Emmy Award Nominations Announced

The 2008 Emmy Award nominations have been announced reflecting excellence in television.

DRAMA SERIES:
"Boston Legal," ABC
"Damages," FX
"Dexter," Showtime
"House," Fox
"Lost," ABC
"Mad Men," AMC
MadProfessah's pick: Lost

COMEDY SERIES:
"Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO
"Entourage," HBO
"The Office," NBC
"30 Rock," NBC
"Two and a Half Men," CBS
MadProfessah's pick: 30 Rock

ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES:
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
James Spader, "Boston Legal"
MadProfessah's pick: Since no one from Lost (Terry O'Quinn or Michael Fox or Naveen Andrews) was nominated I really don't care. I've only seen like two episodes of Dexter and was not very impressed.

ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES:
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Sally Field, "Brothers and Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
MadProfessah's pick: Glenn Close. This is an insane category. As opportunities for Oscar-calibre actresses of a certain age diminish in the movies they are increasing on television. Glenn Close was robbed of an Oscar (a couple of times) in the early 90s, Sally Field has won two (!) and Holly Hunter has won one Best Actress Oscar. I have just started watching The Closer and I am impressed with Kyra Sedgwick's work.

ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

MadProfessah's pick: Tina Fey (or Mary-Louise Parker).

ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"

MadProfessah's pick: Tony Shalhoub has won this category 3 times already! But I'd love to see Steve Carell win this year.

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES:
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Rainn Wilson, "The Office"
MadProfessah's pick: Hopefully if Steve Carell wins then his sidekick-in-comedy played with absolute verisimiltiude by Rainn Wilson will also win.

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES:
Ted Danson, "Damages"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Zeljko Ivanek, "Damages"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
John Slattery, "Mad Men"
MadProfessah's pick: Damages was some kind of awesome, but Ted Danson was not a strong pointof the series--Zeljko Ivanek was. However, Lost would just be a weird show with an interestingly multiracial cast and an intriguing concept without the amazing work of Michael Emerson. It's tragic that this is the only acting nomination the series received this year.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES:
Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal"
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment"
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy"
MadProfessah's pick: After Katherine Heigl took herself out of the running (which I think people who have won before should always do) that improved the chances for Chandra Wilson. Sandra Oh has won a Golden Globe, Rachel Griffiths did amazing work on Six Feet Under and Dianne Wiest has not one but two Supporting Actress Oscars on her mantle already.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES:
Kristin Chenoweth, "Pushing Daisies"
Amy Poehler, "Saturday Night Live"
Jean Smart, "Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, "Two and a Half Men"
Vanessa Williams, "Ugly Betty"
MadProfessah's pick: I have no dog in this hunt. I think it would be great if Amy Poehler was recognized for her brilliant work on SNL.