Which shows may grab Emmy nominations?
(CBS) When the Emmy nominations are announced Thursday morning, there will no doubt be sure things, surprises and snubs. For example: "Mad Men" and "Dexter" will no doubt get nominated for something (likely Best Drama and a bunch of acting nods); "30 Rock," "The Office" and "Modern Family" will get comedy nods. (Yawn.)
What about the new kids? And for that matter, the shows and actors that always seem to get snubbed?
Pictures: Emmy Awards 2010 red carpet
Popular shows (and critical favorites) "Boardwalk Empire" and "Game of Thrones" seem like the types of shows that should do well at the Emmys. They both air on HBO, they're both filled with big names (Steve Buscemi and Michael K. Williams on "Boardwalk," for starters, and Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage on "Game of Thrones") and they have popular source material ("Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City" by Nelson Johnson and George R.R. Martin's popular Ice and Fire series of novels, respectively).
There are stumbling blocks for each show. Sometimes Emmys skip entire series ("The Wire" was never nominated for Best Drama, for example). And Emmys don't really love fantasy, under which "Game of Thrones" certainly falls.
Nothing in awards show-land is certain, but it would be a surprise if Laura Linney didn't get a nomination for Best Actress in a comedy for "The Big C." She won the Golden Globe earlier this year. Linney has three Emmy Awards and three nominations for the Academy Award.
As for new comedies, it would be fun to see "Raising Hope" get a nod. If we can nominate dramas starring serial killers ("Dexter"), we can certainly nominate comedies in which the main character has a baby with a serial killer.
And what about Louis C.K. and his dramatic comedy (or comedic drama) "Louie"? Critics love the show and C.K. as the main character. He also writes, directs and edits the series.
Turning momentarily from new shows to nostalgia acts, this TV season has seen some big departures. Steve Carrell left "The Office" after seven seasons. He's been nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Michael Scott five times and this is his last chance. Will this year be the year he wins Best Actor in a Comedy?
"Friday Night Lights" has signed off after five critically successful but under-watched seasons. Actors Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler have been nominated for their work on the show, as has director Peter Berg and writer Rolin Jones. Will the series be nominated for Best Drama?
Something else to keep in mind. It's not unheard of for the people making the nomination announcements to be nominated. Melissa McCarthy and Joshua Jackson are this year's presenters. McCarthy has been a critical favorite on "Mike & Molly," the freshman sitcom from Mark Roberts with Chuck Lorre executive producing. Jackson is a seasoned TV actor and his show, "Fringe," will return for a fourth season this September.
What shows do you want to see get nominated? Which snubbee deserves a nomination at least? Let us know in the comments and return here Thursday morning to see who's nominated.