`RAYMOND' GETS LOVE `HOUSEWIVES' SNUBBED; `LOST' NAMED BEST DRAMA.

Byline: David Kronke Television Writer

``Everybody Loves Raymond'' received one last warm embrace, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for its ninth and final season.

It was a surprising victory for the outgoing series, as ABC's pop-culture phenomenon ``Desperate Housewives'' was considered a shoo-in to take the trophy.

``All year long, they've been asking us if this is the end of the sitcom - I want to say, yes,'' joked ``Raymond'' creator Phil Rosenthal in his acceptance speech. ``Beyond that, it's the end of laughing and soon, the end of smiling.''

It was the series' second Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy. ``Raymond'' is the third series last 30 years in either drama or comedy to win the top prize in its final season. The others were ``The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' in 1977 and ``Barney Miller'' in 1982.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ceremony took place at the Shrine Auditorium before a nationwide audience on CBS. Host Ellen DeGeneres sported a magnolia, also worn by several in the audience as a sign of support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

``Lost,'' which, like ``Housewives,'' is another huge first-year hit for ABC, won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Its victory was considered less certain than that of ``Housewives.''

``Lost'' creator J.J. Abrams, who won an Emmy for directing its pilot, thanked Stephen McPherson, the current president of ABC Entertainment, but not Lloyd Braun, the executive who approached Abrams about doing the series.

First-time winner Felicity Huffman, one of the ``Desperate Housewives,'' was named Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. She quickly became emotional during her acceptance speech, and realizing it, interrupted herself. ``I've turned into one of those actresses - I'm sorry,'' she said.

She thanked husband William H. Macy, an Emmy winner himself, ``for taking a chunky 22-year-old with a bad perm out into a cow pasture and kissing me and making me his wife.''

``Desperate Housewives'' also won an Emmy for Charles McDougall's direction.

``Medium's'' Patricia Arquette was a surprise winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. The first-time winner was shocked: ``They really did say my name, right?'' she asked onstage. ``I'm not hallucinating?''

S. Epatha Merkerson, who was named Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for HBO's ``Lackawanna Blues,'' gave perhaps the evening's most memorable speech, though completely by accident. ``I actually wrote something, and I put it in my (bra), and it (fell) down,'' she declared, into her dress. ``My mother's watching - she's gonna die!''

Despite some surprises, old habits die hard for TV Academy voters.

James Spader and William Shatner each won a second Emmy - Spader as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama and Shatner as Supporting Actor - for playing glib attorneys, this year on ``Boston Legal.'' (They won playing the same characters last year, appearing on ``The Practice.'') Tony Shalhoub won his second Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy for ``Monk.''

``Everybody Loves Raymond's'' Doris Roberts picked up her fourth Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, while her co-star Brad Garrett won his third Supporting Actor trophy.

Garrett thanked the show's fans - ``You held in there for nine years! You stuck it out with us.''

Roberts brought her grandchildren onstage. ``This is the icing on the cake,'' she said.

David Letterman presented a tribute to Johnny Carson. ``With all due respect to the laws of astrophysics, Johnny Carson's star never cooled,'' he declared. ``In a culture that indiscriminately invokes the gold standard, Johnny Carson was platinum.''

Jon Stewart, host of ``The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,'' passed the love along to Letterman. Accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, Stewart said, ``The way he feels about Johnny Carson, the comics of our generation feel about him.'' ``Daily Show'' also won for Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program.

NBC's Tom Brokaw and CBS's Dan Rather received the evening's longest standing ovation, in a tribute to the former broadcast network news anchors. Brokaw said the response ``makes all the more poignant the absence of our colleague, Peter Jennings.'' Jennings, ABC's award-winning news anchor, died last month of lung cancer.

Rather added, ``He left us far too soon and with so much good work ahead of him.''

``The Amazing Race'' won its third consecutive Emmy for Reality-Competition Program, though Blue Man Group's high-tech, hip-hop presentation of the nominees, sampling the catchphrase from each nominee, pointed out just how formulaic the genre is.

HBO dominated the movie and miniseries category. ``Warm Springs'' was named Outstanding Movie, with Jane Alexander winning the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for the film.

Geoffrey Rush was named for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance in ``The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' as the legendary and tetchy comic actor. ``Sellers'' also won Emmys for Stephen Hopkins' direction and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's script.

Paul Newman was named Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for HBO's ``Empire Falls.''

Only PBS's ``Masterpiece Theatre'' offering ``The Lost Prince,'' named Outstanding Miniseries, prevented HBO from achieving a clean sweep.

``Arrested Development's'' Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely won for Writing for a Comedy Series. Hurwitz scolded viewers, ``The Academy has twice rewarded us for something that you people won't watch!''

Blythe Danner, accepting the Supporting Actress in a Drama Emmy for ``Huff,'' lifted her trophy heaven ward, saying, ``I think my husband, (the late) Bruce Paltrow, is up there somewhere, stirring this up for me.'' She then offered the evening's lone political statement, citing ``the kids in Iraq - let's get them out of there!''

``House'' creator David Shore won for Writing for a Drama, thanking the ``people who made me miserable and cynical, because this character wouldn't be the same without them, and they know who they are.''

Hugh Jackman won an award for hosting an awards show, in his case the Tonys. Bucky Gunts won for Directing a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for NBC's coverage of the Olympics' opening ceremony.

The Emmy ceremony won't win any awards anytime soon. The production was rife with technical glitches - many music cues were missed after winners were announced, and narration providing a mini-bio of winners was missing about a third of the time. The cue for a montage of nominee clips was missed, as well.

David Kronke,[phone]

david.kronke(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(1 -- color) Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton share a kiss as other members of the ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' cast look on while presenting an award Sunday night at the 57th annual Emmy Awards on CBS. The departing hit show later won the Emmy for best comedy.

(2 -- 3 -- color) At left, onstage at the Shrine Auditorium, members of the cast of ABC's smash-hit freshman drama ``Lost'' celebrate their Emmy win for as best drama. Above, host Ellen DeGeneres pauses after riding in on a unicycle during Sunday night's Emmy Awards telecast.

(4 -- 6 -- color) David Letterman, left, remembers the late Johnny Carson; William Shatner joins Frederica von Stade to sing the ``Star Trek'' theme; Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather honor the late Peter Jennings..

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

(7 -- color) KIM RAVER

(8 -- color) HALLE BERRY

(9 -- 10 -- color) Veteran actors Jane Alexander, above, and William Shatner, above right, are two of the many Emmy winners Sunday night. Shatner is wearing a magnolia on his lapel in support of Katrina relief efforts.

(11 -- color) Hoedown crooning nets Donald Trump and Megan Mullally honors in the first-ever Emmy Idol contest.

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