Critics pleasantly shocked by Emmy nominations

By James Hibberd and Barry Garron

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Critics are shocked -- shocked! -- by this year's Emmy nominations.

But for once, their surprise is actually a good thing.

Although a couple of critical darlings were neglected when the lineup was unveiled Thursday, scribes overall hailed the Emmy nominations with two thumbs up.

"I am surprisingly migraine-free," said Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. "I think this roster is respectable. I'm especially pleased about basic cable being recognized for the quality work it's been doing for years."

"The weird thing right off is that the nominations aren't bad," the Sacramento Bee's Rick Kushman said. "There's lots of surprisingly unstuffy nominations. There's nothing that makes me want to scream -- except they stiffed 'The Wire' again."

Yes, "The Wire." Once again, the critics' beloved gritty HBO drama was snubbed for a nomination.

"I have to wonder if the Emmy voters think 'The Wire' and 'Friday Night Lights' are maybe documentaries," said Matt Roush of TV Guide. "They feel so real maybe the voters don't understand there was actual writing and acting going on."

Other disappointments cited by critics include the nomination of ABC's "Boston Legal" for outstanding drama and HBO's "Entourage" receiving an outstanding comedy nod.