• Reuters, Wednesday, July 7, 2010 12:05 AM

Fresh faces and veteran players in new roles are expected to grab the spotlight when nominations are announced on Thursday for the primetime Emmy Awards -- the highest honors in the television industry. But potential Emmy newcomers, like "Glee" star Jane Lynch and Sofia Vergara of comedy "Modern Family," will be joined by actors from Emmy favorites, like comedy "30 Rock" and dramas "Mad Men" and "House" after a strong TV season.

TV insiders hope the nominations will inject fresh blood and excitement into a field which has been dominated in recent years by the same little-watched contenders. In 2009, "Mad Men" was named best drama for a second year, and "30 Rock" best comedy for a third. "This year, there are two serious threats in the race for best comedy series -- Fox's 'Glee' and ABC's 'Modern Family' -- which will revitalize the Emmys, and both have an excellent chance of winning," said Tom O'Neil of awards website TheEnvelope.com.

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