CBS
Finally, CBS has managed to beat out NBC with 59 Emmy nominations. With the end of one show and the documentary about the King, they are just racking up the nods.
Everybody Loves Raymond took its final curtain call this year immediately making it an Emmy favorite. With 16 nods in total, nominated stars Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts proves that everyone’s a winner.
CBS’ Elvis, a look at the career of Elvis Presley, also garnered a fair share of noms. With five in all, including best miniseries, nods also went to star Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis, Randy Quaid, as “Colonel” Tom Parker and Camryn Manheim, as Elvis’ mama, Gladys.
Although snubbed in the comedy category, Two and a Half Men‘s Holland Taylor and Conchata Ferrell got nods in the supporting actress category.
CBS’ The Amazing Race is up for outstanding reality program, which is no surprise, since its one of the better reality shows out there–and that’s saying something. And David Letterman didn’t walk away nod-less: The Late Show with David Letterman is up for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series against Da Ali G Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show with Jon Stuart, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
NBC
Only trailing CBS by 5 nominations, NBC obvious nods got to its staples–Will and Grace and The West Wing.
Will and Grace is once again up for best comedy series, no surprises here, with 15 total nominations. Cast members Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally and Eric McCormack all got nods but poor little Debra Messing was left out of the loop. No use crying over spilt milk, though; there’s always next year.
The West Wing is once again nominated for outstanding drama, again no surprises. What is surprising is that only Stockard Channing and Alan Alda received nods for acting. Martin Sheen et. al., including regular Emmy nominee Allison Janney, were not nominated this year, making it the first year the show aired that they did not receive a nomination.
Everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief. The hilarious Scrubs has finally been nominated in the outstanding comedy category. And if that’s not good enough, its star Zach Braff is up for lead in a comedy series too. Let’s hope this is the show’s year.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay–who recently won the Golden Globe for her performance as the hard-hitting detective Olivia Benson–goes for her second Emmy shot at lead actress in a drama. And newcomer Patricia Arquette got a nod for her portrayal of psychic Allison Dubois on NBC’s mid-season hit Medium.
In the outstanding reality-competition group, once again is NBC’s The Apprentice is going up against Fox’s American Idol, CBS’ Survivor and Amazing Race, and Bravo’s Project Runway.
ABC
ABC is the true Cinderella story here. The network has been pulled out of a ratings slump with their freshman shows–Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lost. In total, the network received an exciting 51 nods, and only stands to get more in the future.
Desperate Housewives got an impressive 15 nominations from its first season. With nods going out to most of the housewives (minus Eva Longoria and Nicolette Sheridan), the series also is up for outstanding comedy series.
The hit castaway show Lost also got a nod for outstanding drama against Deadwood, 24, Six Feet Under, and The West Wing. Lost‘s other top scorers included Naveen Andrews, as the stalwart former Iraqi soldier Sayid, and Terry O’Quinn, as the mysterious huntsman Locke, both nominated in the supporting actor in a drama category.
Mid-season hitGrey’s Anatomy will probably be more of a major player next year at the Emmys, but Sandra Oh‘s supporting actress in a drama nomination as the beleaguered surgical intern Cristina Yang is a true testament to the show’s high quality.
Last year’s lead actor in a drama winner James Spader goes for his second try as the acerbic lawyer Alan Shore on ABC’s middling hit Boston Legal, while the lovely Emmy veteran Jennifer Garner goes for her fifth try as Alias‘ chameleon super agent Sydney Bristow.
FOX
With its 49 nominations, FOX is definitely climbing up the ladder, considering the network only received 31 nods last year.
With its huge win last year, Arrested Development has been nominated for outstanding comedy series once again. The competition is stiff this year though; Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, Everybody Love Raymond, and Will and Grace are all vying for the coveted Emmy. Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter have also received supporting nods as the patriarch and matriarch of the dysfunctional family, while Jason Bateman received his first nomination for lead actor in a comedy.
24 also once again snagged a nom for outstanding drama, with its star Kiefer Sutherland up for lead actor. And Malcolm in the Middle‘s Jane Kaczmarek goes for her sixth shot at winning the Emmy in the lead actress in a comedy category. Maybe this’ll be Jane’s year.
The hard-bitten The Shield got some nods, but not for its star and previous Emmy winner Michael Chiklis. No, this time the nominations went to the ladies: Glenn Close, who came onboard for one season as Chiklis tough-as-nails boss, got a lead actress in a drama nod, while the show’s CCH Pounder received a supporting nom.
Possibly one of the biggest surprises about this year’s nominees is Fox’s cancelled-then-un-cancelled animated series, Family Guy. With its crude jokes, violence, and just plain funny story lines, the show has managed to enter a category with brother show, The Simpsons as well as Comedy Central’s South Park.
