LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Modern Family" and "Homeland" dominated the early categories at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday, but it was also a night filled with surprises as the TV industry honored the comedy, drama and reality shows of the year.
"Modern Family," ABC's comedy about the chaotic lives of three related couples and their children, won supporting actor Emmys for Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen, as well as a directing award, setting it up for a widely expected third straight win for best comedy series.
British actor Damian Lewis was a surprise first-time winner for best dramatic actor for "Homeland," and the post 9/11 psychological thriller also took home the Emmy for outstanding writing.
Claire Danes, who plays a bipolar CIA agent on "Homeland" also won, as widely expected, after taking a Golden Globe for the role earlier this year.
Stylish 1960s-era advertising show "Mad Men," with 17 nominations, is hoping for a record fifth straight win in the best drama series category that for the first time features only shows on cable TV channels.
But halfway through Sunday's show, AMC's "Mad Men" had no winners, while another contender, dark drug drama "Breaking Bad" garnered a supporting actor win for Aaron Paul.
In the best comedy actor category, "Two and A Half Men's" Jon Cryer beat Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory."
"I am stunned," Cryer said, accepting his award. "This is crazy."
"I am as shocked as you people, that's all I'm going to say," he added backstage.
In what was seen as a tight race for lead comedy actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus beat "Girls" star Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, "New Girl" Zooey Deschanel and Tina Fey for the Emmy for her turn as a frustrated U.S. vice president in the satirical HBO show "Veep."
"It's a bit mystifying to me because people say this show is a comedy, but I don't see anything funny about me being vice president of the United States," the former "Seinfeld" star quipped.
Stand-up comedian Louis C.K. won the comedy writing Emmy for his FX show "Louie," and Britain's Maggie Smith won the drama supporting actress role for playing an acid-tongued dowager countess in popular "Downton Abbey," which is also a strong contender for best drama series.
Host Jimmy Kimmel got the festivities off to a biting and topical start in an opening monologue that welcomed the audience to celebrate U.S. television as "the only American product the Chinese haven't figured out how to make."
As for "Downton Abbey," which is set in an aristocratic country house at the beginning of the 20th century, Kimmel quipped, "It really gives you a sense of what it must have been like to grow up in (U.S. Republican presidential candidate) Mitt Romney's house."
"The Amazing Race" won for the best reality series Emmy for the ninth time, while Tom Bergeron won best reality host for "Dancing with the Stars."
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Stacey Joyce)