By Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES–US mob drama “The Sopranos” said its final farewells when it picked up the top award from the 59th annual Emmy awards in Los Angeles on Sunday at television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The groundbreaking HBO series, which ended in June after an eight-year run, took home the awards for outstanding drama, best writing and directing, but unexpectedly failed to score any prizes in the acting categories.

In the comedy awards, NBC’s “30 Rock,” set in the offices of a New York television studio, picked up the top prize, while the acting prizes were shared by Ricky Gervais for his series “Extras” and America Ferrera for “Ugly Betty.”

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By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES–A mob family, a former vice president and the cast of “Roots” brought the audience to its feet at Sunday’s Emmy Awards.

Al Gore received a standing ovation from the Shrine Auditorium crowd as his Current TV channel, which features viewer-created videos, was honored for achievement in interactive television.

“We are trying to open up the television medium so that viewers can help to make television, and join the conversation of democracy, and reclaim American democracy by talking about the choices we have to make,” said Gore, whose global-warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” received an Oscar earlier this year.

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