Photos: 2011 Emmy Nominations

A look at the 2011 Emmy nominations, with commentary from TV Column writer Lisa de Moraes.

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Best drama: “Mad Men.” Lead actor in a drama: Jon Hamm. LISA SAYS: Can any drama series loosen “Mad Men’s” stranglehold on the best-drama Emmy? The best-drama derby is considered the crown jewel of the Emmy competition, and “Mad Men” has won for the past three years. But “Mad Men’s” most recent season was watched by an average of less than 3 million people, which illustrates one of the reasons it’s harder these days for the Emmy trophy show to attract viewers.

/ AP

Best drama: <strong>“Dexter.”</strong> Lead actor in a drama: <strong>Michael C. Hall</strong> as Dexter Morgan on Showtime’s “Dexter.”

Best drama: “Dexter.” Lead actor in a drama: Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan on Showtime’s “Dexter.”

Peter Iovino / Peter Iovino

Best drama: <strong>“The Good Wife.”</strong> Lead actress in a drama: <strong>Julianna Margulies.</strong> Chris Noth and best actress nominee Julianna Margulies from CBS’s “The Good Wife.”

Best drama: “The Good Wife.” Lead actress in a drama: Julianna Margulies. Chris Noth and best actress nominee Julianna Margulies from CBS’s “The Good Wife.”

Jeffrey Neira / CBS

Best drama: “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO). Best actor in a drama: Steve Buscemi

Abbot Genser / HBO

Best drama: <strong>'Game of Thrones'</strong> (HBO).

Best drama: "Game of Thrones" (HBO).

/ HBO

Best comedy: ABC's<strong> 'Modern Family.' </strong> LISA SAYS: Last year’s best comedy Emmy winner is considered a shoo-in to win again this year.

Best comedy: ABC's "Modern Family." LISA SAYS: Last year’s best comedy Emmy winner is considered a shoo-in to win again this year.

Bob D'Amico / ABC

Best comedy: <strong>“The Office.”</strong> Lead actor in a comedy: <strong>Steve Carell</strong>. (NBC). LISA SAYS: Will Carell finally win the best comedy actor trophy for his swan song on the long-running show? From left, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and Steve Carell on “The Office.”

Best comedy: “The Office.” Lead actor in a comedy: Steve Carell. (NBC). LISA SAYS: Will Carell finally win the best comedy actor trophy for his swan song on the long-running show? From left, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and Steve Carell on “The Office.”

Trae Patton / Copyright NBC Universal

Lead actress in a comedy: <strong>Edie Falco</strong>. LISA SAYS: Last year, when Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” star Edie Falco picked up her best comedy actress trophy, she complained, “I’m not funny.” Will academy members take her at her word and this year give the Emmy to someone who is at least willing to acknowledge she’s working in a comedy series?

Lead actress in a comedy: Edie Falco. LISA SAYS: Last year, when Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” star Edie Falco picked up her best comedy actress trophy, she complained, “I’m not funny.” Will academy members take her at her word and this year give the Emmy to someone who is at least willing to acknowledge she’s working in a comedy series?

/ Ken Regan/Showtime

Best comedy: <strong>“30 Rock.”</strong> Lead actress in a comedy: <strong>Tina Fey</strong>. Lead actor in a comedy: <strong>Alec Baldwin</strong>. LISA SAYS: Fey last won this derby on ’08 for playing Liz Lemon on “30 Rock” — a comedy series she also created and writes. Since then, the category has been dominated by Showtime actresses in dark comedies — Edie Falco on “Nurse Jackie” in ’10 and Toni Collette in “United States of Tara” in ‘09.

Best comedy: “30 Rock.” Lead actress in a comedy: Tina Fey. Lead actor in a comedy: Alec Baldwin. LISA SAYS: Fey last won this derby on ’08 for playing Liz Lemon on “30 Rock” — a comedy series she also created and writes. Since then, the category has been dominated by Showtime actresses in dark comedies — Edie Falco on “Nurse Jackie” in ’10 and Toni Collette in “United States of Tara” in ‘09.

Barbara Nitke / NBC

Best comedy: <strong>“Glee”</strong> (Fox).

Best comedy: “Glee” (Fox).

Carin Baer / FOX

Lead actress in a comedy: <strong>Laura Linney</strong> as Cathy in Showtime’s “The Big C.”

Lead actress in a comedy: Laura Linney as Cathy in Showtime’s “The Big C.”

Jordin Althaus / Showtime

Best comedy: <strong>“Big Bang Theory.”</strong> Lead actor in a comedy: both <strong>Johnny Galecki</strong>, left and <strong>Jim Parsons</strong>. LISA SAYS: Will Parsons, who won his first best comedy actor Emmy last year, beat perennial winner Alec Baldwin again? Or, will academy members vote to give it to “Two and a Half Men’s” Jon Cryer, as a sort of badge of courage for having survived the last season with Charlie Sheen?

Best comedy: “Big Bang Theory.” Lead actor in a comedy: both Johnny Galecki, left and Jim Parsons. LISA SAYS: Will Parsons, who won his first best comedy actor Emmy last year, beat perennial winner Alec Baldwin again? Or, will academy members vote to give it to “Two and a Half Men’s” Jon Cryer, as a sort of badge of courage for having survived the last season with Charlie Sheen?

Sonja Flemming / CBS

Lead actor in a comedy: <strong>Matt LeBlanc</strong> of Showtime’s “Episodes.”

Lead actor in a comedy: Matt LeBlanc of Showtime’s “Episodes.”

John Marshall Mantel / AP

Lead actor in a comedy: <strong>Louis C.K. </strong>of FX’s “Louie.”

Lead actor in a comedy: Louis C.K. of FX’s “Louie.”

Eric Leibowitz / FX

Best comedy: <strong>“Parks and Recreation”</strong> (NBC). Lead actress in a comedy: <strong>Amy Poehler</strong>.

Best comedy: “Parks and Recreation” (NBC). Lead actress in a comedy: Amy Poehler.

Paul Drinkwater / NBC Universal

Lead actress in a comedy: <strong>Melissa McCarthy</strong> of “Mike & Molly” (CBS).

Lead actress in a comedy: Melissa McCarthy of “Mike & Molly” (CBS).

Richard Cartwright / CBS

Best drama: <strong>“Friday Night Lights.”</strong> Lead actor in a drama: <strong>Kyle Chandler</strong> for the final season of “Friday Night Lights” (NBC).

Best drama: “Friday Night Lights.” Lead actor in a drama: Kyle Chandler for the final season of “Friday Night Lights” (NBC).

Bill Records / NBC

Lead actress in a drama: <strong>Kathy Bates</strong> for “Harry’s Law” (NBC).

Lead actress in a drama: Kathy Bates for “Harry’s Law” (NBC).

Lewis Jacobs / Lewis Jacobs/NBC

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano in the critically acclaimed HBO series 'The Sopranos.' The show received 16 Emmy nominations Thursday, July 22, 1999, including best dramatic series and best actor for Gandolfini. It is the first cable show ever recognized in the dramatic series category. (AP Photo/HO, HBO, Anthony Nesta) Original Filename: EMMY NOMINATIONS.jpg ORG XMIT: LA109

James Gandolfini dies at 51

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Vice President Joe Biden speaks before the Frederick Douglass statue now permanently placed in the US Capitol's Emancipation Hall in Washington, DC on June 19, 2013. The statue of the abolition leader was chosen by District residents to represent them in the Capitol because of his stance on self governance according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The statue by artist Steven Weitzman, was blocked from it's placement in the Capitol for years, a victim of rules that stated that only the 50 states can display statues of their favored sons and daughters in the Capitol. The House and Senate passed a resolution last month allowing DC to be represented in Emancipation Hall which features statues of notable leaders nominated by each state. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)

Frederick Douglass statue unveiled in the Capitol

The carving of the famed abolitionist and District advocate finds its place inside the halls of Congress.

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Animal views

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

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