For those of you watching the other channel, or otherwise indisposed, here’s what happened at the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

5:01 p.m. Host Neil Patrick Harris takes the stage with a cabaret number extolling us to “put down the remote … don’t touch the dial … don’t hit the loo.” 

5:06 p.m. ”Here’s hoping Kanye West likes ‘30 Rock,’” Harris jokes, referring to the rapper’s wee contretemps with Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last Sunday.

5.12 p.m. BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS: KRISTIN CHENOWETH (”PUSHING DAISIES), her first win. 

5:13 p.m. “I’m unemployed now, so I’d like to be on Mad Men. I also like ‘The Office’ and ‘24,’” says the co-star of the canceled show, which picked up three Emmys at the “creative arts” portion of the Primetime Emmys last Saturday. 

5:21 p.m. BEST WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES: MATT HUBBARD (”30 ROCK”). His “Reunion” episode beat three other “30 Rock” episodes.

5:25 p.m. BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR: JON CRYER (”TWO AND A HALF MEN”). His first win after four Emmy nominations. “I used to think that awards were just shallow tokens of momentary popularity,” he said. “But now, I realize they are the only true measure of a person’s worth as a human being.”

He said the show’s nominated star, Charlie Sheen, should get an Emmy, too. “This is yours,” he said to Sheen. Interestingly, fellow nominees such as Harris (”How I Met Your Mother”) and Jack McBrayer (”30 Rock”) got louder applause when the nominations were read out.

5:35 p.m. First shock: BEST COMEDY ACTRESS: TONI COLLETTE (”UNITED STATES OF TARA”). First win by Australia this year. “This is insanely confronting,” she says. Justin Timberlake, the presenter, clearly was not expecting the win. Tina Fey was hoping for a second consecutive win, but she did win a statuette last weekend for her guest role on “Saturday Night Live.” Nominee Sarah Silverman wore a mustache. “That’s what hormones will do,” Timberlake says.

5:39 p.m. Fey and Timberlake on the stage to give acceptance speeches for their guest-starring Emmys last weekend, both for turns on “Saturday Night Live.”

5:41 p.m. “THE OFFICE” finally gets some Emmy recognition this year as JEFF BLITZ win for BEST COMEDY DIRECTING. The show has nine nominations overall. “30 Rock” had three nominations in this category. It’s only the fourth Emmy ever for “The Office.”

5:50 P.M. BEST COMEDY ACTOR: ALEC BALDWIN (”30 ROCK”), for the second year. He dedicates his award to the show’s producer, Lorne Michaels — “the greatest boss you could ever have.” The award was presented to the portly actor by the svelte Rob Lowe. “To be honest, I’d trade this to look like him,” he says. Baldwin’s co-star Jane Krakowski struggles to hold back tears.

Best comedy will be announced at the end of the ceremony. ”30 Rock” leads the field with 22 nominations overall. The NBC comedy picked up two awards last Saturday, and added two at the main event. It will fall short of last year’s total of seven, which included best comedy.

“Mad Men,” with 16 nominations this year, grabbed one last Saturday, and is up for nine nominations in six categories. The AMC drama won six Emmys last year, including best drama, but none for acting. This year, Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss and John Slattery will hope to break that dry spell. 

5:58 p.m. REALITY SHOW HOST: JEFF PROBST (”SURVIVOR”). Noting last year’s disatrous co-hosting gig by reality-show hosts, Probst says to Harris: “This is how you host the Emmys. Nice job.” He implores everyone to live their dreams because life is short.

6:06 p.m. BEST REALITY SERIES: “THE AMAZING RACE” continues its unbroken, seven-year streak. Says Harris: “Unbelievable. Upsets at every turn.”

6:10 p.m. Now it’s onto the miniseries/TV movie section. Big contenders are ”Little Dorrit,” “Grey Gardens” and “Into the Storm”

6:11 p.m. SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN MINISERIES/MOVIE: SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO (”HOUSE OF SADDAM”). Her first win, first nomination. The Tehran-born actress is wearing a green wristband in support of protesters in her native country.

6:13 p.m. SUPPORTING ACTOR IN MINISERIES/MOVIE: KEN HOWARD (”GREY GARDENS”). Also his first win and nomination. Second Kanye West joke with a political bonus: “I’ll make my speech short in the the hope that it won’t be interrupted by a congressman or a rapper.” He thanks a stuntwoman who gave him a spare kidney. This is the fourth win for “Grey Gardens,” which scored 17 nominations overall.

6:22 p.m. LEAD ACTOR IN MINISERIES/MOVIE: BRENDAN GLEESON (”INTO THE STORM”). The Irish actor wins the project’s second award, for playing Winston Churchill. He thanks the producers for allowing his mother to watch an early cut just before she died. The WWII drama has 14 nominations overall.

6:24 p.m. “LITTLE DORRIT” wins its fifth Emmy as absentee winner Andrew Davies is honored for BEST WRITING. 

6: 26 p.m.  Make that six wins for “LITTLE DORRIT” thanks to DEARBHIA WALSH for BEST DIRECTOR. And another win for Ireland. She thanks her partner for watching the cuts and giving her notes. “It looks like there’s three of us in the bed tonight.”

6:32 p.m. JESSICA LANGE wins BEST ACTRESS IN MINISERIES/MOVIE for “GREY GARDENS.” She beats co-star Drew Barrymore. She thanks, among many people, Albert Maysles, the co-director of the documentary that inspired the HBO show, and the eccentric subjects, Big Edie and Little Edie.

6:41 p.m. Another win for “GREY GARDENS” with BEST TV MOVIE. It ended up with five awards overall, from 17 nominations.

6:44 p.m. A 50/50 chance of winning BEST MINISERIES, as “LITTLE DORRIT” predictably beats “Generation Kill.” That makes it seven for the BBC/PBS Dickens adaptation.

6:45 p.m. The show moves into the variety section where there are four categories.

6:50 p.m. “AMERICAN IDOL” wins the DIRECTING award, with Briton BRUCE GOWERS accepting for the first time after seven nominations. Did he really direct the Queen video for “Bohemian Rhapsody”? A Google search says, Yes. Mamma Mia!

6:54 p.m. After half of the Manhattan phone book is read out, the winner for BEST WRITING is “THE DAILY SHOW.” Jon Stewart was the designated speaker, but he was beaten to the mike by a speechless colleague who eventually said, “I haven’t had anything to say since George Bush left office.”

7:00 p.m. Jimmy Fallon and his Autotune device take the stage for the MUSIC AND LYRICS award, which goes to the crew for the 81st annual Academy Awards. The one with Hugh Jackman. A great day for “the dumbest, dumbest ugliest people.”

7:06 p.m. Ricky Gervais on the stage, with the best jokes of the night. Here’s what he said. “This the greatest awards ceremony in the world … The thing about the Oscars and the Golden Globes is they’ve got film stars there, with their jawlines and chiseled looks, making me feel bad. But in this room, I’m probably above average. Yeah, definitely. (Tom Hanks jokingly shakes his head). Steve Carell is considered handsome. Think of that! Rainn Wilson, well. … We’ve got to be honest. He is weird, even in this company. I can have a go at ’The Office’ because I’m executive prodecer, whatever that means. I’ll tell you what it means. It means I created the show so I sit at home and wait for the checks to come through. Oh yes. Syndication. They said, ‘Oh syndication’s not what it used to be.’ Take another look. Audit.  That joke just for the 5,000 people in this room, not for the 5,000 people watching at home. I’ve pissed off two networks in one minute. That is good going.”

7:08 pm. “THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART” wins VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES. Stewart offers more kudos to Harris, but it’s not easy  following Gervais.

The end is near. Drama series now.

7:19 p.m. MICHAEL EMERSON wins SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA for “LOST.” “I feel like I’m living out a character actor’s dream,” said Emerson, who previously won an Emmy for his guest role as a killer in “The Practice.”

7:21 p.m. Hail to the Chief! CHERRY JONES wins SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA for “24.” It’s only the second acting statuette for the veteran drama, following Kiefer Sutherland’s best actor win in 2006.

7:22 p.m. Sarah McLachlan sings “I Will Remember You” during the In Memoriam section. Patrick Swayze, Natasha Richardson and Paul Newman get the loudest cheers. Honorable mentions to Ron Silver, Dominick Dunne, Michael Jackson, Larry Gelbart and Farrah Fawcett.

Six awards left.

7:33 p.m. Michael J. Fox and Ellen Burstyn, winners last weekend of drama guest acting Emmys, present the DIRECTING and WRITING awards. ROD HOLCOMB (”ER”) is the absentee winner of the former, while KATER GORDON and MATTHEW WEINER win for writing the “MAD MEN” episode “Meditations in an Emergency.” It’s the first win tonight for 16-time nominee “Mad Men,” which previously won a prize at the creative arts portion. Weiner says he may be the only person at the venue who has “complete creative freedom … When you get something like this, it makes writing look fun. But it’s not!” He offered a piece of advice to struggling writers. “If you’re out there, just hang in there and remember that when you look down the row at that guy at Starbucks with the computer, it’s probably one of us.”

7:39 p.m. GLENN CLOSE (”DAMAGES”) wins for LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA for the second year. “We all go where there’s great writing,” she says. It’s her third Emmy overall.

7:48 p.m. Life is unfair? BRYAN CRANSTON wins the LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA prize for “BREAKING BAD” for a second year. “I’m thankful for so many things. Lee Trevino was struck by lightning twice and now I know how he feels,” he says. “I’m a poor kid from the (San Fernando) Valley. I don’t know what I’m doing up here. I feel like Cinderfella.” And that means no acting prizes, yet again, for “Mad Men.”

7:53 p.m. For the third consecutive year, “30 ROCK” is named BEST COMEDY. Star/creator Tina Fey thanks the network suits for “keeping us on the air even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show.”

Final award still to come, best drama…

8:00 p.m. Shock! “MAD MEN” wins BEST DRAMA for second year. “We worked very hard to not have it stink the second year,” creator Matthew Weiner says. “It is an amazing time to work in TV and I know that everything is changing but I’m not afraid of it because I feel like all these different media, it’s just more choice and more entertainment and it’s better for the viewers in the end, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

American television audiences were treated on Sunday night for the first time to the show "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency", which is based on the best-selling series of novels set in Botswana by Alexander McCall Smith.

The series, being aired in the United States by HBO, has already been broadcast by the BBC in Britain. Like the novels, it follows the light-hearted adventures of Precious Ramotswe as she seeks to solve mysteries with her keen intuition and big heart.

My colleague Rebekah Kebede did an advance story on the U.S. premier which you can read here.

I have read most of the novels, and the TV premier seems to stick to the spirit of the books. African problems, such as AIDS or the use of body parts from kidnapped children to make traditional medicine, or "muti," are not swept under the carpet. But many of the tales woven by McCall Smith are uplifting or deal with profound ethical dilemmas that his intrepid lady detective always resolves.

And it takes place in Botswana, a sparsely-populated land of great beauty and spectacular wilderness -- I've seen elephant herds crossing the highway there -- long regarded as a beacon of good governance and democracy in Africa.

It provides a pleasant change from the entertainment industry's often negative portrayal of Africa. For example, the current season of the Fox thriller "24" features terrorists from a genocidal African state taking over the White House and threatening the U.S. president.

Recent movies set in Africa, including "Blood Diamond" and "Hotel Rwanda," also have dwelled on the sadder parts of the continent's history.

Botswana, whose economy relies heavily on extensive diamond deposits, no doubt hopes to get a tourism boost from the series' run in America. A global economic slowdown has slashed demand for diamonds, leading to output cuts in Botswana, the world's biggest producer of the precious stones, and shrinking government revenues.

What do you think? Is it high time that Africa was shown in a better light? Or do "sunny" treatments of the continent need to be balanced with depictions of its grimmer realities?

(Photo Credit: Keith Bernstein, courtesy of HBO)

After all the pre-broadcast anguish,  the  ”Big Love”  episode depicting a Mormon endowment ceremony went ahead as planned and appears to have generated more relief than outrage.

The TV show about a polygamous family has long been a thorn in the side of the growing Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ  of  Latter-day Saints, although the Church refrained from getting drawn into a battle with cable channel HBO over the particularly controversial March 15 episode.

For those who did not cancel their subscriptions to HBO, and who watched Sunday’s episode, many thought it portrayed the sacred Mormon ritual with respect. “I think (actress) Jeanne Tripplehorn did a great job of showing how important this ceremony is to Mormons. She really hit a home run with that scene, ” wrote “Marigoldmama” on HBO’s “Big Love” forum.

One HBO forum poster admitted signing up to the premium cable channel service just to see Sunday’s episode, although that person seemed to object more to the “contrived and dumb writing on the show” than the endowment ceremony scene.

Over on lds.net — the social networking forum for Mormons and those interested in learning more about the religion — “aspenmgy” judged the episode “pretty lame” adding “they got it right but it still felt so wrong.”

Did you boycott the show, drop your HBO subscription,  or did you make sure you tuned in on Sunday? And can any TV show accurately portray the complexities of any religion?

Fans of “Sex and the City” rejoice — Patricia Field, stylist for the hit television series and movie, has created a clothing collection based on the wardrobes of characters Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

And Field says breaking to the closets of the “Sex and the City” ladies won’t break your bank. Prices range from $39 to about $200. “You don’t have to get a mortgage to afford them,” she told Reuters . “Money doesn’t make style.”

Field showcased her Destination Style New York collection, which will be available on the Home Shopping Network, at a catwalk show during New York Fashion Week.

“Sex and the City” chronicled the lives of four single women living in New York City and ended in 2004 but returned with a blockbuster hit movie this year. For six seasons American women tuned into HBO to see what Carrie, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and her friends were  wearing, from expensive Manolo Blahnik sling-back shoes to apparel from high-end designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier.

(Reporting by Jan Paschal; picture: Fabrizio Bensch, Reuters)

Ladies, get ready to gulp more Cosmopolitans. Enthused by the box office success of the recent “Sex and the City” movie, HBO executives are working with distributor Warner Bros. to lay the groundwork for a big-screen sequel. That word from HBO’s programming president, Michael Lombardo, who told a group of TV critics yesterday that interest in a follow-up film at Warner Bros. is “enormous.” Think Mr. Big.

“They’re trying with our help to put that together now,” he said. “Everybody associated with that project was really heartened by the enthusiasm from fans …  so absolutely — there’s a lot of energy behind thinking about another ‘Sex and the City’ movie.” As for when the film might materialize, he added, “I can’t say.”

Warner Bros. had nothing official to add, though a studio insider said plans for a “Sex” sequel were only in their infancy. The first film is still playing at the multiplex.

Coming to theaters four years after ending their six-season run on HBO, columnist Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) and her gal pals unleashed a frenzy among the show’s female fans, who organized large catherings to catch up with their heroines’ exploits. The movie also proved a marketing bonanza for designer merchandise. Since its May 30 release, the film has grossed nearly $345 million worldwide, easily ranking as one of the biggest chick flicks of all time.