Inside track: Emmy race for best drama series
"24" was benched last year by the writers strike, but now the 2006 winner returns to take on last year's champ, "Mad Men." Many TV critics say "Mad Men" is even better this year, so it poses a formidable new challenge.
Last year, "Mad Men" joined "Dexter" and "Damages" as the first non-HBO cable series ever nominated for best series, drama or comedy. All three have a good chance to return to this race, especially since it will include six nominees instead of the usual five.
HBO's hottest entry this year is "In Treatment," which also has an excellent shot at breaking in here. Last year, it pulled off surprise victories for Glynn Turman as best guest actor and Dianne Wiest as best supporting actress.
* Top 10 Semifinalist in 2008
** Nominee in 2008
BEST DRAMA SERIES
(Front-runners)
"Big Love"
"Boston Legal" **
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages" **
"Dexter" **
"ER"
"Friday Night Lights" *
"Grey's Anatomy" *
"House M.D." **
"In Treatment"
"Lost" **
"Mad Men" ** (Winner in 2008)
"The Mentalist"
"Rescue Me"
"The Tudors" *
"24"
(POSSIBLE)
"Battlestar Galactica"
"Brothers and Sisters"
"Burn Notice"
"The Cleaner"
"The Closer"
"Fringe"
"Heroes"
"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"
"Saving Grace"
"The Shield"
"True Blood"
Photo: "Mad Men," AMC
RELATED POSTS
Inside track: Emmy race for best drama series
Inside track: Emmy race for best comedy series
Inside track: Emmy race for lead actress in a drama
Inside track: Emmy race for lead actor in a drama
Inside track: Emmy race for lead actor in a comedy
Inside track: Emmy race for lead comedy actress
Inside track: Emmy race for best miniseries
Inside track: Emmy race for best TV movie
Get Gold Derby on Twitter. Get Gold Derby RSS feed via Facebook. RSS Feedburner. RSS Atom. Join the Gold Derby Facebook group.
"Kings" deserves to be on any "best of" or nominated list. What an underrated show! No wonder all we get is schlock year after year after year.....
Posted by: Virginia Murrell | July 07, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Breaking Bad is without peer. The closest thing to it is Big Love, but Bad is by far and away the best drama this year. Those who think not, they either never watched or didn't pay attention. I've watched them all. Paul was brilliant as Jesse Pinkman, and Cranston should win the best actor award again. He was perfect.
Posted by: sturdy1948 | June 29, 2009 at 03:26 PM
And one other thing, I know this isn't relevant that Mad Men picture looks like those cast pictures The Sopranos used to do.
I have to say, they look very arrogant! They're all "hey look at us, our show wins Emmys!" lol
Posted by: taloson | June 29, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I definitely think True Blood is more of a frontrunner than Rescue Me or The Tudors, even if the latter has made the top 10 the last two years.
Posted by: taloson | June 29, 2009 at 12:16 PM
BIG LOVE is the best acted series on television. Not only does it deserve for it to be a front runner, it deserves the win!
Posted by: M.J. | June 29, 2009 at 08:47 AM
If The Shield is not a front runner, I will truly never be able to take the Emmys seriously ever again. I mean, come ON.
Posted by: Mel | June 29, 2009 at 02:45 AM
These are pretty good, but I would not say that Brothers and Sisters, Burn Notice, The Cleaner, The Closer, Heroes or Saving Grace are "possible". And that "front-runners" list is quite packed.
Posted by: thedemonhog | June 28, 2009 at 08:17 PM