Emmy Awards nominations announced; TV Academy asks, "Heard about this Glee thing?"

The Emmy nominations were announced in Los Angeles this morning by John Schaffner, Modern Family's Sofia Vergara, and Community and The Soup's Joel McHale, prompting roughly a million TV writers in this city (including this one) to wonder if we cared enough about the Emmys to get out of bed before remembering the filthy lucre that keeps us pretending to care if Edie Falco can beat Toni Collette or vice versa. The Pacific led the totals with 24 nominations, while Glee pulled 19, Mad Men 17, 30 Rock 15, and Modern Family 14.

For the most part, the nominations went about as expected, with a few surprises. The television academy abruptly realized Friday Night Lights exists this year, with nominations for the show's two lead actors and its writing, and Sharon Gless, of all people, cracked a crowded supporting actress in a drama field for Burn Notice (but really, this being the Emmys, for Cagney and Lacey). Usually, the academy picks two celebrities who garner nominations to read the nominees, and that paid off for Vergara, but not for McHale, who cracked, "I phoned it in."  Among the shows not garnering major nominations (or any nominations, in some cases)? Community, Party Down, Sons of Anarchy, Justified, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Other acclaimed shows got only a few nominations, but at least one was a major one, like Parks and Recreation, which scored for Amy Poehler, or Treme, which got in for its direction. As usual, a weird fleet of movie stars got nominations wherever the academy could justify it, all the better to trick them into attending the show.

Also, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien was nominated for Variety Series, while Jay Leno's Tonight Show wasn't. Expect all of us to make much too big a deal of this in the weeks to come.

To read the complete list of Emmy nominees, go here.

A list of selected categories follows:

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
• Glee (Fox)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
• The Office (NBC)
• 30 Rock (NBC)

Outstanding Drama Series

• Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Dexter (Showtime)
• The Good Wife (CBS)
• Lost (ABC)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• True Blood (HBO)

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
• Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (NBC)

Outstanding Reality – Competition Program

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• American Idol (Fox)
• Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
• Project Runway (Lifetime)
• Top Chef (Bravo)

Outstanding Made for Television Movie

• Endgame (Masterpiece) (PBS)
• Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime)
• Moonshot (History)
• The Special Relationship (HBO)
• Temple Grandin (HBO)
• You Don't Know Jack (HBO)

Outstanding Miniseries

• The Pacific (HBO)
• Return to Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Steve Carell, The Office (NBC)
• Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
• Matthew Morrison, Glee (Fox)
• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Toni Collette, The United States of Tara (Showtime)
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
• Lea Michele, Glee (Fox)
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Matthew Fox, Lost (ABC)
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
• Hugh Laurie, House (Fox)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
• Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
• January Jones, Mad Men (AMC)
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Ty Burrell, Modern Family (ABC)
• Chris Colfer, Glee (Fox)
• Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family (ABC)
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
• Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Julie Bowen, Modern Family (ABC)
• Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Jane Lynch, Glee (Fox)
• Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
• Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)
• Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
• Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC)
• Terry O'Quinn, Lost (ABC)
• Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Martin Short, Damages (FX)
• John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Christine Baranski, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Rose Byrne, Damages (FX)
• Sharon Gless, Burn Notice (USA)
• Christina Hendricks, Mad Men (AMC)
• Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC)
• Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (CBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

• Jeff Bridges, A Dog Year (HBO)
• Ian McKellen, The Prisoner (AMC)
• Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack (HBO)
• Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship (HBO)
• Michael Sheen, The Special Relationship (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

• Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime)
• Claire Danes, Temple Grandin (HBO)
• Hope Davis, The Special Relationship (HBO)
• Dame Judi Dench, Return to Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS)
• Maggie Smith, Capturing Mary (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

• Michael Gambon, Emma (Masterpiece) (PBS)
• John Goodman, You Don't Know Jack (HBO)
• Jonathan Pryce, Return to Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS)
• Patrick Stewart, Hamlet (Great Performances) (PBS)
• David Strathairn, Temple Grandin (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

• Kathy Bates, Alice (SyFy)
• Catherine O'Hara, Temple Grandin (HBO)
• Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin (HBO)
• Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack (HBO)
• Brenda Vaccaro, You Don't Know Jack (HBO)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Will Arnett, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Jon Hamm, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Neil Patrick Harris, Glee (Fox)
• Mike O'Malley, Glee (Fox)
• Eli Wallach, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
• Fred Willard, Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Kristin Chenoweth, Glee (Fox)
• Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives (ABC)
• Jane Lynch, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
• Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock (NBC)
• Betty White, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Dylan Baker, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Beau Bridges, The Closer (TNT)
• Alan Cumming, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Ted Danson, Damages (FX)
• Gregory Itzin, 24 (Fox)
• John Lithgow, Dexter (Showtime)
• Robert Morse, Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Shirley Jones, The Cleaner (A&E)
• Ann-Margret, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
• Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost (ABC)
• Mary Kay Place, Big Love (HBO)
• Sissy Spacek, Big Love (HBO)
• Lily Tomlin, Damages (FX)

Outstanding Animated Program

• Alien Earths (NGC)
• Disney Prep & Landing (ABC)
• The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO)
• The Simpsons (Fox)
• South Park (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Short-format Animated Program

• Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
• Chowder (Cartoon Network)
• Disney's Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (Disney Channel)
• The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack (Cartoon Network)
• Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network)
• Uncle Grandpa (cartoonnetwork.com)

Outstanding Nonfiction Series

• American Experience (PBS)
• American Masters (PBS)
• Deadliest Catch (Discovery)
• Life (Discovery)
• Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) (IFC)
• The National Parks: America's Best Idea (PBS)

Outstanding Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
• Dirty Jobs (Discovery)
• Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (ABC)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo)
• MythBusters (Discovery)
• Undercover Boss (CBS)

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance

• Hank Azaria, The Simpsons (Fox)
• H. Jon Benjamin, Archer (FX)
• Dan Castallaneta, The Simpsons (Fox)
• Dave Foley, Disney Prep & Landing (ABC)
• Seth Green, Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network)
• Anne Hathaway, The Simpsons (Fox)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

• Glee – "Pilot – Director's Cut," Ryan Murphy (Fox)
• Glee – "Wheels," Paris Barclay (Fox)
• Modern Family – "Pilot," Jason Winer (ABC)
• Nurse Jackie – "Pilot," Allen Coulter (Showtime)
• 30 Rock – "I Do, I Do," Don Scardino (NBC)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• Breaking Bad – "One Minute," Michelle MacLaren (AMC)
• Dexter – "The Getaway," Steve Shill (Showtime)
• Lost – "The End," Jack Bender (ABC)
• Mad Men – "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," Lesli Linka Glatter (AMC)
• Treme – "Do You Know What It Means," Agnieszka Holland (HBO)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• Glee – "Pilot – Director's Cut," Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan (Fox)
• Modern Family – "Pilot," Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd (ABC)
• The Office – "Niagara," Greg Daniels, Mindy Kaling (NBC)
• 30 Rock – "Anna Howard Shaw Day," Matt Hubbard (NBC)
• 30 Rock – "Lee Marvin Vs. Derek Jeter," Tina Fey, Kay Cannon (NBC)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Friday Night Lights – "The Son," Rolin Jones (DirecTV)
• The Good Wife – "Pilot," Michelle King, Robert King (CBS)
• Lost – "The End," Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse (ABC)
• Mad Men – "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner (AMC)
• Mad Men – "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." Matthew Weiner, Erin Levy (AMC)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
• Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (NBC)

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

• Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
• Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race (CBS)
• Heidi Klum, Project Runway (Lifetime)
• Jeff Probst, Survivor (CBS)
• Ryan Seacrest, American Idol (Fox)

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special

• Bill Maher "…But I'm Not Wrong" (HBO)
• Hope for Haiti Now (multiple networks)
• The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)
• Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction (HBO)
• The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert (HBO)
• Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me (HBO)