The Emmy Awards turn 60 this year and, in celebration of this diamond anniversary, the awardscast will feature 10 of TV's most memorable moments in comedy and 10 in drama. The public gets to decide from 20 choices in each genre that were picked by "a blue-ribbon panel" (a favorite phrase of the TV academy). See them and vote at the ABC website that's devoted to the Sept. 21 telecast. Though the list features many of Emmy's top winners on both the comedy and drama fronts, there are several surprising omissions and inclusions.

First up, let's look at the funnier side of life as seen on TV. Historically speaking, Emmy voters have not only considered "Frasier" the greatest comedy in TV history, winning the most awards among laffers, but the greatest TV series, period. It holds the records for most victories overall (37) plus it won more best-series awards than any show, comedy or drama: five (1994-1998). However, TV's Golden Girl no longer gets the joke. "Frasier" isn't even listed among the choices in the Emmycast poll. Neither is its parent show "Cheers," a four-time winner of best comedy series (1983, 1984, 1989, 1991) that's the third-biggest winner of awards in all categories (28). 

Apparently "everybody" — at least not Emmy — is not so wild about Ray Barone anymore.  "Everybody Loves Raymond," the 2003 and 2005 winner of best comedy series, is also snubbed. While "The Simpsons" has yet to compete for best comedy series, it has won best animated series nine times to date (1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006), but it is two-time animated winner "South Park" (2005, 2007) that represents the genre on the Emmycast poll list.

Among the funny moments listed at the poll is one from "Mork & Mindy," which competed for the series award only once (in 1979, losing to three-time winner "Taxi," which is snubbed by the poll). Perhaps most inexplicable is the characterizing of the crowning of "American Idol" Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson as a comedy classic. It may have been a great TV moment, but funny?

The comedy choices date to 1952 and the "Job Switching" episode of "I Love Lucy" (think Lucy and Ethel making chocolate). While that top-rated show picked up a couple of series Emmys (1953, 1954) as well as wins for star Lucille Ball (1953, 1956).

What's "The Honeymooners" doing in this Emmy poll? In 1956, TV academy members didn't even bother to nominate it for best comedy series ("The Phil Silvers Show" won) or Jackie Gleason for best comedian (Phil Silvers prevailed again), but at least Gleason got nommed for best actor in a comedy series (Silvers beat him). Gleason may be remembered to history as "TV's Great One," but he never won a single Emmy during his career and was only nommed four times for performance and once for writing. However,  his sidekick, Art Carney, picked up five Emmys for his work with Gleason and was so embarrassed about them that, whenever Gleason dropped by Carney's house for a social visit, Carney hid the statuettes in a closet. 

"The fact that Jackie never won an Emmy was the biggest disappointment of his career," Gleason's widow Marilyn told me soon after his death. "You could never mention it to him. He'd get furious."

Well, just imagine how the notorious hothead would react to his placement in this TV academy poll? I can hear him fuming, "One of these days, Emmy . . . Pow! Right to the moon!"

Because there are only the two categories, the Beatles 1964 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (the 1956 best variety show) is categorized as a comedy moment (though the drama section does not include any news coverage). The 1965 tomahawk toss by Ed Ames on "The Tonight Show" showcases Johnny Carson's 30-year reign in late night. And presidential candidate Richard Nixon's appearance on the 1968 season opener of "Laugh-In" uttering the show's catch phrase "Sock it to me" represents the best variety series of 1968 and 1969.

The groundbreaking "All in the Family" (four-time best comedy series, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978) is in the running with the memorable 1972 visit from Sammy Davis, Jr. Surprisingly, 1974 series winner "M*A*S*H" is not represented by the 1983 ratings blockbuster finale but by the 1975 episode that brought the shocking death of a beloved character, Henry Blake. Three-time Emmy champ "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1975, 1976, 1977) competes with the classic "Chuckles Bites the Dust" episode. The classic movie parody "Went With the Wind" represents "The Carol Burnett Show" (best variety series, 1972, 1974, 1975) while Gilda Radner shines on"Saturday Night Live" (best variety series, 1976, 1993).

The top-rated sitcom of the 1980s, "The Cosby Show," only won best comedy series once, in 1985, but made the cut while two-time winner "The Golden Girls" is missing.  Politically minded "Murphy Brown" won best comedy series twice (1990, 1992), and its unexpected mention in the 1992 presidential election is featured here. Though "Ellen" never competed for best comedy series, the landmark 1997 coming-out episode for star Ellen DeGeneres merits a mention.