n its first year of eligibility, “Boardwalk Empire” racked up an impressive 18 Emmy nominations — just one nom fewer than “Mad Men,” the darling of the academy and TV critics, which clocked a total 19 noms, the most for any series this year.
Also in that race: Showtime’s serial killer drama “Dexter,” DirecTV’s football love-letter “Friday Night Lights,” and the lone broadcast TV entry – CBS’s legal drama “The Good Wife.”
Broadcast TV fared much better in the best comedy race. ABC’s “Modern Family,” which was last year's winner, will try for two in a row. The ensemble series received 17 nominations on Thursday, which is the most for any comedy; that includes supporting acting noms for its entire adult cast, including Ed O’Neill, who was notably the only one of the cast members who got snubbed at nominations time last year.
Other contenders in the comedy race include Fox’s “Glee,” CBS’s “Big Bang Theory,” and three NBC noms: “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “30 Rock.” Noticeably missing are any of those cable dramedies masquerading as comedies, like Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and “The Big C.”
Their stars, however – Edie Falco and Laura Linney, respectively – are both in the running for best actress in a comedy. Falco won that derby last fall, and yet, got nominated again even though she famously complained she is not funny when she picked up her trophy. Linney, meanwhile, has won every Emmy for which she’s ever run. Less formidable: “30 Rock’s” Tina Fey, Fox’s “Raising Hope” star Martha Plimpton, “Parks and Rec’s” Amy Poehler, and McCarthy.
“Mad Men” actors are 0 for 12 at Emmy competition. Star Jon Hamm will try again – he’s 0 for 3 as star of the 60’s-set Madison Avenue drama. This could be his year: perennial winner in this category, Bryan Cranston is out of the picture – AMC having telecast no original episodes of his “Breaking Bad” during the Emmy eligibility period. But “Boardwalk Empire’s” Steve Buscemi and Timothy Olyphant of FX’s “Justified” have joined the race, which also includes “FNL’s” Kyle Chandler, Fox’s “House” star Hugh Laurie, and “Dexter’s” Michael C. Hall.
Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden in "The Killing"
(AMC)
Another fresh face, Mireille Enos is nominated for best actress in a drama series, for her starring role on AMC’s new crime drama “The Killing.” It’s her first Emmy nomination.
Speaking of shutouts, among Enos’ competitors is Kathy Bates, who the TV academy just can’t leave alone. Her star turn on NBC’s “Harry’s Law” has earned her a ninth Emmy nom. That said, Emmy voters have never actually given Bates a statuette. Here too, “Mad Men” is hoping for its first thespian Emmy with Elizabeth Moss snaring her third consecutive nomination on Thursday. Her odds got better when last year’s winner, TNT “The Closer” star Kyra Sedgwick, got snubbed. This year, Moss’s competition will also include “Friday Night Lights’” Connie Britton, and old hands Mariska Hargitay of NBC’s “SVU” and Julianna Marguiles of “The Good Wife” who have each copped 8 Emmy noms, though just one win apiece, over their careers.
“The Kennedys,” which wound up running on ReelzChannel, got dumped by History channel because, its suits said, they had decided the “dramatic interpretation” -- by “24” creator Joel Surnow – was “not a fit for the History brand.” But, History acknowledged, the 8-part miniseries had been “produced and acted with the highest quality.” TV academy voters agreed – and gave it a total of 10 nominations – three more than History channel snagged this year.
Among those 10 are three acting bids: to Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy and Barry Pepper as Robert Kennedy, and Tom Wilkinson, who played the family patriarch, Joe Kennedy.
“We really had nothing going for us except the show itself,” creator Surnow told the TV Column Thursday morning of “The Kennedy’s” Emmy nominations chances which, he said he thought would have “sort of got derailed after it was let go by History.”
“We weren’t necessarily loved by the media; we weren’t on a premium cable channel; we didn’t have tons of [Emmy nomination consideration marketing campaign] money. The fact is, people who watched the screeners love it, based on the quality.
“The thing I’m happiest about is that a bunch of people got the screeners, watched it and voted for it,” he said.
The 60s-set political miniseries is joined in the category by HBO’s re-make of “Mildred Pierce,” which is this year’s most-Emmy nominated TV program with an impressive 21 noms. The Kate Winslet-starrer is based on the James M. Cain novel. This year, the TV academy decided to combine the races for best movie and best miniseries; the other hopefuls in this race are HBO’s “Cinema Verite,” about the groundbreaking PBS reality series on the Loud family; HBO’s “Too Big to Fail” about the 2008 U.S. fiscal crisis; PBS’s class-drama “Downton Abbey”; and Starz’ cathedral building intrigue set in 12th century England based on Ken Follett’s 1989 novel, “The Pillars of the Earth.”
In the reality TV races, the TV academy embraced Fox’s summer reality series “So You Think You Can Dance” this year.
Fox’s “SYTYCD” has been added to the list of contenders for Best Reality Competition Series, joining perennial nominees “American Idol,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Project Runway,” seven-time winner “Amazing Race,” and last year’s winner, “Top Chef.”
And “So You Think You Can Dance’s” Cat Deeley has replaced “Project Runway’s” Heidi Klum in the mostly-boys-club race for best reality-TV host. The first-time nominee is pitted against “Dancing’s” Tom Bergeron, “Survivor’s” Jeff Probst, “Amazing Race’s” Phil Keoghan, and “Idol’s” Ryan Seacrest.
“I’m honored to be nominated for the Jeff Probst Award. I hope Cat Deeley kicks his ass!!” Bergeron tweeted on Thursday.
And, reality TV guru Mark Burnett, who is executive producing this year’s Emmycast for the first time, submitted his controversial TLC reality series, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” for Emmy consideration in four categories – including Best Reality Series.
Sarah Palin got shut out.
Palin failed where Kathy Griffin succeeded; Griffin’s Bravo show “My Life on the D-List” is among the nominees for Best Reality Series, as is A&E’s “Hoarders,” Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch,” Discovery’s “Mythbusters,” CBS’s “Undercover Boss” and PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow.”
Late night shows will go through the formality of a competition again this year, before the academy hands another Emmy to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” which has won the Emmy for Best Variety, Music, or Comedy Series every since 2003. Sitting at Stewart’s feet this year: Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” TBS’s “Conan,” NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and “Saturday Night Live,” and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
This year’s Emmy show will air on Sept. 18 on Fox, and will be hosted by “Glee” star Jane Lynch – last year’s winner in the race for best supporting actress in a comedy series. Look out, Jane! This year your competition includes – Betty White.
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