The 2012 Emmy nominations are out and this is what we think:

Best drama

Boardwalk Empire; Breaking Bad; Downton Abbey; Game of Thrones; Homeland;  Mad Men

JH: The omission of The Good Wife leaves broadcast without a nomination. The CBS drama ousted by either Boardwalk Empire or Downton Abbey.

Best comedy

The Big Bang Theory; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Girls; Modern Family; 30 Rock; Veep

JH: Cheers for Girls and Veep but Louie was even more deserving. Parks and Recreation gets bumped.

Lead actor in a drama

Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey; Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Damian Lewis, Homeland; Michael C. Hall, Dexter

JH: Bonneville and Hall get in over Hugh Laurie (House), Timothy Olyphant (Justified) and Kelsey Grammer (Boss).

Lead actress in drama
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law; Glenn Close, Damages; Claire Danes, Homeland; Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife; Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey; Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men.

JH: Bates is a shocker. She probably cost Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy) a slot. No room for last year’s nominees Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) and Mirelle Enos (The Killing).

Best supporting actor, drama

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad; Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad; Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey; Jim Carter, Downton Abbey; Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones; Jared Harris, Mad Men.

JH: Where is John Slattery (Mad Men)? Emmy voters must be anti-LSD. Downton duo take up unexpected slots.

Best supporting actress, drama

Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad; Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey; Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey; Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife; Christine Baranski, The Good Wife;
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men.

JH: Recognition for Gunn at last. Froggatt a surprise. We were hoping to see Megan Hilty (Smash).

Best comedy actor

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Don Cheadle, House of Lies; Louic C.K., Louie; Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men; Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory.

JH: Deserving nom for Cheadle, not so much for Cryer. Joel McHale (Community) misses out.

Best comedy actress

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl;  Lena Dunham, Girls; Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep; Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly; Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation.

JH: The six best. No complaints.

Best supporting actor, comedy

Ed O’Neill, Modern Family;  Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family; Ty Burrell, Modern Family; Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family;  Max Greenfield, The New Girl; Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

JH: Happy to see Greenfield and Hader honored. With four Family guys, no room for Nick Offerman and NPH.

Best supporting actress, comedy

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory; Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives; Julie Bowen, Modern Family; Sofia Vergara, Modern Family; Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie; Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live.

JH: Bialik a surprise victory for Big Bang girls. Emmy voters may be tired of Betty White.

Other thoughts

• Downton Abbey‘s strong showing shuffled the deck.
• No love for Glee.
• The Voice knocked American Idol out of Best Reality Series.
• BBC’s Sherlock duly recognized in Mini-Series nominations.

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