All They Do Is Give Out Awards

I'd pretty much stopped watching the Emmys. The drama awards would ping-pong between West Wing and The Sopranos while Fraser would always win best comedy. (Incidentally, I've always felt that once an actor wins an Emmy, she shouldn't be nominated for that role again--it would help the turnover.) Now, for the first time in years, I'm actually intrigued to see who the nominees, announced today, will be.

In comedy, former stalwarts such as Fraser and Sex And The City are gone. Will this give room for oddball nominees like Family Guy or Entourage? (Probably not.) Will The Simpsons--as great a show as TV's ever had--finally break out of the animation ghetto? At least Curb Your Enthusiasm will have a more open field, though the final season of Everybody Loves Raymond will be hard to beat for sentiment. Or will low-rated but funny Arrested Development win again?

The drama outlook is even more intriguing. With The Sopranos MIA and West Wing in transition, anything's possible. In fact, so many new hourlongs were hits last season, the whole category may be rewritten. For instance, how many nominations will TV's biggest new hit, Desperate Housewives, get? Will Hugh Laurie in House become the man to beat for Best Actor? And my favorite new show (which I originally gave a thumbs down to), Lost, has a huge ensemble--which, if any, will be nominated, and in what category?