Never in Emmy history have all of the top series champs of one year (best comedy and drama series, plus lead actor and actress) returned the next to strike gold again, but it's starting to look like it may happen on Sept. 20.

Many of Gold Derby's top experts — who view the same sample episodes submitted by nominees to Emmy judges — say that the new front-runners are last year's champs: "Mad Men" (best drama series), "Breaking Bad's" Bryan Cranston (lead actor), "Damages'" Glenn Close (lead actress), "30 Rock" (comedy series), "30 Rock's" Alec Baldwin (lead actor) and "30 Rock's" Tina Fey (lead actress).

Possible upsets: Hugh Laurie ("House M.D.") or Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment") might crush Cranston, Steve Carell ("The Office") could humble Baldwin and Toni Collette ("United States of Tara") may trounce Tina Fey. Otherwise, the outcomes of these Emmy races seem pretty much set, according to our kudos prophets. Over the next few weeks, we'll be spotlighting their predix in more detail.

The closest the Emmys came to repeating in the past occurred in 1968 when all of the victorious lead actors in drama and comedy series returned from 1967: Bill Cosby ("I Spy"), Barbara Bain ("Mission: Impossible"), Don Adams ("Get Smart"), and Lucille Ball ("The Lucy Show"). "Mission: Impossible" won best drama series both years, but there were different winners of best comedy. "The Monkees" won in 1967, "Get Smart" in 1968.

Why would it be bad for last year's Emmy champs to repeat? (Why did I put "Uh, oh!" in the headline?) Actually, it wouldn't be terrible from the point of view of justice. Our spies viewing the nominees' episodes tell us that it seems like last year's victors deserve to prevail again. But the TV critics of America don't care about that. Historically, they've demanded that the Emmys reward new, cool faves and, if they dare to bore them with refried beans, they'll hurl their sloppy plates at them with a fury. Remember, I've written the definitive book on these kudos' history ("The Emmys," Penguin Putnam/ Perigee). I can tell you that's how it always plays out whenever there's too much overlap from year to year.

It shouldn't matter what TV critics think. They don't bother to watch the sample episodes submitted to Emmy judges. They don't even bother to investigate what episodes were submitted. They don't care. But that doesn't stop them from mouthing huffy condemnations of the Emmys. That's the equivalent of film critics lambasting the Oscars without bothering to see the movies. Thus their opinions are almost worthless, as far as I'm concerned.

More than 600 people joined the chat session we conducted live during the Daytime Emmy telecast on Sunday night. Check out the transcript below.

Here is our exclusive report on who won and what occurred during the ceremony. If you're curious to know who we expected to win in advance of the show, snoop through our posters' predix in these categories: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing. 

See more about the Daytime Emmy in our forums, which are always buzzing with chat about all showbiz awards.

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Most of our gurus disagree over who'll win this Sunday night at the Daytime Emmys, but Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier and Michael "Emmyloser" Jenkins concur on who'll prevail in the top diva smackdown: Susan Haskell ("One Life to Live").

Also check out our posters' predix in these races: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing. See more Daytime Emmy predix in our forums.

BEST ACTRESS: EMMYLOSER'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
3. Maura West, "As the World Turns"
4. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
5. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"

EMMYLOSER'S COMMENTARY: Unlike last year, where the nominees largely underwhelmed with their submissions, these ladies greatly impressed in half as many episodes. This is a great race with five strong submissions, and against weaker competition I can see myself voting for any of them. This is the kind of competition the Daytime Emmys should be about in every category.

To pick a winner, though, I have to go with Susan Haskell. While I had a hard time wrestling her name away from Debbie Morgan's and Maura West's, there's an undeniable gravity to her reel, a power in her performance I can't not root for. Haskell meets the material head on, as Marty discovers the man she's fallen in love with has held her captive, kept her from her son, and orchestrated and participated in her rape years earlier. It's a horrifying realization, and Haskell, rather than deliver mere highly emotional reactions, draws out the horror and the madness of everything that's happened to her. The reel is not only riveting, it's easy to follow, and makes you long to see what comes next. The heft of this material and the strength of the performance may make this reel unstoppable.

Debbie Morgan seems likely to benefit more from the intangibles of Emmy voting than any of the other ladies, and that's why I give her the number two slot. She had year-long buzz for Angie and Jesse's reunion early last year. Her win would be most historic, as she'd be the first African American winner in this category. And while all of the ladies here have Emmys already, it's been the longest since she won hers. Of course, I don't mean to ignore her performance, which is wonderful. Most of the punch comes at the beginning and end of the reel, but the middle doesn't fall flat. After a year of buzz, though, it may leave some voters a little disappointed.

Maura West is largely underestimated in this race, maybe because she won this award two years ago with a much more in-your-face version of the scenario she submits here, Carly and Jack admitting the reasons they can't be with each other. It may be because her show's writers gave her mostly recycled story lines in 2008. West has a great charm on screen, no matter what she or her character is doing, which for the first half of the reel I thought was the saving grace. But once Carly and Jack actually start to discuss their failed and unsustainable relationship, West is fantastically moving. She makes Carly every bit the manipulator she's accused of being, but she makes you feel for her anyway. She is, as Jack says during one scene, a force of nature. If voters compare this reel to the one she submitted two years ago, she won't stand a chance against Haskell or even Morgan. Taken on its own, however, it has a real shot.

Jeanne Cooper and Susan Flannery are a couple of steps behind the others. Both give excellent performances, but neither has enough in her reel to put her in the top tier. Jeanne Cooper does a great job of giving two distinct characters in ritzy Katherine and country gal Marge, but there's nothing else in her reel that sizzles. Typically, a double role is a huge advantage, but the dual role is all that puts Cooper in the race. If these characters were being played by different actress, this reel would not be up for Emmy consideration for anyone. It's also less advantageous than it could be because Marge and Katherine are really only dealing with each other. Cooper interacts mostly with herself.

Susan Flannery, likewise, does a great job as Stephanie has to accept that the love of her life is dying. It's a nice change of pace for Flannery, who more often than not is bullying and bulldozing her way through Emmy reels. But there is just not enough of a spark here to make her a real threat to the top three.

BEST ACTRESS: BOIDIVA02'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"
3. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
4. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
5. Maura West, "As the World Turns"

BOIDIVA02'S COMMENTARY: It's the battle of the Susans in this race. You have clear-cut front-runner Susan Haskell submitting a powerhouse tape in which Marty, after months of laying in bed with amnesia, finally remembers some of the truths about her life, including the fact that her former rapist is the man that has nursed her back to health and made her fall in love with him. Marty discovers Todd's many lies, including the fact that she has a son Todd never told her about. She goes through many expressions and emotions that are evident on her face and body but not overly done. Haskell's expertise as an actress is clear as she successfully moves from one emotion to the next.

In the Emmy election for best guest actress in a comedy series, one rival towers over all others: Tina Fey on "Saturday Night Live" as Sarah Palin. Easily, it was the most celebrated and even most important TV performance of the year because it played a starring role in the U.S. presidential election. So theoretically she's a shoo-in to win this lowly Emmy race, right?

Yes, but only in theory. Remember who votes here: snooty actors, who may not take an impersonation on a comedy-skit show seriously when measured against grand theatrical mugging in a traditional program with plot and character development. Last year, many of us pundits thought Amy Poehler ("Saturday Night Live") had the Emmy for best supporting actress in the bag, but voter bias against skit shows propelled Jean Smart ("Samantha Who?") to an upset victory.

Both of our gurus, Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Robert "Rob L" Licuria (Awardsheaven.net), who've viewed the episodes submitted to Emmy judges, believe Fey will prevail, but they're keenly aware of this voter bias too and believe an upset could happen easily. Read their expanded views below. Also check out their (often clashing) predix in these categories: best comedy series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, guest actor, comedy writing and comedy directing. Read more in our forums.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: BOOMER'S PREDIX
(Listed in likelihood of winning)
1. Tina Fey, "Saturday Night Live" ("Presidential Bash 2008")
2. Betty White, "My Name Is Earl" ("Witch Lady")
3. Elaine Stritch, "30 Rock" ("Christmas Special")
4. Christine Baranski, "Big Bang Theory" ("The Maternal Capacitance")
5. Jennifer Aniston, "30 Rock" ("One With the Cast of Night Court")
6. Gena Rowlands, "Monk" ("Mr. Monk & the Lady Next Door")

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: Unlike the guest actor category, there doesn't seem to be a single trend to predicting who will win among the ladies. In recent years, veteran actresses (Cloris Leachman, Stritch, Kathryn Joosten) have won. A younger actress (Christina Applegate) and slightly older actress (Laura Linney) have won. I would say, in general, that the Emmy voters want to laugh and want good characters.

If you're looking for a previous Emmy winner, this category is completely loaded down with them (all six ladies have won before). In viewing these performances, I must admit that I was disappointed that Rowlands didn't have all that much to do on her episode of "Monk." While other characters had some funny things to do, she did not (although she does a wonderful job in what she is given).

Aniston is upbeat and silly, allowing her to play some funny personality traits that we don't often see from her. I would be surprised with a Rowlands or Aniston victory. Everybody else, though, has a decent shot.

Baranski, tremendously funny as the buttoned-down professor and mother of Leonard, gets some hilarious scenes with Jim Parsons.  Stritch has proved she can win with her portrayal of Alec Baldwin's mother and even gets a couple of nice sentimental holiday moments on this episode.

White is someone beloved by Emmy voters and plays a character unlike anyone we have ever seen her play before: a crazy witch neighbor who chains up all the regular cast members in her basement. Any other year, she would easily win yet another Emmy Award, but there is one person standing in her way: Fey as Sarah Palin. In a performance that was a comedy highlight of the decade, Fey also most likely influenced an entire presidential election. I just don't see how the voters are going to pass up the chance to honor something so iconic and memorable.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: ROB'S PREDIX
(Listed in likelihood of winning)
1.) Tina Fey, "Saturday Night Live" ("Presidential Bash 2008")
2.) Betty White, "My Name Is Earl" ("Witch Lady")
3.) Christine Baranski, "Big Bang Theory" ("The Maternal Capacitance")
4.) Elaine Stritch, "30 Rock" ("Christmas Special")
5.) Jennifer Aniston, "30 Rock" ("One With the Cast of Night Court")
6.) Gena Rowlands, "Monk" ("Mr. Monk & the Lady Next Door")

ROB'S COMMENTARY: This category could go any way because, as is the case for all four of the guest acting categories, the winners are sometimes based on other factors such as name recognition and honoring industry veterans. Since 2000, we've had three double winners, all being highly regarded industry vets (Jean Smart, Cloris Leachman and Kathryn Joosten); two high-profile winners (Christina Applegate and Laura Linney); and comedy legend Stritch, for the same role she is nominated for this year. Four of the wins were for traditional sitcoms ("Friends" and "Frasier"), three for single-camera comedies ("Malcolm in the Middle" and "30 Rock"), and both of Kathryn Joosten's wins were for her role in the hourlong dramedy "Desperate Housewives."

After examining the same sample episodes (also known as "reels" and "tapes") being evaluated by Daytime Emmy judges, our two gurus have drastically different views of who'll win best supporting actor

Our forums poster Michael "Emmyloser" Jenkins bets on Van Hansis ("As the World Turns"), but our forums moderator Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier insists that Hansis has nothing in his reel that suggests he can win. Meantime, Boidiva02 picks Vincent Irizarry ("All My Children") for a "natural and effortless" performance, but Emmyloser pooh-poohs same and insists Irizzary has "no chance of winning this category."

Also check out our posters' predix in these races: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing. See more Daytime Emmy predix in our forums.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: EMMYLOSER'S PREDIX
1. Van Hansis, "As the World Turns"
2. Bradford Anderson, "General Hospital"
3. Jeff Branson, "Guiding Light"
4. Vincent Irizarry, "All My Children"
5. Jacob Young, "All My Children"

EMMYLOSER'S COMMENTARY: Rightly, the Emmy should go to Van Hansis. His is the strongest and most complete reel, with a clear story that's well conveyed. Hansis makes us feel every emotion Luke feels and makes those emotions relatable. As an out and proud gay student, Luke has the most rooting value of all the characters, especially given the recent explosion of gay characters in daytime. Hansis is probably also perceived as overdue, which won't hurt him at all.

Bradford Anderson and Jeff Branson make strong candidates as well. Anderson may appeal to voters because his is the only light reel in the bunch and is quite funny at times, though it may be too short to make an impact. Branson's acting throughout his reel is excellent, even if extremely subtle, but the episode feels too much like we've just entered a conversation halfway through. Nonviewers aren't given enough context to understand the character's motivations or state of mind, so the work is difficult to fully appreciate.

Despite all the voter support "All My Children" seemed to get this year, Vincent Irizarry and Jacob Young should have no chance of winning this category. Irizarry's episode has a good arc, but he plays it flatly. There's nothing interesting in the performance. Young doesn't adequately convince us of what his character, JR, is saying. This is not a man who is losing the love of his life.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: BOIDIVA02'S PREDIX
1. Vincent Irizarry, "All My Children"
2. Jeff Branson, "Guiding Light"
3. Van Hansin, "As the World Turns"
4. Jacob Young, "All My Children"
5. Bradford Anderson, "General Hospital"

BOIDIVA02'S COMMENTARY: Vincent Irizarry is the veteran actor in this group, and I believe he will prevail because of this fact. The character he portrays, David, is distraught and suicidal after his daughter Babe's death and is about to kill himself when Krystal, Babe's mother, persuades him to spare his life. After she does so, they rehash old wounds and eventually make peace with his actions and the consequences therefore of his life.  His performance is one that shows an experienced actor overcoming writing that was somewhat abrupt.  His performance felt natural and effortless despite writing that called for too many emotions to overlap.

Our dueling Emmy pundits Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Robert "Rob L" Licuria (Awardsheaven.net) agree that "30 Rock" — which has four of the five nominations — will win best comedy writing. However, they disagree on which episode will prevail.

BEST COMEDY WRITING: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. Robert Carlock, "30 Rock," "Apollo, Apollo"
2. Matt Hubbard, "30 Rock," "Reunion"
3. Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock, "30 Rock," "Kidney Now!"
4. James Bobin, Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie, "Flight of the Conchords," "Prime Minister"
5. Ron Weiner, "30 Rock," "Mamma Mia"

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: The old theory of vote-splitting doesn't really hold up in the writing categories at the Emmy Awards. Often, when a show has multiple nominations, one of that show's episodes will walk away with the victory.  I thought "Apollo, Apollo" from "30 Rock" was one of the two best episodes of any program this past season.  Robert Carlock is the most prolific writer on that series (other than Tina Fey herself), so I think a victory by him would be well-earned.  The "Reunion" episode was incredibly well written and has such a nice blend of characters and moments at Liz Lemon's high-school reunion. I wasn't all that thrilled with the season finale ("Kidney Now!") and thought it to be a bit bloated and underwhelming (more so the writing than the directing even).

If the voters want to reward another nominee for best comedy series like "Flight of the Conchords," this would be their best chance to win of the night (but I really don't think it would happen).  The "Mamma Mia" episode was cute, but nothing all that memorable.

BEST COMEDY WRITING: ROB'S COMMENTARY
1. Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock, "30 Rock," "Kidney Now!"
2. Robert Carlock, "30 Rock," "Apollo, Apollo"
3. Ron Weiner, "30 Rock," "Mamma Mia"
4. Matt Hubbard, "30 Rock," "Reunion"
5. James Bobin, Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie, "Flight of the Conchords," "Prime Minister"

ROB'S COMMENTARY: Logic tells us that having four out of five episodes in this category will hurt "30 Rock" (the dreaded "vote-splitting" theory). But I don't think that will come into play with the particular voters judging this category. I think the "Conchords" are probably out of this, with this year's Emmy nomination leader "30 Rock" winning this, albeit with a big question mark as to which episode will triumph.

"The Mentalist" could turn out to be a major Emmy contender for several reasons. It's the biggest breakout hit among new series debuting over the last TV season, drawing 10 million-plus viewers per episode. It gets raves from TV critics. (Entertainment Weekly cheers star Simon Baker's "mesmerizing little act.") And as for Baker, he's a veteran of the award scene, having been nominated for best TV drama actor at the Golden Globes in 2002 for "The Guardian." (He lost to "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but so did "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini and "West Wing" Commander in Chief Martin Sheen.)

In its review of "The Mentalist" last fall, the L.A. Times noted that Baker portrays Patrick Jane, "a former phony TV psychic who perpetually amazes and infuriates his skeptical colleagues at the California Bureau of Investigation with his ability to accumulate the odds and ends of human behavior and use them to formulate incredible truths that catch criminals. Played by the virtually irresistible Baker, Jane also gets to make wiseacre comments like 'He irks me; he's irksome,' which only add to his already considerable charm."

Times writer Mary McNamara also hailed "Baker's killer smile and the nothing-left-to-lose recklessness required of today's broken hero." Instead of broken, though, Baker actually describes his character as "tortured" in our webcam chat, which he conducted with Gold Derby on Thursday while in Oklahoma filming "The Killer Inside Me," a thriller directed by Michael Winterbottom ("A Mighty Heart"). While Baker's character seems to be able to solve everyone else's mysteries with ease, Jane is frustrated and haunted by his pursuit of a diabolical serial killer named Red John, who murdered Jane's family after being taunted by Jane on TV.

"Will he ever really love again? I don't think so," Baker reflects on Jane. "It would be an enormous leap for that character to give and care about someone and overcome his own selfish fear of losing that again and the pain he would go through. It's a lot of fun being the charming, sort of raffish character. That's fun on the surface, but what I think makes the character really exciting for me to play is the balance of that with the tragedy that is his past and the true, hollow feeling he caries around with him every day."

Attention, Emmy voters: Baker would not only appreciate your vote, but he promises, in our webcam chat, that he'll deliver a case of scotch to your door personally, if you'd like. Below, Simon Baker proves that he possesses much of Patrick Jane's celebrated cheeky charm.

Photo: CBS

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Our forum posters remained enthusiastic about the second season of "In Treatment" throughout its seven-week run on HBO, which wrapped up this holiday weekend. Based on the hit Israeli series "BeTipul," "In Treatment" unfolds over the course of weekly therapy sessions. As Dr. Paul Weston, Gabriel Byrne counsels a different patient in four of the weekly installments while in the fifth he is undergoing therapy himself.

This season, the good doctor is treating another wide array of patients. Among those earning plaudits from our posters are current Tony nominee Hope Davis ("God of Carnage") as a successful attorney who blames Weston for her woes because she was once under his care. And two-time Emmy nominee John Mahoney ("Frasier"), who plays a CEO consumed by panic attacks, has earned his share of rave reviews as well.

But it is one-time Tony nominee Alison Pill ("The Lieutenant of Inishmore") as a student in denial about her cancer who has won over most of our posters. Last month Atypical said, "Alison Pill was incredible this week. She's on a different playing field than everyone else at this point. Just wow." More recently Buffy Mars thought, "Alison Pill should win the Emmy. I watch a lot of tv and I know there are many great supporting actress performances this year, but she's on a completely different level from everyone else." And for sirkevin, "It has been years since I've been so moved and intrigued by a character arc on television. Pill is creating one of the most complex characters of the season. What a star. She really deserves this."

However, as nicolefan notes, "I'm really rooting for Alison Pill this year. I mean, I'm a nervous wreck while watching her episodes, she's just so unbelievably real and heartbreaking. I doubt she'll get a nomination, but she truly deserves to win it this year. And as much as I like Diane Wiest and Hope Davis, I bet they get in over Alison Pill just on name recognition alone. I wouldn't mind them getting nominated, because they're both great, but only if Alison Pill can get nominated too."

Last year, Gabriel Byrne earned his first Emmy nod for this role but lost the lead actor in a drama series race to Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"). In January, he won a Golden Globe as a consolation prize.

Two-time Oscar champ Dianne Wiest ("Hannah and Her Sisters," "Bullets over Broadway") won her second Emmy Award for her work as the therapist's therapist Dr. Gina Toll. Wiest prevailed over perennial Emmy champ Candice Bergen ("Boston Legal" ) and repeat nominees Rachel Griffith ("Brothers and Sisters") and "Grey's Anatomy" co-stars Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson.

Throughout this season of "American Idol," Adam Lambert was widely proclaimed to be the front-runner, even by the notoriously fickle Simon Cowell, who called him a brilliant artist, showman and "worldwide star." Victory by Kris Allen is such a blatant rejection of industry and critical opinion, we must wonder: Does it diminish the credibility of the show?

For Jon Caramanica of the New York Times, "At best, Mr. Allen is a harmless singer — he makes Kenny Loggins look tough. At worst, he’s indefensible, utterly lacking in texture and range and interpretive imagination. His awww-shucks demeanor spills over to his performances, in which his chin jerks violently to the right every time he’s aiming for a big note, as if his mouth is struggling to deliver what his brain is asking for."

However, as Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly explained, "Adam Lambert was never going to win this show, but I don't think it had anything to do with platform boots or flaming bombast or some vast red state/Mormon/hillbilly/Miss California conspiracy. I think it had more to do with the fact that the sort of people who would be inclined to like Adam Lambert are not as inclined to watch this show as the sort of people who would be inclined to like Kris Allen."

And as Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times pointed out, "Allen has his undeniable strong points. In terms of the music industry, he cuts a more contemporary figure than Lambert: Many stars now (specifically rock-oriented, male ones) tend to do better when they draw themselves to scale, offering songs that make fans feel warm and connected, not blown away."

Though the public may have preferred the soft rock of Kris Allen, Adam Lambert's hard edge certainly made for better TV. And the ultimate judges of that aspect of "American Idol" will be the Emmy voters. Over its first seven seasons, "American Idol" has struck out repeatedly at the Emmy Awards, winning only two of its 34 bids. And neither of those wins came in the top race of best reality competition program. Indeed, since that category was introduced in 2003, "The Amazing Race" has won all six years.

"Dancing With the Stars" crowned its newest — and youngest — champ last night when Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, 17, edged out "Sex and the City" stud Gilles Marini to win Season 8. Last-minute addition "The Bachelor"-jilted Melissa Rycroft came in third place. All three scored top marks for their routines from the panel of judges with the viewer vote making the difference. With such strong performances this year, perhaps this show can finally win the Emmy Award for choreography.

After all, the two women in the final three both came to the dancefest with a talent for toe-tapping. Shawn Johnson won gold at the 2008 Olympics and was the 2007 world champion gymnast. And before we got to know Melissa Rycroft as one of the women vying for Jason Mesnick's attentions on "The Bachelor," she performed with the renowned Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. As for Gilles Marini, he certainly made all the right moves on Kim Cattrall in the big-screen version of "Sex and the City."

Surprising as it seems, this celebrity dance-off has lost the choreography Emmy for three years running. In 2006, "Dancing With the Stars" had three noms in the category but lost to "High School Musical." In 2007, there was a three-way tie as "So You Think You Can Dance" took two Emmys and "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" also won, leaving "Dancing With the Stars" the sole loser. Last year, "So You Think You Can Dance" repeated, albeit with just one win.

Over those first three years of Emmy eligibility, "Dancing With the Stars" managed only four technical wins from its 23 nominations. Besides that embarrassing shutout in the choreography category, the show has lost the reality competition title three years running to "The Amazing Race." And last September, "Dancing with the Stars" emcee Tom Bergeron lost the first Emmy race for reality show host to Jeff Probst of "Survivor."