Welcome to the party, Tony Shalhoub!

We hoped your neurotic alter-ego, Adrian Monk, doesn't spoil your first time at the Annual Prime-Time Emmy Awards.

With an Emmy nomination for the star of USA cable's Monk, and for Alias mom Lena Olin and Bernie Mac, it's hard to complain too bitterly about the nominees announced Thursday.

"Sex and the City," with Kim Cattrall, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis on HBO, was nominated for best comedy. (File photos) | ZOOM |

Sure, it's puzzling that Gilmore Girls, Smallville and NYPD Blue were ignored this year - while My Big Fat Greek Life, Firefly, and Fastlane scored at least one nomination.

Can you believe that none of the regular cast members from ER, The Practice, Law & Order or NYPD Blue received a nomination? Ozzy Osbourne and his family will be at the Sept. 21 telecast, but not Dennis Franz or Camryn Manheim?

But I have to say that, overall, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences members mostly got it right this time.

HBO again dominated the day with 109 nominations, including two best dramas (Six Feet Under, The Sopranos) and two best comedies (Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm).

It was gratifying to see TV's No. 1 show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Fox's thrilling 24 nominated again for best drama, even with the return of The Sopranos.

Odd men out: Law & Order, after 11 consecutive years on the list, one short of the record set by M*A*S*H and Cheers.

Tony Shalhoub

The five comedy contenders: Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friends and Will & Grace. Too bad they couldn't expand the list to seven to include Malcolm in the Middle and Scrubs.

After all, that's what the academy did in the best comedy actor category. They bumped up the list to six to make room for Shalhoub, plus Bernie Mac, Ray Romano, Matt LeBlanc, Eric McCormick and Larry David.

Not making the cut was Kelsey Grammer, who was shooting for his 10th consecutive nomination, one short of Ted Danson's record from Cheers.

Like its Nielsen ratings, the Frasier nominations declined dramatically, from nine to five this year. Only John Mahoney and David Hyde Pierce were still on the radar, along with three technical Emmy nominations. No complaint here.

As usual, the biggest dramas dominated the lead performance categories: James Gandolfini and Edie Falco from The Sopranos; Martin Sheen and Allison Janney from The West Wing; Frances Conroy and Peter Krause from Six Feet Under.

CHECK THE LIST

• Complete list of prime-time Emmy nominations

Also going for the gold again, and deservedly so: Jennifer Garner (Alias), Kiefer Sutherland (24), Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Marg Helgenberger (CSI).

But not CSI's Billy Peterson?

And The West Wing fans will be disappointed to read that only Bradley Whitford, John Spencer and Stockard Channing received supporting nominations - and not Janel Moloney, Dule Hill and, especially, Richard Schiff (Toby).

But the decline in nominations for the The West Wing - down to 15 from 21 a year ago - mirrors the loss in ratings, or audience interest, in the past year.

However, those who vote with their remote for NBC's Bartlet administration can enjoy the fact that neither The Bachelor nor The Bachelorette, which torpedoed TV's Emmy-winning drama this season, made the Emmy list.

American Idol, Survivor and The Amazing Race will be in the house on awards night, as the academy has added the new "Outstanding Reality/Competition" program to the prime-time show.

But why is the Bob Hope tribute, 100 Years of Hope and Humor, in the Reality/Competition category? Was there a contest to see which celebrity could gush the most about Hope's career?

MTV's only representative on Emmy night will be The Osbournes. It wound up with a most eclectic group in the "Nonfiction Program (Alternative)" reality category with Antiques Roadshow, Trading Spaces, Cirque Du Soleil and HBO's Da Ali G Show. Let's just hope they don't seat Ozzy next to Monk.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com