LOS ANGELES - "Mad Men", the acclaimed new show set in a New York advertising agency on the cusp of the 1960s social revolution, won the Emmy Award as best television drama on Sunday for its first season on the air.

The AMC network's period piece becomes the first series from a cable channel other than HBO to claim the prestigious best-drama title. "Mad Men" prevailed in a rare six-way contest against two other cable shows - "Damages" from FX and Showtime's "Dexter" - as well as ABC's "Boston Legal", the Fox medical hit "House" and the 2005 winner, "Lost", also from ABC.

More predictably, "30 Rock" wins its second Emmy for best comedy for a second straight year. The show-within-a-show, named for NBC's actual street address in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center, initially struggled to find an audience despite critical praise but gained viewers this past season after its 2007 Emmy victory.

Starring "Saturday Night Live" veteran Tina Fey as the harried head writer of a TV variety show, "30 Rock" triumphed over the 2006 best-comedy winner, "The Office", also from NBC, as well as the bawdy CBS hit "Two and a Half Men" and a pair of HBO nominees - "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage".

The show also won for best lead actor and actress in a comedy series. Tina Fey who won the Emmy Award as best
actress in a comedy series for "30 Rock" is also the creator and producer behind the series, which is loosely based on her experience as head writer on "Saturday Night Live". Fey clinched the acting prize over last year's winner, America Ferrera of "Ugly Betty" as well as Christina Applegate of "Samantha Who?", Mary-Louise Parker of "Weeds" and the 2006 champion, Julia Louise-Dreyfus from "The New Adventures of Old Christine".

The show's lead actor, Alec Baldwin won the Emmy Award for best actor in a television comedy series for his role as a venal, egotistical broadcast executive. Baldwin prevailed over challenges from fellow NBC star Steve Carell of "The Office", as well as three-time past winner Tony Shalhoub of "Monk", Charlie Sheen from "Two and a Half Men" and Lee Pace of the new ABC series "Pushing Daisies".

Alec Baldwin, accepting award for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for "30 Rock." said, "They say actors are people who look good saying lines written by smarter, more clever people. And, in our show that is certainly the truth."

Bryan Cranston, formerly best known as the goofy dad on the Fox family comedy "Malcolm in the Middle" - a role for which he earned four Emmy nominations but never won - won the Emmy Award as best actor in a TV drama on Sunday for his role as a terminally ill high school teacher who cooks crystal methamphamine on the side in the AMC series "Breaking Bad".

Cranston scored a surprise victory in a six-way race against last year's winner, James Spader of "Boston Legal"; as well as Jon Hamm of "Mad Men"; Hugh Laurie from "House"; Michael C. Hall of "Dexter"; and Gabriel Byrne from "In Treatment".

Five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close won the Emmy Award as best actress in a television drama on Sunday for playing a ruthless trial lawyer on the FX cable network series "Damages". Close prevailed over last year's winner, Sally Field of "Brothers & Sisters", as well as three actresses playing cops - Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", Holly Hunter of "Saving Grace" and Kyra Sedgwick of "The Closer".

Laura Linney won the outstanding lead actress in a mini-series award for her portrayal of John Adam's wife in the eponymous drama series "John Adams", while Jon Stewart has picked up an Emmy for the Daily Show.
"I really look forward to the next administration, whoever it is," Stewart said as he accepted the trophy. "I have nothing to follow that. I just really look forward to the next administration."

Jeremy Piven of "Entourage" and Jean Smart of "Samantha Who?" received best supporting comedy acting honors at Sunday's Emmy Awards, with Zeljko Ivanek of "Damages" and Dianne Wiest of "In Treatment" nabbing supporting trophies for a drama series.

Josh Groban performed a medley of TV theme songs, ranging from "The Simpsons" to "Friends" to "South Park" to "Gilligan's Island."

The Simpsons picks up its 10th win for Outstanding Animated Programme since it first aired 20 years ago.