Emmy's 2014: ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Modern Family’ named top winners

^{Photo from the Los Angeles Times}

Nearly a year after the show's big finale, "Breaking Bad" and its stars were among the big winners at the Emmy Awards, CBS News reports.

The AMC series picked up the award for outstanding drama series for the second year in a row at Monday's ceremony, while "Modern Family" won a record-tying fifth Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

Bryan Cranston, who starred as chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White, won for lead actor in a drama for "Breaking Bad." His victory ties him with four-time best drama actor champ Dennis Franz.

"I have gratitude for everything that has happened," he said.

Cranston's co-stars Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn were honored in categories for best drama supporting acting. "Thank you for this wonderful farewell to our show," "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan said.

"The Good Wife" star Julianna Margulies won the Emmy for best lead actress in a drama series. "What a wonderful time for women on television," Margulies said.

The ceremony kicked off with a monologue from host Seth Meyers tweaking his home network, NBC, and other broadcasters for being eclipsed in the awards by cable series and online newcomers like "Orange is the New Black."

Noting that the Emmys were airing the night after the MTV Video Music Awards, he said that MTV doesn't really specialize in videos anymore. "That's like network TV holding an awards show and giving all the trophies to cable and Netflix. That would be crazy," Meyers joked.

Jim Parsons was crowned as best comedy series actor for his role on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," giving him his fourth Emmy and putting him in league long with all-time sitcom winners Kelsey Grammer and Michael J. Fox. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who received her third consecutive best comedy actress Emmy for "Veep," drew big laughs as she stopped to exchange faux heated kisses with Cranston, who earlier was her co-presenter and who appeared with her on "Seinfeld."

Matthew McConaughey, bringing movie-star sizzle to the ceremony, was the object of too-handsome jokes by presenter Jimmy Kimmel and adoration by winner Gail Mancuso, honored as best director for an episode of "Modern Family."

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