‘Mad Men’ wins third drama award in a row; Showtime, HBO win 3 prizes

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‘Mad Men’ wins third drama award in a row

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globes can’t get enough of “Mad Men,” and has fallen for “Glee.”

AMC’s series about 1960s America, as seen through a Madison Avenue ad agency, won its third straight award for best television drama on Sunday. Fox’s “Glee” is a newcomer that wasn’t around for last year’s Golden Globes, and the category “best comedy or musical” was actually won by a musical.

“This is for anybody and everybody who ever got a wedgy in high school,” said Ryan Murphy, “Glee” creator.

The victory for “Glee” was a salute for innovation on a broadcast network, at a time cable gets more critical attention. The pay cable network HBO had four awards and Showtime won three.

“Glee” competed against four comedies for its award.

“We would like to thank all the wonderful people who actually thought a musical would work on prime-time television,” Murphy said.

Victory has not grown tired for Matthew Weiner, creator of “Mad Men,” who said he was grateful for the show’s award at a time television is strong. “This organization picked up and put us on the map,” he said backstage.

NBC was responsible for a comedy award — Alec Baldwin’s supporting work on “30 Rock” — and for some of the night’s background drama. There were a handful of references to the network’s ratings troubles and late-night tangle with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.

“Mad Men” won despite a big night for Showtime’s “Dexter.” Michael C. Hall won for best actor in a drama and John Lithgow won a supporting actor honor. Both men play serial killers who match wits on the bloody series.

Hall, who is undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and wore a black head cover as he accepted his award, did not mention his illness.

“I’ve had the most wonderful time creeping out the entire country for the last six months,” said Lithgow, whose Trinity killer joined the series this season.

Best actress in a drama went to Julianna Margulies, who portrays a lawyer picking her life up after being humiliated by a high-powered husband who wound up in jail. Flustered by her first Golden Globe win after seven nominations, she relaxed after kissing her fellow “ER” actor George Clooney on the way to the stage.

She said later that she was looking for a job on a cable show because she thought it would allow her artistic freedom, but found it instead on CBS, where her show is in its first year.

Onstage, Margulies thanked CBS executives for “believing in the 10 o’clock drama.”

That was a subtle reference to NBC, which angered Hollywood’s creative community by scheduling Leno’s weeknight show in a time slot usually reserved for scripted shows. NBC is canceling Leno, moving him back to 11:35 p.m. and likely losing “Tonight” show host Conan O’Brien in the process.

“NBC said it was going to rain at 10, but they moved it to 11:30,” Tom Hanks said acidly to NBC’s Billy Bush on the red carpet. Julia Roberts piled on: “NBC, you guys are in the toilet right now!”

NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker skipped the Golden Globes, even though his network was televising it. Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, was there.

HBO’s “Grey Gardens,” about reclusive mother and daughter Edith and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was judged the best movie or miniseries made for TV. Drew Barrymore, who co-starred with Jessica Lange, took the prize for best actress in a miniseries or TV movie for her role as the eccentric “Little Edie.”

A nervous Barrymore accepted the award, thanking producers for taking a chance on her for the role even though she’s known to have a goofy reputation.

“As I get older, I thank everyone in this room because this is my family, and I have grown up here,” said Barrymore, 34, a popular actress since she was a child in “E.T.”

Toni Collette of Showtime’s “United States of Tara” was judged best actress in a comedy. She said she hoped the award would draw some attention to the series.

The Golden Globes made its choice among the three wives on HBO’s “Big Love,” giving Chloe Sevigny a supporting actress award.

Kevin Bacon, who played a Marine escort for the remains of troops killed in Iraq in the HBO move “Taking Chance,” won for acting in a made-for-TV movie.

“I wouldn’t say it was fun, but it was an amazing, amazing experience for me,” Bacon said.