Could it really be this easy? Put on an Emmy show that celebrates television by embracing its shows and characters and viewers will be satisfied.

Why did it take so long to figure this out?

For the second year in a row the Emmy Awards entertained by emphasizing comedy up front and celebrating the television shows viewers actually watch, not just the critically acclaimed high-brow stuff that wins awards.

Not that the smart stuff was ignored. In addition to fantastic, clever introductions to several categories by smart, witty writers and directors, the Emmy telecast included a terrific "Modern Family" sketch featuring a studio executive suggesting changes to the series that culminated in George Clooney joining the cast.

Host Jimmy Fallon got the Emmys off to a propulsive start with a "Glee"-inspired song-and-dance number that incorporated characters from TV shows on multiple networks and bits of humor generated by many of the appearances (e.g. Betty White teaching Jon Hamm to dance). There was a lot going on -- maybe too much? -- but the sketch built to Mr. Fallon singing "Born to Run," setting the Emmy telecast on a musical path that would continue throughout its three hours.

Mr. Fallon may not be as effortlessly charming and dapper a host as Neil Patrick Harris was last year, but Mr. Fallon's enthusiasm and genuine affection for the medium helped make the Emmys an enjoyable evening of television.

Emmy telecast producers' best decision was to put the emphasis on comedies at the start. It got the show off to a rollicking start. And the comedy didn't stop. Later, even the "Year in Drama" montage was introduced with humor as Julianna Margulies and Mr. Fallon mock slapped one another.

For broadcasters, the night marked an opportunity to even the Emmy playing field with cable. Funny how that happens when broadcasters put on great shows such as "Modern Family," "The Good Wife" and "Glee." It was 45 minutes into the Emmy Awards before a cable winner emerged.

Newcomers also fared well. While some past winners repeated -- Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad," most deservedly -- there were more first-timers than usual (Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer," Archie Panjabi for "The Good Wife"), which gave the telecast a boost and kept it from feeling like a rerun. For example, "Top Chef" finally unseated "The Amazing Race" for best reality competition.

A few awards to the show itself:

Best Pittsburgh shout-out: On the NBC pre-show, Dianna Agron, who plays Quinn on "Glee," says a picture of her asleep on the Fox show's set was due to the fact "she just got back from Pittsburgh." She spent much of the summer in Western Pennsylvania filming the sci-fi movie "I am Number IV."

Cheesiest pre-show moment: On E! Ryan Seacrest chatted up "Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks about the "2 cents" she contributed to the design of her Barbie doll. "I think we see your 2 cents," Mr. Seacrest said while holding the buxom Barbie. Really, Ryan?

Brave celebrities: Murrysville native Julie Benz was among the celebs who allowed themselves to be photographed from 360 degrees by the E! "glam cam" and then have their outfits critiqued by the likes of Kelly Osbourne.

Smart producing move: When showing celebs who would appear after a commercial break, producers used clips of actors as their characters rather than on the red carpet, making them easier for viewers at home to recognize.

Funniest acceptance speeches: "Glee" supporting comedy actress winner Jane Lynch said of her young co-stars, "I love you, you're wonderful, and when I'm not seething with jealousy, I'm so proud of you!" "Nurse Jackie" lead actress winner Edie Falco called her win "ridiculous" and insisted, "I'm not funny," in a speech that was pretty darn amusing.

Best digs at NBC: Mr. Fallon was happy to bite the hand that feeds him, getting in an early Conan O'Brien joke ("Asking a host of late night to come to Los Angeles, what could possibly go wrong?") and later introducing the stars of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" saying that last season they saved "the most special victim of all, the 10 p.m. time slot on NBC."

Best behind-the-scenes tidbit: The Emmy telecast not only showed television programming that viewers love, it also showed how TV works with an on-screen clock that explained how much overtime the telecast was running.

Best product placement: Hey, if the cast of "Community" wants to be entertaining and make me forget I'm watching a car commercial, I'm game.

Most reliable awards show presence: Ricky Gervais made another hilarious appearance as an awards show presenter, this time complaining about the lack of alcohol and producers' fears about what might happen if attendees have a drink. This led Mr. Gervais to call out a few Hollywood hotheads but not, he said, Mel Gibson: "He's been through a lot. Not as much as the Jews," a knowing reference to Mr. Gibson's offensive outbursts.

Best jokey rhyme: "'The Pacific' is up for a dozen awards," Mr. Fallon sang to Tom Hanks, who produced the HBO miniseries with Steven Spielberg. "Better break the news to Spielberg, you're running out of wars."

Best quality TV character remembered: Emmy winner Claire Danes, who starred as teenager Angela Chase on ABC's "My So-Called Life," channeled her inner Angela in her acceptance speech, saying, "Thank you, HBO, like, for serious."

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