• by Wayne Friedman , July 18, 2008

Cable TV continues to break new ground--at least when it comes to getting honors.

This year, AMC's "Mad Men" received 16 Emmy nominations, including best drama--the most of all TV dramatic series. It was the first time a basic cable series was nominated in the best-series category. HBO's "The Sopranos" did that trick for a pay-TV series some years ago. "Mad Men" has already won a Golden Globe for best series.

Cable grabbed other honors for its original series: FX's "Damages" also took a best drama nomination, as did Showtime's "Dexter." AMC's other new original series "Breaking Bad" received an actor nomination for Bryan Cranston; TNT's "Saving Grace" took one for Holly Hunter.

For all ongoing TV series, however, it was still a broadcast show leading the way. NBC's comedy "30 Rock" grabbed 17 nominations. In the high-profile drama series category, repeat nominations for best series include ABC's "Lost," ABC's "Boston Legal" and Fox's "House."

HBO's miniseries "John Adams" was the most-nominated program with 23 mentions, including best miniseries and best lead actors nominations for Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. Overall, HBO remained the most-nominated network--with 85 nominations. ABC followed with 76, and CBS with 51.

For all cable networks, after HBO, Showtime scored the second-best with 21 nominations, mostly from "Dexter" and "This American Life," a contender for nonfiction series. AMC was next with 20 nominations.

Emmy nominations for best commercial were earned by Leo Burnett for a Hallmark Cards spot called "Brother of the Bride"; BBDO New York for a FedEx spot, "Carrier Pigeons"; Fallon, for Travelers' "Delivery"; Weiden + Kennedy for Coca-Cola's "It's Mine"; and DDB Chicago for Bud Light's "Swear Jar."

The Emmy ceremony will be aired Sept. 21 on ABC.

Here's a list of major Emmy nominees:

Outstanding Drama Series
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Miniseries
The Andromeda Strain -- A&E
Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre) -- PBS
John Adams -- HBO
Tin Man -- Sci Fi Channel

Outstanding Made for Television Movie
Bernard and Doris -- HBO
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale -- HBO
The Memory Keeper's Daughter -- Lifetime
A Raisin in the Sun -- ABC
Recount -- HBO

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report -- Comedy Central
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart -- Comedy Central
Late Show With David Letterman -- CBS
Real Time With Bill Maher -- HBO
Saturday Night Live -- NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
James Spader, Boston Legal
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
Ricky Gervais, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris
Dame Judi Dench, Cranford
Laura Linney, John Adams
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Rainn Wilson, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Ted Danson, Damages
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
John Slattery, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
David Morse, John Adams
Stephen Dillane, John Adams
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams
Denis Leary, Recount
Bob Balaban, Recount

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Ashley Jensen, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Alfre Woodard, Pictures of Hollis Woods
Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
Laura Dern, Recount

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Shelley Berman, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Rip Torn, 30 Rock
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Steve Buscemi, 30 Rock
Tim Conway, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Stanley Tucci, ER
Glynn Turman, In Treatment
Robin Williams, Law & Order: SVU
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck
Charles Durning, Rescue Me

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sarah Silverman, Monk
Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock
Edie Falco, 30 Rock
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Ellen Burstyn, Big Love
Diahann Carroll, Grey's Anatomy
Cynthia Nixon, Law & Order: SVU
Anjelica Huston, Medium
Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Jon Stewart, 80th Annual Academy Awards
Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
David Letterman, Late Show With David Letterman
Don Rickles, Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Howie Mandel, Deal or No Deal
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Jeff Probst, Survivor