The Emmy Awards which showcase the best from America's television industry finally took place last Sunday at the Shubert Theatre. The show which had to be postponed twice on account of the events on 11 September, began with a jazz trumpeter playing a soulful version of God Bless America and concluded with singing legend Barbra Streisand doing a heartwrenching rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone. The song encourages people to get on with their lives in the most depressing of times. HBO's comic series Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker in the lead went home with a trophy in the outstanding series category.

In a tussle between gangster and president, The West Wing chronicling drama and tension in the White House with Martin Sheen in the lead got the prestigious award of best drama series beating out The Soprano's. However mafia husband-wife combo James Gandolfini and Edie Falco bagged awards in the acting categories for The Soprano's which currently airs on Zee English. The people behind the scenes of The West Wing worked quickly to put a special episode together which addressed the issue of terrorism. This was the first time the Emmy's had been postponed but the invitees looked fairly relaxed and showed no signs of any security concerns. The show was hosted by gay activist Ellen Degeneres.

HBO and NBC led the party with 16 wins apiece followed by Fox with 15. ABC bagged 10 votes while CBS was placed fifth with 8. One of the night's huge upsets was Peter MacNicol best judged best supporting actor for Ally McBeal in a field that included Robert Downey Jr. Presenter Kelsey Grammer had a hilarious time describing how tough the job of directing himself in Frasier was. Brian Cox was recognised for his tough as nails portrayal of Nazi commander Hermann Goering. The category was Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Mike Nichols (The Graduate) could not be present to receive his award for directing Wit. Another person conspicous by his absence was British thespian Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet) who won for acting in HBO's nazi drama Conspiracy.

One of the victims of the 11 September attack was Frasier creator David Angell and Jean Smart who won for her acting on the show paid tribute to him.

The Emmy's were shown in 96 countries with an estimated audience of 645 million. However the November date meant that it went head to head in the US against Game Seven of the World Series.