Over the past few days we've posted Emmy spy reports rather hurriedly. Have you missed any? Click through our master list below to find out.

DRAMA-SERIES PANEL: Tattle from Secret Judge No. 1 — CLICK HERE

DRAMA-SERIES PANEL: Tattle from Secret Judge No. 2 — CLICK HERE

COMEDY-SERIES PANEL: Tattle from Secret Judge No. 1 — CLICK HERE

COMEDY-SERIES PANEL: Tattle from Secret Judge No. 2 — CLICK HERE

COMEDY-SERIES PANEL: Tattle from Secret Judge No. 3 — CLICK HERE

TOP 11 SEMI-FINALIST LIST: Supporting drama actor — CLICK HERE

TOP 11 SEMI-FINALIST LIST: Supporting drama actress — CLICK HERE!

TOP 10 SEMI-FINALIST LIST: Comedy actress — CLICK HERE

HERE'S WHAT TV CRITICS THINK OF THE TOP 10 FINALISTS LISTS FOR BEST DRAMA AND COMEDY SERIES - CLICK HERE!

WHAT THE EMMY JUDGES SAW: Episodes list — CLICK HERE

Can 'Family Guy' REALLY be nominated for best comedy series? — CLICK HERE

All three of our spies not only report that "Family Guy" got raves from Emmy judges during screenings this weekend, but they — oh, shockeroo! — predict it'll be nominated for best comedy series.

Yep, all three. That's unanimous. How can they possibly be wrong?

Answer: By forgetting the history of showbiz awards and glossing over how Emmy voting works.

Animation seldom gets serious respect at these kudos. That's why the Oscars and Emmys had to create separate categories for that fare. Only once has a cartoon flick been nominated for best picture at the Oscars (READ MORE — or see blog post below about "Wall-E"). And the equivalent has only occurred at the Emmys once in the past — back when "The Flintstones" scored a shocking bid for best comedy series in 1961. The L.A. Times got so excited that TV critic Cecil Smith predicted it would win, but, alas, "The Jack Benny Show" got the last laugh.

Not too long ago "The Simpsons" tried what "Family Guy" is attempting. After sweeping the animation race in the early 1990s, "The Simpsons" moved over to compete in the comedy category, but got shut out in 1993 and 1994. Then frustrated producers gave up in 1995 and moved back to animation.

Considering all of the media hoopla surrounding "The Simpsons" Emmy switcheroo back then, it's a good guess that, if a Top 10 semifinal runoff existed, the rascally cartoon probably would've made it. But, alas, it didn't get nominated among the final five. Why does anyone now believe that "Family Guy" can do what the mighty "Simpsons" — the longest-running cartoon in primetime TV history — couldn't?

Let's walk through the voting scenario. In order for "Family Guy" to be nominated, it needs to land in the top five after accountants combine tallies of the original popular vote with results of the judges' scoring.

Considering the general low regard of animation at showbiz awards, it's logical to assume that "Family Guy" probably ranked eighth, ninth or 10th in the popular vote. In order to be nominated, it needs to land in the top three of judges' scores. None of three judges we polled this weekend gave it their highest score (10 points). Our secret judge No. 1 ranked it eighth. Secret judge No. 2 ranked it third. Secret judge No. 3 ranked it fourth.

In other words, just because the "Padre de Famila" episode of "Family Guy" got one of the most enthusiastic responses from Emmy judges doesn't mean that the vast majority of those judges ranked it high on their ballots.

You do the math. Now re-do your Emmy predix.

(Photos: ABC/Fox)

Biggest surprise among the stars missing from the Emmy list of semifinalists for best supporting drama actor is last year's champ Terry O'Quinn ("Lost"). Also snubbed: last year's nominee Masi Oka ("Heroes"). Other notable oversights: Donald Sutherland ("Dirty Sexy Money"), John Larroquette ("Boston Legal"), Henry Ian Cusick ("Lost") and Robert Sean Leonard ("House"). Please note that there are 11 names listed, not the usual 10. This must signify an especially close result in the popular vote.

See the list of top 10 comedy actress contenders, CLICK HERE!

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Naveen Andrews, "Lost" ("The Economist")
Bruce Dern, "Big Love" ("Good Guys and Bad Guys")
Christian Clemenson, "Boston Legal" ("Roe vs. Wade, The Musical")
Ted Danson, "Damages" ("Jesus, Mary and Joe Cocker")
Michael Emerson, "Lost" ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Zeljko Ivanek, "Damages" ("I Hate These People")
T.R. Knight, "Grey's Anatomy" ("Freedom, Parts 1 & 2")
William Shatner, "Boston Legal" ("Mad About You")
John Slattery, "Mad Men" ( "Long Weekend")
Blair Underwood, "In Treatment" ("Alex: Week 6")
Jake Weber, "Medium" ("Wicked Game, Part 1")

(Photo: ATAS)

No joke: Sarah Silverman is on the Emmy list of Top 10 semifinalists for best comedy actress. Thus "The Sarah Silverman Program" might score a breakthrough bid for Comedy Central after judges review sample episodes and accountants calculate votes. In past years HBO and Showtime were the only cable channels whose stars were nominated in this category.

Biggest omission from this top 10 list: What do Emmy voters have against Teri Hatcher? While all three of her "Desperate Housewives" costars — Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman and even the vampy Eva Longoria Parker — made the cut, Hatcher got snubbed. Also missing from the list of funny ladies: past winner Patricia Heaton ("Back to You") and, on a lighter note, Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana").

Today members of the TV acting's acting branch who serve as judges of the Emmy performance categories began receiving sample series episodes with their ballots. Judges are permitted to view them leisurely at home, but must sign an affidavit attesting that they watched all DVDs. They rank the entries 10 (best score) to 1. Accountants combine their scores with results of the original popular vote on a 50-50 basis, then determine the nominees, which will be unveiled July 17.

While the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences released the top 10 lists of contenders for best comedy and drama series last week, it announced that it will not disclose the acting lists. However, Gold Derby is now starting to get word and will publish results over the next few days, just as we have over the previous two years when the academy refused to release any info. We hope that our disclosures will hike pressure on academy to disclose all semifinalist info — as the Oscars and Daytime Emmys do as a matter of open policy.

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?" ("The Restraining Order")
Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives" ("Now You Know")
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" ("Odor in the Court")
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" ("Sandwich Day")
Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies" ("Bitter Sweets")
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives" ("Now I Know, Don't Be Scared")
Eva Longoria Parker, "Desperate Housewives" ("In Buddy's Eyes")
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "New Adventures of Old Christine" ("One and a Half Men")
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds" ("Bill Sussman")
Sarah Silverman, "The Sarah Silverman Program" ("Bored of the Rings")

(Comedy Central / ABC)

So what do media gurus think of the contents of the Emmy top 10 lists of semifinalists for best comedy and drama series? Here's a sampling below. Let's lead off with the esteemed Matt Roush!

TVGUIDE.COM (Matt Roush) — "Emmy Gets Our Hopes Up: The lists are heavy on hip cable fare: four in comedy, and fully half of the 10 drama contenders. Critics' darlings that have survived so far include 'Friday Night Lights,' 'The Wire,' 'Dexter,' 'Mad Men,' Damages,' 'Pushing Daisies' and (with a tip of the cap to my TCA brethren) 'Flight of the Conchords.'

"Among the headlines here: 'The Wire,' so long neglected, is HBO's only drama contender ....  'Family Guy' breaks the animation jinx to be considered for best comedy — but really, is drama contender 'Boston Legal' any less of a cartoon? — while also double-dipping by submitting its hour-long 'Star Wars' parody in the animated category. First-year series are bringing fresh blood into the process: 'Daisies,' 'Conchords,' 'Damages' and 'Mad Men.'

"So while this isn't a perfect list, it's one that manages to get our hopes up that the blue-ribbon judges will be as impressed as I was by the stunning pilots of 'Daisies,' 'Damages' and 'Mad Men,' the dazzling 'Constant' episode of 'Lost' and the heartbreaking 'Leave No One Behind' episode of 'Friday Night Lights.' The drama category will probably be a real squeaker, given that shows with uneven seasons but strong Emmy track records submitted Emmy-bait stunts, like 'Boston Legal's' Supreme Court spoof and 'House's' Antarctic Super Bowl-night episode."

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (Ray Richmond) — "It's not quite the cable trouncing predicted earlier, but it's also an excellent showing — particularly if you're a comedy on HBO."

NEW YORK POST — "For shows like 'Friday Night Lights,' their inclusion is a major step from critical darling to Emmy darling, which could boost ratings and allow fans (like me!) to continue enjoying the show for seasons to come. After all, back-to-back Emmy wins kept 'Arrested Development' on the air much longer than its pithy ratings should have allowed."

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Here are the sample episodes viewed by judges who attended panels held this past weekend at the TV academy's headquarters in North Hollywood and the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

TOP 10 COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" ("The Bat Mitzvah")
"Entourage" ("The Day F***ers")
"Family Guy" ("Padre de Famila")
"Flight of the Conchords" ("Sally Returns")
"The Office" ("Local Ad")
"Pushing Daisies" ("Pie-lette")
"30 Rock" ("Cooter")
"Two and a Half Men" ("Rough Night in Hump Junction")
"Ugly Betty" ("Something Wicked This Way Comes")
"Weeds" ("Go").

TOP 10 DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS
"Boston Legal" ("The Court Supreme")
"Damages" (Pilot)
"Dexter" ("The Dark Defender")
"Friday Night Lights" ("Leave No One Behind")
"Grey’s Anatomy" ("Freedom, Parts 1 and 2")
"House" ("Frozen")
"Lost" ("The Constant")
"Mad Men" (Pilot, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes")
"The Tudors" (#205)
"The Wire" (Series finale, "30")

Stop the "Wall-E" Oscar madness, please! Box-office and critical reax to that adorable robot are so socko that everybody's gushing over the idea that the film will get — forget the Oscar for best animated feature, which seems inevitable — a nomination for the highest prize.

Even the lofty Hollywood Reporter: "The bigger question is whether it might become a candidate for a best picture slot." Ditto the trade publication's Risky Business blog. New York mag's Vultures are circling too, and Slash Film stalks the idea.

Can we have two Oscar reality checks, please? "Wall-E" is not only a cartoon, it's sci-fi.

Only one animated film — "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991 — has been nominated for Oscar's biggest prize, and that wholesome Disney toon lost to the gory thriller "The Silence of the Lambs" (which was only the third film to sweep the top five races). Like other animated pix, "Beauty and the Beast" did pick up Oscars for song and score, however. (Indeed, it was the first film to ever have three songs competing.)

Fifty-four years earlier, Walt Disney produced the first full-length animated film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Even that pioneering classic couldn't break into the best pic race! That was especially tragic considering there were 10 nominees in those days. The only nod it got was for best music score. It lost, as did 13 other nominees to "One Hundred Men and a Girl." The following year the academy paid off poor, Oscar-snubbed "Snow White" with one of those honorary jobbies. Disney was presented with a special Oscar (and seven little ones) by reigning movie moppet Shirley Temple.

While "Beauty and the Beast" heralded a renaissance in Disney animated fare, none of the follow-up musical toons –- such as "Aladdin" (1992) and "The Lion King" (1994) –- could break into the bigger Oscar races, though they scored music awards and the like.

In 1995, high-grossing "Toy Story" became the first animated feature to earn a screenplay nom (it lost to "The Usual Suspects"), but it also failed to reap a best picture bid. Though animated features often ruled the box office charts and earned critical kudos, academy members were loath to reward with best picture nominations the films that did without the visible presence of their largest branch, the actors. In 2001, the academy introduced the animated feature category to answer criticism of the seemingly second-class treatment of such first-rate fare.

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Our forums moderator Chris "Boomer" Beachum just chatted with secret Emmy judge No. 2 and filed this report — below. Compare this to our reports from secret judge No. 1 (CLICK HERE) and No. 3 (CLICK HERE).

"Today's 10 episodes were viewed in reverse alphabetical order starting with 'Weeds' and ending with 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' Yesterday's comedy panel was seen in normal alphabetical order.

"This panel had about 30 voters, equally split male and female. Average age appeared to be 40+ (though several men were under age 40).

"One voter had 'Pushing Daisies' as his favorite choice and said voters were 'rapt' throughout.

"Some of the loudest laughs ever during a panel were heard during 'Family Guy.' 'Two and a Half Men' also generated lots of laughs in all the right places.

"'Curb' and 'Conchords' had good audible laughter, but the room was silent sometimes when there should have been laughs.

"'The Office' and '30 Rock' played strongly but didn't have the laugh-out-loud moments of the others. Speculation was that they might just be more funny inside rather than outer. One voter had 'The Office' as his fourth favorite and '30 Rock' as his fifth favorite.

"'Ugly Betty,' 'Entourage' and 'Weeds' didn't seem to go over all that well (just occasional smiles and chuckles). I know that one voter liked 'Weeds' the least overall."

After attending one of the Emmy panels that weighed 10 sample episodes of best comedy series on Sunday, our secret judge No. 3 reports: "I'd say the slam-dunks to be nominated are 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Family Guy,' 'Pushing Daisies,' '30 Rock' and 'Two and a Half Men.'"

Like most other tattling judges, he contacted us via Blackberry after exiting the panel. I wrote back to inform him of what our secret judge No. 1 says — that "Curb" is "on the bubble" in his view, and has to hope for "Family Guy" or "The Office" to stumble if it hopes to land in the high five.

"Totally disagree about 'Enthusiasm,' " he replied. "Members were falling out of their chairs. It was my top choice. Definitely beats out 'Office.' While we never miss 'Entourage' episodes when telecast, the episode they chose to show (betting on getting laid) laid an egg with my group, including me."

Compare this report to the tattle of Emmy judge No. 1 (HERE) and No. 2 (HERE).

"Is it possible for HBO not to have a show nominated for best drama and comedy series?" asks our secret Emmy judge No. 1 after attending one of Sunday's panels that screens sample episodes submitted by the Top 10 semifinalists for best comedy series. "It almost seems likely. To the people that will argue that HBO has to pick up at least one nomination in the series categories, I say to them: Know that voters are most likely not making sure that they have one HBO show in their top five."

Since 1992 HBO has had at least one show in either category. "The Larry Sanders Show" launched its lucky streak in 1993, remaining in the comedy lineup till 1998. The next year "The Sopranos" dawned on the drama side, then many other HBO programs followed in both genres: "Sex and the City," "Deadwood," "Six Feet Under," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Entourage." "Curb" and "Entourage" are eligible to be back this year, but judge No. 1 says that's not a gimme.

"OK, to narrow the top 10 into 5 is tricky, not as clear cut as the dramas," he says. (See his analysis of the drama-series contest HERE.) Compare this report to two others by our secret judges: click HERE and HERE.

"We can start by eliminating 3 shows: 'Weeds,' 'Ugly Betty' and 'Flight of the Conchords.'

"Right now I feel like the comedy series nominees will be 'Family Guy,' 'The Office,' 'Pushing Daisies,' '30 Rock' and 'Two and a Half Men.' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' is on the bubble if 'Family Guy' stumbles for some reason.

" 'Weeds' just doesn't seem to do it for people. If they couldn't get nominated for the pilot then there really isn't a hope of the show making the top 5. I personally love this series and they picked my favorite episode from last season. Unfortunately voters' reaction was lukewarm and therefore it is safe to say that 'Weeds' misses again. Mary-Louise and Elizabeth are hopefully looking at adding nominations to their tally.

" 'Ugly Betty' seems to have gotten stale quite quickly. Think 'Desperate Housewives' Season 2. I don't think the backlash to 'Betty' will be as severe as the Housewives had it during their sophomore season but I think its hope for a comedy-series nomination is close to zero. A smart move for the show would have been using an episode with more Vanessa and less America. Hopefully, Miss Williams will be able to pick up her Emmy this year.

"If 'Friday Night Lights' holds the title for Honor To Make Top 10 Dramas, the show that holds the comedy title would be 'Flight of the Conchords.' I personally enjoy the show and the response was a lot more optimistic than I had expected it to be, but we have to be honest in knowing that it doesn't have much of a prayer.

" 'Pushing Daisies' was by far my favorite episode of the day. Obviously, it isn't the most laugh-out-loud comedy of the bunch, but it really was in a class of its own. Something as special and moving and so immaculately well produced will definitely get nominated. I don't think it will score in the top 3 of the panel voting because so many voters judge by how 'funny' the shows are, but I think the popular vote secures its spot for a nom. All four leads should also be nominated, especially Pace, Friel and McBride.

"Last year's winner ['30 Rock'] submitted wisely once again and it's a no-brainer that the show will land in the nomination circle. The episode was right up the voters' alley. I personally have loved the show since Day 1, and judging by the response it's still in good standing with members. Say what you will about Jane Krakowski but she should have a nomination.

"If I've got to pick the nominations for this category, would I include 'The Office'? No. I was a huge fan of this show, but there came a time when I just had to let it go. It was too much the same. I always felt like it was just going in circles. Most of the laughs come from Steve Carell, but I think he is just as funny on Leno, Conan or 'Unscripted with Anne Hathaway.' I know many people are still on the wagon with this show and for that I am confident in predicting it to land another nomination. The episode submission was fine and had a fairly enthusiastic response from the crowd.

"Name a show that can have many, many decent episodes and then submit one of their better ones and have it go over like a smash for the panel. The show you would be naming is 'Two and a Half Men.' I believe it has done it again. I was sooooo sure that the show wasn't going to be a contender for the top 5 this year. (Note to people who aren't considering this show for their final 5: Reconsider.) Don't underestimate the appeal of this show. It definitely ties for first or places a close second for the show that received the best voter laugh reaction.

" 'Family Guy' was a SMASH!!! It has a very strong shot at the nomination. It was the most laughed at, next to 'Two and a Half Men.' The only thing that would stop the show from scoring at the top of the lists would be a bias over the fact that it is animated. They made the top 10 popular vote and there were so many fans of the show on the panel that I think it could definitely happen. Has anyone considered this show actually winning the Emmy for comedy series? I had to put things into perspective when I voted for this show. I have laughed really hard at episodes of 'The Simpons' and 'King of the Hill.' There is a category for them to compete exclusively and that would be the only thing that hurts it.

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