2011 Emmy Nominations Announced

The 2011 Emmy nominations were announced today. Included are all the usual suspects, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family, Game Of Thrones etc. No real surprises here but there are a couple things I’d like to point out.

For one, I’m very happy to see Game Of Thrones sneaking onto the list for Best Drama Series. I didn’t love the show at first but it did grow on me and by the end, I was completely hooked.

Also making me happy is Mireille Enos hopping onto the Drama actress list. While The Killing itself started off incredible and went downhill by the end, Enos was terrific the whole way through and I’d love to see her take home the statue.

Other pleasing nominations include Steve Carell for his last season on The Office, Walton Goggins getting some much deserved recognition for Justified and the always terrific John Slattery once again being recognized for his excellent work on Mad Men. Perhaps he’ll finally score a win this year.

Too Big To Fail also did quite well for itself and deservedly so. It was a fantastic film and another winner for HBO. Competing against it is The Kennedys, which is a bit surprising as I didn’t think it went over so well with audiences/critics. It was a mediocre miniseries, definitely not Emmy worthy though.

One of the more interesting races is looking to be Drama actor. I’m pitting Jon Hamm against Steve Buscemi and honestly, either one of them could take it. Best drama series could also get exciting. Once again, I see the two front runners being Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire.

I’m going to go with Mad Men though for this one. Season four of Mad Men was phenomenal, some of the best television I’ve ever seen. Matthew Wiener and company MAY find themselves upset by Terence Winter and his crew, but I wouldn’t count on it. As good as Boardwalk Empire is, it still needs a bit of polish before it can claim to be on the same level as what is undoubtedly one of television’s finest shows.

Check out the full list below and start making your predictions!

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • HBO

Dexter • Showtime

Friday Night Lights • DirecTV

Game Of Thrones • HBO

The Good Wife • CBS

Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson – Boardwalk Empire • HBO

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan – Dexter • Showtime

Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor – Friday Night Lights • DirecTV

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House – House • FOX

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens – Justified • FX Networks

Jon Hamm as Don Draper – Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor – Friday Night Lights • DirecTV

Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick – The Good Wife • CBS

Kathy Bates as Harriet “Harry” Korn – Harry’s Law • NBC

Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden – The Killing • AMC

Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson – Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister – Game Of Thrones • HBO

Josh Charles as Will Gardner – The Good Wife • CBS

Alan Cumming as Eli Gold – The Good Wife • CBS

Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder – Justified • FX Networks

John Slattery as Roger Sterling – Mad Men • AMC

Andre Braugher as Owen – Men Of A Certain Age • TNT

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Kelly Macdonald as Margaret Schroeder – Boardwalk Empire • HBO

Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma – The Good Wife • CBS

Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart – The Good Wife • CBS

Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett – Justified • FX Networks

Michelle Forbes as Mitch Larsen – The Killing • AMC

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris – Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory • CBS

Glee • FOX

Modern Family • ABC

The Office • NBC

Parks And Recreation • NBC

30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory • CBS

Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter – The Big Bang Theory • CBS

Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc – Episodes • Showtime

Louis C.K. as Louie – Louie • FX Networks

Steve Carell as Michael Scott – The Office • NBC

Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy – 30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison – The Big C • Showtime

Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn – Mike & Molly • CBS

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton – Nurse Jackie • Showtime

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope – Parks And Recreation • NBC

Martha Plimpton as Virginia Chance – Raising Hope • FOX

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon – 30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel – Glee • FOX

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett – Modern Family • ABC

Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett – Modern Family • ABC

Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker – Modern Family • ABC

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy – Modern Family • ABC

Jon Cryer as Alan Harper – Two And A Half Men • CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester – Glee • FOX

Betty White as Elka Ostrosky – Hot In Cleveland • TV Land

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy – Modern Family • ABC

Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett – Modern Family • ABC

Kristen Wiig as Various characters – Saturday Night Live • NBC

Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney – 30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Animated Program

The Cleveland Show • FOX

Futurama • Comedy Central

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III • Cartoon Network

The Simpsons • FOX

South Park • Comedy Central

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report • Comedy Central

Conan • TBS

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon • NBC

Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO

Saturday Night Live • NBC

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On • HBO

Carrie Fisher In Wishful Drinking • HBO

The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS

Lady GaGa Presents The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden • HBO

The Pee-Wee Herman Show On Broadway • HBO

Outstanding Miniseries/Made For Television Movie

Cinema Verite • HBO

Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) • PBS

The Kennedys • ReelzChannel

Mildred Pierce • HBO

The Pillars Of The Earth • Starz

Too Big To Fail • HBO

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Edgar Ramirez as Carlos – Carlos • Sundance Channel

Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy – The Kennedys • ReelzChannel

Barry Pepper as Bobby Kennedy – The Kennedys • ReelzChannel

Idris Elba as John Luther – Luther • BBC America

Laurence Fishburne as Thurgood Marshall – Thurgood • HBO

William Hurt as Henry ‘Hank’ Paulson – Too Big To Fail • HBO

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Diane Lane as Patricia Loud – Cinema Verite • HBO

Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) • PBS

Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Taraji P. Henson as Tiffany Rubin – Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story • Lifetime

Jean Marsh as Rose Buck – Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) • PBS

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy – The Kennedys • ReelzChannel

Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Brian F. O’Byrne as Bert Pierce – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke – Too Big To Fail • HBO

James Woods as Richard Fuld – Too Big To Fail • HBO

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) • PBS

Evan Rachel Wood as Veda Pierce – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Melissa Leo as Lucy Gessler – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Mare Winningham as Ida – Mildred Pierce • HBO

Eileen Atkins as Lady Maud Holland – Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) • PBS