EMMY TOP TEN FINALISTS REVEALED

The Academy of TV Arts & Sciences leaked the top ten finalists for Best Drama and Best Comedy. It's a nice mix of pleasant surprises and the usual suspects. Here's the breakdown –

BEST DRAMA
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire

Six out of ten shows I like, a seventh (Grey's) I like/hate and begrudgingly accept, and the other three selections don't bother me. Boston Legal has never interested me, but it's always in the running for one reason or another. I lost interest in Damages, but the more love non-HBO cable series get, the better for future Emmy seasons. Same for the Tudors.

So what's missing? I would have liked to see BIG LOVE make the cut. I thought Season 2 was faster-paced and more rich than the critically-lauded Season 1. BREAKING BAD was awesome, but I guess with only seven episodes and one AMC series already breaking through, it was a longshot. Next year, perhaps. And I'd take ELI STONE and BROTHERS&SISTERS over Grey's and BL for the "soapy ABC shows with big thematic elements."

MY FINAL FIVE: Mad Men, Lost, FNL, Wire, and Dexter, with House a narrow miss.
WHAT I THINK EMMY'S FINAL FIVE WILL BE: Mad Men, Lost, Grey's, Damages, Dexter, with House or BL lurking as a spoiler.

BEST COMEDY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Some surprises here. No Housewives or Earl or Scrubs, which I have no problems with. No HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, CALIFORNICATION, or IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADEPHIA, either, which I have I do. In a perfect world, those three + THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK would be a fine top five.

I didn't care for Flight of the Conchords – I like the songs, not the show – but it's inclusion along with FAMIL GUY breaking down the animated barrier – are a good trend. I really enjoyed Pushing Daisies, but I'm not sure it belongs in the final five. Weeds and Entourage are great, buzzworthy shows… and they both had terrible seasons. Curb doesn't do it for me anymore. Ugly Betty and Two and a Half Men are competent, but not my cup of tea. No problem with
their inclusion, just not interested. Surprised SAMANTHA WHO didn't crack the top ten, but not complaining.

MY FINAL FIVE: Office, 30 Rock, Mother, Californication, Always Sunny.
WHAT I THINK EMMY'S FINAL FIVE WILL BE: Office, 30 Rock, Two and A Half Men, Ugly Betty, Pushing Daisies with Curb as the spoiler for one of the hour-longs.

If MAD MEN or LOST and THE OFFICE walk away with the prizes, I will be a happy camper. But for now, let's see what the nominations look like in July and we'll go from there.