Ink

Let's start with the basics. "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" are two of the best shows on television, regardless of genre. So, it's understandable that they'd lead the Emmy nominees with 22 and 16 bids, respectively.

Though, if you ask me and I know you didn't, I think "Deadliest Catch" schools both of them in either category. Did you see the episode where Captain Phil explains his "crab fart" theory? You can't write jokes that funny. Not even Robert Smigel is that funny. And Sig Hansen's chest pain was more a dramatic turn than any of the tense polygamist twists on "Big Love."

Sorry for the tangent. Someday, maybe, the critics will realize that anything narrated by Mike Rowe = Awesome. Anyway, back to bizness.

In the drama, "Mad Men" will try to beat back "House," "Lost," "Big Love," "Damages," "Breaking Bad" and "Dexter."* Really, no surprises there. Except that maybe "Battle Dork Galactica" didn't get a nod. Nor did "The Shield." But, when you realize that Shield star Michael Chiklis is like 5'2", you have a hard time buying him as a bad-ass anyway.

*If you're scoring at home, that's 3 really good shows (Lost, Mad Men and Dexter), 2 decent shows (Breaking Bad and Big Love), one show I've tried and didn't like (House), and one show I've never seen (Damages).

The real surprise came in the comedy category, where "Family Guy" finally got a nomination. Quite a nice accomplishment for a show that "Fox" canceled after two years. And, it does count as a surprise, since mothership TV guru Aaron Barnhart counts only 11 changes from last year's nominations.

But, typical of most award shows, there is a rub: "Family Guy" stopped being funny sometime in the middle of the fifth season. Take it from me, I'm right in this show's wheelhouse and can quote almost anything from the show at request, but I probably fast forwarded through half the episodes this year. It had funny bits, but the whole "randomly-generated-stream-of-consciousness" joke thing may have run it's course.

Comedy lesson time.

This is funny and this is about 4 seasons ago.

This isn't. In fact, the last episode of this season where they went back in time with the whole Lady Redbush joke really felt like the moment Indiana Jones climbed into the fridge in "Indiana Jones 4: Spielberg and Lucas Succeed In Ruining Their Good Names." "Family Guy" meet the shark. Shark meet the "Family Guy." You just just passed each other.

Its co-noms are the aforementioned "30 Rock," as well as the brilliant "Flight of the Conchords," "The Office," "Entourage," "Weeds" and "How I Met Your Mother."*

*Scoring at home: 3 LOLSHINCAB — LOL so hard I nearly crapped a badger — shows (30 Rock, The Office and Weeds), 1 subversively genius show (Conchords), 1 show I despise (Entourage), 1 show I've never watched (How I Met Your Mother) and the Shaq of cartoon shows (Family Guy).

Snubs? I'd have to say besides "Deadliest Catch," I think you could make a good case for "South Park" — which was far funnier last season than "Family Guy" — and "Chuck" to join the comedy ranks instead of, say, "Entourage." And, all kidding earlier aside, "BSG" should've gotten something award-wise from it's last season. If your sci-fi friend looks like someone took a dump in their cereal today, it's probably best not to mention this "oversight" to them.