The list of this year's Emmy nominees are in, and it's starting to look possible that the show's actually making an attempt to legitimize itself. Thanks to the fact that the nominating panel convened for the first time ever to watch screen segments from each of the ten possible nominees from each category, there's a notable reduction in glaring nomination omissions, or unwarranted additions. In other words, the judges didn't sit on their asses and vote only based on the shows they actually watch this time. They got involved, and the results are promising.

Snotty, condescending Katherine Heigl should be happy, being that not only was she left off the nominations list, but that her show "Grey's Anatomy" wasn't nominated for a Best Drama award. However, everybody's favorite nonsense show "Lost" certainly was, along with the ridiculously overrated "Boston Legal." Also on the list are "Dexter," "House," "Damages" and "Mad Men," which received a whopping 16 nominations. The last two are the very first cable series' nominated for Best Drama.The Comedy Series Emmy is bound to be a tough one, with NBC's two funniest shows ("The Office" and "30 Rock") going head to head for the award, which "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" are up for as well. No sense talking about Charlie Sheen vehicle "Two and a Half Men," because it's a ridiculous show and only dilutes an otherwise stellar lineup of nominees. Reigning champs "30 Rock" could walk away with the title again, but with a total of 17 nominations it won't make for a bad night if they don't.

Sheen also mucks up the Best Actor in a Comedy category, making Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") all look bad just by association. Steve Carell should win, hands down.

While we're on the subject, what the hell is it with these Emmy voters? The fact that shows like "Two and a Half Men" and "Boston Legal" are even in the running says a great deal about the lack of taste involved in the process. But last year's awards were pretty well distributed, and we like the nominee screening idea they're using, so we'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt - for now.

Best Actress in a Comedy should either go to Mary-Louise Parker for the highly potent "Weeds" or "30 Rock"'s Tina Fey, comedy's reigning queen. Props to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for a nomination, but her time for awards passed with "Seinfeld." In a first for the decades-old it's-good-it's-bad-it's-good-again "Saturday Night Live," someone has been nominated as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy - and that somebody is blonde firecracker Amy Poehler. Poehler's husband, funnyman Will Arnett was also nominated for an award - Best Guest Actor in a Comedy series. He joins Rip Torn, Steve Buscemi and Tim Conway (all for "30 Rock") on the list, as well as Shelley Berman of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

HBO's “John Adams” was a big name in the miniseries categories. It has a crushing 23 nominations, including best miniseries, best actor for Paul Giamatti, and best actress for Laura Linney. Giamatti is one of our generation's unsung greats, so it would be great to see him win. Laura Linney is also a remarkable actor, bringing a supernatural gravity to each role she takes on. In our opinion, they both deserve wins.

Our vote for Best Actor in a Drama Series goes to Bryan Cranston, formerly of "Malcolm in the Middle." His portrayal of a cancer-stricken man in "Breaking Bad," so desperate to provide for his family before he dies that he starts a meth lab, is gripping, believable and a total departure from the role that made him famous.

The 2008 Emmy Awards will take place Sept. 21 in Los Angeles.

LIST OF NOMINEES:

DRAMA SERIES:
"Boston Legal," ABC
"Damages," FX
"Dexter," Showtime
"House," Fox
"Lost," ABC
"Mad Men," AMC

COMEDY SERIES:
"Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO
"Entourage," HBO
"The Office," NBC
"30 Rock," NBC
"Two and a Half Men," CBS

ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES:
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
James Spader, "Boston Legal"

ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES:
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Sally Field, "Brothers and Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES:
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Rainn Wilson, "The Office"

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES:
Ted Danson, "Damages"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Zeljko Ivanek, "Damages"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
John Slattery, "Mad Men"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES:
Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal"
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment"
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES:
Kristin Chenoweth, "Pushing Daisies"
Amy Poehler, "Saturday Night Live"
Jean Smart, "Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, "Two and a Half Men"
Vanessa Williams, "Ugly Betty"

REALITY HOST:
Tom Bergeron, 'Dancing With The Stars'
Heidi Klum, 'Project Runway'
Howie Mandel, 'Deal Or No Deal'
Jeff Probst, 'Survivor'
Ryan Seacrest, 'American Idol'

REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM:
"The Amazing Race," CBS
"American Idol," FOX
"Dancing With The Stars," ABC
"Project Runway," Bravo
"Top Chef," Bravo

REALITY PROGRAM:
"Antiques Roadshow," PBS
"Dirty Jobs," Discovery Channel
"Extreme Makeover Home Edition," ABC
"Intervention," A&E
"Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List," Bravo

MINISERIES:
"The Andromeda Strain," A&E
"Cranford," (Masterpiece Theatre), PBS
"John Adams," HBO
"Tin Man," Sci Fi Channel

ACTOR, MINISERIES OR A MOVIE:
Ralph Fiennes, "Bernard And Doris"
Ricky Gervais, "Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale"
Paul Giamatti, "John Adams"
Kevin Spacey, "Recount"
Tom Wilkinson, "Recount"

ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR A MOVIE:
Catherine Keener, "An American Crime"
Susan Sarandon, "Bernard And Doris"
Dame Judi Dench, "Cranford"
Laura Linney, "John Adams"
Phylicia Rashad, "A Raisin in the Sun"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR A MOVIE:
Eileen Atkins, "Cranford"
Ashley Jensen, "Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale"
Alfre Woodard, "Pictures Of Hollis Woods"
Audra McDonald, "A Raisin In The Sun"
Laura Dern, "Recount"

SUPPORTING ACTOR, MINISERIES OR A MOVIE:
David Morse, "John Adams"
Stephen Dillane, "John Adams"
Tom Wilkinson, "John Adams"
Denis Leary, "Recount"
Bob Balaban, "Recount"

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES:
Shelley Berman, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Rip Torn, "30 Rock"
Will Arnett, "30 Rock"
Steve Buscemi, "30 Rock"
Tim Conway, "30 Rock"

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES:
Charles Durning, "Rescue Me"
Robert Morse, "Mad Men"
Oliver Platt, "Nip-Tuck"
Stanley Tucci, "E.R."
Glynn Turman, "In Treatment"
Robin Williams, "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES:
Polly Bergen, "Desperate Housewives"
Edie Falco, "30 Rock"
Kathryn Joosten, "Desperate Housewives"
Carrie Fisher, "30 Rock"
Sarah Silverman, "Monk"
Elaine Stritch, "30 Rock"

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES:
Ellen Burstyn, "Big Love"
Diahann Carroll, "Grey's Anatomy"
Cynthia Nixon, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Anjelica Huston, "Medium"
Sharon Gless, "Nip/Tuck"

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL :
Hugh Costello, "Bernard And Doris"
Heidi Thomas, "Cranford"
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, "Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale"
Kirk Ellis, "John Adams"
Danny Strong, "Recount"

DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL:
Bob Balaban, "Bernard And Doris"
Mikael Salomon, "The Company"
Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, "Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale"
Tom Hooper, "John Adams"
Jay Roach, "Recount"

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE:
"Bernard And Doris," HBO
"Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale," HBO
"The Memory Keeper's Daughter," Lifetime
"A Raisin In The Sun," ABC
"Recount," HBO

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM:
"The Colbert Report"
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
"Late Night With Conan O'Brien"
"Late Show With David Letterman"
"Saturday Night Live"

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM:
Louis J. Horvitz, "80th Annual Academy Awards"
Jim Hoskinson, "The Colbert Report"
Lonny Price, "Company (Great Performances)"
Chuck O'Neil, "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
Don Roy King, "Saturday Night Live"

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES:
Michael Angeli, "Battlestar Galactica"
Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman, "Damages"
Matthew Weiner, "Mad Men"
Matthew Weiner, Robin Veith, "Mad Men"
David Simon, Ed Burns, "The Wire"

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES:
Arlene Sanford, "Boston Legal"
Vince Gilligan, "Breaking Bad"
Allen Coulter, "Damages"
Greg Yaitanes, "House"
Alan Taylor, "Mad Men"

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM:
Jon Stewart, Host, "80th Annual Academy Awards"
Stephen Colbert, Host, "The Colbert Report"
David Letterman, Host, "Late Show With David Letterman"
Don Rickles, Performer, "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project"
Tina Fey, Host/Performer, "Saturday Night Live"

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES:
James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, "Flight of the Conchords"
Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky, "The Office"
Bryan Fuller, "Pushing Daisies"
Jack Burditt, "30 Rock"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES:
Dan Attias, "Entourage"
James Bobin, "Flight of the Conchords"
Paul Lieberstein, "The Office"
Paul Feig, "The Office"
Barry Sonnenfeld, "Pushing Daisies"
Michael Engler, "30 Rock"

VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES:
"The Colbert Report," Comedy Central
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Comedy Central
"Late Show With David Letterman," CBS
"Real Time With Bill Maher," HBO
"Saturday Night Live," NBC

VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL:
"Bill Maher: The Decider," HBO
"George Carlin: It's Bad For Ya!," HBO
"James Taylor: One Man Band (Great Performances)," PBS
"Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell," Bravo
"The Kennedy Center Honors," CBS
"Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project," HBO

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING LESS THAN ONE HOUR):
"Creature Comforts America," CBS
"King Of The Hill," FOX
"Robot Chicken," Cartoon Network
"The Simpsons," FOX
"SpongeBob SquarePants," Nickelodeon

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING ONE HOUR OR MORE):
"Family Guy," FOX
"South Park," Comedy Central
"Justice League: The New Frontier," Warner Bros