Leno: Tough Act to Precede : Telecast: Emmy co-hosts Jay Leno, Candice Bergen and Jane Pauley prove once again that comics make the best awards-show hosts.

It was infinitely more fun than last year’s program. It was also the worst of times, the best of times and then, finally, the worst of times again.

It’s striking just how much a host sets the tone for an awards telecast, and Sunday’s Emmy program on Fox was no exception. It was uneven the way the Hollywood Hills are uneven.

At least in part that was because of the odd triad that Fox used as hosts: Candice Bergen, followed by Jay Leno, followed by Jane Pauley. It was a relay team with its fastest runner between two slow ones.

Neither Bergen nor Pauley was very good, or seemed even comfortable.

The first and third hours had a perfunctory quality that invaded even a 4 1/2-minute tribute to that late-great puppetmaster, Jim Henson. It was nice, but almost souless and dispassionate to a fault.

A dramatic exception to the early malaise was the Simpsons, each member of this stunningly bizarre family making an appearance in living animation as presenters of the Emmy for best lead actor in a comedy. Uh oh. Bart destroyed the envelope. Homer: “Pick somebody! Does anybody remember a name?”

What a kick! In effect, it provided a welcome tribute to an animated Fox series that, despite roaring across Sunday nights like a tornado in its first half season, was shut out of the main Emmy telecast only because its best-animated awards was handed out as part of the craft Emmys. That event was taped Saturday for airing on Fox Tuesday night.

Thus, arguably the funniest series on TV, was not given the wide recognition it deserves, despite executive producer James L. Brooks lobbying to have the Emmy for best animated show switched to Sunday night. In contrast with past years, in fact, none of the craft awards was even mentioned Sunday night. That was a slight.

Meanwhile, Leno injected himself into the second hour like a human hypodermic filled with adrenaline, showing anew that there’s no topping a funny comic when it comes to hosting awards telecasts. Executive producer Martin Starger should have had Leno host the entire telecast. Or the Simpsons.

With Leno somehow creating an almost infectious mood by being his usually hilarious self, most of the telecast’s highlights came during his stint. They included some wonderfully fluid and inventive intros--mostly by the stars themselves--for Emmys in the best writing for a variety or music program category. Self-effacing wit helped. Referring to perennial low ratings for “The Tracey Ullman Show” on Fox, Ullman said she was pleased to have made “a small but discriminating portion of America laugh.”

And after her show got the writing award, she announced: “Maybe I shouldn’t have been so cavalier. Maybe I should have taken those two minutes in the middle of ‘The Simpsons.’ I breast fed those little devils.” The reference was to the way “The Simpsons” began, as short featurettes on her series.

That was the best long acceptance speech. The best shortie came earlier from Vincent Gardenia, whose Emmy came for his supporting work in HBO’s “Age Old Friends.” Gardenia thanked everyone “who’s ever gotten me a job.”

Given the perils of live television, there were few significant fluffs. One came when the camera fixed on Barbara Hershey in the audience a few seconds before her Emmy was announced for lead actress in miniseries or special. Another--and it was unavoidable--came after Patricia Wettig’s emotional acceptance of her Emmy for playing the cancer patient on ABC’s “thirtysomething.” In a horrendous segue, she was immediately followed by a prearranged funny bit with the infamous Log Lady of ABC’s “Twin Peaks.”

The best of times, the worst of times.