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People Feature

Emmys' Top 5 Surprises

Where the Academy got the nominations right (too bad, Housewives) – and wrong (paging Dr. House!) – as summed up by our TV critic

By Tom Gliatto

Originally posted Thursday July 06, 2006 05:30 PM EDT

The ladies of *Desperate Housewives* Photo by: Colin Knight / JPI

1. The snubbed

The WB's Gilmore Girls. UPN's Veronica Mars. HBO's Big Love. And ABC's Desperate Housewives, which surprisingly missed out in top categories. But then again, the second season afforded the unpleasant opportunity of watching a handful of good actresses waiting for intelligent material that never arrived. (Meanwhile, ABC's Grey's Anatomy cleaned up with 11 nominations.) On the other hand, the similar snub to last year's best drama winner Lost is more unfortunate: No one would have blamed the show for throwing up its hands after the first season, deciding the story could never be worked out and just bringing in Donald Trump dressed as Caliban. But the show grew denser without becoming impenetrable.

2. Hugh gotta be kidding me

Hugh Laurie wasn't nominated as best actor for FOX's House, and that's quite an oversight. If he's not a best actor, with those baleful eyes and angry snarl and convincing American accent, who or what is? (Oh: To those bummed that Jason Lee of NBC's My Name Is Earl was passed over, my name is Indifferent. I don't get that show.)

3. High School Confidential

The Disney Channel's hit musical heads into the Aug. 27 awards with as many nominations as NBC's West Wing in its swan-song season (six each). But apart from Denis Leary's nod (Rescue Me), the nominees didn't really come from a wider field than the usual networks, even after the Academy revamped the selection process for this year's awards.

4. Trust in truthiness

Stephen Colbert Photo by: Brad Barket / Getty

Stephen Colbert can be said to have arrived at the age of 42, after years of doing distinctive bits of fine-honed weirdness on everything from Strangers with Candy to Mr. Goodwrench commercials. His Colbert Report scored multiple nominations, including best variety/music host and show. Jay Leno's name is in neither category. Is there political significance in this? If the President is ever overheard saying "Col-bare," the correct pronunciation, instead of "Col-bert," the answer is yes.

5. Nominations for which I am grateful

• Christopher Meloni, actor in a drama, NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Eagle-browed yet sexy, the sort of unemphatic, consistent actor who's easily ignored.
• Christina Ricci, guest actress in a drama, ABC's Grey's Anatomy. An intense little performance in a role that could have screamed "special appearance."
• Lisa Kudrow, actress in a comedy, HBO's The Comeback. Because I was one of about 15 people in the country who liked the show, and I'll take whatever vindication I can get.