Where’s the Battlestar nominations? Where’s the brilliantly goofy (and gay) True Blood? Where’s 24 (it’s best season since 5)? How about The Shield? David Duchovny on Californiacation? And for a show that has rallied to become near perfect in its penultimate season, the biggest Emmy mistery in Lost’s fifth season is that it didn’t get more love.

Bitching: It seems to me that while people who like TV are happy with some of the offbeat choices, I’m not. Granted, I’m happy that bad popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Two & a Half Men, Boston Legal and ER were rightfully left off, just as many overrated critically respected shows like Flight of the Conchords and Big Love and the worst “good” show ever Entourage (not only past its prime but horrible when it was in its prime) were all mentioned. And don’t get me started on the “multi talented” Tina Fey and her “multi talented” 30 Rock, a show I watch but not a show I see as worthy of Best Comedy let alone winning its THIRD straight best comedy award. As for Mad Men, the show’s second season was quietly masterful but kinda the same as its first–did it really deserve four out of five writing nominations? What does it say about an industry that feels only Mad Man is written well? Sames goes for the best comedy writing slot, four of five of which belong to 30 Rock. YIKES! So the two biggest categories are locked up for not just this year but the foreseeable future. Boring. And so are most of the nominations like House and The Office and, oh, why go on, network TV is clearly dead and rotting in the “reality” wastelands. Overall there’s only a few new shows that got recognized and they’re the wrong ones (subjective, I know). Family Guy is one of them. Repeat, Family Guy is one of them. Here is a show that never won the best animated show category (Simpsons and South Park dominate, and should!) yet it breaks a lot of ground for being the FIRST animated show to ever get nominated as best comedy? THE. FUCK?! That’s an insult to the wonderful medium of animated television.  Even more shudder inducing is the notion that, thanks to the Emmys, Drew Barrymore now has been honored for her acting abilities.  

The stuff I like: Breaking Bad is a solid if not ground breaking drama. And Damages, while easy to dismiss as another lawyer show, is fantastic (yay for Glen Close, who will win again and should, and double yay for Rose Byrne getting her first nom and triple yay for William Hurt! Good show). I’m surprised both got nominated considering the Emmy’s preference for safe and mediocre programming. Same with Lost, the show’s almost too good to be nominated by this awards group. Still, it should have gotten more respect beyond Michael Emmerson and a single wiring nod (Jeremy Davies as the bearded, time traveling physicist turned in the best and most poignant performance all year) but at least it got a best show nomination because, really, that’s what it is. On the subject of snubbed actors, it’s appalling that Keifer missed the list this year for 24 when he got nominated for the far worse 6th season (his non-action turn in the last episode is a high point for this sad, sad character) but the upside is that the fantastic Cherry Jones got recognised for her presidential turn on that show. Battlestar‘s lone nomination for Michael Rymer (directed the first and, now, last BG episode) is a no brainer which, considering that is coming from an awards show with no brains, is quite an ironic feat. Yes, Mad Men is great but a lot of the actors that made it that way were left off like Vincent Kartheiser (he may reek of the Emmys still-standing Joss Whedon curse) but one, John Hamm, was not only left onbut snagged a guest star nomination too! He really should win this year as his stoic Don Draper never fails to impress as a character.  Same goes for Elizabeth Moss on Mad Men, she really grew this season. And, you know, not a fan of the show but same goes for Tracy Morgan on 30 Rockwho rocks despite the show’s hammy hands! Oh, yeah, and about Dexter… hum, the third season (of which I only saw half) is easily its worst (Dexter the dad is lamer than hell and I refuse to accept it) but, even so, bad Dexter is better than almost anything else.

 

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Family Guy
• Flight Of The Conchords
• How I Met Your Mother
• The Office
• Weeds

Outstanding Drama Series

• Big Love
• Breaking Bad
• Damages
• Dexter
• House
• Lost
• Mad Men

(acting nominees and more, after the cut)

 

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Alec Baldwin, as Jack Donaghy
• Flight Of The Conchords • Jemaine Clement, as Jemaine
• Monk • Tony Shalhoub, as Adrian Monk
• The Big Bang Theory • Jim Parsons, as Sheldon Cooper
• The Office • Steve Carell, as Michael Scott
• Two And A Half Men • Charlie Sheen, as Charlie Harper

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

• Breaking Bad • Bryan Cranston, as Walter White
• Dexter • Michael C. Hall, as Dexter Morgan
• House • Hugh Laurie, as Dr. Gregory House
• In Treatment • Gabriel Byrne, as Paul
• Mad Men • Jon Hamm, as Don Draper
• The Mentalist • Simon Baker, as Patrick Jane

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

• 24: Redemption • Kiefer Sutherland, as Jack Bauer
• Cyrano de Bergerac (Great Performances) • Kevin Kline, as Cyrano de Bergerac
• Into The Storm • Brendan Gleeson, as Winston Churchill
• King Lear (Great Performances) • Sir Ian McKellen, as King Lear
• Taking Chance • Kevin Bacon, as LtCol Mike Strobl
• Wallander: One Step Behind • Kenneth Branagh, as Kurt Wallander

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Tina Fey, as Liz Lemon
• Samantha Who? • Christina Applegate, as Samantha Newly
• The New Adventures Of Old Christine • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as Christine
• The Sarah Silverman Program • Sarah Silverman, as Sarah Silverman
• United States Of Tara • Toni Collette, as Tara Gregson
• Weeds • Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Brothers & Sisters • Sally Field, as Nora Walker
• Damages • Glenn Close, as Patty Hewes
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • Mariska Hargitay, as Detective Olivia Benson
• Mad Men • Elisabeth Moss, as Peggy Olson
• Saving Grace • Holly Hunter, as Grace Hanadarko
• The Closer • Kyra Sedgwick, as Brenda Leigh Johnson

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Tracy Morgan, as Tracy Jordan
• 30 Rock • Jack McBrayer, as Kenneth Parcell
• Entourage • Kevin Dillon, as Johnny Drama
• How I Met Your Mother • Neil Patrick Harris, as Barney Stinson
• The Office • Rainn Wilson, as Dwight Schrute
• Two And A Half Men • Jon Cryer, as Alan Harper

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• Boston Legal • William Shatner, as Denny Crane
• Boston Legal • Christian Clemenson, as Jerry Espenson
• Breaking Bad • Aaron Paul, as Jesse Pinkman
• Damages • William Hurt, as Daniel Purcell
• Lost • Michael Emerson, as Ben Linus
• Mad Men • John Slattery, as Roger Sterling

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Jane Krakowski, as Jenna Maroney
• Pushing Daisies • Kristin Chenoweth, as Olive Snook
• Saturday Night Live • Amy Poehler, as Various Characters
• Saturday Night Live • Kristin Wiig, as Various Characters
• Ugly Betty • Vanessa Williams, as Wilhelmina Slater
• Weeds • Elizabeth Perkins, as Celia Hodes

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• 24 • Cherry Jones, as President Allison Taylor
• Damages • Rose Byrne, as Ellen Parsons
• Grey’s Anatomy • Sandra Oh, as Dr. Christina Yang
• Grey’s Anatomy • Chandra Wilson, as Dr. Miranda Bailey
• In Treatment • Dianne Wiest, as Gina
• In Treatment • Hope Davis, as Mia

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Apollo, Apollo • Millicent Shelton
• 30 Rock • Reunion • Beth McCarthy
• 30 Rock • Generalissimo • Todd Holland
• Entourage • Tree Trippers • Julian Farino
• Flight Of The Conchords • The Tough Brets • James Bobin
• The Office • Stress Relief • Jeff Blitz

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

• Battlestar Galactica • Daybreak (Part 2) • Michael Rymer
• Boston Legal • Made In China/Last Call • Bill D’Elia
• Damages • Trust Me • Todd A. Kessler
• ER • And In The End • Rod Holcomb
• Mad Men • The Jet Set • Phil Abraham

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• 30 Rock • Reunion • Matt Hubbard
• 30 Rock • Apollo, Apollo • Robert Carlock
• 30 Rock • Mamma Mia • Ron Weiner
• 30 Rock • Kidney Now! • Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock
• Flight Of The Conchords • Prime Minister • James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Lost • The Incident • Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof
• Mad Men • A Night To Remember • Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner
• Mad Men • Six Month Leave • Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Matthew Weiner
• Mad Men • The Jet Set • Matthew Weiner
• Mad Men • Meditations In An Emergency • Kater Gordon, Matthew Weiner