Mad Men, American Horror Story lead Emmy pack

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AMC John Hamm as Mad Men�s Don Draper. (CP)

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   • Top two contenders each have 17 nominations

LOS ANGELES -- Mad Men, a piercingly bleak portrait of a 1960s American anti-hero, earned a leading 17 Emmy nominations Thursday and the chance to set a new record as the most-honoured drama in television history.

Mad Men, which has won four best drama series trophies and is tied with Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and The West Wing, received a fifth bid in the category.

The miniseries American Horror Story, a nightmarish saga about a haunted house, received a matching 17 awards, including an acting nod for star Connie Britton.

The Canadian contingent of nominees are mostly Emmy vets.

Edmonton-born actor Michael J. Fox nabbed his second consecutive nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for The Good Wife, while also getting acknowledged for a guest role in the comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. Will Arnett of Brampton, Ont., also received a nomination in that category for 30 Rock -- the fourth of his career for playing the role of conniving executive Devin Banks.

Meanwhile, Toronto-born voice actor Maurice LaMarche earned a second straight outstanding voice-over performance nod for Futurama (he won the category last year), Canadian teen drama Degrassi was nominated for outstanding children's program for a second straight year, and Toronto SNL creator Lorne Michaels earned yet another writing nod. Calgary-reared Mad Men scribe Semi Chellas also got a nomination for outstanding writing for a drama series.

Other leading nominees include the elegant British-born soap opera Downton Abbey, which earned 16 bids, and two miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys, with 16, and Hemingway & Gellhorn with 15.

Modern Family, honoured as best comedy series for the past two years, was the sitcom leader with 14 bids, but the category also saw an infusion of girl power.

Breakout comedies with women at their centre -- in fashion after the box-office success of Bridesmaids -- proved alluring to Emmy voters.

Girls, creator-star Lena Dunham's darkly comedic coming-of-age New York story, received a best comedy nod and an acting nomination for its star, Lena Dunham. Zooey Deschanel's offbeat charm in New Girl earned her an acting bid.

Girls is HBO's "current spin on Sex and the City, which was a strong past Emmy favourite," said Tom O'Neil, editor of the Gold Derby awards website.

Emmy darling Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with past wins for Seinfeld and New Adventures of Old Christine, earned an acting nod for Veep, which received a best comedy nomination.

Betty White, 90, brought her brand of female empowerment to the nominations, earning a best reality series host nod for Betty White's Off Their Rockers. A no-show in the category was perennial winner Jeff Probst of Survivor.

Top nominations were announced by Kerry Washington of Scandal and by Jimmy Kimmel, who will host the awards and who filled in Thursday for Nick Offerman of Parks and Recreation, who was held up by weather-related travel delays on the East Coast.

"This is a sex dream, isn't it?" joked Kimmel, ABC's late-night host, who arrived on stage at the TV academy dressed in pyjamas.

The Emmy ceremony is scheduled to air on ABC on Sept. 23.

Academy voters paid tribute to the late Kathryn Joosten, who received a supporting actress bid for her role as Wisteria Lane neighbour Karen McClusky in Desperate Housewives. Joosten, who had won two Emmys for the role, died in June of lung cancer.

The rest of the show's stars failed to make the Emmy cut for its eighth and final season. Hugh Laurie, whose show House also wrapped after eight years, didn't get a last shot at winning a trophy for his cranky Dr. House.

American Idol, TV's top-rated talent show, was shut out of the best reality series contest, although Ryan Seacrest was nominated as host.

Competition for Mad Men and Downton Abbey includes national security drama Homeland, prohibition-era crime saga Boardwalk Empire, teacher-turned-drugmaker tale Breaking Bad and the elaborate fantasy Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's novels.

Besides Modern Family, Girls and Veep, comedy series nominees include The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 20, 2012 D4