Ellen Gray: '30 Rock' leads Emmy nominations

NBC'S "30 Rock," the sitcom created by and starring Upper Darby's Tina Fey, received 22 Emmy nominations yesterday, the most of any single show, and nearly a third of those received by her entire network.

HBO's "Grey Gardens," a movie based on an iconic documentary about an eccentric mother and daughter played by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, received 17, followed by 16 for AMC's "Mad Men," 14 for HBO's Winston Churchill movie "Into the Storm" and 13 for NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

Philadelphia's Kevin Bacon received his first Emmy nomination for his role as an officer accompanying the body of a soldier killed in Iraq being brought home for burial in HBO's "Taking Chance," one of 10 nominations for one of the season's most moving films.

But local Jill Scott, star of HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency," was snubbed.

Meanwhile, a series of rules changes thought to be aimed at increasing the odds for broadcast networks - which actually air the Emmys - to have more of their shows and actors nominated appeared to have had less effect than some may have expected, though there were a number of first-time nominees.

But even with a sixth and in some cases a seventh slot added to many categories, and the abandonment of the "blue ribbon" panels responsible for nominations in recent years, only Fox and NBC saw a year-to-year increase in nominations, while ABC, CBS and PBS all received fewer than they had a year ago.

HBO once again led the field, with 99 nominations, up from 85 last year, and rival Showtime had 29, up from 21 a year ago. Once-insignificant AMC, which had broken into the big leagues last year with 20 nominations, thanks to "Mad Men," which won for drama, and "Breaking Bad," which brought a lead-actor win for Bryan Cranston, had 23.

Apparently people in the industry watch a lot of cable.

Not that broadcasters didn't get their licks in. Jim Parsons, maintaining a happy tradition of coincidence in which the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences asks a couple of actors, months in advance, to get up in the wee hours to help present the nominations at its North Hollywood headquarters, only to discover that they've (gasp) been nominated themselves, received his first nomination, for lead actor in a comedy for his role in CBS' "The Big Bang Theory." (Chandra Wilson, who presented with him, was nominated both for her role on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and for the Hallmark Channel movie "Accidental Friendship.")

Parsons, a favorite among TV critics, who've been talking up his chances for months, will compete against another first-timer, Jemaine Clement, of HBO's "Flight of the Conchords," as well as: last year's winner, Alec Baldwin, of NBC's "30 Rock"; Steve Carell, of NBC's "The Office"; three-time winner Tony Shalhoub, of USA's "Monk"; and four-time nominee Charlie Sheen, of CBS' "Two and a Half Men."

Broadcast shows received four of the seven nominations for outstanding comedy. Besides two-time winner "30 Rock," there were nominations for Fox's "Family Guy" - only the second time an animated series has been included in this category ("The Flinstones" was nominated in 1961) - as well as NBC's "The Office" and CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," recognized for the first time in this category.

HBO's "Entourage" was nominated for a third time and "Flight of the Conchords" and Showtime's "Weeds" were both first-time nominees.

On the drama side, cable took four of the seven nominations, which included one first-time nominee, HBO's "Big Love," as well as "Breaking Bad," "Mad Men," FX's "Damages," Showtime's "Dexter," Fox's "House" and ABC's "Lost."

Simon Baker, of CBS' "The Mentalist," was a first-time nominee for lead actor in a drama, a category dominated by previous nominees, most of them from cable: Gabriel Byrne, of HBO's "In Treatment"; Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter"; Jon Hamm, of "Mad Men"; Cranston, of "Breaking Bad," who won last year; and Hugh Laurie, of "House," who received his fourth nomination.

Elisabeth Moss, of "Mad Men," was the only newcomer among lead actresses in a drama, which again included Glenn Close, of FX's "Damages," who won last year; Sally Field, of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters"; Mariska Hargitay, of NBC's "Law & Order: SVU"; Holly Hunter, of TNT's "Saving Grace"; and Kyra Sedgwick, of TNT's "The Closer." Neil Patrick Harris will host the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20 on CBS. *

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