And they’re also known as jokesters

“Alias� is a dramatic, sometimes dark spy series -- one in which the characters have at various times had teeth pulled out by pliers and been shot up with heroin -- but a recent event honoring the show played like a situation comedy.

An overflow crowd attended an Oct. 14 tribute to the ABC series at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood, featuring series creator J.J. Abrams, star Jennifer Garner and others, including Victor Garber, who -- despite playing Garner’s usually dour father in the show -- provided many of the laughs.

“One glass of Merlot, and ‘spy daddy’ is doing stand-up,� Garner quipped.

A few of the other lines:

Co-star Kevin Weisman, who, like Garner, appeared on Abrams’ earlier show “Felicity,� explaining how he got the part: “I had also worked on ‘Felicity,’ where I also met my husband, Scott Foley.� (Garner is married to Foley.)

Executive producer John Eisendrath, on Abrams’ rare generosity as a collaborator: “Absolute power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And there’s nothing like the absolute power of creating a TV show.�

Abrams, on the capacity crowd: “This is wild and surreal.�