That was a pretty weird Sunday night we had. I mean more than usual for the Emmys. It just shows, reality TV can mess with anything.

The 60th annual Primetime Emmys were also a night of deserving winners, especially in the big categories, and a few good shocks. That's the happy news.

Those deserving Emmys start with one of the most gratifying wins in recent years, the best drama award to AMC's extraordinary first-year series about Madison Avenue, the 1960s and flawed people: "Mad Men."

The best comedy award to NBC's "30 Rock" and the wins for both its leads, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, were equally on target, as was the best drama actress Emmy to Glenn Close from FX's "Damages." And no one could argue with the best mini- series award for HBO's "John Adams," and acting Emmys for "John Adams" leads Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, and for supporting actor Tom Wilkinson.

Among the major shocks was the best supporting drama actor win for "Damages' " Zeljko Ivanek, but the monumental biggie was the best drama actor Emmy to Bryan Cranston of AMC's "Breaking Bad." Cranston is one of the most reliably funny people on TV, and he finally won an Emmy for drama.

The supporting drama actress award winner was Dianne Wiest of HBO's "In Treatment," and the supporting comedy Emmys went to Jean Smart of ABC's "Samantha Who?" and Jeremy Piven from HBO's "Entourage."

But with all those righteous wins, which included "Mad Men" becoming the first basic-cable show to win a best series award, the attention all night focused lamely on the reality host nominees.

That's a big part of what made it all so weird and at times even uncomfortable. The show never got traction, and for that, blame those hosts. Whoever decided they should front the big show should be forced to watch Sunday's broadcast repeatedly.

The five of them – Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst and Ryan Seacrest – set the tone right off with an agonizingly long, incoherent bit of babble that was supposed to be charming. Instead, it was gawky and uncomfortable. You could feel the audience in Los Angeles' new Nokia Theater squirming.

After what felt like long, long minutes, Probst told the audience. "We have absolutely nothing for you." Thank you. Finally, something on target.

It turned out to be a bull's-eye, too, for the rest of the night, because throughout the show, the reality hosts were buzz kills, dampening whatever momentum actual professional funny people built up.

The difference between those pros and the reality hosts was obvious very early, when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presented right after that long, dull open. They were smooth and quick and had genuine timing. It was a reminder about how low the bar is when we're watching hosting shticks and corny catchphrases on so many reality series.

Even other parts of Sunday's show were dragged down by the kitschy reality doings, and few of the bits worked. The "sock it to me" montage was dull; Josh Groban singing TV theme songs was agonizing; and even the usually brilliant Ricky Gervais – who started off funny – turned awkward when he stood forever in the audience in front of Steve Carell asking for his Emmy back from last year.

There was other weirdness, too. The night was supposed to be something of a tribute to classic TV shows, yet no one ever mentioned that to viewers. So old shows and scenes just kept popping up seemingly without reason.

Presenters William Peterson and Laurence Fishburne did a blatant promo for CBS' "CSI." Peterson is leaving, Fishburne is coming in. Peterson's entire spiel was saying he liked playing a cop and he was "handing over the keys to the lab."

Plus, nearly every winner said something like, "Don't forget to vote."

There were a few moments of the right kind of flair. The always-classy Steve Martin presented Tommy Smothers with a commemorative writing Emmy for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" with his usual wry touch.

"I don't use the word 'genius' very often," Martin said. "I just thought I'd mention that."

And Smothers was as feisty as he was four decades ago when the show was taken off the air by CBS. He dedicated his Emmy to "all people who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power."

Don Rickles, the old pro, showed how pros handle awards shows. He mocked the weak scripted joke lines he was given as a presenter. And when he won for best performer in a comedy, musical or variety show, he was funny and sincere and showed his love for his wife. Even the telecast's director had the sense not to play Rickles off the stage.

But no one had the good sense to cut off the reality hosts or the long, reality-game-like announcement of the Emmy win for Probst, the host of CBS' "Survivor." Jimmy Kimmel, the presenter of that award, even said "the winner … (pause) … will be revealed right after this break." Cut to a commercial.

Reality TV is here to stay. Some of it is fine entertainment. The genre absolutely deserves a spot on the Emmy stage but not the whole spotlight. Especially not when that light is stolen from shows like "Mad Men," which blends art and entertainment as deftly as any series in years, or "30 Rock," which has introduced a whole new style of terrific comedy.

There was one thing on target about the Emmys' focus Sunday. Lots of reality shows make their money and ratings by looking in on discomforting human foibles. So the telecast Sunday night was just what the reality director ordered, because it was a certified train wreck.

Call The Bee's Rick Kushman, (916) 321-1187. Listen to him Thursdays at 8:40 a.m. on NewsTalk 1530 (KFBK) and 8:50 a.m. on Armstrong & Getty, Talk 650 KSTE.