‘Sopranos’ goes out with a bang, wins top Emmy

For their final felony, Tony Soprano’s gang stole the show at the Prime Time Emmy Awards on Sunday.

HBO’s “The Sopranos” was honored as TV’s best drama and its large, stage-filling cast given two standing ovations.

Considered by many to be the best television drama in history, “The Sopranos” also took home statues for directing by Alan Taylor and for writing by creator David Chase. In accepting, Chase gave credit to the talents of his cast. “It really is all about them,” he said.

Best lead actor in a drama went to James Spader of ABC’s “Boston Legal,” who beat out the favorite, James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos.”

“I feel like I stole a pile of money from the mob,” Spader said.

NBC’s freshman show “30 Rock” was named best comedy, although it was challenged in the ratings. Creator Tina Fey, in accepting the Emmy, thanked the show’s “dozens and dozens of viewers.”

Celebrating its 59th year, the show had some quirks.

Ryan Seacrest, the affable front man for “American Idol” and television’s all-around go-to host nowadays, appeared to underwhelm the judges – Hollywood’s television elite – as he tried stand-up comedy.

The audience of 6,000 at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium – seated in the round for the first time in an Emmy broadcast – rewarded Seacrest with restrained laughter and tepid applause.

Ray Romano, the former “Everybody Loves Raymond” star, caused a brief blackout in the show while delivering a mini-monologue.

He was joking about Patricia Heaton, who played his wife on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” sharing a bed with her new comedy partner Kelsey Grammer on Fox’s “Back to You.”

He chose a stronger expression, though. Fox producers, having the luxury of a delayed broadcast, wiped out the vulgarity with about five seconds of awkward dead air.

Sally Field did the same when she was named best dramatic actress for her mother’s role in ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters.”

She gave a rambling speech that congratulated her co-stars, talked about mothers waiting for children to return from war, then uttered something about a better world that was likewise sanitized by dead air.

Ricky Gervais of HBO’s “Extras” and America Ferrera of ABC’s “Ugly Betty” were named best actors in a comedy.

Getting the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy was Jeremy Piven, a two-time winner for his portrayal of a fiendishly driven Hollywood agent in HBO’s “Entourage.”

“I want to thank our entire crew,” Piven said, echoing the standard acceptance speech, then adding: “I don’t know any of their names.”

Named best reality show was “The Amazing Race” on CBS.