'Breaking Bad' is facing its final judgment and 'Modern Family' is looking to set a record at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Host Seth Meyers kicked off the ceremony, airing live from Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre, with a monologue that packed jokes about 'Game of Thrones,' the Emmys airing on a Monday and the flexibility of this year's categories.
'We had comedies that made you laugh, and comedies that made you cry because they were dramas submitted as comedies,' he joked.
The first award of the evening, for best supporting actor in a comedy, went to Ty Burrell for 'Modern Family.'
This is Emmys voters' final chance to fete 'Breaking Bad,' which went out with a bang in its last season, and its stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn for their roles on the AMC series.
Veteran shows and newcomers alike are also poised for potential record-setting wins on TV's biggest night.
'Modern Family' is up for a fifth best comedy series trophy that would tie it with all-time sitcom champ 'Frasier.' And if Cranston's name is called, it will give him a tie with four-time best drama actor champ Dennis Franz.
Netflix's freshman comedy series nominee 'Orange is the New Black' and sophomore drama series contender 'House of Cards' could also score breakthroughs as the first online shows to capture top Emmy Awards.
Among other potential history-making wins:
- If 'The Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons is crowned as best comedy actor, it will be his fourth Emmy and put him in league with Kelsey Grammer and Michael J. Fox.
- Matthew McConaughey, nominated for the drama series 'True Detective,' will join an exclusive club if he wins, according to awards historian Tom O'Neil, joining Helen Mirren, Helen Hunt, Liza Minnelli and George C. Scott as the fifth actor to win both an Emmy and Oscar in a single year. In March, McConaughey nabbed the best actor Academy Award for 'Dallas Buyers Club.'
- 'Scandal' star Kerry Washington would be in a class by herself if she receives the best drama series actress award, becoming the first African-American to conquer the category.
The nominees in the best drama series category are 'Breaking Bad' (AMC), 'Downton Abbey' (PBS), 'Game of Thrones' (HBO), 'House of Cards' (Netflix), 'Mad Men' (AMC) and 'True Detective' (HBO). Contenders for outstanding comedy series include 'The Big Bang Theory' (CBS), 'Louie' (FX), 'Modern Family' (ABC), 'Orange is the New Black' (Netflix), Silicon Valley (HBO) and 'Veep' (HBO).
Although the Emmys are about celebrating the best of TV, they also include 'in memoriam' tributes to industry members who died in the past year. Among those who will be remembered: Robin Williams, with Billy Crystal honoring his longtime friend and fellow comedian and actor.
The ceremony moved from its usual Sunday home in September to avoid conflicts with 'NBC Sunday Night Football' and MTV's Video Music Awards.
Entities 0 Name: Netflix Count: 3 1 Name: Aaron Paul Count: 1 2 Name: Liza Minnelli Count: 1 3 Name: Dennis Franz Count: 1 4 Name: Jim Parsons Count: 1 5 Name: Ty Burrell Count: 1 6 Name: Cranston Count: 1 7 Name: Kerry Washington Count: 1 8 Name: Host Seth Meyers Count: 1 9 Name: AMC Count: 1 10 Name: Billy Crystal Count: 1 11 Name: Michael J. Fox Count: 1 12 Name: Helen Mirren Count: 1 13 Name: Los Angeles Count: 1 14 Name: Tom O'Neil Count: 1 15 Name: McConaughey Count: 1 16 Name: George C. Scott Count: 1 17 Name: Academy Award for `` Dallas Buyers Club Count: 1 18 Name: Matthew McConaughey Count: 1 19 Name: Kelsey Grammer Count: 1 20 Name: MTV Count: 1 21 Name: Helen Hunt Count: 1 22 Name: Silicon Valley Count: 1 23 Name: Robin Williams Count: 1 24 Name: Anna Gunn Count: 1 25 Name: Bryan Cranston Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1wu17L7 Title: Which Emmy Nominees Are Poised to Make History? - NBC News Description: LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Like baseball, the Emmy Awards are a game of statistics: Long-running shows are able to pile up TV's top awards and new records year after year. The 66th prime-time Emmys, airing at 8 p.m.