2008 Emmys: Best and Worst

By Denise Martin, Special to the Times

Reason No. 983764 to go back and watch the original British version of "The Office": Ricky Gervais.

He single-handedly gave Sunday's Emmy audience its first reason to laugh (an hour into the show), offering speech advice -- “Keep it short, please, particularly if you’re not on-screen talent. No one cares about the producer. (And) don’t cry. It’s pathetic. It’s just an award” – and belittling Steve Carell into giving him back his 2007 Emmy. “I’ve heard you carry it around with you to get into restaurants,” he told Carell.

Hannibal gets his just desserts and Hanks goes back-to-back.