Emmy Nominees Announced

According to Variety, there will be new blood in the 61st edition of the Emmy Awards, including the new series Family Guy and HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, which are running for the best comedy award. Meanwhile, 30 Rock has been listed in 22 categories.

The Fox series House and ABC’s Lost were nominated for the best dramatic series, along with Breaking Bad on AMC, Mad Men, and HBO’s Big Love, Damages on FX and Dexter on Showtime.

Fox has gone far this year with Family Guy by producer Seth MacFarlane. The show is contending with 2008’s Emmy nominees, including Entourage, The Office and 30 Rock. In addition, the programs How I Met Your Mother on CBS and Weeds, have been nominated for the first time.

Damages and Mad Men have become the first cable shows to earn nominations in the best drama and best comedy categories in 2008. They were up against Breaking Bad, starring Bryan Cranston, who won an award last year.

Things are looking up for producer Chuck Lorre and his CBS shows, Two and a Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen and John Cryer, and The Big Bang Theory, starring Jim Parson.

Despite all the competition among cable channels, HBO continues to be the highest nominated network for the ninth consecutive year. Showtime has received 29 nominations, AMC, 23, NBC, 67, and ABC has its lowest number since 2005.