Claire Danes Page 5

Ok. Ok. Guys. Calm down. Guys. Calm down. Guys. It’s no big deal. Just a major plot point for the next season of Homeland that’s been revealed this week.  Well, a major casting point, anyway. So the latest actress to join the Homeland cast is Broadway heavyweight Victoria Clark. The Sister Act and Cinderella alumna is set to play a VERY BIG ROLE THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO REVEAL IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. This has been your spoiler warning.

Seriously. If you don’t want to know this in advance, click away... now.

Clark will play …

Continue reading: Broadway Alumna Victoria Clark Joins Homeland, But Who Will She Play?

Season 4 of Homeland is back and needs a bit of a pick me up after a previously disappointing dip in Season 3. What started out as a must-watch show that had everybody talking, including, apparently, President Obama, limped into a third season that put a lot of fans off with Slate critic commenting that she didn’t care to watch Homeland again because she had "lost faith in its ability to be coherent".

Claire Danes has won two Emmy's for Best Actress for her role in Homeland

The criticism, and the show’s exclusion from Best Drama category at the most recent Emmys, was a far cry from its Emmy win during its first year.

Continue reading: Homeland Is Back - But Is It Better?

New episodes of 'Homeland' are just around the corner! With season four of the hit CIA Showtime thriller premiering on October 5, more details regarding the cast and plot points are coming out each day. However, last week brought fans the most exciting thing they could wish for: a season four teaser trailer.

Homeland's upcoming season four will premiere on October 5

It may only be a minute long, but it's as heart racing as Homeland always is. The trailer cuts to various scenes from the upcoming season, including Claire Danes reprising her role as Carrie Mathison in her new position as station chief of CIA. You see her stationed in Pakistan on the frontlines of war, and you've also got a familar shot of her downing some prescription meds with wine. Some things never change. Most notably? Carrie is seen sitting on her bed beside a picture of her and her newborn baby. Last we saw at the end of 'Homeland's season three, Carrie was eight months pregnant when her father offered to take care of the child as she worked overseas. Sadly, the actor who played her father, James Rebhorn, passed away last March from melanoma. The show plans to honor the actor but hasn't said how yet.

Continue reading: What We Know From Homeland's Season 4 Trailer

Homeland, when it was first on our screen in 2011, became an instant hit. But after its third season, the reviews were becoming more mixed and less reliably in favour of the Showtime series. The nominations and awards followed suit and this year Homeland wasn't even nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys.

Mandy Patinkin, Claire Danes, Rupert Friend and Damian Lewis star/starred in Homeland.

Read More: All You Need To Know About The Newest Additions To Homeland.

Continue reading: 'Homeland' Season 4 Trailer Shows Carrie Back In The Field But Is The Series Out Of The Woods?

Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel American Gods is going to be adapted for the small screen by FremantleMedia after cable company HBO dropped the series last November. The adaptation of Gaiman's fourth prose novel was in limbo for some time but it now looks like American Gods will hit the small screen after all, along with another of his novels, Anansi Boys.

Neil Gaiman Will See Two More Of His Books Taken To The Screen.

 FremantleMedia, the company behind reality shows such as American Idol, announced the exciting news today: "Gaiman, the creator of the celebrated Sandman comic series, and the author of bestselling novels The Graveyard Book, Coraline and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, will executive produce the series along with FremantleMedia," via The Guardian.

Continue reading: Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods', 'Anansi Boys' Headed For TV: You Don't Want To Miss This

Homeland season three came to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday evening (December 22, 2013) with a shocking death that even the most hardened of fans didn't anticipate. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Carrie [L] and Brody [R] In The Season 3 Finale of 'Homeland'

So, after months on the run after being blamed for the Langley bombing, Nicholas Brody was killed off in the 90-minute series finale.

Continue reading: Ok, So Where Does 'Homeland' Go From THAT Death?

The fourth episode of hit CIA drama, Homeland, aired last night in the UK and showed many fans that the series still had the intelligence and ability to surprise us. The season so far has been criticised for being boring, annoying and displaying none of the plotline flair that brought the show to Emmy-winning prominence but Game On let the real Homeland wink from behind a mask.

Is It All Coming Together Now?

The explosive end of the second season left us with burning questions that we wanted immediately answered but the third season has shown us we're just going to have to be patient, as other characters, such as Brody's daughter Jess, are padded out.

Continue reading: Homeland Season 3, Episode 4 Recap: The Penny Drops

Showtime has renewed two of it's most popular shows, Homeland and Masters of Sex, for additional seasons past their current run. The network announced their plans to continue each series by at least one more season by a public statement, released via Entertainment Weekly, on Tuesday, 22 October.

The cast of Homeland won't be going anywhere soon

David Nevins, President of entertainment on Showtime, said in the statement, “Homeland continues to prove its strength for Showtime, and is one of television’s most exciting, provocative and widely-discussed shows. It has grown its audience significantly in each of its three seasons. The critical and audience reaction to Masters of Sex since its great launch has been incredibly gratifying. It’s a privilege to get to work with such talented and creative people as Alex Gansa and Michelle Ashford, as well as their tremendous casts. They have each created truly original shows, with distinctive voices that are among the most admired series on television.”

Continue reading: 'Homeland' & 'Masters Of Sex' Picked Up For New Seasons By Showtime

As Homeland season 3 moved into its third episode Tower of David this week, we learned that Carrie and Nicholas are enduring similar ordeals almost 6,000 miles apart. The suspected terrorist is in a Venezuelan slum while Carrie is holed up in a Washington area hospital. 

Homeland Aired Season 3 Epsiode 3 On Sunday

Both are on drugs too - Brody on heroin to keep him docile and Carrie on Ritalin to control her bipolar disorder. Somewhat ambitiously, episode 3 is Brody's first appearance in the latest season and for a moment it looked as though it could very well be his last. He's in a bad way - near death in fact after being ambushed in Colombia and shot twice in the stomach. 

Continue reading: Homeland Season 3 Episode 3: Brody's On Heroin, In A Slum

Though Homeland's third season will make its debut on American TV screens this Sunday, the UK will have to wait for the hit political drama until the 6th October, as Channel 4 confirms its Sunday night premiere.

Expect A Much Darker Return To The CIA Drama.

The show, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, has gained a sizeable following after its electric two seasons. The second season finale ended on an explosive note and as the end credits rolled we shook our screen with fury wondering how we could possibly wait another year to find out Brody's fate as well as how Carrie and Saul are coping picking up the pieces of a devastated CIA.

Continue reading: Homeland Season 3 UK Air Date Confirmed, "There Are A Lot Of Surprises"

We last saw Homeland's Brody fleeing to Canada with the help of agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) after the attack on the CIA's headquarters in Virginia. All the evidence points towards him -the bomb parts in his car, the Al Queda suicide video - but is there more to this than meets the eye?

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis Are Back For Homeland Season 3

Fans of Homeland won't actually get their next glimpse of Brody until episode three of the new season, which picks up two months after the bombs and sees the Senate Intelligence Committee understandably wanting heads to roll at the CIA for its inability to prevent the tragedy. 

Continue reading: Homeland Set For Explosive Season Three: But Where's Brody?

Claire Danes has to find some new room on her crowded mantelpiece after Sunday's Emmy Awards where she pulled off the remarkable achievement of winning two consecutive Emmy awards for the evening's most coveted female gong: the best actress in a drama series.

Claire Poses With Her Husband, Actor Hugh Dancy.

The Homeland actress won the same award at last year's TV industry awards ceremony but this year she'll have to make sure she doesn't leave the shiny, spiky trophy in reach of little hands. Since last year's Emmys, Danes and her husband, actor Hugh Dancy, have become parents to a little boy. Now 9 months-old, Cyrus' curious little fingers might guide him towards any shiny object.

Continue reading: Claire Danes Lifts Best Actress Emmy For Second Time Ahead Of 'Homeland' Return

The 65th Emmy Awards attracted a record number of viewers; according to the Nielsen Company the televised ceremony attracted 17.6 million viewers. The figure marks around a 33% increase from last year's show according to Reuters, but while the figures were good, the overall reception of the awards show was less than impressive.

Neil Patrick Harris presented the awards ceremony.

The ceremony was broadcast live from the Nokia Centre in L.A. on Sunday, 22 September. Last year the ceremony aired on Disney's ABC, but CBS broadcast the awards this year. Comic actor Neil Patrick Harris presented the Emmys for the second year and the star, in addition to presenting, the How I Met Your Mother star performed a song and dance number. Other performances included a dance inspired by American Horror Story, which featured dancers in black latex one-sies; a Game of Thrones themed dance and a Breaking Bad style performance complete with gas masks.

Continue reading: 65th Primetime Emmys Attracts Record Audience But Fails To Impress Critics

Last night's Emmy Awards rounded off one of the most addictive and successful years in television for quite some time. Whether you've hooked on Homeland, mad about Mad Men, devoted to Downton Abbey or hyped about House of Cards, the annual TV industry awards dished out some dazzlingly deserved gongs.

Jeff Daniels' Unexpected Best Drama Actor Win Was One Of The Evening's Highlights.

How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris acted as this year's compère and although his show wasn't nominated for the best 'Comedy Series,' Neil kept the jokes coming, making fun of how deceptively unpredictable some of this year's awards were.

Continue reading: Emmys 2013 Round-Up: Clare Danes & Jeff Daniels Crowned King & Queen [Pictures]

The hugely successful Homeland has been nominated for yet another award, with a rather specific focus this time – the show is on the list of nominees for the 2013 Mind Media Awards. The awards, sponsored by Virgin Money Giving, focus on representations of mental disorders in media, with Homeland, which centers around a secret agent struggling with bipolar disorder, and the Channel 4 show My Mad Fat Teenage Diary both having been nominated in the drama category.

Danes' character in Homeland has attracted the attention of Mind.

Elsewhere, other Channel 4 productions have also snapped up nominations, including Ruby Wax’s Mad Confessions and Jon Richardson’s A Little Bit OCD in the Documentary category, as well as Channel 4’s Mental Health Series receiving a nod for The Ian Wilkinson News and Current Affairs Award.

Continue reading: "Homeland," "My Mad Fat Teenage Diary" Nominated For Mind Media Awards For Representation Of Mental Health Issues

The first episode of the US hit series Homeland has been leaked online nearly a month before its planned release date. More than 100,000 fans have pirated the episode within the first few hours of it being uploaded according to TorrentFreak.

The premiere of the new series was expected to be released on 28th September, but the leak could cause a huge number of pirated downloads as the first episode was accessed four weeks in advance. The copy is referred to as 'workprint', which isn't the final product, meaning key elements are not included in the leak such as visual effects as well as the opening credits are missing.

A major concern with a 'workprint' leak is that it must have stemmed from a member of the post production team due to the confidentiality of upcoming series being very secure. An anti-piracy unit of 20th Century Fox who produce 'Homeland' are dealing with the situation. 

Continue reading: Homeland Season 3 Episode Leaked And Goes Viral

As political drama Homeland drew to the close of its second season, there was no official word on whether a third season was on the way but 11 Emmy nominations have certainly bolstered the faith of network Showtime. 

Claire Danes Doesn't Have An Easy Ride In S3.

During a press tour session with Homeland producers Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, as well as lead cast members Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, critics were shown the first two episodes of the third series of episodes of the fraught, tension-filled drama and sat with producers in a strangely unguarded Q&A session - to the point where one reporter had to ask whether one of the answers should be treated like a spoiler or not. Alan Sepinwall of Hit Fix enjoyed the episodes he was privy to, praising the handling of the aftermath of the season two final scenes.

Continue reading: Homeland Season 3 Preview: "Constantly Surprising & Astonishing"

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced yesterday (Thursday 18th July). The nomination ceremony was presented by Kate Mara and Aaron Paul via a live video stream on the Emmy's website. 

Kate Mara at the Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture's Celebration of 2013 in L.A.

Netflix has managed to triumph with nominations for their shows: House of Cards; Hemlock Grove and Arrested Development. The company are developing this aspect of their business, which is proving hugely popular and profitable. The future does seem bright for the company which announced it was expanding into its 64th country. It also seems likely their awards over the next few years will increase especially with recent praise of Orange is the New Black. 

Continue reading: Primetime Emmy Awards 2013: How Accurate Were Nomination Predictions?

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations will be announced on Thursday (18th July). Speculation surrounding the awards is high, with Netflix's Arrested Development predicted to triumph. The awards will be announced by Kate Mara and Aaron Paul.

Aaron Paul will announce the nominations on Thursday.

Game Of Thrones is also suspected as a strong contender in the category of Best Drama Series. Homeland who won a number of awards last year is predicted to flop owing to its disappointing second series.

Continue reading: Primetime Emmy Award Nominations: Will Netflix Triumph With 'Arrested Development'?

Claire Danes was so disillusioned with the television and film industry before landing her award-winning role on the Showtime series Homeland that she considered becoming an interior designer. Danes' star appeared on the rise after her Golden Globe winning performance in HBO's 2012 move Temple Grandin, though what followed was a gruelling two year stretch without a job.

"It was confusing. I got a lot of plaudits, and it didn't translate into more work. I was really, really struggling during that time," Danes tells the latest issue of Vogue. "And a point came where I thought, 'I really like interior design.' Someone suggested, 'Maybe your real success is in your personal life.'"

Then a strange thing happened. Danes was offered the role of a driven CIA officer battling her own psychological demons on an intriguing new show named Homeland. The actress mulled over the offer. Producers were essentially building the show around the Romeo + Juliet actress - given she was the very first to be cast - though Danes was considering a role as J. Edgar Hoover's secretary in Clint Eastwood's movie J. Edgar, starring Leonardo Dicaprio.

Continue reading: Claire Danes Considered Becoming Interior Designer Before 'Homeland'

The Downton Abbey cast took Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

30 Rock probably just about took the spoils in the TV categories of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, with both Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin taking gongs for their respective performances in the comedy; Downton Abbey took a major award in scooping Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and there was also a Lifetime Achievement Honor for Diagnosis Murder man Dick Van Dyke.

Continue reading: SAG Awards: Tina Fey And Alec Baldwin Keep 30 Rock's Star Shining; Dick Van Dyke Takes Lifetime Honor (Pictures)

After winning the coveted Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Drama, British star Damian Lewis well and truly let his hair down. The 41-year-old reportedly gave a step-perfect rendition of the Gangnam Style dance with his on-screen son, the actor Jackson Pace, before getting very, very drunk.

The Homeland stars wowed onlookers with the impromptu performance (though we reckon they had the whole thing planned). Unsurprisingly, the world's media were keen to chat with Lewis, given his big win at the Globes. He beat the likes of Bryan Cranston, Jeff Daniels, Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi in the night's closest-to-call category by far and made sure he got through plenty of the free champagne on offer. Lewis apparently had to turn down an interview with E! reporter Marc Malkin because of the sheer amount of alcohol he'd consumed! Marc Malkin tweeted: "Damien Lewis no interviews because "I'm too drunk to talk!" Love honesty!" (sic)"

It was an all-round great night for Homeland, which scooped Best TV Drama as well as Best Actress for Claire Danes. The series - based on an Israeli series called Hatufim - wrapped up its second season in December. It follows a psychologically troubled CIA agent who believes that a U.S. Marine - played by Lewis - has been turned by Al Qaeda after eight years in captivity.

Continue reading: What We Learnt At The Golden Globes: Damian Lewis Was Very, Very, Drunk

British screen icon Dame Maggie Smith did not attend the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday (January 13, 2013) though fended off stiff competition to win Best Supporting Actress in a TV drama. Dame Maggie built on her 2012 Emmy Awards win by taking the prize for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Violet, the Dowager Countless in ITV's much-loved Downton Abbey. She was also nominated for Best Actress in the film category for the well-received Quartet.

Smith did not attend the Emmy Awards last year and is rarely spotted at awards' ceremonies despite her prestigious career. However, she did collect the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Legacy Award from actor Christopher Plummer at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel back in September. At the Globes, Smith lost out to Jennifer Lawrence in the Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) category, though beat the likes of Hayden Panettiere and Sofia Vergara to the Best Supporting Actress gong for Downton Abbey. 

It was a rather successful night for British stars, with Damian Lewis taking the Best Actor in a Television Drama award for Homeland. He beat Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, Boardwalk Empire's Steve Buscemi, The Newsroom's Jeff Daniels and Mad Men's Jon Hamm in one of the evening's toughest-to-call categories. "I'd like to dedicate this to my mum, looking down on me bursting with pride telling everyone around her how well her son is doing in acting," Lewis said in his acceptance speech. It was a strong night for Homeland, which took Best Drama Series and saw its lead star Claire Danes win Best Actress.

Continue reading: Enigmatic Maggie Smith Stays Away From The Golden Globes (Still Wins)

Congratulations to Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy who have finally brought their first born into the world: a son who they have unusually named Cyrus.

The 'Romeo and Juliet' star gave birth on Monday (December 17th 2012) just days before Christmas and certainly makes for a wonderful present although child care may compromise her attendance at the Golden Globe awards on January 13th 2013. The pair had previously expressed their excitement to People magazine. 'There's no way of anticipating what that's going to mean for us but we are very excited', they said. 'We are going to love this person.' Claire has also insisted that this festive season was the most perfect time to give birth and 'getting to know' their new baby which they have since named Cyrus Michael Christopher Danes. huh?

Okay, so it's not that unusual that a high profile Hollywood couple have named their child something odd. Not that it matters - the main schools in these celebrity circuits must be so full of bizarrely named kids that there's no danger of being teased for it. Cyrus isn't really that strange then considering this fact, although one can't help but wonder if Danes is secretly a massive fan of Miley.

Claire Danes has had an incredible 2012 with Homeland being an enormous success, subsequently being nominated for a Golden Globe for her leading role in Homeland, and now it's been revealed that she has given birth to her first child, a baby boy with husband Hugh Dancy.

She's kept pretty quiet since revealing the pregnancy back in July, and the couple were seen just last week having lunch together in New York, reports USA Today, but again managing to keep their business quiet Claire gave birth on Monday. According to Dancy's rep. the baby's name is Cyrus Michael Christopher Dancy, perhaps the single most normal celebrity baby name we've ever come across. 

Danes and Dancy have been married since 2009, both actors have had a very busy year, while Claire has been busy playing CIA agent, 'Carrie Matheson', Dancy has been appearing in a Hannibal television series in which he stars as a criminal profiler, attempting to hunt down serial killers. They'll be spending the Christmas break "getting to know [their] new Dancy", they told People- little Cyrus is probably the best gift they'll receive this year, or probably of all time.   

The list of pregnant celebrities just keeps getting longer and longer this year with Lady Antebellum member Hillary Scott becoming the latest to be bearing a sprog, with husband Chris Tyrrell.

The country singer, 26, who married her band's new drummer in January this year, confirmed the happy news on Twitter to her fans. 'Chris & I are excited to announce that our Christmas gift has arrived a little early this year! We are having a BABY! We feel so blessed!!!' she wrote. It comes just in time as the trio, Hillary, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, have recently finished their huge world tour following their second album 'Own the Night's release and the news comes only days after another country singer, Jennifer Nettles, welcomed her baby boy into the world on December 6th 2012.

It's been a big year for A-List pregnancies too with Kate Middleton and Prince William's (aka the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) news being one of the most talked about events recently. Other celeb bumps include that of Radio 1 presenter Fearne Cotton, comedian David Walliams' wife Lara Stone, Peaches Geldof (again!), recently wed Rochelle Wiseman from The Saturdays (with her hubby JLS' Marvin Humes) and 'Homeland' star Claire Danes.

Last night’s episode of Homeland turned out to be a bit of a jaw-dropper, and ended up with one major character headed to the grave.

Entitled ‘The Motherf***er With A Turban,’ it was one of the most dramatic episodes yet, with Abu Nazir coming dangerously close to killing Carrie (Claire Danes) before the tables are turned and she is rescued by FBI field agents also on the hunt for him.

To summarise what happened last night: Carrie goes to find Nazir but loses him. After several possibilities are explored as to his whereabouts, or how he slipped out, Carrie becomes convinced that he’s hiding in the tunnels. Sure enough, when she leads a small team down the tunnels to hunt him down, they discover his little hideaway, where he had been sleeping. Unfortunately, just as they find their evidence, Nazir appears and kills the agent who’s with Carrie, before going after her, as well. Anyone that wasn’t covering their eyes in fear, or hiding behind the sofa at that moment, would have seen the rest of the agents rounding on Nazir and ensuring that he met a grisly end before he could do any more damage.

Continue reading: High Drama (And A Death) In Penultimate Homeland Episode

Anne Hathaway starred as this weeks guest host of Saturday Night Live last night (Nov 10), proving herself to be a master of comic timing and delivery. Don't act like you weren't surprised.

The Dark Knight Rises star threw herself into every role she took on during the show, which also featured musical guest Rihanna, lampooning a few celebs on the way. 

Her parody of Carrie Mathison, the neurotic CIA agent with bi-polar disorder from the hit show Homeland, was absolutely spot on. The character, played in real life by Claire Danes, is known for her penchant for going overboard with pinning evidence on cork boards and her tendency to sleep with witnesses, co-workers or whoever is around as well as mixing her medication with white wine - subjects that were thoroughly covered on the laugh-a-minute show.

Continue reading: Anne Hathaway Proves Her Comic Worth In SNL Appearance

Nina Tassler, the president of CBS Entertainment, delighted thousands of fans today as she confirmed the renewal of Elementary and Vegas.

Elementary is a new take on Sherlock Holmes and Watson, starring Jonny Lee Miller as the illusive detective, with a twist on the original Watson played by a woman, Lucy Liu. Vegas is also a crime based drama, which follows a Sheriff, played by Denis Quaid as he does 1960s battle with a Vegas mobster, brought to life by Michael Chiklis.

"Vegas and Elementary have opened strong, delivering big audiences and winning performances in important time periods," she said, reported by E! "Each of the shows has rich characters, big stars and a unique visual style that have stood out in the crowd, helping make two of our strongest nights even stronger." In fact, the two shows take the top spots in ratings for new shows on the network. 

Continue reading: Fall's Season Of Renews: Elementary And Vegas Set To Return

Homeland: a Showtime drama series that focuses itself on contemporary East-West tensions, has come under attack from Lebanon and Syria, as both countries are offended by the show's unflattering portrayal of Beirut.

The series revolves around two main characters, Carrie Mathison (Clare Danes) who works for CIA's counterterrorism devision, and Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) a marine who had been held captive by Al-Quaeda for 8 years. The second episode of the second season of the award winning show is set in Beirut, which shows a variety of terrorist activity in the Lebanese city.

Outraged and saddened by his city's portrayal, Lebanese Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud has sought legal action in response to the show. The Daily Mail reports "Abboud said the episode wrongly depicted the city as a strong-hold for terrorists and a place where foreigners can easily fall victim to random attacks". In many ways however, today's car-bomb attack in the city unfortunately seems to confirm Homeland's depiction of the city.

Continue reading: Homeland's Faut Pas: Episode Set In Beirut Offends Lebanon And Syria

When Julianne Moore collected her Emmy Award last night (September 23, 2012), she had a message for Sarah Palin, the woman whose character she played in the political drama Game Change. The Julianne Moore Emmy win was one of the evening's highlights, as she collected the gong and told the audience “I feel so validated since Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down.” In a night that was rife with political commentary, Moore added that Game Change “isn't as much about Palin as the political process and in an election year, this was an examination of how we pick our leaders.”

It’s election year in the United States and the forthcoming election was never far from the topic of conversation. Jimmy Kimmel hosted the annual TV awards show – considered by many to be the Oscars of the small screen – and he was quick to bring election talk to the fore. “Are any of you voting for Mitt Romney? Oh good, only 40 Republicans, and the rest godless liberal homosexuals... Being a Republican in Hollywood is like being a Chick-fil-A sandwich on the snack table at Glee,” he joked, according to Fox News.

Game Change won four Emmys in total and it wasn’t the only politically-charged drama to win big, either. Homeland – the national security drama – made winners of its two lead stars, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis as well as taking home the Outstanding Drama Series award.

Famous for his pranks; the Jimmy Kimmel lie detector a favourite amongst fans, he was always going to inject a playfulness to The 64th Annual Primetime Emmys, but was his performance as strong as those who took home the big prizes?

Sadly: no. Kimmel is one of the most accomplished presenters in Hollywood today, but last night’s performance at The Emmys didn’t quite shine like Jimmy Kimmel Live. He did his best though, and produced a solid, if unremarkable show. Of course, any Kimmel-presented broadcast wouldn’t be complete without one of his trademark pranks, and last night was no different. Midway through the show, he instructed people to go on Twitter and Facebook and post "OMG, Tracy Morgan just passed out at the Emmys. Turn on ABC right now!" Morgan played along, some people were fooled, everyone moved on. Sure it was a bit of fun; a bit of social media interaction with the fans, but it won’t live on in the memory of The Emmys greatest moments. It’s certainly no Ricky Gervais Golden Globes moment.

All in all, it was a tepid performance from Kimmel, which came as somewhat of a surprise, but perhaps the biggest surprise was Homeland’s triumph in the best drama category, beating out AMC’s powerhouse double Breaking Bad and Mad Men for the prize. Star Claire Danes won best lead drama actress, while Damian Lewis won best lead actor in a drama on a great night for Showtime.

The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards kicked off last night, and there were some surprises and with Homeland winning best drama. Modern Family also picked up best comedy, but everyone knew that would happen

Some expected Breaking Bad to sweep up, and others predicted that Mad Men would take the crown for an incredible fifth time. As it turned out, the terrorist drama/thriller Homeland took home the top prize. And the show's stars didn't miss out either, with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis both winning the best actress and best actor awards for their performances in the show. It was a great night for Showtime, as everyone (including us) expected the explosive end to season 4 of Breaking Bad to be a shoe-in for the big awards. Aaron Paul, who depicts Jesse Pinkman in AMC's meth drama did win best supporting actor, though.

In a more predictable turn, Modern Family scooped up the best comedy award. The ABC laugh-a-minute comedy, which hits screens again with a new series starting September 26th, picked up a further three prizes, with both supporting actor prizes and the writing award to make it four for the night. Whilst Jim Parsons was widely expected to win the best actor in a comedy award, his performances as Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory being so popular, it wasn't to be, and Jon Cryer of Two And A Half Men was named winner. "Something has clearly gone terribly wrong," Cryer joked.

The 64th Annual Primetime Emmys kicks off this Sunday (September 23rd) and what better way to spend a Friday night than trying to predict who’ll walk home with the big prizes? None. There’s none, apart from maybe watching some of the shows nominated.

The headline this year will be Breaking Bad v Mad Men, and all things considered, it looks like Walter White v Gus will snatch it for Vince Gilligan’s meth-lord drama. Breaking Bad has been somewhat of a revelation since Mr White first approached Pinkman to propose a small time meth empire, but it’ll be fondly remembered in TV lover’s hearts as one of the greatest shows to ever grace a box-set. Contact Music predicts Breaking Bad to break Mad Men’s spell, halting the 50’s advertising magnate’s quest for a 5th Primetime Emmy.

Elsewhere in the drama category are; Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones and Homeland, and you can guarantee that HBO’s prohibition crime drama will clean up on any set design, make up and costume categories. Claire Danes should pick up Outstanding actress in a drama for her startling role in terrorist thriller Homeland, whilst we tip Bryan Cranston to make it a special evening for AMC by picking up his fourth Emmy award for the male award.

Continue reading: Getting Ready For The Primetime Emmys: Our Predictions!

Michelle Dockery joined the cast of Downton Abbey at last night’s 64th Primetime Emmy Awards Reception. According to the Daily Mail, the upmarket dinner, held in North Hollywood, was “overrun” with cast members from the British show but Dockery stood out from the crowd, looking stunning in a demure black and white floral dress and gold shoes. Her make up was subtle and simple and her hair was tied loosely back at her neck; she looked every part the British beauty; a fitting image for the lead actress in the revered British drama.

Dockery has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress award at the forthcoming Emmys and is hotly tipped to be walking away with the gong on Sunday night (September 23, 2012). It won’t be an easy win for Michelle though. She may be becoming an increasingly popluar figure in the US but she still faces fierce competition from home-grown favourites Glenn Close (for her role in Damages), Kathy Bates (for Harry’s Law), Claire Danes (Homeland), Elisabeth Moss and Julianne Marguilies (The Good Wife). Some of Michelle’s cast members are also expected to do well, including Joanne Froggatt, who has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Froggatt was also looking stunning last night, though she opted for a much bolder look, teaming an orange shift dress with a pair of nude heels.

The Emmy Awards considered to be the ‘Oscars’ equivalent for television; they’re a big deal for the US TV industry and last night’s reception dinner was awash with stars of the small screen. The ceremony, which takes place on Sunday night, will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Continue reading: Michelle Dockery Leads Downton Abbey Cast At Emmy Awards Reception