61st Annual Emmy Nominations

The Emmy nominations were announced, and it was the annual love fest for 30 Rock and Mad Men. I'm a big 30 Rock fan, but it seriously does NOT deserve this many nominations-- at 22, a record (breaking its OWN from last year!). I mean, is it better than Cheers and Seinfeld? It also appears that, if you're old, and you guest star on 30 Rock-- automatic Emmy nomination. The saddest thing is that 30 Rock got 4/5 comedy writing noms (the fifth: Flight of the Conchords) and Mad Men got 4/5 drama writing noms (the fifth: Lost).

And just when you thought Emmy was showing restraint, the expansion to six nominations per best series category resulted in both comedy and drama series with 7 noms due to ties!!

BEST COMEDY SERIES nominations:

Entourage

Family Guy

Flight of the Conchords

How I Met Your Mother

The Office

30 Rock

Weeds

BEST DRAMA SERIES nominations:

Big Love

Breaking Bad

Damages

Dexter

House M.D.

Lost

Mad Men

Other reactions:

Last year I said, "from what I've heard, and based on these noms, I think Damages is probably the best show I'm not watching." I caught several episodes of Damages and found it overrated, truth be told. Now the best series I wasn't watching ACTUALLY turned out to be Breaking Bad-- I have now seen every episode and jees, it's GOOD! Happy to see it get a series nomination. I've seen at least one episode of every comedy/drama series listed here except Big Love... wonder what I'm missing there.

Further proof of the Emmys' irrelevance is the fact that four of the main categories resulted in record-breaking or tying situations: 30 Rock (22 noms-- most for any comedy series in one year), Grey Gardens (17 noms, a tie), SNL (13 noms, a record for variety series), Dancing with the Stars (10 noms, a record for nonfiction series). Now, were any of these four considered by ANYONE the best of the best of TV history? If anything they were the best of the so-so, and not even the best seasons of their own shows!

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 0 noms again! The best show on TV can't get no respect.

Miniseries= two nominees— retire this dated category already!

As I noted last year, SNL will eventually become the most nominated series of all-time. This record is currently held by ER (124 noms— only 2 more in this, its final season). SNL with its 13 noms this year now has 114, so it's likely to take the record next year.

Was shocked to see no nomination for Hugh Jackman for hosting the 81st Annual Oscars! And the show managed ten nominations....

On the plus side, here's the nominees I was most pleased seeing: Bryan Cranston Lead Actor Drama (Now I know why he won last year!), Drew Barrymore for LEAD (as she deserved) for TV Movie Grey Gardens, Jack McBrayer Supporting Actor in Comedy for 30 Rock, William Shatner for Supporting in Drama for Boston Legal, Aaron Paul for Supporting Drama for Breaking Bad, Kristin Wiig for Supporting Comedy for SNL, Ernest Borgnine Guest Star ER, Michael J. Fox Guest Star Rescue Me, Reality Host Phil Keoghan for The Amazing Race.

Link to full list of nominees.