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Emmy nominations smile on 'Glee'

By Todd Leopold, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • "Mad Men," earns 17 nominations, tops among drama series
  • "The Pacific" miniseries receives 24 nods; "Glee" picks up 19 nominations
  • Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" nominated
  • "Saturday Night Live" surpasses "ER" as most nominated show in Emmy history

(CNN) -- "Glee" really has something to cheer about now.

The Fox series about a misfit-filled glee club earned 19 nominations Thursday morning as the picks for the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards were announced.

Among the nods: best comedy series, best actor in a comedy series for Matthew Morrison and best actress in a comedy series for Lea Michele.

"What an amazing year it's been! I never could have wished for more! Thank you all so much!" said "Glee" cast member Chris Colfer, who was nominated for best supporting actor, in a Twitter message.

"The Pacific," the HBO miniseries about Marines in World War II's Pacific theater, topped all entrants with 24 nominations.

Video: Emmy nominations announced
RELATED TOPICS
  • Emmy Awards
  • Television

The nominations, often criticized for picking the same names every year, welcomed several new entries along with "Glee."

See the list of nominees

"The Good Wife," the CBS show starring Julianna Margulies as a lawyer whose husband is derailed by scandal, earned nominations for best drama and best actress in a drama. "Modern Family," the breakout ABC comedy, earned a bid for best comedy series. And two members of the "Friday Night Lights" cast -- Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton -- earned acting nods for their work on the much-praised but low-rated series.

"Congrats to our entire cast and crew. Ed O'Neill deserves a BIG award," said "Modern Family" producer Steven Levitan on Twitter. "Modern Family" earned 14 nominations.

Old standbys also were recognized, including "Saturday Night Live," which earned 12 nominations and has now surpassed "ER" as the most nominated show in Emmy history. The late-night show, which recently concluded its 35th season, has received 126 nominations in its history.

The Emmy nominations also played a favorite in the late-night wars. Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" was nominated for best variety, music or comedy series, while Jay Leno and David Letterman were shut out of the category.

"Congrats to my staff on 4 Emmy nominations. This bodes well for the future of 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien,' " said O'Brien in a Twitter message. Amid much controversy, O'Brien was replaced by Leno -- "Tonight's" former host -- after a seven-month stint.

Also shut out: Charlie Sheen, who had been nominated four years in a row for "Two and a Half Men" before this year.

"Lost," which wrapped up its run in May, earned nominations for best drama series and best actor in a drama (Matthew Fox). Cast members Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson earned supporting nods.

Also up for best drama: "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," two-time category winner "Mad Men" and "True Blood." "Mad Men" earned 17 nominations, tops among drama series.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office" and "30 Rock" joined "Glee" and "Modern Family" as best comedy series nominees. "30 Rock" has won the category three years in a row.

"This is great news," said star Tina Fey in a statement. "We're grateful and excited. Especially since today is the fifth anniversary of the day NBC forgot to cancel us."

"Monk," which concluded its long run last season, picked up a comedy series best actor nomination for star Tony Shalhoub. The actor has won the trophy three times before.

"The Amazing Race," which has won the best reality competition Emmy all seven years the category has existed, is up once again. It's going against "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Project Runway" and "Top Chef."

Other major nominees included a pair of made-for-TV movies, "Temple Grandin" and "You Don't Know Jack." Both earned 15 nominations, including acting nods for their respective leads: Claire Danes, who played the title role in "Temple Grandin," and Al Pacino, who played Dr. Jack Kevorkian in "You Don't Know Jack."

HBO, which aired those two movies and "The Pacific," led all networks with 101 nominations. Among the broadcast networks, ABC was tops with 63.

The Emmy Awards will air August 29 on NBC. Jimmy Fallon is scheduled to host from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California.