Primetime Emmy Nominations Announced: HBO and "American Horror Story" Dominate

Cable giant HBO captured 108 Emmy nominations, including 16 for Game of Thrones, when the nominees were announced earlier today. However, FX's American Horror Story was the most nominated series, with 17 nods. Other nominees attracting much Emmy recognition were Saturday Night Live and the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, which both nabbed 15. In addition, the Netflix series House of Cards received nine nominations, including one for Drama Series, which is a first for an online series.

I was pleased to learn of the multiple nominations for The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Downton Abbey, the now defunct USA series Political Animals, as well as the aforementioned American Horror Story and Behind the Candelabra. It was also great to see Connie Britton and Vera Farmiga receive recognition for their great work on Nashville and Bates Motel, respectively. On the other hand, I was very disappointed that Archer was not recognized for Outstanding Comedy Series or Animated Series, since it is one of the best and most consistent series on television. I was also disappointed to learn that Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel), Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary) Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) and Mads Mikkelson (Hannibal) did not receive recognition for their exceptional work either.

The 2013 Emmy telecast will air September 22 on CBS.

Here is a partial list of the nominees.

COMEDY SERIES
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
“Girls” (HBO)
“Louie” (FX)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Veep” (HBO)

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERES
Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock,” NBC)
Jason Bateman (“Arrested Development,” Netflix)
Don Cheadle (“House of Lies,” Showtime)
Louis C.K. (“Louie,” FX)
Matt LeBlanc (“Episodes,” Showtime)
Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Laura Dern (“Enlightened,” HBO)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” HBO)
Lena Dunham (“Girls,” HBO)
Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie,” Showtime)
Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” NBC)
Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation,” NBC)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Adam Driver (“Girls,” HBO)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live,” NBC)
Tony Hale (“Veep,” HBO)
Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family,” ABC)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS)
Julie Bowen (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Anna Chlumski (“Veep,” HBO)
Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock,” NBC)
Jane Lynch (“Glee,” Fox)
Sophia Vergara (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Merritt Weaver (“Nurse Jackie,” Showtime)

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bobby Cannavale (“Nurse Jackie,” HBO)
Louis C.K. (“Saturday Night Live,” NBC)
Will Forte (“30 Rock,” NBC)
Nathan Lane (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Bob Newhart (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS)
Justin Timberlake (“Saturday Night Live,” NBC)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Dot-Marie Jones (“Glee,” Fox)
Melissa Leo (“Louie,” FX)
Parker Posey (“”Louie,” FX)
Molly Shannon (“Enlightened,” HBO)
Elaine Stritch (“30 Rock,” NBC)
Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live,” NBC)

DRAMA SERIES
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“Homeland” (ABC)
“House of Cards” (Netflix)
“Mad Men” (AMC)

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey,” PBS)
Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
Jeff Daniels (“The Newsroom,” HBO)
Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” AMC)
Damian Lewis (“Homeland,” AMC)
Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards,” Netflix)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Connie Britton (“Nashville,” ABC)
Claire Dames (“Homeland,” Showtime)
Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey,” PBS)
Vera Farmiga (“Bates Motel,” A&E)
Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men,” AMC)
Kerry Washington (“Scandal,” ABC)
Robin Wright (“House of Cards,” Netflix)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
Bobby Cannavale (“Boardwalk Empire,” HBO)
Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey,” PBS)
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones,” HBO)
Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland,” Showtime)
Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Morena Baccarin (“Homeland,” Showtime)
Christine Baranski (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones,” HBO)
Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men," AMC)
Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey,” PBS)

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Dan Bucatinsky (“Scandal,” ABC)
Michael J. Fox (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Rupert Friend (“Homeland,” Showtime)
Harry Hamlin (“Mad Men,” AMC)
Nathan Lane (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Robert Morse (“Mad Men,” AMC)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Linda Cardinelli (“Mad Men,” AMC)
Joan Cusack (“Shameless,” Showtime)
Jane Fonda (“The Newsroom,” HBO)
Margo Martindale (“The Americans,” FX)
Carrie Preston (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Diana Rigg (“Game of Thrones,” HBO)

TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“American Horror Story: Asylum” (FX)
“Behind the Candelabra” (HBO)
“The Bible” (History)
“Phil Spector” (HBO)
“Political Animals” (USA)
“Top of the Lake” (Sundance)

LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Parade’s End,” BBC)
Michael Douglas (“Behind the Candelabra,” HBO)
Matt Damon (“Behind the Candelabra,” HBO)
Tony Jones (“The Girl,” HBO)
Al Pacino (“Phil Spector, HBO)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Jessica Lange (“American Horror Story: Asylum,” FX)
Laura Linney (“The Big C: Hereafter,” Showtime)
Helen Mirren (“Phil Spector,” HBO)
Elisabeth Moss (“Top of the Lake,” Sundance)
Sigourney Weaver (“Political Animals,” USA)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISEIES OR A MOVIE
James Cromwell ("American Horror Story: Asylum," FX)
Zachary Quinto ("American Horror Story: Asylum," FX)
Scott Bakula ("Behind The Candelabra," HBO)
John Benjamin Hickey ("The Big C: Hereafter," Showtime)
Peter Mullan ("Top Of The Lake," Sundance Channel)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Sarah Paulson ("American Horror Story: Asylum," FX)
Imelda Staunton ("The Girl," HBO)
Ellen Burstyn ("Political Animals," USA)
Charlotte Rampling ("Restless," Sundance Channel)
Alfre Woodard ("Steel Magnolias," Lifetime)

REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“So You Think You Can Dance” (Fox)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)

REALITY PROGRAM
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“The Deadliest Catch” (Discover)
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” (Food Network)
“MythBusters” (Discovery)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Undercover Boss” (CBS)

REALITY SHOW HOST
Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars,” ABC)
Anthony Bourdain “(The Taste,” ABC)
Cat Deeley (“So You Think You Can Dance,” Fox)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway,” Lifetime)
Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol,” Fox)
Betty White (“Betty White’s Off Their Rockers,” NBC)

VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)
“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
“Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)