Breaking Bad scoops drama Emmy

AMC’s hit TV series Breaking Bad has scooped the best drama Emmy for its fifth season while ABC sitcom Modern Family was named best comedy series.

Breaking Bad beat off competition from HBO’s Game of Thrones, AMC’s Mad Men and UK period drama Downton Abbey at the 65th Primetime Emmys last night to win the outstanding drama series award.

Its creator, Vince Gilligan, credited a changing world of television, binge-watching, video-on-demand, online streaming and social media buzz for its success.

“I don’t think our show would have even lasted beyond season two if it wasn’t for video-on-demand, and also the internet component of it where folks get to chat,” Gilligan said. “It really has held us in good stand. It’s a bold new era.”

The show has one episode left to air next Sunday in its sixth and final season and Gilligan has previously sung Netflix’s praises in helping grow the show’s popularity.

The newest player in the TV industry failed to score wins in best drama and best acting categories for its political thriller House of Cards, however, but David Fincher took home an award for directing.

House of Cards previously made headlines for being the first ever web series to be recognised at the awards, receiving 14 nominations.

Meanwhile, Modern Family, about three couples and their children, won outstanding comedy series for the fifth consecutive year.

It was also a good night for premium cable veteran HBO, which led the field with 108 of more than 500 nominations.

HBO won the best miniseries/movie category with Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra. Veteran actor Michael Douglas won best actor in that category for his portrayal of the pianist, besting his co-star Matt Damon, who played his young lover.

The Emmys are handed out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and in a nod to the changing times, host Neil Patrick Harris made much of the latest trends in television viewing. He opened the ceremony enclosed in a room, binge-watching on multiple screens to catch up on every episode.