You had to figure that Sunday's 59th annual Prime Time Emmy Awards was going to be sort of a coronation/farewell gala for "The Sopranos" ... and that's pretty much the way it turned out.
The retired HBO series won the Emmy as outstanding drama series — its second win in seven seasons.
"In essence, this is a story about a gangster... Let's face it, if the world and this nation was run by gangsters," said series creator David Chase, who paused a moment and added, "Maybe it is."
"The Sopranos" also won awards for writing and directing, but it wasn't a clean sweep — none of the "Sopranos" actors or actresses nominated (a total of five) won in their categories.
NBC's "30 Rock," which barely got renewed for a second season, won the Emmy as outstanding comedy series. Creator/producer/star Tina Fey thanked "our dozens and dozens of viewers."
Among the evening's biggest surprises came when "Boston Legal's" James Spader beat out James Gandolfini (among others) to win the Emmy as outstanding actor in a drama series.
"Oh my goodness, I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob. And they're all sitting over there," said Spader, who won his third Emmy.
Three decades after winning her first Emmy, two-time Oscar-winner "Brothers & Sisters" star Sally Field won her second
"How can that be? These wonderful actors," Field said, referring to the other nominees.
Octogenarian Tony Bennett won his second Emmy for his performance in the NBC special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which was also named outstanding variety, music or comedy special and won for directing in that category.
There were also a lot of first-time winners. "Ugly Betty" star America Fererra won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
"It is truly an amazing, wonderful thing that happens when your dreams come true," she said.
Terry O'Quinn was a somewhat surprising winner of the supporting actor in a drama series award for his role in "Lost," and Jamie Pressly appeared shocked when she won as best supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in "My Name Is Earl."
And Katherine Heigl's "date" for the Emmys wasn't optimistic about her chances.
"My own mother told me I didn't have a shot in hell of winning tonight so I don't have anything prepared," said Heigl, who won as supporting actress in a drama for her role in "Grey's Anatomy."
And, 18 years after he was nominated for "Lonesome Dove," 76-year-old Oscar-winner Robert Duvall won his first Emmy for his lead role in the AMC miniseries "Broken Trail."
"Trail" also won as best miniseries, and Thomas Haden Church — another first-time winner — took home the Emmy for supporting actor in the movies and miniseries category. Plus another Western-themed production, HBO's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," was named outstanding TV movie.
Another Oscar-winner, Helen Mirren, won her fourth Emmy for her lead role in PBS's "Prime Suspect: The Final Act." Judy Davis won her third Emmy for her supporting role in USA's "The Starter Wife."
Ricky Gervais won for lead actor in a comedy series, but when it was announced he was not there to accept, presenter Jon Stewart announced, "Instead, we're going to give this to our friend, Steve Carell" — and Carell, Stewart and presenter Steven Colbert danced around the stage. And Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") won his second consecutive Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series.
It was same-old, same-old for "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," which won the Emmy for outstanding variety, music or comedy series for the fifth year in a row. But, after winning in the writing category last year (and four of the past six years), "The Daily Show" lost that to "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," which won its first Emmy after a whopping 24 nominations.
"The Amazing Race" remained the only show ever to win an Emmy as outstanding reality/competition show, taking home its fifth-straight award (while "American Idol" remained winless in the category).
Former Vice President Al Gore, who won an Oscar a few months ago, won an Emmy on Sunday. Current, the channel he co-founded, was honored for achievement in interactive television.
Fox did do the nearly impossible — it made the Emmy show itself worse than ever. It had all the professionalism of an elementary-school production.
Host Ryan Seacrest acknowledged he was somewhat suspect as a host ... and then proceeded to prove his detractors right with a weak, colorless performance.
(He did get off one good line. Referencing the Showtime series "Weeds," about a homemaker/drug dealer, Seacrest called it "a great show — an amazing after party. Isn't that right, Paula?" he added, as "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul's mouth dropped.)
Fox opened the show with an animated musical number featuring characters from "Family Guy." It was funny, but when making a joke about Isaiah Washington replacing Michael Richards on "Seinfeld," the director took it a step too far by cutting to a shot of Washington's former "Grey's Anatomy" co-star, T.R. Knight.
And Fox censors had to cut away from Sally Field and Ray Romano, of all people, when they used R-rated language.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com