2009 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominees - The List, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Jul 16, 2009, 15:00 GMT

Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston - As I had hoped, there is appreciation for AMC\'s "Breaking Bad," one of the best shows on TV. If you have not caught this series, make an effort. It is addictive, adult and smart. © David Gabber / PR Photos

The Emmy noms are out.

Chandra Wilson and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" actor Jim Parsons announced the major category nominees for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards.

The list is heavily populated with predictable old standbys and seriously lacking in the true best of smallscreen efforts from the last year.  "30 Rock" was trotted out for 'best comedy' as was Tony Shaloub for his obsessive "Monk." 

Nice to see HBO's "Grey Gardens" net noms for the leads, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.  I hope Drew takes the award.  Even Daniel Baldwin did a great turn in that effort.

Lacking was recognition for FX's brilliant new drama, "Sons of Anarchy" and Denis Leary's always hilarious and poignant, "Rescue Me."  

SOA is riveting, sexy and amazingly cast.  Showrunner Kurt Sutter has given us all a wonderful American saga that delivers a wallop each episode, and a great gift of a character to his wife Katey Sagal, who plays Gemma, a bad ass complex matriarch. 

Also missing:  For the reality series, Style's "Clean House," a great mix of go-to man Matt Iseman, host Niecy Nash and designer Mark Brunetz. Football drama, "Friday Night Lights," and the HBO southern gothic vampire yarn, "True Blood," a show that gets better each episode:

More huge oversights: HBO's "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven as Ari the agent.  Some of Piven's best work has been on this show paired with Rex Lee's character Lloyd, assistant to Ari.  Lee is hitting his stride with the character this season.

Truly funny comedies like FX's "Testees," and Starz original series, "Head Case" and "Party Down," and their well crafted drama "Crash" were also noticeably absent.  Shame.  "Head Case" star and creator Alexandra Wentworth is a comedic genius.

As I had hoped, there is appreciation for AMC's "Breaking Bad," one of the best shows on TV.  If you have not caught this series, make an effort.   It is addictive, adult and smart.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
30 Rock
Weeds

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House M.D.
Lost
Mad Men
Big Love

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jemaine Clement, The Flight of the Conchords
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Steve Carell, The Office
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Kevin Cline, Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac
Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm
Sir Ian McKellan, King Lear
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
Kenneth Branagh, Wallander

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Show
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Chandra Wilson, Accidental Friendship
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson, The Office

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Michael Emerson, Lost
William Hurt, Damages
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Len Cariou, Into the Storm
Tom Courtenay, Little Dorrit
Ken Howard, Grey Gardens
Bob Newhart, The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice
Andy Serkis, Little Dorrit

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Rose Byrne, Damages
Hope Davis, In Treatment
Cherry Jones, 24
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Saddam
Marcia Gay Harden, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Grey Gardens
Cicely Tyson, Relative Stranger

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
Generation Kill
Little Dorrit

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
Coco Chanel
Grey Gardens
Into the Storm
Prayers for Bobby
Taking Chance

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger — London, New York, Johannesburg
Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch
Ricky Gervais: Out of England — The Stand-Up Special
The 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors
Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America — A Final Night with George W Bush

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
MythBusters

OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef