“Welcome back to the Modern Family awards,” host Jane Lynch finally said after the ABC show swept the Emmy competition with five wins. HBO had a good showing, winning a bunch of gold for Mildred Pierce, and PBS’s Downton Abbey politely picked up a few prizes. Charlie Sheen presented the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award to Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory). “This is so odd for so many reasons,” said Parsons (Bang is a Chuck Lorre production; unless you’ve been stuck under something heavy, you know Sheen was spectacularly fired from Lorre’s other gig, Two and a Half Men). Prizes. Done. On to the parties. The Governor’s Ball first, then Entertainment Tonight/Visit California’s bash at Vibiana. Their 15th! Stevie Nicks emoted onstage, and the many, many chocolates had ET stamped on them. 30 Rock-ers and folks from The Office popped by. Over at the Pacific Design Center, HBO went mod with a pink-and-orange-themed soiree. Each table held placards for the appropriate show, and you found Martin Scorsese and Michael Pitt by the Boardwalk Empire cluster of tables, and Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer at the True Blood section (OK, there was copious mingling—it wasn’t a high school reunion). Scorsese was all smiles following his win for the show, and he expressed shock at the capture of Whitey Bulger (whom the film The Departed was based on, starring Jack Nicholson). Did he think police would ever catch the fugitive mob boss? “No, I really didn’t. Who knew? He was in California!” The affair was elegant and swinging—maybe it was the addition of Jon Hamm in the crowd—with a jazzy singer and beauty touch-ups by Stila if you were beginning to wilt. So, Amy Poehler, think of more fun gags for next year. The “beauty pageant” bit for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series—nice.