The show’s over and the play begins

Even counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer would have had trouble with the nuclear explosion of congrats showering “24” star Kiefer Sutherland on Sunday night. The actor, still clutching his winged Emmy victory statue for outstanding actor in a drama, sounded overwhelmed, using words like “humbling,” “grateful” and “thankful” when he finally showed up at the Fox party at Spago in Beverly Hills.

But everyone at the bash agreed: The Kiefer Kudo Attack was long overdue. After hugging the actor, even Jon Cassar, the Emmy-winning director of “24,” admitted that he’d felt pretty darn sure Sutherland was going to take home a gold statue. Inside the packed party, guests including Dennis Haysbert, Jaime Pressly and Wentworth Miller, who had waited patiently for Sutherland to make his way from the Shrine Auditorium, had been feeding like locusts on Wolfgang Puck’s spread of seafood, sushi, spring rolls and platters of pizza.

At the lavish HBO bash at the Pacific Design Center, there was no Prince or Pink performing. Those singers were busy at their respective gigs: the “Entertainment Tonight”/People party at the Mondrian Hotel and the TV Guide bash at Social Hollywood. But some of the dancers gyrating to the percussion-heavy disco tunes (think “Jungle Boogie”) were reportedly professionals hired to get the HBO party started.

And it worked. Aida Turturro, who plays Tony’s sister on “The Sopranos,” was the first to do a victory dance for HBO’s 26 Emmy wins. She also tried to drag Olympic figure skater Sasha Cohen on the floor, but the skater girl was too busy stargazing.

And there were plenty of luminaries, honchos and Emmy winners to watch inside the clear plexi-tented, sprawling patio party, decorated with starfish-squiggled carpets, pinky orange lights, bubbling water fountains and buffet tables piled high with beet salad, chicken, pork chops and spicy seafood, and dessert tables littered with tiny creme brulees and baby brownies.

A red-gowned Edie Falco was enthralled with a man performing sleight-of-hand magic tricks at the “Sopranos” table, while Lorraine Bracco, in glittery gold, chatted with a pal from Miami, where the show has been shooting. Steve Van Zandt -- not a bit surprised that “24” won big and pleased about “The Office” acclaim -- chowed down at a table next to his jovial “Sopranos” costar James Gandolfini. Nearby, “Mrs. Harris” Emmy nominee Annette Bening talked about her daughter’s fashion sense with a friend she’d not seen since Carrie Fisher’s birthday party.

A few folks looked up briefly when cameras flashed at Paris Hilton slithering by the “Sopranos” table, but they quickly went back to celebrating.

Candy Spelling and her son, Randy, arrived together and just as quickly went their separate ways.

Lisa Kudrow didn’t get a gold statue, but she still reveled in the validation from her nomination for “The Comeback.”

“It does feel sweet that we got three nominations and so much good press,” she admitted. As Kudrow thanked a People scribe for complimenting her black Valentino dress, her handsome French hubby, Michel Stern, piped in, “It is the back that is even more gorgeous. That is why I wanted her to get onstage, not to pick up that silly thing, but to show the gorgeous back!” Aww, sweet. But no more Moet & Chandon pink bubbly for you.

“Ray” director Taylor Hackford congratulated an overwhelmed Kelly Macdonald (“The Girl in the Cafe”) while his wife, Helen Mirren, Emmy winner for “Elizabeth I” and heavenly in a white chiffon Morgane Le Fay gown, hugged her Emmy-holding costar Jeremy Irons. And it’s not easy to hug when holding an Emmy. You could easily put someone’s eye out with that sharp winged thing.

Across the room, HBO’s other Jeremy -- Jeremy Piven -- was literally holding court, his “Entourage” Emmy safely standing on his table. Wearing his now loosened up ascot, Piven was getting high fives, backslaps and hug-it-outs from Kevin Connolly and Nicky Hilton, Adrian Grenier, Perrey Reeves, friends and fans while his date -- his exhausted mom -- sat staring at her empty plate with her hands cupped over her ears. There’s only so much disco a mom can take. Even for her Emmy-winning, ascot-wearing actor son.

The only person enjoying Piven’s win more than Piven was Ari Gold’s assistant Lloyd, played by Rex Lee. So is he worried about Piven’s ego explosion after getting a shot of Emmy gold? “Oh, I don’t think so,” Lee confided. “And even if the worst thing happened and he got a big head and became insufferable, I could still -- if I wanted to -- avoid him when we weren’t working. But I get the best of him at work. He’s brilliant and kindhearted, and it’s a blessing to have such great on-screen chemistry.”

At midnight, the party was barely beginning to thin out. Exhausted Emmy host Conan O’Brien was outside talking with Megan Mullally, holding her Emmy and talking about her new talk show, natch. O’Brien’s wife had taken her high heels off and was in her bare feet waiting for their car at the backed-up valet station. Grenier -- without any entourage at all -- ran down the street and hopped into a small car, no doubt to whisk over to a hotter party somewhere. But Lee ran outside to tell departing pals, “You go on. I’m staying here at HBO.” Wise move, Lloyd.