Basic Cable Breaks Into Emmy Noms
"Mad Men," AMC's sleek drama set in the advertising world circa 1960, and FX's legal thriller "Damages" made Emmy nominations history Thursday as the first basic cable programs to gain best-series nods.
The HBO historical drama "John Adams" was the overall front-runner with 23 bids, including a lead-actor nomination for Paul Giamatti's turn as one of America's Founding Fathers.
"30 Rock," last year's best-comedy Emmy winner, was the top nominee among sitcoms with 17 bids. "Mad Men" was the leading drama series contender with 16 nominations, including one for star Jon Hamm.
"The Wire," the just-ended, critically acclaimed HBO drama about police and drug dealers in Baltimore, lost its last shot at a best-drama nod after years of Emmy snubs. It received one nomination Thursday, for writing.
Nominees in the top categories for the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences by Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, and the TV academy's chairman, John Shaffner.
The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held September 21 and broadcast on ABC. Other Emmy honors, including those for technical achievement and guest actors and actresses in a series, will be given at the creative arts ceremony on September 13.
