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Sometimes you need to jest a little in order to deliver the most deserved comment possible. That said: imagine if you went back in time to 1989 and told someone that "Doogie Howser MD" was going to host the Emmy awards exactly two decades later...and: he'd be one of the best hosts in recent years? Seriously; I would not be the least bit disappointed if Neil Patrick Harris hosted next year's Emmys. Just be sure to take the following advice to heart, Emmy: you know how you love yourself a good batch of Mad Men? Well, if you snub Lost again next year: you haven't seen a "Man" as "Mad" as those who will picket your offices, if you even think of snubbing Lost in its final season. You've been warned.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself. The evening began brilliantly with Neil Patrick Harris singing. No, those who missed it: don't look for complaints about the show just yet. He was good. Much like Billy Crystal's Oscar songs of yesteryear: he joked playfully at some of the nominees, danced a little on stage and in the end listed around 20 networks without catching a breath. It was a good start for an awards show that kept its pace and was a mere two minutes overtime.

Most Pleasant Emmy Win 2009

Favorite moments? Without a doubt, my number one fave moment would have to be the Most Deserved Emmy Of 2009: Michael Emerson, for his spot-on perfect performance, as the nefarious Benjamin Linus in the hit drama series, Lost. No, I will not use this as a segue to complain about Lost's snub some more. There's more than enough time for that later. For now let's commend the actors of TV, for giving Best Supporting Actor honors where those honors were due for three years (Emerson has been nominated three consecutive seasons; this was his first Emmy win).

Emerson would be just one of a batch of surprising yet pleasant, deserved wins for acting in the past season. Cherry Jones would win as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, for her presidential role in the most recent season of 24. Jon Cryer won for his work on Two and a Half Men, while Kristin Chenoweth won for the now cancelled Pushing Daisies. In the biggest Emmy surprise: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) would win as Best Dramatic Actor, against such nominees as Dexter's Michael C. Hall, The Mentalist's Simon Baker, and the titular House Hugh Laurie.

In expected yet still deserved Emmy wins: The Amazing Race would continue its (deserved) consecutive winning streak as the best reality series, although once again Survivor's Jeff Probst would win as best reality host (although he humbly shook the hand of Race's Phil Keoghan as he approached the stage). As for the most expected moment: 30 Rock would win as Best TV Comedy Series, and not Family Guy. Shocking, isn't it?

Along the way, a touching memoriam was given with Sarah Mclachlan singing "I Will Remember You" live on stage. It was another sign of how Emmy learns from Oscar night's mistakes each year, because while the singer sang, the TV screen faded into the memoriam, which played full-screen without any obstructions...like, say, the singer in the foreground during the memoriam. Not that Oscar's faux pas this year was singer Queen Latifah's fault. Not at all. Though it is a sign of how Emmy often gets right what Oscar gets wrong. It was a very touching memoriam, made even more touching by Mclachlan singing her hit song, live.

Well, at least one audience member liked Fallon's joke...

Well, at least one audience member liked Fallon's joke...

Presenters weren't allowed to do much so I can't complain about most of their "performances" one way or another. The rare exception to the rule is when Jimmy Fallon was able to offer an amusing shtick to introduce the Emmy for "Best Original Music and Lyrics." He begins the moment with a mock "put your hands together" musical interlude, with Fallon's voice digitally synthesized with all the goofy sound FX of most singers these days. Then he mocks a back injury, and keeps saying "ouch my back" and "roll the nominees" all while his voice is still being synthesized. It loses a little in the translation though trust me it was funny! It even had comedians in the audience in stitches. Oh, and just FYI: the winner of Best Original Music/Lyrics went to Hugh Jackman's opening number for the Oscars earlier this year. Bravo!

Acceptance speeches were right down the middle: nothing terribly noteworthy, though nothing that will end someone's career tomorrow. When the writers for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart accepted yet another award, the writer at the podium confessed how speechless he was with the quip: "I have nothing...well, I haven't had anything to say since George Bush left office." Indeed, dude. Actually I'm surprised your show has remained topical and Emmy worthy with so little to joke about these days. I guess that's a good enough reason for Stewart's show to win yet again this year. Kinda.

Then there's the obligatory annual missteps. The good news is that there were not half as many missteps this year as with most Emmys...like, say, the inane round stage of 2007, where nearly 270 degrees of the "round audience" got to see little more than James Gandolfini's butt for three hours. Well: nothing was quite as bad this year. That's good news.

The Humble Nerds of SNL.

The only thing that came close: when they asked the Best Director and Best Writer categories to try and make their nominations "funny." Dudes; if it doesn't sound funny to you, just name the nominees. Sure it was funny to see Billy Crystal "sing" the writers' names for David Letterman's show, or see an actual newsman list the writers of Saturday Night Live with the suffix: "or, as they're known collectively: NERDS!" Yet it was rather painful to watch nominees for Best Director of a Variety Series, as they plodded along with the question: what advice would you give aspiring directors? Among such supposed-to-be-humorous advice: "Don't snap [your fingers]" and "When in doubt use camera 3." Funny.

Then there's the biggest misstep of the evening: Best Drama. Look; I can start a private little flame war with a gaggle of Mad Men fanboys (both of you!), as they tell me some totally false reason for Mad Men deserving Best Drama this year, and I'm telling you: shine it on, dude, because without a doubt Lost's most recent season was the best drama of the 2008/2009 TV season. Period. No, seriously: period. End of story.

In the end, one cannot fault the host or most of the winners. In fact, it was a predominantly safe, and often predictable, evening. However; with such a snub as was given to Lost in the end, I cannot be any kinder than a marginal thumbs up for Emmy this year. Maybe next year Harris can return as host, as Emmy gives Lost an honor long overdue. Until then this year's telecast was...passable...and in the end: most of its best moments were all thanks to "Doogie." Who would've thought that in '89?

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The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards