The winners of the 62 nd Primetime Emmy Awards won’t officially be announced until Aug. 29. But there are already a few clear winners and losers just based on last week’s Emmy nominee announcement. Winners HBO— HBO’s gritty miniseries about Marines in World War II “The Pacific” led the pack with 24 nominations. That’s not too surprising, given the show’s behind-the-scenes talent (like producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg) were responsible for the earlier Emmy magnet “Band of Brothers.” As if that weren’t sweet enough, HBO led all the networks with 101 total nominations this year. “Glee”— FOX’s “Glee” had a rough road to travel. In the last year, the underdog show became a cult sensation, spawning hit albums and a concert tour. But its Emmy nominations were far from a sure bet. The show is more of a musical than a straight comedy. And it’s got just as much drama as humor. Nonetheless, it landed itself a Best Comedy Series nomination (and 18 other nominations to boot!). That’s a win not just for the show’s producers but the TV industry in general, which finally seems comfortable easing up on its stodgy genre restrictions. Apparently, you no longer need three cameras and a laugh track to have a comedy. (Take that, “Two and a Half Men”!) Newbies— The Emmys have often been criticized for nominating the same old shows year after year. But a few worthy newcomers snuck in this year, including FOX’s “Glee,” CBS’ “The Good Wife” and ABC’s “Modern Family.” A win for the shows and a win for viewers who appreciate variety. Though it’s been on (and off) the air for some time, the previously ignored “Friday Night Lights” finally got some Emmy love this year. And as far as the “same old shows” go, NBC’s venerable “Saturday Night Live” just surpassed “ER” as the most nominated show in Emmy history. It now has 126 nominations throughout its 35-season history. Losers Poor Courteney— Did you know Courteney Cox is the only main cast member of “Friends” who never got nominated for an Emmy? Well, her bad luck continues. She didn’t get nominated for her role in “Cougar Town,” either. Bummer. She’s really thrown herself into the role, sacrificing a lot of vanity for the sake of her silly but sympathetic character. And while we’re on the subject of longtime TV stars who got snubbed: How is it that Ed O’Neil is the only adult cast member of “Modern Family” who didn’t get nominated this year? Recount! Late Night TV— Both Jay Leno and David Letterman were shut out of the Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series category. Score one for Team Coco, though. Conan O’Brien’s quickly canceled “Tonight Show” snagged a nom. Convicts— Charlie Sheen has been nominated the last four years in a row for his work on “Two and a Half Men.” But not this year. Guess that’s what a spousal abuse charge does for you. “Parks and Recreation”— The writing on this NBC sitcom has improved immeasurably over the last season. It deserved at least one nomination. And since we’re in the neighborhood, Nick Offerman got rooked. His manly, mustachioed boss Ron Swanson is one of the best sitcom characters on TV today.
Idiot Box: A Few Clear Winners And Losers Based On Last Week’s 2010 Emmy Award Nominations
The 2010 Emmy Award Nominations
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