"Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl will submit her name for Emmy Awards consideration this season, reports Mike Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly. Gold Derby can add to that news: After appearing in a high-profile role that could've been defined as lead, she's decided to remain in the same supporting category she won in 2007. 

It was Gold Derby that noticed Katherine Heigl's name missing from the initial list of 2008 contenders last June. When we inquired as to why, Heigl's response to us triggered a huge media uproar: "I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination."

After that brouhaha, there was talk that her character of Izzie could be killed off this season on the medical drama. Though Izzie has been battling cancer, her fate remains a mystery with an ambiguous finale putting both her and George (T.R. Knight) in limbo. 

While we will have to wait till the fall to learn which — if either of them — survives, we now know that Heigl liked this storyline enough to put her name forward for the Emmys. That she decided to stay in the supporting race is illuminating. After all, there are plenty of Emmy precedents to legitimize a move up to lead actress by a supporting winner without any noticeable increase in screen time.

On last week's episode of "Grey's Anatomy," Katherine Heigl's character Izzie survived iffy brain surgery. Yikes! That may mean that the rumor isn't true that the program's producers have been secretly plotting to kill off the role of the past Emmy champ (Heigl won best supporting drama actress in 2007) to punish her for a gripe she made against them last year. If they really wanted Izzie dead, they just missed a big chance. So what's ahead?

"I don't know if I live or die," Heigl told the Associated Press. "I don't know how Izzie fares." But she wants Izzy to endure her bout with cancer, which recently seemed to be a fatal case when it spread to Izzy's brain. "I'm there" if Izzie remains part of "Grey's Anatomy," Heigl added, because she says she's great pals with her colleagues and the set is "one of my favorite places to be."

Blame Gold Derby for how this whole flapdoodle started. It was in June 2008 that we noticed that Heigl's name wasn't on the list to be considered for another Emmy. That could only mean one thing: She didn't put her name up for nomination. Why? When we inquired, her response to us triggered a huge media uproar: "I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination."

Some gossipmeisters claimed that Heigl was suddenly acting like a pompous diva one year after her break-out film success in "Knocked Up," which earned $219 million worldwide. Why couldn't she be grateful for what TV screen time was given by the series' writers who obviously felt they had to be conservative with her involvement due to her growing film career.

At least one "Grey's Anatomy" insider was furious about her public complaint, fuming to Entertainment Weekly: "The show bent over backwards to accommodate her film schedule and then she criticizes the show for lack of material? It's an ungrateful slap in the face to the very writers responsible for her Emmy win in the first place."

E! Online reported that the "Grey's Anatomy" writers were really angry at Heigl: "They want Izzie dead."

But Izzie, hurrah, seems to be surviving a death threat on the series right now.

"On Friday, Heigl said she's comfortable balancing movies and TV by working on big-screen projects during the summer hiatus for 'Grey's Anatomy,'" reports the Associated Press.

"I'm more than happy to make that compromise," she says. "As my agent likes to say, 'High-class problems. I don't know if I want to continue for five years working 12 months a year, but I can take at least another year or two."

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Photo: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

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Maybe it's wacky to tackle this so early — nominations don't come out till July — but I just invited our gutsy forum posters to start forecasting the next Emmy lineups. So let's add some Gold Derby perspective too.

Nominees for this TV award are a lot like TV reruns. They come back again and again, year after year, but now there's a radical revamp in the voting process that may trigger somewhat different results. Among new series, "The Mentalist" has been a hit but is perhaps too fantastic and eerie for the safe taste of Emmy voters, who usually aren't too welcoming to crime procedurals anyway. Voters often do embrace new HBO series, whatever they are, but a stake may be driven through the Emmy hopes of "True Blood" (which was nominated for best drama at the Golden Globes), considering how that superhit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was once so cruelly shunned by the TV academy.

"Kings" gets praise from some TV critics and mixed reviews from others. The L.A. Times calls the modern update of the Old Testament tale of David and Goliath "an interesting muddle of a show," but it's pretentious, so that's a plus with those notorious Emmy snobs. Read this L.A. Times article about a few more dramas premiering in midseason.

In recent years, nominees were selected using a two-stage voting process. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, 10 series and actors in each category (15 in the acting races in 2006) were chosen by academy members using a popular ballot. Then the semifinalists were whittled down to the final nominees after sample TV episodes were screened by judging panels that convened at the TV academy and the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

This year the TV academy just made the terrible decision to kill off the judging panels in an effort to save money. That means we're right back where we started prior to 2006, with lower-rated underdog contenders getting screwed. In other words, Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") might be back this year because he gained stature after winning best drama actor last September, but don't expect other critically hailed work on little-seen, brilliant cable shows to get a fair shot.

However, this new system does make predicting the Emmys much simpler, since pundits need only to focus on the most popular faves. In an effort to help the small fries a bit, the academy has increased the number of nominees in each race to six (sometimes seven), up from the usual five.

Let's start off dishing the battles in the top drama categories for series, actors and actresses. See more noodling and predix in The Envelope's Gold Derby forums.

* = Nominee last year

BEST DRAMA SERIES
(Favorites)
"Boston Legal" *
"Damages" *
"Dexter" *
"House" *
"Lost" *
"Mad Men" * (last year's winner)
"No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency"
"24"

Due to an accounting quirk, there were six nominees in this race last year and five of them will probably be back: "Damages," "Dexter," "House," "Lost" and "Mad Men." "Boston Legal" is vulnerable now that it's saying bye-bye. Past champ "24" (2006) wasn't eligible last year, so there's a good chance it'll nab a bid now that it's jumping back into the derby. "The Tudors" made the top 10 rundown last year and "Big Love" in 2006, so they could make the next top six or seven. "In Treatment" didn't make the 2008 semifinalist list, but it could be buoyed now by its two Emmy victories last September for best supporting actress (Dianne Wiest) and guest star (Glynn Turman). Maybe in an alternate universe the critically praised "Battlestar Galactica" might have a shot. What about "Dollhouse"?

A few of our forum posters think past champ "ER" has a shot since it's experiencing a comeback in its final season. Among new series, HBO's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" hasn't premiered yet, but reviews from U.K. where it aired last week are strong. "The Mentalist" is a relative ratings success, "True Blood" was nominated at the Golden Globes, and "Kings" reigns among some TV critics.

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment" *
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" * (winner)
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" *
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" *
Hugh Laurie, "House" *
James Spader, "Boston Legal" *
Kiefer Sutherland, "24"

Past champ Kiefer Sutherland will be back because "24" has been much missed. Denis Leary ("Rescue Me"), Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") and Patrick Dempsey ("Grey's Anatomy") made the top 10 runoff last year, so that tells us they have a strong base of popular support. Jonathan Rhys-Myers ("The Tudors") didn't make the runoff in 2008, but he may soon be forgiven for weighing 300 pounds less than the real King Henry VIII and being infinitely more pretty. Bill Paxton ("Big Love") made the run-offs a few years ago, but not since. This year's newbies who might break through include Ian McShane ("Kings"), who was nominated in this Emmy race for "Deadwood" in 2006,  Patrick Swayze ("The Beast") and Simon Baker ("The Mentalist").

Now our Emmy gurus and forum moderators Robert "Rob L" Licuria and Chris "Boomer" Beachum have a knockabout over who'll win another top Emmy race.

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" ("Lay Your Hands on Me")
2. Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters" ("Domestic Issues")
3. Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal" ("The Mighty Rogues")
4. Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment" ("Paul and Gina: Week 1")
5. Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy" ("The Becoming")

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: After watching all of the episodes for this category, I think the clear favorite is Chandra Wilson.  She has a heart-tugging plot line with her marital problems and the injury of her son, and the writers really gave her some powerful moments when she wouldn't leave the surgery room and also at the end.

Griffiths and Bergen have great plot lines (child custody and critical father near death, respectively), but I think the writers really let them down. They have extremely quiet performances with barely any moments in their episodes that would show their acting range and win over Emmy voters. Wilson's performance practically screams for a big Emmy hug!  Wiest gives an acting workshop in a two-person virtual play, but there are no money scenes and very little range.

I thought Oh's episode was the worst she has submitted over the years and only had her on screen maybe five minutes.

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS: ROB'S PREDIX
1. Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal" ("The Mighty Rogues")
2. Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" ("Lay Your Hands on Me")
3. Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment" ("Paul and Gina: Week 1")
4. Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters" ("Domestic Issues")
5. Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy" ("The Becoming")

ROB'S COMMENTARY: Again, I just don't understand what all the fuss about Chandra Wilson's performance in her chosen episode is all about. Although I see glimpses of past knockout performances from Wilson in "Lay Your Hands on Me," I didn't connect with this performance nearly enough to proclaim it the front-runner.

Hey, who the heck was on the Emmy "blue ribbon panel" that selected the 20 choices of TV's most memorable dramatic moments that the public is invited to vote upon HERE? Voters will pick 10 to be featured on the Sept. 21 Emmycast, but beware: This drama list (just like the comedy roster HERE) largely snubs the shows the Emmys picked in the past.

Don't these Emmy panelists have any clue about the Emmys? Or do they just not care?

Of the 16 TV series on the list, the vast majority (10) never won best drama series ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Dallas," "Dynasty," "Grey's Anatomy," "Little House on the Prairie," "Miami Vice," "Moonlighting," "Star Trek," "The Twilight Zone," "The X-Files").

It's an outrage to include such lightweight fluff on this list as "Little House on the Prairie" while snubbing, say, two shows that won best drama series four years in a row: "Hill Street Blues" (1981 - 84) and "The West Wing" (2000 – 03).

Even more shocking is the inclusion of pop hits the Emmys skunked, such as "Star Trek," "Dynasty" and "Buffy." "Star Trek" never won any Emmy, not even in a tech category. Despite 26 nominations, "Dynasty" only won half of an Emmy. Poor Nolan Miller, who draped his classy cast in the most glam fashions on the tube, had to share the costume award in 1984 with the folks who dressed the trashy yokels on "Mama's Family."

America's TV critics once cried and cried for the Emmys to acknowledge "Buffy," but to no avail. When the show ended, the TV academy tried to make things up to the cast and crew by throwing them a tribute fete, but Sarah Michelle Gellar was (justifiably) outraged and refused to attend. The fete went on anyway, but Gellar ended up driving a stake into its heart.

Why, oh, why would the Emmys do such a bizarre thing? Why would they disavow the decisions they made in the past when declaring the best TV now? The answer is obvious. Gee, what do these current "greatest moments" have in common? Answer: they're blatantly Nielsens-friendly. Shame, shame, shame.

The 20 items include nothing from the golden age of live TV drama, like "Requiem for a Heavyweight," which won the old Emmy Award for program of year in 1956. It's nice that Rod Serling is represented by the excellent "The Twilight Zone," but that quirky classic lost its only bid for best drama series.

No westerns made the cut even though they once dominated prime-time TV. And "Upstairs, Downstairs," which owned the Emmys in the early 1970s with three series wins as well as one for limited series, was also deemed to lack any memorable moments.

"ER" (1996 series winner) is a worthy entry, but inclusion of two-time series loser "Grey's Anatomy" is perplexing considering what it bumped.

The only lawyers on the list are the ones from four-time series winner "L.A. Law" (1987, 1989-91) while three-in-a-row champ "The Defenders" (1962-64) was left off the docket. And the prolific producer David E. Kelly, who began in TV as a writer for "L.A. Law," is not included despite creating a pair of two-time series champs — "Picket Fences" (1993, 1994) and "The Practice" (1998, 1999).

While the criminal element is represented by two-time series champ "The Sopranos" (2004, 2007), the good guys are also there with the climatic 1967 conclusion of the previous year's winner "The Fugitive." Among the Emmy-winning crime shows missing from the lineup are "Mission: Impossible" (1967, 1968) "NYPD Blue" (1995) and the seemingly unstoppable 1997 victor "Law & Order."

While "The X-Files" never won best drama series, at least it was nominated four times and Gillian Anderson won best actress. Two other series on the Emmycast rundown did win best drama: "The Waltons" (1973) and "Lost" (2005). 

On Aug. 7, FX network will air a marathon of all 13 episodes of "Damages" from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET / PT. The critically hailed show is nominated for seven Emmy Awards, including best drama series and best actress (Glenn Close).

On my favorite subject of Melissa Leo , InContention.com wonders if the "Frozen River" star could be an Oscar front-runner. READ MORE

Speaking of Melissa Leo. I asked Sony Pictures Classics if I could speak to director-writer Courtney Hunt to get her side of the story about Leo's diva fit on the set of "Frozen River," but I'm told that they're traveling and not available till next week. OK, let's see if I can chat with Hunt then. My request for an interview remains open.

Newcomer Jessie Farrell leads with the most nominations (seven) for the Canadian Country Music Assn. Awards that will be held in Winnipeg, Canada, on Sept. 8, hosted by Terri Clark. Jessie Farrell is a 30-year-old crooner who hails from Vancouver who is up for best single of the year ("Best of Me") and album ("Nothing Fancy"). READ MORE

"We take a little pride in not being nominated," fumes Seth Gilliam while lashing out at the Emmys for giving "The Wire" only one nomination in its farewell season: best writing. The star who portrays Sergeant Ellis Carver told BBC 5 Live: "The show deals with inner city civil servants and the Emmys would rather fantasize about lawyers and romance …. It's a show about a blue collar town. It's not very flashy and glamorous …. There aren't a lot of shootings in every episode and there isn't a lot of flesh and nipples … The Emmys will in no way validate the quality of the material we put out there." READ MORE

Rocker Josh Kelley finally speaks up about the hubbub surrounding his wife, "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl, withdrawing from Emmy consideration — news originally broken by Gold Derby. (CLICK HERE) "Were pretty strong cats," he tells Hollyscoop.com. "We cook in a lot, watch a lot of TV, and just chill out and keep it simple." I'm not sure if this next sentence are the words Josh Kelley also uttered, or if this text is full of typos, but here's more: "When you get into the entertainment business usually most people get into knowing that the possibilities of these things happening are could be a reality I think you just try to get strong, deal with it move on and make your art." READ EVEN MORE

(Photos: HBO, OK Magazine)

Remember, we don't want to know who you want to win, but who you predict will prevail! Show us what a brilliant kudos forecaster you are! That's a dare!

Drama - actress

Ray Richmond of the Hollywood Reporter and I don't really hate each other, though I'm sure it might look like that when we get into our frequent slugfests over award predix. In fact, I absolutely love beating up on Ray more than any other journalist — really, and that's saying something. Here we go at it over what will be nominated for Emmys this Thursday morning and, to prove what a noble gent I am, I let Ray have the first word (so that I — ha, ha, ha — could have the last . . . well, at least until nominations come out).

BEST COMEDY SERIES
RAY: "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Family Guy," "The Office," "Pushing Daisies," "30 Rock"
TOM: "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Office," "Pushing Daisies," "30 Rock," "Two and a Half Men"

RAY: Yes, "Family Guy" makes the cut -- not necessarily because it deserves to, but because the TV Academy loses its marbles every once in a while. And this is that once. The only other question is whether "Pushing Daisies" gets pushed out by its ABC sister "Ugly Betty," but Betty has so dropped from the radar I'm thinking not. "Weeds"? Only if Woody Harrelson takes over the voting process from those bean counters in suits.

TOM: Obviously, Ray, you were partying with Woody when you made these Emmy predix if you really think that "Family Guy" will get in over "2.5 Men." The latter's been nominated every year that the TV academy has had these panels — that is, the last two years. The last (and ONLY) time a cartoon sneaked into this comedy lineup was "The Flintstones" MORE THAN 45 YEARS AGO — back before computers, cable TV and double Pinkberry scoops — when the Emmy counters were using real beans.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
RAY & TOM: "Boston Legal," "Damages," "Grey's Anatomy," "House," "Mad Men"

RAY: "Mad Men" and "Damages" are locks. "House" probably is too. I'm thinking "Grey's" gets in over "Lost." "Boston Legal" is in because it is written that David Kelley shall always be in the running in some fashion. "The Wire"? No matter how deserving, it's probably a miracle it made it even this far.

TOM: Uh-oh. Ray and I are in total agreement here. Why does that terrify me so?

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
RAY: Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Hugh Laurie ("House"), James Spader ("Boston Legal")
TOM: Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Hugh Laurie ("House"), Denis Leary ("Rescue Me"), James Spader ("Boston Legal")

RAY: Spader's a lock because he talks so slowly and intensely, it seems, but he ain't winning this time. Hamm's the one to beat seemingly. And the AMC momentum with "Mad Men" could — I pray — carry Cranston in. He is SO deserving. But he could get beaten out by Byrne, just because he's Gabriel Byrne. Hall deserves a nom for sure, and Laurie has deserved to win for three years running. He still does. But he won't. But if he doesn't get nominated, I say firebomb the ATAS headquarters and let's just start over.

TOM: Yeah, Hamm, Laurie and Spader are in. Ray (amazingly) is right about those, but he's wrong about Spader not winning again. Come on, Spader's NEVER LOST. He's gone three for three in this race and the reason he won repeatedly in the past was because writer/producer David E. Kelley kept penning him those grandstanding speeches he'd spew to juries at the end of each episode of "Boston Legal" that he submitted to Emmy judges. This year Spader submits his BIGGEST speech doozy ever — in which he chews out the whole U.S. Supreme Court. How can Hollywood lefties NOT vote THAT? READ MORE

As for Ray's deluded hope that Cranston will get in — well, I'd cheer that if it happened, but it won't. Cranston would have to rank in the top seven or so places in the popular vote and I think that's unlikely for a new, lowly rated, cable show about a guy toying with crystal meth and terminal cancer. Denis Leary's been nommed consistently for the past three years, surviving all wacky, radical changes in the voting process. I see no reason why he suddenly gets bumped now.

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
RAY & TOM: Glenn Close ("Damages"), Minnie Driver ("The Riches"), Sally Field ("Brothers & Sisters"), Holly Hunter ("Saving Grace"), Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

RAY: This is probably the easiest major category to handicap. It's difficult for me to see it being anyone other than Close, Driver, Field, Hunter and Sedgwick, though Arquette or Moss could pull an upset if enough of their relatives are permitted to vote (and Moss surely would deserve it). Field could also be victimized by backlash to last year's dead-on but controversial acceptance speech ("You gagged me, you really gagged me!"). Close will win, however. End of story.

TOM: Ray and I are in agreement again. Shoot me.

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
RAY: Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies"), Tony Shalhoub ("Monk")
TOM: Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), David Duchovny ("Californication"), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies"), Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men")

RAY: Baldwin was jobbed last year in favor of "Extras' Ricky Gervais, and everyone knows it. Probably won't happen again. He and Carell are slam dunks, as is Shalhoub. David only seems to generate greater affection for his misanthropic "Curn" role as the years pile up, so he's likely in too along with the charming Pace (who could be edged out by Emmy darling Garrett, but I don't think so).

TOM: Ray may have blundered upon a smart set of predix here and he may even out-score me because — what the heck — I feel like throwing some Emmy dice. Betting against Shalhoub to return may be foolish. He's been nommed for the last five years, winning three times (2003, 2005, 2006), but his episode entry this year is a bit weak ("Mr. Monk and the Naked Man"), which will bring down his typical judges' score. And I think his popular-vote score will be down, too, because he's old news. Sure, Duchovny's old Emmy news too — he used to be nommed routinely for "The X-Files," so we know that voters love him — and now his comeback in new series "Californication" is sexy.

KEEP READING - CLICK HERE!

Somehow I've managed to coax six suckers brilliant kudos seers to join me in predicting the Emmy nominations that will be announced this Thursday morning: Michael Ausiello (EW.com), Matt Webb Mitovich (TVGuide.com), Marc Berman (MediaWeek), Ray Richmond (Hollywood Reporter) and our two resident Emmy gurus — our forums moderators Robert "Rob L" Licuria (AwardsHeaven.net) and Chris "Boomer" Beachum. To see how we fared predicting the Emmy top 10 lists, CLICK HERE! Below: how we size up the races for best drama and comedy series. To see our predix for best lead actor and actress, CLICK HERE!

KEEP READING - CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR PREDIX FOR BEST ACTOR AND ACTRESS IN DRAMA AND COMEDY SERIES!