# Emmy Nominations! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224 "2009-07-16T15:37:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/1 "2009-07-16T15:37:04Z")
[A full list](http://cdn.emmys.tv/downloads/2009/61stemmys_noms.doc). (Word doc) I’m a bit swamped right now but I’ll be back to comment. Here’s a nomination summary: **22** : _30 Rock_ **17** : _Grey Gardens_ **16** : _Mad Men_ **14** : _Into The Storm_ **13** : _Saturday Night Live_ **11** : _Generation Kill, Little Dorrit_ **10** : _81st Annual Academy Awards, Dancing With The Stars, Taking Chance_ **9** : _The Office_ **8** : _American Idol_ **7** : _The Amazing Race, Damages_ **6** : _Flight Of The Conchords, 24, Weeds_ **5** : _Battlestar Galactica, Breaking Bad, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Grey’s Anatomy, Late Show With David Letterman, Lost, Pushing Daisies, Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired, The Simpsons, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, The Tudors, 24: Redemption_ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/2 "2009-07-16T15:46:12Z")
Drama Series _Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost, Mad Men_ Comedy Series _30 Rock, Entourage, Family Guy, Flight of the Conchords, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Weeds_ Actor - Drama Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne, Jon Hamm, Simon Baker (_Mentalist_) Actress - Drama Sally Field, Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay, Elisabeth Moss (_Mad Men_), Holly Hunter, Kyra Sedgwick Actor - Comedy Alec Baldwin, Jemain Clement (_Conchords_), Tony Shalhoub, Jim Parsons (_Big Bang_), Steve Carell, Charlie Sheen Actress - Comedy Tina Fey, Christina Applegate, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sarah Silverman, Toni Colette (_Tara Gregson_), Mary-Louise Parker ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/3 "2009-07-16T15:50:04Z")
Haven’t there traditionally been five nominees per category? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/4 "2009-07-16T15:52:26Z")
Yes, though the last year or two, they opened it up to 6 (and perhaps liberalized the use of ties). Can’t say for sure, though many of the other categories are still only 5. In the writing categories, it’s pretty much head to head: _30 Rock_ (4 nods) vs. _Flight of the Conchords_ (1) for Comedy and _Mad Men_ (4 nods) vs. _Lost_ (1) for Drama. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/5 "2009-07-16T16:02:25Z")
Among the “sure things\*” who didn’t make the cut: ACTRESS/DRAMA Anna Paquin (_True Blood_), Patricia Arquette (_Medium_), Mary McDonnell (_BSG_), Jeanne Tripplehorn (_Big Love_); ACTOR/DRAMA Kyle Chandler (_Friday Night Lights_), Michael Chiklis (_The Shield_), Denis Leary (_Rescue Me_), Kiefer Sutherland (_24_); ACTOR/COMEDY David Duchovny (_Californication_); ACTRESS/COMEDY America Ferrera (_Ugly Betty_), Amy Poehler (_Parks and Recreation_). Also, Katherine Heigl (_Grey’s Anatomy_), who withdrew from competition last year because she said her material wasn’t good enough, put her name back in this year, but got the big snubola. Oldest nominee (I think): Ernest Borgnine, 92! Guest performance on _ER_. Runner-up: Betty White, 87! Guest performance on _My Name Is Earl_. \*According to the Los Angeles Times. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/6 "2009-07-16T16:18:43Z")
Glad to see _Battlestar_ got some recognition, even if it probably won’t take home any trophies. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/7 "2009-07-16T16:36:31Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Glad to see _Battlestar_ got some recognition, even if it probably won’t take home any trophies. It usually gets a writing or (for this year) a directing nod, but never acting or series. The balance of the attention is, predictably, the technical/craft areas (Sound, VFX, etc.), where it’s won in the past. I’m sure there was some hope that for the final season, it’d get a little more love (_Star Trek: TNG_ got a Series nod its last year), but no such luck. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/8 "2009-07-16T16:40:53Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Among the “sure things\*” who didn’t make the cut: ACTRESS/DRAMA Anna Paquin (_True Blood_), Patricia Arquette (_Medium_), Mary McDonnell (_BSG_), Jeanne Tripplehorn (_Big Love_); ACTOR/DRAMA Kyle Chandler (_Friday Night Lights_), Michael Chiklis (_The Shield_), Denis Leary (_Rescue Me_), Kiefer Sutherland (_24_); ACTOR/COMEDY David Duchovny (_Californication_); ACTRESS/COMEDY America Ferrera (_Ugly Betty_), Amy Poehler (_Parks and Recreation_). Aside from Ferrera, Arquette, and Sutherland, I’d hardly characterize any of these as “sure things” (in fact, I can think of few people in the Actor slate who could’ve got bumped without it being a bigger upset). Leary & Chiklis have gotten attention in the past, but Male/Drama’s probably the most competitive category, so their nods weren’t foregone conclusions (plus Kiefer got nominated for Jack Bauer in the _24_ TV movie). Tripplehorn (_Grey Gardens_) and Poehler (_SNL_) also got nods, but in different categories. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/9 "2009-07-16T17:25:38Z")
I’m tickled pink that Aaron Paul was nominated in the supporting actor category for _Breaking Bad_. I didn’t recognize him for a long time as the guy who played the weenie Scott on _Big Love_. Why was _Family Guy_ nominated in the comedy category instead of animation? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/10 "2009-07-16T17:53:52Z")
**ArchiveGuy** , those were from the LA Times’ prediction lists. They had sure things and frontrunners, possibles, and long shots. And, **AuntiePam** , I’ll take a guess: Because Seth MacFarlane has a huge ego, and wants to do what The Simpsons could not? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/11 "2009-07-16T18:11:03Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > And, **AuntiePam** , I’ll take a guess: Because Seth MacFarlane has a huge ego, and wants to do what The Simpsons could not? So it’s in the comedy category because that’s where MacFarlane wanted it to be? Nobody at the Academy said “Sorry pal, it’s a cartoon”? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/12 "2009-07-16T18:23:39Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > **ArchiveGuy** , those were from the LA Times’ prediction lists. They had sure things and frontrunners, possibles, and long shots. Fair enough, but I think that speaks to the inherent biases and preferences of the publication rather than a more sober assessment of the field and the voting history (because, aside from Baker, any of the other current nominees would’ve raised many more eyebrows than the ones that currently went empty-handed). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/13 "2009-07-16T18:27:17Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > So it’s in the comedy category because that’s where MacFarlane wanted it to be? Nobody at the Academy said “Sorry pal, it’s a cartoon”? You can submit for one or the other (Comedy or Animated), but not both. When the Academy first allowed this, _The Simpsons_ tried this route and didn’t make the cut each time (this was during the early 90s/Golden Years); you can see that there was a 3-year run or so around then when the show didn’t win Animated program, and that’s why. I’m sure after being burned so many times, they decided to stop trying anymore for the Big Prize, since they’re always a reliable lock for a nod in the Animated category (and they win fairly often, though not as regularly as when they first started). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/14 "2009-07-16T21:37:17Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > **10** : \*81st Annual Academy Awards, I like it. Not only are award shows hollywood patting itself on the back, but now the award shows are actually rewarding other award shows. I had no idea there were 8 billion categories in the Emmy’s. “Outstanding Main Title Design” No Dexter? It’s one of the best main title sequences ever. > [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Drama Series > _Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost, Mad Men_ Does House get nominated every year, or something? I can’t see anything about this season that makes it worth of being in up for nomination… except maybe everything else being terrible? I dunno. Can you have a rigidly formulaic show where, essentially, we’ve seen everything it has to offer already, and still have it considered amongst the best? > [@](#): > > Actor - Drama > Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne, Jon Hamm, Simon Baker (_Mentalist_) Bryan Cranston in a landslide. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/15 "2009-07-16T21:57:36Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > “Outstanding Main Title Design” No Dexter? It’s one of the best main title sequences ever. Which is why it won last year. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/16 "2009-07-16T23:12:03Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Bryan Cranston in a landslide. Concur. I also am thrilled to see Aaron Paul nominated. They both just ROCKED Breaking Bad this year. Drama Series Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost, Mad Men The drama category is going to be tough!! It would be nice to see something atypical win like Breaking Bad. I think we can throw out Damages and House and really Lost? I mean I’m an avid watcher but between Breaking Bad, Dexter and Mad Men? No way. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/17 "2009-07-16T23:26:51Z")
I’m quite happy to see Set Decorator Ann Shea nominated (along with Production Designer John Shaffner) for “Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series” for _The Big Bang Theory_. She was the one who responded to my inquiry about the [mysterious object](http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/big_bang_21.jpg) in Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment discussed in [thread=502996]this thread[/thread] (see post 28). ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/18 "2009-07-16T23:49:17Z")
My complaints: No acting noms for Battlestar Galactica. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell at the minimum deserved recognition, but an argument could be made for James Callis, Michael Hogan, and Katee Sackhoff too. Major thumbs down to the Emmy voters for snubbing this show, just as they snubbed the also amazing The Wire. Nothing for Friday Night Lights in acting, also a big oversight. At least Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton deserved to be on there. In Treatment deserved a series nom, and John Mahoney an acting spot, though really, the whole cast could have been nominated. That’s an amazing show that no one watched. Someday, someone other than Michael Emerson will be recognized for their work on LOST. I love Mad Men, but did they have to give ALL the writing slots except one to them? And no nom for Christina Hendricks. Tons of love for 30Rock-- it’s a good show, but not THAT good. I could bitch more about people like Shatner and Cryer but I won’t. Good things: Aaron Paul and Kristen Chenowith getting nominations. Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible nominated for “Outstanding Special Class.” Yay! No noms for Anna Paquin or Jeremy Piven, showing some good taste. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/19 "2009-07-17T00:21:27Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > Someday, someone other than Michael Emerson will be recognized for their work on LOST. Henry Ian Cusick, Naveen Andrews, and Terry O’Quinn have all been past nominees as well (with O’Quinn winning two years ago). > [@SenorBeef](#): > > “Outstanding Main Title Design” No Dexter? It’s one of the best main title sequences ever. The title categories (design and music) are only eligible the first season of a show (unless either changes significantly over the course of the series), and _Dexter_ was indeed nominated for both two years ago, winning for design. ---
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224/20 "2009-07-17T00:28:44Z")
No love for “The Shield” ? Unreal [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emmy-nominations/503224.md?page=2)