“Mad Men” is awesome, and has the Emmy noms to prove it!

I’ve been waiting a while for the nominations to be announced, and then found myself unbelievably busy the day that they were announced. Oh well, there’s still today. No major surprises really, but many television shows/miniseries that I enjoy/enjoyed are up for quite a few. Film and Television Appreciation Culture…this is when the “Television” part comes into play…

The top nominees included three personal favourites of mine, “30 Rock” with 17 nominations, last year’s winner for best sitcom, “Mad Men” with 16 nominations, and the critically acclaimed “John Adams” leads the pack with 23 bids.

Kudos to “Mad Men” and “Damages” on being the first basic-cable shows in Emmy history to be nominated for Best Drama. I have no idea what basic-cable is as both those shows air on one channel in South Africa, where most good shows are stuffed into one insanely entertaining channel. But because they are history makers, they deserve special mentions. Rounding up the Best Drama nods, “Lost,” picked up a bit of lost momentum this season, “Boston Legal,” “Dexter” and “House” were the final four to be nominated.

In the best comedy series category, Tina Fey’s post-SNL gig which is actually funnier than SNL “30 Rock,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “The Office” and “Two And a Half Men” rounded out the nominees.
Best actor in a drama nominations went to James Spader in “Boston Legal,” Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad,” Michael C. Hall in “Dexter,” Hugh Laurie in “House,” Gabriel Byrne in “In Treatment,” and Jon Hamm in “Mad Men.” While Tony Shalhoub in “Monk,” Steve Carell in “The Office,” Lee Pace in “Pushing Daisies,” Alec Baldwin in “30 Rock” and Charlie Sheen in “Two and a Half Men” rounded out the best actor in a comedy category.

I always prefer the nominees for best actress in a drama and comedy series respectively, and this year is no different. Holly Hunter {best actress working on television this year} got a best actress in a drama series nomination as well as the almost equally talented Glenn Close in “Damages,” the always mesmerising Sally Field in “Brothers and Sisters,” and Kyra Sedgwick in “The Closer” and Mariska Hargitay in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” the last two actresses are in shows I have tried to watch on more than one occasion but I feel they are ultimately lame. In the comedy section, all the nominees are from television shows I watch on a regular to obsessive basis, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “The New Adventures Of Old Christine,” Christina Applegate in “Samantha Who?,” Tina Fey in “30 Rock,” America Ferrera in “Ugly Betty” and Mary-Louise Parker in “Weeds.”

Notable snubs, for me anyway, would be that of “Grey’s Anatomy” which I consider to be the best television show on TV in the history of TV. It did get nominated for 5 Emmys though, including nods for perennial candidates Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, so that’s a plus that doesn’t quite balance the monumental minus I’m feeling right now. Other ABC favourites of mine, “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” were not exactly hit over the head with nominations either. “Friday Night Lights” was almost completely shout out except for nominations for Casting and something else that means something that I just cannot comprehend. Um, it is one of the best television shows around, better than “Dexter” or “Damages,” but no matter how loud us fans have to scream FNL will never get the love it deserves. Neither will HBO’s critically acclaimed “The Wire” which managed to score a nom for writing. I think that “Pushing Daisies” deserved a best comedy nomination, but perhaps it is too “out-there” for voters to recognise its excellence. The fantastical show did walk away with 12 nominations, so I don’t have that much to complain about. Also, I don’t think that “Saving Grace” got nearly enough love, besides its best actress in a drama nomination, it also received a nomination for its original title theme, which I praised here if anyone remembers, along with fellow nominee Disney’s “Phineas And Ferb.” No real love for “Chuck” which got nominated for best title design and something to do with stunt coordination, and “Heroes” which got 3 nominations for nothing exciting. Same with a new comedy fave of mine “Californication.” Fair enough, I guess.

Final tallies of shows worth mentioning: John Adams (23 noms), 30 Rock (17), Mad Men (16), Pushing Daisies (12), Recount (11), Bernard And Doris (10), 80th Annual Academy Awards and Tin Man (9), Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre), Dancing With The Stars and The Office (8), The Andromeda Strain, Boston Legal, Damages, Lost and Two And A Half Men (7), The Amazing Race, The Company, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale, Saturday Night Live, Ugly Betty and The War (6), American Idol, Autism: The Musical, Battlestar Galactica, Comanche Moon, Dexter, Entourage, 50th Annual Grammy Awards, Grey’s Anatomy, Late Show With, David Letterman, Project Runway and This American Life (5) and Breaking Bad, The Colbert Report, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Flight Of The Conchords, House, In Treatment, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night With Conan O’Brien and So You Think You Can Dance (4) and Friday Night Lights (0!!!!!!).

For the full list(s) of nominees, go here.

The ceremony for the 2008 Emmy Awards will be held on the 21st of September on ABC ,and the other honours such as the technical categories and guest actors will be given out on the 13th of September at the creative arts ceremony.