Outstanding Comedy Series:

* Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
* Glee (Fox)
* Modern Family (ABC)
* Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
* The Office (NBC)
* 30 Rock (NBC)

My Pick: “Modern Family.” There’s no question that “Glee” is award-worthy, but not necessarily as a comedy, which is also where “Nurse Jackie” falters in this category. I feel like “The Office” and “30 Rock” coasted in on their past merits this year, but “Curb” got a huge boost from the “Seinfeld” storyline, so it’s the only real competition here. Still, the buzz on “Modern Family” is all over the place. I can’t imagine it won’t bring home the glory.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series:

* Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
* Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
* Matthew Morrison, “Glee” (Fox)
* Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” (USA)
* Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC)
* Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

My pick: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory.” And I’m going to keep picking him until he gets the award, dammit.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

* Lea Michele, “Glee” (Fox)
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (CBS)
* Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
* Amy Poehler, “Parks & Recreation” (NBC)
* Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)
* Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” (Showtime)

My pick: Lea Michele, “Glee.” All things being equal, I’d much rather see Edie Falco take home the award, but her best work on “Nurse Jackie” comes from her dramatic work on the series, and the same goes for Toni Collette on “United States of Tara.” I can’t see them giving Julia the award, Tina’s had her day in the sun, and I’m not convinced that enough Emmy voters are watching “Parks & Recreation,” which is one thing you definitely can’t say about “Glee.”

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series:

* Chris Colfer, “Glee” (Fox)
* Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS)
* Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family” (ABC)
* Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family” (ABC)
* Ty Burrell, “Modern Family” (ABC)
* Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men” (CBS)

My pick: Ty Burrell, “Modern Family.” If Cryer wins, the critics will weep, and while Neil always deserves to win an Emmy, let’s hope he takes one home for his guest spot on “Glee” and shares it with Colfer. Stonestreet and Ferguson are great, but it’s only inevitable that they’ll split the vote, which leaves Burrell as the cast member to beat…and, indeed, the nominee to beat.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series:

* Jane Lynch, “Glee” (Fox)
* Julie Bowen, “Modern Family” (ABC)
* Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family” (ABC)
* Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
* Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock” (NBC)
* Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men” (CBS)

My pick: Jane Lynch, “Glee.” It’s the kind of performance that makes you want to just cut to the chase and give it to her now. With that said, however, I would have no complaints if either Vergara or Krakowski took it home. In particular, I’ve always felt that Krakowski was an MVP on “30 Rock” who doesn’t get nearly as much attention as she’s deserved. (Vergara, meanwhile, does get plenty of attention…and rightfully so. Yowza!) Bowen’s great, but much of her performance involves staring incredulously at Ty Burrell, and Taylor’s a class act, but she’s outclassed here. And don’t even get me started on Kristen Wiig. If you’ve got something to say about her, say it here and here.

Outstanding Drama Series:

* Breaking Bad (AMC)
* Dexter (Showtime)
* The Good Wife (CBS)
* Lost (ABC)
* Mad Men (AMC)
* True Blood (HBO)

My pick: Breaking Bad. If you need any more explanation about this pick, then just hit up my blog for the series. It clarifies my feelings pretty well.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series:

* Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)
* Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime)
* Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV)
* Hugh Laurie, “House” (Fox)
* Matthew Fox, “Lost” (ABC)
* Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC)

My pick: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad.” As if there was ever any doubt, right? I said in September Laurie would earn an Emmy nomination based on his performance in the “House” season premiere alone, so it’s nice to see that I was right about that, and I’d probably have to turn in my TCA membership card if I didn’t cheer for Chandler’s nomination just on general principle. Fox’s nod seems more sentimental than anything else, though. It could well prove to be a three-way heat between Hamm, Hall, and Cranston, but I’m sticking with my favorite horse on this one.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:

* Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” (TNT)
* Glenn Close, “Damages” (FX)
* Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV)
* Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
* Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC)
* January Jones, “Mad Men” (AMC)

My pick: Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife.” But with all due respect to Ms. Margulies, the person who I would’ve voted for didn’t even score a nomination…and, frankly, I’m pissed about it. In fact, I’m calling bullshit on the fact that January Jones received a nod for “Mad Men” while Anna Gunn was left out in the cold for her outstanding work on “Breaking Bad” this season. That’s right, I’m unabashedly calling out Jones as the one who doesn’t belong in this category: sure, she plays the ice queen to perfection, but if you saw her hosting “Saturday Night Live,” then you know that you’re seeing something not terribly far from her default setting. Jones coasted into this nomination via name recognition for the show, plain and simple, and not for her acting.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series:

* Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)
* Martin Short, “Damages” (FX)
* Terry O’Quinn, “Lost” (ABC)
* Michael Emerson, “Lost” (ABC)
* John Slattery, “Mad Men” (AMC)
* Andre Braugher, “Men of a Certain Age” (TNT)

My pick: Terry O’Quinn, “Lost.” This is certifiably the single hardest category for me, because there’s literally no one in the running who I wouldn’t like to see take home the award, but gut feeling is that one of the two “Lost” cast members will end up winning, with O’Quinn being my personal favorite (not that Emerson isn’t great). In a perfect world, though, enough people would have watched the 3rd season of “Damages” to give their votes to Short. Braugher got to play a lot of great family drama, and, well, you know how I feel about “Breaking Bad,” but, seriously, Aaron Paul’s work this year as Jesse worked his way through rehab while dealing with emotional trauma was outstanding. And Slattery…c’mon, the guy makes me grin whenever he walks on camera. There are no losers here.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series:

* Sharon Gless, “Burn Notice” (USA)
* Rose Byrne, “Damages” (FX)
* Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
* Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
* Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men” (AMC)
* Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” (AMC)

My pick: Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men.” I had a lot of trouble picking from my four favorite nominees here, but while Byrne, Baranski, and Moss were all great, Hendricks’ work with Joan’s struggles in her personal and professional lives made her the stand-out for me.

Outstanding Miniseries:

* The Pacific (HBO)
* Masterpiece: Return to Cranford (PBS)

My pick: The Pacific. Sorry, “Cranford,” but betting against “The Pacific” would be like going into a Harlem Globetrotters game and expecting to see them have their asses handed to them by the Washington Generals.

Outstanding Made for Television Movie:

* Masterpiece: Endgame (PBS)
* Georgia O’Keeffe (Lifetime)
* Moonshot (The History Channel)
* The Special Relationship (HBO)
* Temple Grandin (HBO)
* You Don’t Know Jack (HBO)

My pick: Temple Grandin. The competition is pretty fierce here, with the big guns all coming from HBO, but as much as I liked the network’s other two nominees, “Temple” has the edge because of the way director Mick Jackson brought to life the way Grandin sees the world.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:

* Jeff Bridges, “A Dog Year” (HBO)
* Ian McKellen, “The Prisoner” (AMC)
* Michael Sheen, “The Special Relationship” (HBO)
* Dennis Quaid, “The Special Relationship” (HBO)
* Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)

My pick: Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack.” There were several occasions during the course of the film when I completely forgot that I was watching Pacino, and, man, I can’t think of the last time that happened. It’s good to have you back, Al.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie:

* Maggie Smith, “Capturing Mary” (HBO)
* Joan Allen, “Georgia O’Keeffe” (Lifetime)
* Dame Judi Dench, “Masterpiece: Return to Cranford” (PBS)
* Hope Davis, “The Special Relationship” (HBO)
* Claire Danes, “Temple Grandin” (HBO)

My pick: Claire Danes, “Temple Grandin.” Yes, yes, we all know what was said in “Tropic Thunder” about performances like these, but the simple fact of the matter is that Danes did an exemplary job of capturing the awkwardness of an autistic woman trying not only to make it in a career dominated by men but, indeed, in society as a whole.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:

* Michael Gambon, “Masterpiece: Emma” (PBS)
* Patrick Stewart, “Great Performances: Hamlet” (PBS)
* Jonathan Pryce, “Masterpiece: Return to Cranford” (PBS)
* David Strathairn, “Temple Grandin” (HBO)
* John Goodman, “You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)

My pick: David Strathairn, “Temple Grandin.” I’ve got nothing but love for the PBS performances, particularly Sir Patrick’s, but Strathairn’s calm performance played wonderfully against what Claire Danes brought to the table as the title character.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie:

* Kathy Bates, “Alice” (SyFy)
* Julia Ormond, “Temple Grandin” (HBO)
* Catherine O’Hara, “Temple Grandin” (HBO)
* Brenda Vaccaro, “You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)
* Susan Sarandon, “You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)

My pick: Brenda Vaccaro, “You Don’t Know Jack.” This was another tough one, as Ormond and O’Hara were both exemplary…as was Sarandon, for that matter…but the brother/sister dynamic between Vaccaro and Al Pacino was too damned wonderful to ignore.

Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series:

* The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
* The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
* Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
* Saturday Night Live (NBC)
* The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien (NBC)

My pick: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I’d love to hear Conan’s acceptance speech if he won, but I think he’s gotten sufficient just desserts simply by being nominated, so I’d rather the consistently strong work of Stewart and his crew get the Emmy.

Outstanding Reality Program:

* Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
* Dirty Jobs (Discovery Channel)
* Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (ABC)
* Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List (Bravo)
* MythBusters (Discovery Channel)
* Undercover Boss (CBS)

My pick: “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” It’s probably the least watched show on the list, but that never stopped “The Amazing Race” from winning in the past.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program

* Phil Keoghan, “The Amazing Race” (CBS)
* Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol” (Fox)
* Tom Bergeron, “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
* Heidi Klum, “Project Runway” (Bravo)
* Jeff Probst, “Survivor” (CBS)

My pick: Phil Keoghan, “The Amazing Race.” Believe it or not, this season was the first time I’d ever watched the show. Say, you know, it’s pretty good!

Beats me, but we’ve got one now…and it’s good.

The press release for “Men of a Certain Age” kicks off with the classic John Lennon lyric, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans,” and although it’s been quoted plenty of times, it’s decidedly apropos for this series, which explores the lives of three guys in their 40s – one single, one married, one separated and likely headed for divorce – as they begin to examine who they are, how they got where they are, how the future looks, and what they can do to change it. If the acknowledgment that there are indeed things in their lives that need changing sounds like a spoiler, think about your own life and consider whether or not there’s anything you might like to change about. If there isn’t, then I envy you, but I can’t say the same, and I seriously doubt if I know anyone who can. At the very least, none of these men of a certain age can’t.

Joe (Ray Romano) was apparently once on the verge of becoming a professional golfer, but that career avenue never really took off for him, so now he owns and runs a party store. He’s a father of two kids, but he and his wife are separated, and they’re in the difficult period where they’re both pretty sure that it’s over, but they’ve been married so long that the idea of taking that next step and re-entering the dating pool is something they’re approaching with trepidation.

Why is the marriage over? Well, that’s pretty much Joe’s fault: he’s got a gambling problem, and although he seems to be able to get it under control once in awhile, he’s pretty bad about backsliding, and with his depression about the separation…well, let’s just say that he and his new bookie are already on a first-name basis. Anyone who’s ever seen even a couple of episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond” probably won’t be surprised to hear that Joe’s a little neurotic at times, but it’s a trait that really works within the context of this character. as he’s trying to figure out the intricacies of his children as they grow up (particularly his son, in whom he’s seeing the development of some of his own neuroses), worrying about how hard it’s going to be to go on a date for the first time in two decades, and basically learning how to live his own life for the first time in 20 years.

Owen (Andre Braugher) is overweight and out of shape, which means that he fits right in with the rest of the salesmen at the car dealership where he works. He’s not what you’d call a great salesman, but nor is he awful at his job, even if he does have a lack of dedication to it. All in all, it probably wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t the son of the man who owns the dealership, but since he is, his dad is forever trying to avoid the appearance of impropriety, making sure that Owen has to work just as hard as every other salesman. As you might well expect, Daddy Dearest ends up overcompensating, making for an often tense relationship between father and son.

All things considered, Owen would just as soon chuck the job, but he’s got a problem that many Americans will no doubt recognize: he’s got bills to pay and a family to provide for. At one point, he tells his wife that there’s no way he can go back to work, that he’s going to find something else, and like a good wife, she tells him that she’s behind him. Unfortunately, two seconds later, she has to admit that, although she loves him dearly, she’s lying. He’s stuck with working his shitty job, and that’s just the way it is. We see his shoulders slump in defeat…and, boy, can most of us relate to that feeling.

And then there’s Terry (Scott Bakula), who’s the kind of guy that you simultaneously love, loathe, and pity: you love him because he’s a great friend and fun to hang out with, loathe him because he’s handsome, single, and gets more tail from younger women that you probably would even if you were single, and pity him because he’s in his late 40s and, for as happy as he seems to be on the surface, is clearly destined to realize sooner than later that he’s all alone.

What’s worse for Terry is that, unlike Joe and Owen, he doesn’t even have a steady job. He’s a professional actor and has been for many years, but like most of the actors in Hollywood, he spends more time going to auditions than he does actually working; as such, he makes ends meet by working as a temp, where he’s reminded every day how transitory his position is. Does he want to settle down? If so, he’s not admitting it to his friends, and even if he does, it goes so much against his nature that he probably wouldn’t know how to go about it, so in the meantime, he just keeps temping, keeps going to auditions, works out in his significant amount of free time, and, of course, plays the field for all he’s worth.

Joe, Owen, and Terry all feel like the kind of guys you probably actually have as friends, and they make decisions that feel real, such as when Owen stumbles upon an opportunity at the dealership to be a nice guy and have the customers like him, only to realize that nice guys get a hell of a lot less commission. There’s just one thing you should remember: don’t go into “Men of a Certain Age” expecting it to be funny just because Ray Romano’s in it. When these guys get together, they talk, and sometimes they say funny things. But they also say awkward things, serious things, and even seriously depressing things.

That right: they’re just guys being guys. And damned if that isn’t enough to make for some great TV.

Seriously, it’s that good.

Season 6 of “House” kicks off where Season 5 of “House” left off: with its title character, Dr. Gregory House, within the walls of the Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital. The decision to enter Mayfield came via House himself, however, so as anyone who’s watched their fair share of medical dramas knows, that allows him the option to check himself out at any time…which, following an appropriately harsh opening sequence (set to Radiohead’s “No Surprises”) that details what he’s suffered through duriing his cleansing process, is exactly what he attempts to do.

If you know much of Andre Braugher’s work as an actor, then you won’t think for a moment that his character here – Dr. Daryl Nolan – is going to be anything resembling a pushover…and you’re right. House instantly sets the stage for confrontation by bursting into his office without prelude, offering one of his usual tactless opening lines (“And he’s black!”), then following it with another (“I thought you’d be a little more sensitive on this slavery issue”), as if either is really going to help his cause and aid him in getting his walking papers. Nolan and House quickly begin a verbal duel, with Nolan daring to make completely valid observations about House’s state of mind prior to entering Mayfield and suggesting that a stint in the hospital’s long-term ward might be a good idea. House demands to exercise his God-given right to depart, Nolan counters by reminding him that, even if he leaves, he won’t be able to practice medicine without his recommendation.

Well, if there’s any who can appreciate the merits of blackmail, it’s House. Still, the situation he finds himself in is about as close to a living hell as he can possibly imagine, starting first and foremost with his brand new and completely in-your-face roommate, Alvie (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who doesn’t take a single breath within his opening salvo:

“Who are you? Can you believe these guys, lecturing me on manic depression? Like I couldn’t write a book or two. I stopped taking my meds because I wanted to stop taking my meds. Because nothing’s wrong with me. No reason to keep dragging me back here. When I’m on them, everything slows down. That’s when the problem is. Hey, nice to see you. My roommate last time couldn’t stand me. I’m Juan Alverez. Jay’s my stage name, but Alvie’s what everybody around here calls me. Like the Woody Allen character in ‘Annie Hall.’ But the Puerto Rican version. And not as neurotic.”

In typical fashion, House completely lays waste to any attempts by his doctors to help him. They put him in a group session (which features such familiar faces as Curtis Armstrong, a.k.a. Booger from “Revenge of the Nerds,” and Alex Désert, late of “Becker”), and after he’s introduced, his immediate response is to say, “Don’t worry about the name. I’m just passing through. Don’t want to break any hearts,” then to offer up his own diagnoses of his fellow patients, from anorexia to paranoid schizophrenia to suicidal tendencies. They try to make him “play nice” by putting him on the basketball court with the gang, and he proceeds to empty the playing field by cutting each and every one of the other players to the quick. (Example: he shuts down the girl who had attempted suicide by asking her, “How upset were you when you woke up in the E.R. and you were still alive…and a failure?”) Way to make friends and influence people, House…and, yet, when he’s received his reprimand and given a chance to change his tune, he switches tactics by bringing the patients over to his side of the fence and turning them against the doctors.

It’s at the halfway point of the episode, however, where things really change direction. Part of it comes courtesy of the beautiful Lydia (Franka Potente), who regularly comes to visit one of the other patients but develops an appreciation of the mystery that is House. More important, however, is Steve, a fellow patient who’s convinced that he’s a superhero. For whatever reason, House latches onto Steve and takes him under his wing, so to speak, but when a well-intentioned attempt by House to let Steve enjoy his delusion to the fullest extent goes horribly wrong, things turn in an unexpected direction, one which you should enjoy as it unravels rather than in a blog entry.

Have I sufficiently tempted you yet…?

If not, I’ll close with this final comment: I’m the site’s resident “Heroes” blogger and a diehard “How I Met Your Mother” / “The Big Bang Theory” fan, and yet I’d still have to say that “House” is almost certainly going to be the best thing you’ll find on television tonight.