SAN FRANCISCO The 63rd Prime Time Awards Show was collectively one for the books.

A lot of the right people and shows won, and Jane Lynch was a winner as a host. But from the giddily snarky opening production number, through the first award presentation that saw late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon wrestling on the floor and a crazy great mid-show number from the likes of Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Ed Helms and others, television was in an especially good mood on Sunday night.

So were the casts and creators of "Modern Family," "Friday Night Lights," HBO's "Mildred Pierce" and "Game of Thrones," "Mad Men" and, go figure, PBS and "Downton Abbey."

"Mad Men," which ended its fourth season in October 2010, won its fourth best dramatic series in a row, which only further whets the appetite for the series' return in March.

And after scooping up a fitful of early awards, "Modern Family" took the big price as best comedy.

The fairy tale evening for "Family" began early. The first award for best supporting actress in a comedy, presented by Kimmel and Fallon, went to "Family's" Julie Bowen. Virtually the entire case of that ABC show was nominated this year, which pretty much canceled out the traditional thinking that two nominees from the same show will neutralize each other in the voting.

As if to further prove the point, a few minutes later Ty Burell took the statue for best supporting actor comedy. He was one of four "Modern Family" nominees in the category. Basically, anyone who won from the show would have been deserving.

But the "Modern Family" juggernaut wasn't over yet, with awards for comedy writing to Steve Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, and for comedy directing to Michael Alan Spiller.

"Welcome back to the 'Modern Family' awards," Lynch cracked before introducing presenter Charlie Sheen, who took a moment to apologize to his former "Two and a Half Men" castmates for all the you-know-what he stirred up after departing from the show: "I wish you nothing but the best for this season," Sheen said. At last, he did something that actually was "winning."

But with Sheen's presentation of lead actor in a comedy, "Modern Family's" Emmy dominance came to at least a temporary end: That's because no one was nominated from the ensemble show for lead actor. The statuette went to "Big Bang Theory's" infectiously funny lead nerd Jim Parsons for a second time.

Similarly, there were no "Family" nominees in the lead comic actress category, but the presentation itself was the real winner. As "Parks and Recreaton's" Amy Poehler's name was called, she simply marched up on stage. Melissa McCarthy's name was announced and she followed suit, as did all the other nominees in the category.

McCarthy, already having a great year because of her standout performance in the film "Bridesmaids," won the Emmy for "Mike & Molly." And if you were counting, that was the second big award for CBS.