<<img src=/images3/0919housewives_emmy_230.jpg> Kevork Djansezian, Associated Press
	Felicity Huffman, second right, poses with her co-stars, Marcia Cross, left, Nicollette Sheridan, second left, and Eva Longoria as she holds her award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her work on "Desperate Housewives" at the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards last night in Los Angeles.
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	Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press
	Cast and producers of "Lost", including Jean Higgens, center, give the Hawaiian sign for "hang loose" as they celebrate winning the award for outstanding drama series at last night's Emmy Awards
	Reed Saxon, Associated Press
	Ray Romano uses an electric fan on the top of Peter Boyle's head as the cast posed for pictgures backstage after the show "Everybody Loves Raymond" won for oustanding comedy series at last night's Emmy Awards. Looking on are Brad Garrett, back left, Patricia Heaton, second from right, producer Philip Rosenthal, right.
	Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press
	Host Ellen DeGeneres holds a a pair phony exotic birds for a skit during the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards last night,.

Emmy Awards telecast = good.

Emmy voters' picks = bad.

That's the most succinct description of last night's CBS telecast of the "57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards," allegedly honoring the best in television.

It's easy to second-guess the winners of any awards show, but the Emmys have a nasty habit of going with the tired and once true over fresh faces and innovators.

Never was that more true than during the first hour of the telecast last night when Emmy voters got so many picks wrong. Hugh Jackman over Jon Stewart? Brad Garrett over Jeremy Piven or Jeffrey Tambor? William Shatner over Terry O'Quinn or Naveen Andrews or even Alan Alda? Doris Roberts over Jessica Walter?

After that, the Emmy picks began to improve somewhat as J.J. Abrams won for directing the "Lost" pilot, S. Epatha Merkerson won acting honors for her lead role in the HBO movie "Lackawanna Blues" and "The Daily Show" won for variety/music/comedy series and writing.

Even if the early winners were an uninspiring lot, the Emmycast itself provided an enjoyable evening of entertainment.

Host Ellen DeGeneres, who also turned in a winning performance after 9/11, signed on to host the Emmys again before Hurricane Katrina hit her hometown of New Orleans. She offered heartfelt condolences and then segued seamlessly into comedy.

Whether she was teasing nominees ("Winning an award ... doesn't mean you're not a good person. It just means you're not a good actor") or freaking out the show's time keeper by wasting seconds, DeGeneres is Emmy's best friend. Can she please come back next year? And the year after that?

Add to that the kicky Blue Man Group presentation of the reality show award and an appearance by the reclusive David Letterman to pay tribute to Johnny Carson, and the Emmys offered a smorgasbord of terrific awards-show moments.

Granted, the opening musical number featuring Earth, Wind and Fire and Black Eyed Peas seemed pretty wan, but the stars' memories of winning their first Emmys were mercifully brief and nicely varied in tone.

Even the Emmy Idol gimmick worked. Who could look away while Donald Trump and Megan Mullally (as her "Will & Grace" character, Karen Walker) sang the "Green Acres" theme? And who knew Gary Dourdan ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") could carry a tune?

Here are some other Emmy highlights:

Best critique from a D-lister: E! has improved its Red Carpet coverage since the departure of Joan and Melissa Rivers. No, Star Jones Reynolds is not an improvement, but Kathy Griffin is. Adding other hosts, including Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"), just helps spread around the animus if they all disgust you. I'm a Griffin fan, so I enjoyed her critique of "Desperate Housewives" gardener Jesse Metcalfe when the camera caught him chatting on a cell phone before walking down the red carpet.

"Put your eyebrows on the night stand and hang up the phone," Griffin said. "He has lady eyebrows; pretty, drag-queen eyebrows. Enough with the tweezing."

A clever new way to tell a joke we've heard 100 times before: At the outset, Kiefer Sutherland put on his usual "24" voice to poke fun at the running time of awards shows: "The following takes place between 8 and 11 p.m. (or at least we hope it does)."

Best way to call a spade a spade: As the five "Desperate Housewives" stars presented an award, Terri Hatcher told a joke that bombed, leading Felicity Huffman to declare, "Clunk."

Best good sport: Eva Longoria was interviewed in the audience by DeGeneres about her Emmy nomination snub. "I am treated no different than the other girls," Longoria said as the camera zoomed out to show her seated in nosebleed seats.

Wait, it's not canceled yet? Why would Fox send Chris O'Donnell, star of the certain-to-be-quickly canceled "Head Cases" to be a presenter?

Best joking attempt to bite the hand that feeds her: DeGeneres joked, "We all know what's really important in life: winning an Oscar. They're for movies. Man, I'd love to host that show." Are you listening, Oscar producers?

Simple, but true (and funny): DeGeneres to the nominees: "Please don't say you didn't expect [to win]. You were nominated; you had a one in five chance!"

So true (two): In accepting the writing award for Fox's low-rated "Arrested Development," creator Mitchell Hurwitz addressed viewers, saying, "The Academy has rewarded us for something you refuse to watch." He encouraged viewers to tune in tonight at 8, promising, "You'll get back to CBS in time for 'Two and a Half Men.'"

Are you ready to give that award back now? As the writers of HBO's "Life and Death of Peter Sellers" accepted their award, they were horrendously unfunny. If you win for writing, don't make voters regret it, at least not immediately.

Biggest missed opportunity: PBS's "The Lost Prince" was a surprise winner for best miniseries, but in accepting the award, "Masterpiece Theatre" executive producer Rebecca Eaton missed a perfect opportunity to remind viewers (and corporate executives watching at home) that the series still lacks a sponsor.

Most entertaining presenter speech: Presenter Jon Stewart pre-taped an introduction in which he pretended he was censored for being too topical, edgy and profane. In the tape, his criticism of the government's response to Hurricane Katrina was replaced with words of praise, ending with a spoof of Kanye West on NBC's recent telethon.

"Oh, and George Bush hates Black [Sabbath]," Stewart said.

Most entertaining acceptance speech: "Oh my God, I actually wrote something and I put it in my thing," said S. Epatha Merkerson, pointing down her dress, between her bosoms, "and it went down and I can't get to it. ... My mother's watching, and she's gonna die!"

Then she saw her cue and bade a simple farewell: "Please wrap it up? OK. Thank you."