NEW YORK (AP) – Sunday’s Emmycast was an awkward exercise, playing out as a bunch of attaboys combined with “Last Comic Standing.”

Billed as a celebration of 55 years of television comedy, “The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” had no official host, but instead was laden with comedic stars who peddled their jokes, with varying success, in between the briskly dispensed trophies.

Perhaps never has an Emmycast been slicker.

There was no fat, no wasted motion. It was all business, including an unrelenting push for laughs.

But this forced jocularity had an unfortunate backlash. It undermined the drama and suspense that a major awards show like the Emmycast always promises and sometimes even manages to deliver. This year’s shindig was a glibly one-note affair.

The big exceptions: A tribute to the late Bob Hope.

Then a salute to Bill Cosby, recipient of this year’s Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

And, of course, a tender remembrance of John Ritter, who died unexpectedly Sept. 11 – though, seemingly stuck on a theme, the film montage shortchanged this versatile performer by displaying him only in comic roles.

The 3¼-hour show, which Fox aired live from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, began bleakly with Garry Shandling, whose monologue was saved only at its conclusion when Brad Garrett of “Everybody Loves Raymond” strode on stage and planted a kiss on Shandling’s lips. (But, please, may this be the last cultural reference to the Madonna-Britney Spears lip lock on the MTV Video Music Awards.)

The California recall race was repeatedly recalled by the comics.

“Friends”‘ David Schwimmer joked that, with the end in sight for the long-running comedy, he and co-stars Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry planned to jump into the race.

And Jon Stewart offered a word of caution to California voters: “You know, if he stinks you can’t go to the future and send somebody back to stop him.”

It was fun to watch microphone-wielding “reporter” Wanda Sykes out in the audience needling Larry David.

“You’re supposed to be a curmudgeon,” she ribbed the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” nominee. “Look at you, in your little suit, all happy! You’re happy as hell to be here, aren’t you!”

Dennis Miller (ironically) looked back at great moments on television the past year – including a peculiar moment from “Larry King Live” when Heather Mills McCartney removed her prosthetic leg.

Jon Stewart (ironically) proposed his own slate of news-oriented Emmy winners. One of them recognized by Stewart, who is anchor of Comedy Central’s mock-newscast “The Daily Show,” was Fox News Channel’s Geraldo Rivera, for outstanding achievement in making himself the focal point of every story he reports.

And later on, Martin Short sang an (ironic) tribute song, “Here’s to the Losers.”

His song was right in tune. The evening was flat.

AP-ES-09-22-03 0042EDT