Grohl, Foo Fighters rock hard during Boston show

I had always heard the Foo Fighters — the rock band fronted by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl — were simply amazing in concert. Having never been a so-called ‘super-fan’ of the boys, they weren’t necessarily on the top of my “Must-See-in-Concert” list. But over the years, I’ve realized how consistent yet innovative the Foo Fighters were — hit after hit they always made it work, all while sticking to their rock n’ roll roots.

And so, when I saw tickets go on sale in July for their latest tour, I decided ‘What the heck?’ What made the idea of purchasing tickets even easier was the fact that they would be playing at the one-and-only TD Garden in Boston. That place was made for rock shows — and Celtics and Bruins games, of course.

The show kicked off at 7 p.m. — to a somewhat empty arena — with a band from Wales called The Joy Formidable. Rock n’ roll to the core, this trio performed their hearts out for six songs, including the radio-friendly hit “Whirring.” Lead singer Ritzy Bryan sure knows how to shred, and it’s too bad there weren’t more people in the arena to enjoy the intense performance.

Following suit was the legendary punk band Social Distortion. Despite an ever-revolving door of band members, Social D — with its originator, singer Mike Ness — has been in the game for the last 25 years.

Playing songs from way-back-when such as “Mommy’s Little Monster” and “Story of My Life” to their latest hit “Machine Gun Blues” to their ever-popular cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Social D knows how to please their fans and have a good time doing it.

As the clock struck 9 p.m., the Foo Fighters took the stage for what would end up being a three-hour set. The Foo were in full force as they played “Bridge Burning” and “Rope,” songs off their latest album “Wasting Light.”

Along the way, the Foo made sure to get through many of the hits from year’s past — “My Hero,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Learn to Fly,” “Pretender” and “All My Life,” to name a few.

Covers of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh?” — which the Foo first performed on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” during Pink Floyd week in September with original Floyd member Roger Waters — and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Breakdown” were thrown into the mix of Foo Fighter staples, and the boys never slowed down one bit.

OK, maybe for three bits. Taking a slight break after 17 songs, Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins egged the audience on through backstage cameras as to how many more songs they should come on and play. The total jumped from two to six by the end of the gag.

From here, Grohl took to a rising platform stage in the middle of the arena to sing to the balcony seats with acoustic performances of “Wheels,” “Best of You” and “Times Like These” while the rest of the band took an extended break.

Ending the set with fan-favorite “Everlong” off the band’s 1997 album “The Colour and the Shape,” the Foo Fighters churned out 23 songs altogether, and put on one hell of a performance.

The key element to a great rock show is the frontman, and Dave Grohl is the frontman. He’s funny, sincere, full of crazy energy and appreciative of where he’s landed in life.

He’s encouraging — to all the kids in the audience, he urged them to pick up an instrument and see what comes of it. Some of the Foo never took lessons and he welcomed the idea that those kids could someday be up on stage just like they are.

He cares about his fans deeply — promising to return to play a small club in the area for a more intimate performance next time the band was in town.

He speaks to the crowd with honesty and he doesn’t need to put on a spectacle to have a great show — he lets the music do the talking. And judging by the fact that the crowd was filled with all ages of people, the band’s music speaks to a lot of different people. And that is why, I’m sure, Grohl’s energy will never die down and the Foo Fighters will stick together for many more years to come.

Wednesday night’s performance showed me what I’ve been missing all these years. And now it’s my turn to tell you to put the Foo Fighters on your “Must-See-in-Concert” list. You won’t be disappointed. I sure wasn’t.

Kirsten Dunst makes all walks of acting look easy

At the mere age of 29, Kirsten Dunst has worked with such acclaimed directors as Cameron Crowe (“Elizabethtown”), Woody Allen (“New York Stories”) and Sofia Coppola (“The Virgin Suicides”, “Marie Antoinette”).

And now she adds to the list the controversial, yet brilliant Lars von Trier, whose film “Melancholia” — which comes out this weekend — she had the pleasure of most recently starring in and which has already earned her a Best Actress Award from the Cannes Festival. It looks as if she could be on her way to claiming a second Golden Globe nomination from her performance as well (her first stemming from her performance in “Interview With the Vampire” at the ripe old age of 12).

With the resurgence of Dunst back on the big screen — she’ll star in at least three movies next year — I thought I’d take a look back at some of my favorite Dunst films — pre-Spider-Man franchise, aka 2002. And here's to Dunst giving us many more stunning performances to come.

“The Virgin Suicides” (1999)

A beautiful piece of work directed by Sofia Coppola, and based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, “The Virgin Suicides” tells the story of the Lisbon sisters — five girls who live in an overly strict and religious household in the ’70s. After the youngest of the sisters commits suicide, the girls are secluded even more than before.

Dunst plays Lux Lisbon, the sister eager to break the rules. After the Lisbon parents allow the girls to go to a school dance, Lux stays out late with a boy, only for him to leave her high and dry, asleep on the football field. After this event, the girls are no longer allowed to step foot out of the house — even to attend school.

In the end, the sisters make a suicide pact — and on the same night, all take their lives in a different manner.

It’s a depressing story, for sure, but wonderfully told all the same. And Dunst plays the sister who holds the story together. She does a wonderful job at embodying a girl who puts on such a sweet visage, but under it all is hiding a rebellious, insecure and disturbed girl.

“Little Women” (1994)

In the movie adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, Dunst plays young Amy March, along with an ensemble cast of Winona Ryder, Clair Danes, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz and Susan Surandon.

Amy is the youngest of four sisters, and is the brat of the bunch — but she also has a strong heart. Dunst does a fabulous job at balancing these two traits — portraying strong emotions mature beyond her 12-year-old years, but also giving the character a mischievous side that makes Amy hard not to like.

“Jumanji” (1995)

Who doesn’t like “Jumanji”? It’s such a fun — and somewhat creepy — movie in which a young boy, Alan (Robin Williams) gets trapped inside a jungle board game. After 26 years, he is released after Dunst’s character Judy and her brother find the game in an attic, and dare to play it. From here, the creatures of the jungle invade the city and it is up to Judy and her brother, along with Alan and his former opponent, Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), to put an end to the chaos, but only by finishing the game they had started so many years ago.

It helps that Dunst has a great storyline to follow, and after two dramatic roles — “Interview With the Vampire” and “Little Women” — Dunst gets to have a bit more fun, and she manages to hold her own against Williams and Hunt while doing it.

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” (1999)

A dark comedy in nature, but fun all the same. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is shot in mockumentary form and takes place during an annual beauty pageant in small-town, Minn. Amber Atkins (Dunst) is hoping that by winning the pageant she can escape the small town and rise to success. But not if Rebecca Leeman (Denise Richards) has anything to do about it. Leeman is the daughter of former winner and current head of the pageant committee, Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley). After a series of mysterious — and silly — killings occur, Amber wonders if it is all worth it.

It’s a lesser-known movie, but it’s filled with a cast of young talent, including Denise Richards, Brittany Murphy and Amy Adams. And Dunst fits in well among her newbie actor peers.

“Bring it On” (2000)

Dunst plays Torrance Shipman, the cheer captain of a high school team, who is in need of some new moves after finding out that the previous captain stole all their moves from another high school. In order to make it to the championships, the squad must reinvent themselves and save their reputation.

It’s a movie that spawned four sequels and a stage musical along the way, but the original is the only one worthy of attention. It’s somewhat a parody of competitive cheerleading, but Dunst keeps it fun but putting just the right amount of pep into her role, without taking herself too seriously.

And any movie that can conjure up a catchphrase that is still commonly used today gets a spot in my book. Approach the phrase “Brrr ...It’s cold in here” to any girl in her 20s — even some boys, I’m sure — and they’ll be able to finish it with “There must be some Toros in the atmosphere.” Guaranteed.

New Christmas albums to get you in the holiday spirit

You here that? The faint sound of bells in the distance? Not yet? It’s out there. Just listen closer... closer... there! It’s the sound of Christmas music in the air!

Too soon?

As a lover of all things holiday-related, I must say as soon as that first snowflake hit the ground last weekend, I was ready to “Deck the Halls” and be “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” There’s something about Christmas music that just puts me in a good mood — I know many would argue it has the opposite effect on them — and the early snow gave me an excuse to start playing it a few weeks early.

But judging by the retail stores who are on the same page as me, it is never too soon to get in the holiday spirit. So here are two recently released Christmas albums that will be sure to get any Grinch or Scrooge in the holiday mood.

Michael Bublé — “Christmas”
You know Michael Bublé as the crooner of the 21st-century, combining a big-band instrumental feel with pop-like vocals. He’s perfected the style as his own, and he brings out the smooth vocals and finger-snapping rhythm in full form on his first full-length holiday album “Christmas.”

With a full array of horns on “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town,” or the jazz inspiration on “Jingle Bells,” to the beautiful string accompaniment on “Cold December Night” — a song in which Bublé penned himself — you won’t be let down.

For Bing Crosby fans out there looking for something a little new-age, Bublé is the perfect match taking on such classics as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Silent Night.”

Bublé’s “Christmas” is jam-packed with 16 songs — including a duet with Shania Twain on “White Christmas” — and it’s the perfect album to liven up a holiday gathering.

She & Him — “A Very She & Him Christmas”
On the softer side of things, She & Him strip down the holiday classics and make them their own for a perfect companion to a night next to the fireplace.

The duo, comprised of Matt Ward and bubbly actress Zooey Deschanel, really keep it low-key and simple, performing beautiful renditions of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Christmas Wish.” What works is that the instrumental backing provided by Ward doesn’t overpower the earthy vocals of Deschanel — they both take on a happy medium, and stay in sync with one another.

The only downfall with “A Very She & Him Christmas” is that it leaves you wanting more. The album, comprised of 12 tracks, only runs for 32 minutes. With that aside, it’s an album worth scooping up for the holidays, if only for the duo’s reinvention of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” in which Deschanel once perfected in the film “Elf” alongside Will Ferrell.

'Beavis and Butt-head' return to MTV

Everyone’s favorite giggling, dim-witted boys are back in town, complete with the AC/DC and Metallica T-shirts they left with in the ’90s.

Beavis and Butt-head, the iconic animated characters from the mind of Mike Judge, have returned to the MTV airwaves just as immature as they ever were.

It’s been almost 15 years since the troublemakers last graced our television screens — with the original bout of shows airing from 1993-1997 — and from their antics two spin-offs emerged, “Daria” and “King of the Hill,” along with a feature-length film, “Beavis and Butt-head Do America,” thrown in there as well.

While originally the duo spent their time mocking music videos in a time when MTV actually played music videos, these days Beavis and Butt-head must find their amusement elsewhere with reality TV. The two take their usual seat on the sofa to mock such shows as MTV’s own “The Jersey Shore,” and “16 and Pregnant,” along with YouTube clips and UFC fights.

For their return, Judge has kept Beavis and Butt-head just as we left them: The somewhat-lovable man-childs are still the same age and at the same high school they attended those many years ago.

In turn, aside from the couch-laden snickering, Beavis and Butt-head will continue skipping school for their usual adventures as well. In this week’s return, the two find out that girls their age are all obsessed with the movie “Twilight” and they decide to try and become vampires and werewolves so that they can go out with said girls. In turn, they allow a homeless guy with hepatitis to bite them, mistaking him for an actual werewolf. You can only imagine what follows.

Judge has also managed to keep Beavis and Butt-head in the dark about the technology of the 21st century — the two are clueless as to what Twitter is and they are baffled by the notion that music videos can now be viewed on computers.

And that’s where the foreshadowing comes in. Are Beavis and Butt-head still relevant? In a day and age when anyone can voice their opinion on viral videos and dumb reality shows in an instance on Facebook and Twitter, and where shows such as “Talk Soup” and “Tosh.O” have emerged as clear front-runners on pop-culture commentary, will Beavis and Butt-head be able to survive among it all?

I think so. Beavis and Butt-head were the originators of the mock-commentary, and aside from their style being somewhat stale, I think it’s the characters that deserve the attention. And whether it be newbie teens getting their first dose of The Great Cornholio and “Hey Baby” pick-up lines or adults looking for a bit of nostalgia in their lives, I think Beavis and Butt-head will do America just as well as they used to.

3 fall shows to fill the void of those canceled

And so it begins — or should I say, ends. Over the last week, a crop of fall TV shows met their demise.

First went the sexy bunnies from NBC’s “The Playboy Club.”

Then “Free Agents,” the Hank Azaria-Kathryn Hahn workplace comedy got the ax from NBC.

From here, CW’s reality show “H8R” got canned. Not surprising for a show that involved celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Kim Kardashian confronting their biggest non-fans as to why they hate them and then trying to win them over.

Next, CBS’s “How to Be a Gentleman” starring Matt Dillon “stopped production” — which is essentially a cancellation — after their episode count dropped from 13 to 9, and was moved from Thursday to Saturday nights.

And finally, it was announced today that ABC’s first cancellation of the season would be the reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” after only four episodes.

Tough luck, eh? It’s a rough world out there. With the amount of money networks spend to produce new shows, they expect them to deliver. And when the ratings don’t go their way within a matter of weeks, away the shows shall go — quicker than you can change the channel on them.

Luckily for you, I have a solution or two...OK three, to fill the voids left on your DVR. A few shows that far exceeded their expectations, and that I should have included on my fall TV preview. Hey, we all make mistakes, right NBC?

Replace “The Playboy Club” or “Charlie’s Angels” with “Revenge”

“Revenge” is exactly that — a show about a young woman who heads to the Hamptons to enact revenge on the people who caused her father’s death, and in turn, ruined her family. Emily VanCamp, of “Everwood” fame, plays the part of the young woman leading a double life; she is only known as Emily Thorpe to the wealthy residents of the Hamptons, not Amanda Clarke, who they knew as a child.

Each week Thorpe gets rid of one of the people responsible for her father’s death in an ever-so-revengeful way — whether it be exposing an affair of a senator or causing best friends to turn on each other.

It’s a delightful little drama with the perfect amount of innocence that leaves you wanting more each week.

•

“Revenge” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC

Replace “Free Agents” or “How to Be a Gentleman”
with “2 Broke Girls”

A laugh-out-loud comedy from the mind of Whitney Cummings. Now I bet you’re saying, doesn’t she have her own show this fall? Why, yes, she stars in “Whitney” over on NBC, but the Whitney writer has far exceeded the Whitney actress.

“2 Broke Girls” follows Max (Kat Dennings), a waitress in a NYC diner with a sassy attitude, and Caroline (Beth Behrs), a spoiled princess of a girl who comes to work at the diner after her father was caught in a Bernie Madofff-like Ponzi scandal and goes to jail, leaving Caroline with nothing.
Eventually the two become roommates and strive to open a bakery with Caroline’s business skills and Max’s knack for tasty cupcakes. Dennings and Behrs play off each other is great, and the comedy stylings are reminiscent of “Two and Half Men,” where sexual innuendoes and brass comedy fill the air.

•

“2 Broke Girls” airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Replace “H8R” with “Work of Art — The Next Great Artist”

From the mind of Sarah Jessica Parker, this reality show adds a bit of class to the reality world. After the first season’s brief run in the summer of 2010, “Work of Art” returned to Bravo on Wednesday and is as creative as ever.

The premise involves 14 artists — from painters to sculptors to performance artists — all vying for their own private art show at the famed Brooklyn Museum and a $100,000 prize. A gallery show is put on at the end of each week and, with the input of three judges, one person is then eliminated.

As kooky as some of the self-proclaimed artists are, the show is really about the art they produce. Each week the participants are given a theme, and it is their job to produce a piece of art in the medium of their choice. It’s not only interesting to see each artist bring out strengths within their forte, but also to see them step out of their comfort zone and produce an exquisite piece in a different medium they’re not used to. As the viewer, it’s intriguing to see how each artist interprets the idea and puts their own unique spin on things.

•

“Work of Art” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

Spooktacular shows

It’s October... well, you know that ... and that means Halloween will be here before you know it. But before you start digging out your devil ears and witches capes, prepare to be spooked right in your own living room. These aren’t Halloween specials... these are a crop of horror happenings that will keep you on the edge of your seat well after your Halloween candy has gone stale. So rather than wait until the end of the month, sit back, grab a hold of someone near you and get ready to be scared straight through the end of the year. And don’t worry... I promise no poltergeists will drag you into the TV.

THE MOST GRUESOME
“Dexter” — Showtime — Sundays at 9 p.m.

By now most people at least know of Dexter Morgan — Miami Metro Homicide’s blood splatter analysist by day and vigilante serial killer by night. After last year’s somewhat demure season, “Dexter” returned in full force with last Sunday’s season six premiere.

This season Dexter runs into a series of faith-based murders committed by a professor (Edward James Olmos) and student (Colin Hanks) from a religious cult, with the first victim having his intestines replaced with snakes; in turn Dexter takes into question his own sense of faith and religion.

“The Walking Dead” — AMC — Sundays at 9 p.m.

Zombies — you either love ’em or hate ’em. With the critically acclaimed “The Walking Dead” it is hard not to love ’em. Season one’s short six-episode arc left viewers wanting much more, and after a year-long wait, they can finally rejoice.

We last left the group of zombie apocalypse survivors fleeing from the Center for Disease Control after a bomb went off inside. With the premiere episode of season two on Oct. 16, we find the survivors searching for higher ground. They find it by leaving Atlanta and heading for the countryside.

“American Horror Story” — FX — Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

As I stated in my fall TV preview, “American Horror Story” is a show to watch. And judging by Wednesday’s premiere, it may be one show you’ll need to watch in the daytime. It’s a creepy, frightful show from the creator of “Nip/Tuck” that pushes the boundaries, just as “Nip/Tuck” did, especially when it brought us the character of The Carver.

Here, a family looking for a fresh start moves into a haunted house filled with past residents — ghosts if you will — who were all doomed by the house itself; ergo, this new family is also doomed. If only they were smart enough to leave the house when the first ghastly ghoul showed up, but then we wouldn’t have a show on our hands.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FRIGHTS
“Halloween Wars” — Food Network — Sundays at 9 p.m.

No need to whisk the kids out of the room for this one, as the only zombies and haunted houses on this show are made out of cake.

Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” brings together the country’s best cake decorators, sugar artists and pumpkin carvers to compete for a $50,000 grand prize. A four-part series, with the first installment airing last Sunday (it will be re-run this Sunday at 7 p.m.), “Halloween Wars” divvies up five expert cake makers, sugar blowers and pumpkin carvers into teams, one of each specialty on each, to create amazing works of art. An the end of each episode, one team is eliminated.

The pumpkin carvers are my favorite — the detail that the artist carves into any size pumpkin from ity-bitty mini ones to 300-pounders in a matter of minutes is just crazy. They really know how to bring a pumpkin to life. Add in sugar artists who can create glass hair strands for a witch with cake artists who sculpt buttercream into grim reapers and you’ve got yourself some great “Halloween Wars.”

“Once Upon a Time” — ABC — Sundays at 8 p.m. — Starts on Oct. 23

What if one day you found out Snow White and Prince Charming were your parents? Crazy right? Well that’s the premise of “Once Upon a Time,” a show that brings classic fairy tales to life in a modern-day setting as viewers travel to Storybrooke, Maine.

It’s a premise that is out there — Storybrooke is actually another universe where fairy tale characters look like your average joes but happen to not remember their true identities or their former lives — but if you can get past how unrealistic this show is, you might be in for a fun treat. With appearances by characters such as the Evil Queen, Jiminy Cricket and Rumpelstiltskin, along with actors Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison and Giancarlo Esposito, you might wish you were part of the fairy tale world yourself.

“The Secret Circle” — CW — Thursdays at 9 p.m.

After her mother dies in a car accident, a young girl, Cassie, returns to her mother’s hometown to live with her grandmother. While there she makes plenty of friends, who she soon finds out have all descended from witches — and it turns out, Cassie has too. They’ve been waiting for her to complete the sacred Secret Circle, but after Cassie finds an old spellbook of her mother’s in her childhood room, Cassie realizes she could be dealing with some dangerous and dark powers — some of which may have led to her mother’s not-so-accidental death.

“The Secret Circle” is the sister series of CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” to which I’ve heard is quite good. Both are helmed by horror writer Kevin Williamson (“Scream” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”), so you know you’re in for a surprise or two along the way.

'The Good, the Bad, and the Emmys'

It’s Saturday, and I realize the Emmys were on nearly a weekago, but I can’t just not write about them. As you know, I love my award shows — and I’d say the Emmys are my favorite, simply for the entertainment factor. And so, since many people are still talking about what went down last Sunday, here’s my take with the second annual ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Emmys.’

THE GOOD

• Although I wasn’t psyched with JaneLynch as host, her opening number was decent. Not as good as Jimmy Fallon was last year, but Lynch had her moments. The opening had her traveling through an apartment building that happened to house every TV show out there, all while showcasing her “Glee-ful” chops with a tune called “TV is a Vast Wonderland.”

There were cameos from characters Ari Gold of “Entourage,” Doug Benson of “Weeds,”and personalities Randy Jackson from “American Idol,” Andy Richter of “Conan” and even the guys behind “Mythbusters” — Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. And let’s not forget Leonard Nimoy himself playing the part of Mr. President of Television.

It was a neat concept, especially when Lynch stopped in on “The Big Bang Theory” and had some fun with the piped-in laugher effect. Another highlight was when she made her way over to “Mad Men.” Lynch told those ad executives of the ’60s that, in 2011, you can watch TV on your phones and even fast-forward through commercials. To which, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) responds: “You’re gonna turn around, you’re gonna walk out of here and we’re going to pretend like we never

met you.”

Overall, it was a tad on the long side, which Lynch even admitted in her song, but it worked for the most part, and got the show off to a good start.

• Congrats to the cast and crew of “Modern Family.” This ABC comedy is a personal fave, and the show and its team swept the comedy category. In total, the show picked up five wins — including Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor — Ty Burrell, Supporting Actress — Julie Bowen, Writing, and Directing.

After their fourth win, Lynch put it best: “Welcome back to the ‘Modern Family’ awards. We’ve decided to throw them into the drama category to see what happens.”

• Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon presenting the award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. While on stage, they discussed whether Fallon had a speech ready in case he won for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, in which he was nominated. Fallon denied saying that “The Daily Show” would surely win.

Having his suspicions, Kimmel leaps on Fallon and after a small struggle pulls an acceptance speech out of Fallon’s pocket. Kimmel reads it out loud, and at the conclusion of Fallon’s written speech, it states “But most of all, I want to thank Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy has been there for me since day one — he’s the kindest and most supportive person in my life. He would never mock me or belittle me, especially in a large public venue such as this. I love you, Jimmy Kimmel.” Though obviously staged, Kimmel appeared slightly embarrassed but humbled all the same. Well played boys.

• A pre-taped skit involving the cast of “The Office” with numerous other TV characters making appearances and talking to the camera as the members of “The Office” do on a weekly basis.

Appearances from characters Jessie Pinkman of “Breaking Bad,” Tracy Jordan of “30 Rock,” and Roger Sterling of “Mad Men,” and a conclusion with Ashton Kutcher thinking he’s the new manager of Dunder Mifflin made for quite a laugh.

• “Mad Men” winning — for the fourth year in a row — the award for Outstanding Drama Series. The show’s fourth season was its best yet, so here’s to season 5 — you can’t come soon enough.

• The nominees for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for being original. As each of their names were announced — Amy Poehler, Martha Plimpton, Laura Linney, Tina Fey, Edie Falco and Melissa McCarthy — they descended upon the stage as if they were beauty pageant contestants. When McCarthy took home the win (a surprise one at that), she was also handed a tiara and roses to complete the look.

• This joke from “Modern Family” co-creator Steve Levitan as he accepted the award for Outstanding Comedy Series: He stated that a gay couple approached him and said “You’re not just making people laugh; you’re making them more tolerant. And I thought to myself, ‘Well, they are right; 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.”

• Kate Winslet wins Lead Actress in a Miniseries for “Mildred Pierce.” She’s now one Tony award away from completing the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony award). And I have a feeling she’ll have no trouble doing so.

• This joke from Jane Lynch: “Some people wonder why I’m a lesbian.” Without skipping a beat: “Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of ‘Entourage.’ ”

THE BAD

• The Emmytones: Before each category, a group of TV stars introduced the overall genre (Comedy, Drama, etc. etc.) in a sing-song chorus style. The group consisted of Joel McHale of “Community,” Zachary Levi of “Chuck,” Kate Flannery of “The Office,” Cobie Smulders of “How I Met Your Mother,” Taraji P. Henson of “Person of Interest,” and … Wilmer Valderrama of “That ’70s Show”? All five others are current TV stars. Wilmer Valderrama — why were you there? Did Ashton hook you up or something? Either way, it was an unnecessary gag.

• Steve Carrell losing out on forever winning an Emmy for his role as Michael Scott on “The Office.” He’s been nominated six times, and this was his last chance. Instead Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the second year in a row.

MODERATE

• For the ninth consecutive year, “The Daily Show” won for Outstanding Variety Show, despite many other great contenders including the likes of Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and “Saturday Night Live.”

I said it last year, and I’ll say it again: Spread the wealth, Jon Stewart. “The Daily Show” is a great show, with smart writing, I know. But other people are funny and clever too! Maybe after they win next year, they’ll give it a rest with 10 and retire out of the category.

• Kyle Chandler of “Friday Night Lights” picks up Lead Actor in a Drama. Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” has won the last three years, deservedly so, but unfortunately the fourth season was not eligible in time for this year’s awards. So with Cranston out of the picture, this was the category to which many thought long-overdue nominees such as “Mad Men’s” Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall of “Dexter” or Hugh Laurie of “House” would finally win. Throw in Steve Buscemi of “Boardwalk Empire” and Timothy Olyphant of “Justified” and you’ve got quite a list of contenders.

But the underdog won it — and I say good for him. After all, it was the last season for “Friday Night Lights,” and although I’ve never watched the show, all I’ve ever heard for it is praise.

• Charlie Sheen returned to present, as he said, his former category — Lead Actor in a Comedy. He was surprisingly subdued, and even took the time to wish his former “Two and a Half Men” colleagues the best with their new season. “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. I know you will continue to make great television.”
What now? Where’s the crazy Sheen from six months ago? Cleaned-up Sheen is not nearly as amusing but good for him. Here’s hoping he comes back to television with a bang.