I live-blogged last night from backstage at the Emmys...the winners were coming backstage to be interviewed and I also had a headset on so I could watch the show and comment on whatever was most interesting at that moment.
Here is just a sample of some of my observations...

Am I watching "American Idol" right now?
Nope, it's the Emmys and Ryan Seacrest is up there naming all the past hosts like Carson, Conan, Ellen etc. "Sure, they were hilarious, if that's what you're into. But would any of them shown up four hours early to host the Emmy pre-show."
Now he's mingling with the crowd, and says to Teri Hatcher, who he allegedly dated for about five minutes: "Hello Teri..." She looks mortified. I would too if I had dated Ryan Seacrest!
(Ouch! Was that my out loud voice?)

Christina is the anti-Britney in duet with Tony Bennett...
There have been all kinds of rumors for days that Britney Spears was going to appear on the Emmy telecast to apologize for her horrendous performance at the VMAs a week ago. I doubt it will happen because, well, it's a stupid idea!
Meanwhile, we see the way things could have gone for Spears in the performance tonight of her former "Mickey Mouse Club" cast member Christina Aguilera who was lovely and in wonderful voice in a duet of "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)" with the amazing Tony Bennett.
It's called being a professional.

Al Gore wins an Emmy!
He couldn't win the presidency (at least the electoral votes) but Al Gore is on a winning streak this year. The documentary he starred in, "an Inconvenient Truth," won the Oscar this year and now his TV venture, Current: An Interaction Television Network, just won an Emmy!
"We're trying to open up the television medium," Gore said.
As he left the stage, he shouted: "More to come! Current.com next month!"
The man has learned how to get his message across...

Al Gore is backstage while Sally Field wins onstage...
BREAKING NEWS: Al Gore just told us that he isn't running for president and congratulated the Academy for going green this year.
OK, back to the show: Sally Field has just won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Brothers & Sisters." She plays Nora Walker on the ABC show, the mother of five adult children, including a son sent to serve in Iraq. Field was giving a terrific speech about motherswhen that damned orchestra ruined her flow. But she collected herself to finish strong: "Let's face it, if mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any goddamed wars in the first place!"
This is Field's third Emmy. Backstage, the actress is told by a reporter that her anti-war comment at the end of her acceptance speech would get a lot of attention.
"Oh well," was her reply. "I've been there before....I don't care."
Then a reporter wanted to know what she thought of FOX bleeping out the "goddamed wars" part of her remarks. [on the West Coast, the completely cut away from Field, even the video. It was so chicken - total censorship]
Field: "Oh well. If they bleep it, I'll say it somewhere else."
The actress added: "I said what I wanted to say. I wanted to pay homage to the mothers of the world and let their work be seen and valued. i seriously think if mothers ruled the world, we wouldnt be sending out children off to be slaughtered."
Of being on "Brothers & Sisters" as Nora Walker, she said: "I'm very fortunate and grateful to have Nora Walker in my life, all the Walkers. I wanted to say something about the mothers who wait for the military children to come home. That's the heart iof Nora Walker's character this year. I don't see this kind of character examined: what is it like to be a woman in her 60s? It certainly is a blessing and a great opptortunity for me to explore myself as an actor at his time in my life."

Memorable lines from Elaine Stritch and Brad Garrett...
I love Elaine Stritch, showbiz legend. She won the Emmy last weekend for her guest role on "30 Rock" and presented with Stanley Tucci. But as she struggled with the teleprompter she confessed: "I'm not faking this. I really don't know what the hell I'm doing!"
Brought the house down.
As for Brad Garrett, his humor was more controversial.
He complimented co-presenter and "Til Death" co-star Joley Fisher on her revealing dress then said, as he towered over his much-shorter partner: "You should see it from up here! Note to self: 'Buy milk.' I think you just made Charlie Sheen's 'to do' list."
The camera panned to Sheen. He was not laughing.

Backstage with the cast of "Roots"
They came back here and I had to know, what did they think of this year's crop of nominees in the miniseries category?
Ben Vereen turned the question around and said to me: "What do YOU think?"
I didn't say. Thankfully, they had taken the mic away from me by then.
They paid tribute to Alex Haley who wrote "Roots" based on his own family history.
This is what I found sad: while Mischa Barton works in film after film, the great Cicely Tyson told us: "I'm looking for a job! I feel like Bette Davis who put an ad in the newspaper...do you remember that? I'm presently unemployed - for most of my career I've been unemployed."
She laughed when she said that. But this great actress, an Emmy winner and former Oscar nominee, still looks great and has that incredible voice.
Somebody hire this woman!

Helen Mirren has just left the press room with her second Emmy in two years - this time for "Prime Suspect." She also won the Oscar this year and she'll take it all: "Other years, I've sat out there and not won so I'm very familiar with that feeling as well." Miiren was asked if she has m et Queen Elizabeth yet, who she played in "The Queen" and won the Oscar for. the answer is no. The Queen had invited Mirren to the White House State Dinner this year but the actress was busy filming the sequel to "National Treasure." "It's embarrassing. I felt mortified and very, very bad about it but there was nothing I could do."

Meanwhile, Robert Duvall is sitting about five feet from me right now - waiting to face the press - and has placed his two Emmys on the ground. I feel like crawling over there, picking one up and sprinting to the men's room and making a pretend speech. C'mon, you know you all have wanted to do that.