Neil Patrick Harris Boosts Emmy Ratings

Neil Patrick Harris gave the Emmy Awards a much-needed boost, much like he did for the Tony Awards earlier this year.

Sunday's telecast on CBS bounced back from last year's all-time low ratings, rising 8 percent to a total of 13.3 million viewers. Harris, who stars on the CBS sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother," earned rave reviews as host.

USA Today said the Emmy show "ranks up there with the best."

Harris opened the ceremony with a comedic song called "Put Down the Remote," and the program was full of jokes and asides about the growing audience for the Internet over television, Reuters reports.

Harris gave the Tony Awards a 19 percent spike in ratings when he hosted it earlier this year, the AP reports.

Even though around one million more viewers watched the Emmys this year, NBC's broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants football game ruled the night with around 65 percent more viewers.

Top Emmy awards went to "Mad Men" for best drama, and "30 Rock" for best comedy.