LOS ANGELES: ”Mad Men,” the sharply observed drama of a changing 1960s America, captured 19 Emmy nominations Thursday to lead the series pack, with the melodramatic miniseries ”Mildred Pierce” starring Kate Winslet grabbing a top 21 bids.
”Mad Men” has a chance to repeat for a fourth consecutive year as best drama. ”Modern Family,” last year’s top comedy series, was the most-nominated sitcom with 17 bids.
Other leading contenders include the Prohibition-era drama ”Boardwalk Empire” with 18 nominations, ”Saturday Night Live” with 16 and 13 bids each for the sex-and-swords fantasy ”Game of Thrones” and the sitcom ”30 Rock.”
”OK, keep it together,” a surprised nominations co-announcer Melissa McCarthy said when she realized she was a nominee for her sitcom ”Mike & Molly.”
It’s been a sweet year already for McCarthy, the one-time ”Gilmore Girls” cast member who’s drawn critical raves for her turn in the box office hit ”Bridesmaids.”
The controversial miniseries ”The Kennedys,” which was dropped by the History channel and given a second chance by the lesser-known ReelzChannel, received 10 nominations, including best miniseries and acting bids for Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy, Barry Pepper as Robert Kennedy and Tom Wilkinson as family patriarch Joe Kennedy.
Familiar faces have a chance to claim, or reclaim Emmys, including last year’s lead comedy actress winner Edie Falco of ”Nurse Jackie” and Jim Parsons, best actor for a comedy for ”The Big Bang Theory.” Both were nominated this year, with Parsons’ co-star Johnny Galecki earning his first bid for the show.
”Project Runway” was nominated in the reality category for the seventh consecutive year and host Heidi Klum got the happy news while filming an upcoming episode. The show has never won, but Klum said getting nominated proved it is still relevant.
”What I always say when I talk to my designers, ‘One day you’re in and the next day you’re out, as quick as that.’ There’s always great new shows that come in, and they can kick you off just as easy as you came on. Therefore, we’re very happy to be nominated again.”