmaids,” which featured McCarthy.

Parsons looked genuinely surprised at his victory. “This is so odd for so many reasons. I was assured by many people in my life that this wasn’t happening,” he said.

The ceremony aired by Fox opened with a pre-taped comedy sketch that generated controversy because Alec Baldwin’s part was cut after he included a joke about the News Corp. phone hacking scandal. Fox is a unit of News Corp.

Baldwin tweeted that Fox killed the joke about the hacking scandal in Britain involving the now-closed News of the World tabloid. Fox said it believed the joke was inappropriate to make light of an issue being taken very seriously by the company.

Leonard Nimoy stepped in and the bit was retaped. It featured host Jane Lynch celebrating television in a musical number, singing about TV as “a vast wonderland, a kingdom of joy in a box.”

Charlie Sheen presented the lead actor award, using his time onstage to make nice with his former “Two and a Half Men” colleagues. He was fired from the show after bitterly clashing with its producer and studio and replaced by Ashton Kutcher.

“From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season,” he said. “I know you will continue to make great television.”

“Modern Family” won the first four Emmys, capturing best supporting comedy actress, best supporting comedy actor, best writing for a comedy and best direction for a comedy series.

Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, who play husband and wife on the series, won best supporting actor honors for a comedy series.

“Oh, my God, I don’t know what I’m going to talk about in therapy next week,” said a shocked-looking Bowen. “I won something.”

Burrell spoke of his own father in accepting his best supporting actor award.

“I actually got kind of a late start in acting. My dad actually passed away before he ever saw me perform and I can’t help but wonder what he would think about all this … going to work in full makeup,” Burrell said.

The last-minute controversy behind the scenes was emerging even as stars such as Christine Hendricks of “Mad Men” and Julia Stiles of “Dexter” were arriving for the show.

“She looks awesome, as always,” said fan Jessica Steiner, 26, of Hendricks, who was wearing a rhinestone-encrusted gown with a plunging neckline.

“Modern Family” nominee Sofia Vergara wore an ultra-glam, one-shouldered peach goddess gown and chandelier earrings. Gwyneth Paltrow stood by her, in a sleek black gown with cut-outs.

“Gwyneth is classy, and Sofia is sexy,” said fan Vanessa Baeza, 27. “But I think Sofia looks better. Her dress is more flattering.”

Inside the Nokia Theatre, Hendricks’ show is facing a threat from the mobsters and crooked politicians of “Boardwalk Empire.”

AMC’s 1960s Madison Avenue saga, which has earned three consecutive Emmy Awards as best drama series, is competing Sunday with HBO’s tale of Atlantic City, N.J, schemers making the most of the wild days of Prohibition in the 1920s.

“The Sopranos,” another HBO show about New Jersey hoodlums, was an Emmy magnet for the cable TV channel that earned 21 trophies during its six seasons.

HBO and AMC’s leading men are in a showdown as well. “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm, shut out three times by Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad,” caught a break when Cranston’s series didn’t air within the Emmy eligibility period.

But newcomer “Boardwalk Empire” brought Steve Buscemi into the picture with a first-string nomination for the actor who has been acclaimed for supporting roles. Also nominated for best drama series are “Dexter,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Game of Thrones” and “The Good Wife.”

Other contests to watch include best comedy series, with “Modern Family” trying to repeat last year’s win against competitors including “Glee” and “Parks and Recreation.”

Steve Carell of “The Office” made his last Emmy stand for his fifth and final season as clueless manager Michael Scott but lost again.

A new category, which combines the previously separate best miniseries and made-for-TV movie nominees, includes the miniseries “Mildred Pierce,” with Kate Winslet nominated in the role of an embattled mother, and the movie “Too Big to Fail,” about the U.S. fiscal crisis in 2008.

In the reality-competition category, perennial winner “The Amazing Race” returned to triumph Sunday after losing last year to “Top Chef.” “American Idol” lost its ninth shot at winning, this time for a season in which it successfully navigated the loss of key judge Simon Cowell.

HBO came into the night with a leading 15 awards earned at the Sept. 10 creative arts awards, followed by PBS with 10, Fox with nine, CBS with seven and NBC with five.

After hitting an all-time viewership low of 12.3 million in 2008, the Emmys rebounded somewhat in the last two years and drew a 2010 audience of 13.47 million, compared to 26.7 million for this year’s Grammys and nearly 38 million for the Oscars.

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http://www.emmys.org

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AP Entertainment writers Sandy Cohen, David Bauder and Solvej Schou contributed to this report.