Emmy 2009: 12 categories, exactly 11 changes (AUDIO)

Wow. I know Emmy voters are conservative. I know many of them don't even watch much televsion. But oh my word, how stale and predictable were this year's Emmy nominations??

Click on the audio and you will hear an edited version of this morning's announcement by Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) and Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy), followed by my commentary on KNX Newsradio.

Twelve categories were announced (here's the full list of nominees). I counted a total of 11 changes in those 12 categories between last year and this year: Parsons got a nod (why are these presenters always surprised? the Emmy nomination presenters ALWAYS get nominated for something). So did "US of Tara" (my rave), "Flight of the Conchords" (two major nominations; here's my rave), Sarah Silverman, Elizabeth Ross (Mad Men), "Family Guy," "HIMYM," "Big Love," "Breaking Bad" and "Weeds."

That's it. Twelve categories, exactly 11 changes from last year. And a couple of them were shoehorned in as sixth entries in previously five-entry fields.

The fact that Julia-Louis Dreyfus got nominated again, to me, says it all.

Emmys air Sept. 20 on CBS, if you care. Watch it for Doogie.

P.S. To clarify something from the KNX segment: "True Blood" wasn't nominated. Look for it to get in next year, because it's actually having a better second season; and besides, it's obvious HBO this year threw its PR weight behind "Big Love." (audio d/l)