2011 Emmy nominations in comedy include Parks and Recreation, Louis CK and even a McCarthy!

The 2011 Emmy nominations came out this morning and revealed a few surprises, and yes, a couple of snubs. Same ol’ same ol’.

Louis_C.KPerhaps most surprising? That comedian Louis CK received the most individual Emmy nominations of anyone, with four: two for his FX show, Louie (acting, writing), and two for his stand-up concert film, Hilarious (writing, editing), which aired on EPIX.

He told the Los Angeles Times today that he already feels like a winner because his unique deal with FX has paid off: “We’ve proven that if you spend a hundredth of the money the big networks do, you can land at the same place.”

So let’s get to it. Here are the nominees in the comedy categories…

Outstanding Comedy Series

  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Glee
  • Modern Family
  • The Office
  • Parks and Recreation
  • 30 Rock

Aside from Glee, which shouldn’t be in the comedy category, there are no losers; only winners. Unless you’re Community. Or Eastbound and Down. Or Louie.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
  • Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
  • Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
  • Louis CK (Louie)
  • Steve Carell (The Office)
  • Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Alec Baldwin and Jim Parsons are past winners for their roles, while Steve Carell is the sentimental and logical favorite for his stellar performance in departing The Office. But, hey! The Emmys recognized Louis CK, too! Wow. Very nice.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

  • Laura Linney (The Big C)
  • Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
  • Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
  • Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
  • Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
  • Tina Fey (30 Rock)

Not sure why Emmy voters love Showtime’s non-comedies so much, but at least they made room for Amy Poehler and Martha Plimpton, in addition to past winner Tina Fey, and hey, look, it’s Melissa McCarthy (who may also be considered for a supporting actress in the Oscars next year for her work in Bridesmaids?!?).

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

  • Chris Colfer (Glee)
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
  • Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)
  • Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
  • Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
  • Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Glee isn’t a comedy. Modern Family has too many characters in a strong show. So why is Nick Offerman overlooked for his Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation? Why is Danny Pudi overlooked for Abed in Community? Please explain these things to the children. For the children. And somehow they also decided to snub past winner Neil Patrick Harris. Why, exactly?

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

  • Jane Lynch (Glee)
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
  • Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
  • Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
  • Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)

Um. I feel like Emmy voters didn’t even pay attention when filling out their ballots in this category, but just used copy-and-paste.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

  • Idris Elba (The Big C)
  • Nathan Lane (Modern Family)
  • Zach Galifianakis (Saturday Night Live)
  • Justin Timberlake (Saturday Night Live)
  • Matt Damon (30 Rock)
  • Will Arnett (30 Rock)

Zach Galifianakis has an Emmy nomination!

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

  • Kristin Chenoweth (Glee)
  • Dot-Marie Jones (Glee)
  • Gwyneth Paltrow (Glee)
  • Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope)
  • Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live)
  • Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock)

Remember when I raised an eyebrow over the supporting actress list? This might have something to do with that. Aren’t a few of these actresses recurring characters and not merely guests??!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

  • The Colbert Report
  • Conan
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
  • Real Time with Bill Maher
  • Saturday Night Live

Sorry, Letterman and Leno.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

  • Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On
  • Carrie Fisher in Wishful Drinking
  • The Kennedy Center Honors
  • Lady GaGa Presents The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden
  • The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway

Pee-wee’s got his work cut out for him.

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

  • David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik (Episodes)
  • Louis CK (Louie)
  • Steve Levitan and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family)
  • Greg Daniels (The Office)
  • Matt Hubbard (30 Rock)

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

  • The Colbert Report (Barry Julien, Stephen Colbert, Tom Purcell, Richard Dahm, Michael Brumm, Rob Dubbin, Opus Moreschi, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Glenn Eichler, Meredith Scardino, Max Werner, Eric Drysdale, Scott Sherman, Dan Guterman, Paul Dinello)
  • Conan (Mike Sweeney, Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter, Frank Smiley, Jose Arroyo, Andres du Bouchet, Deon Cole, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Michael Gordon, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Rob Kutner, Todd Levin, Brian McCann, Matt O’Brien, Brian Stack)
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Wyatt Cenac, Hallie Haglund, JR Havlan, Elliott Kalan, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Daniel Radosh, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart)
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (AD Miles, David Angelo, Patrick Borelli, Michael Blieden, Gerard Bradford, Jeremy Bronson, Michael Dicenzo, Jimmy Fallon, Eric Ledgin, Morgan Murphy, Robert Patton, Gavin Purcell, Amy Ozols, Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, Justin Shanes, Michael Shoemaker, Jon Rineman, Bobby Tisdale)
  • Saturday Night Live (Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Heather Anne Campbell, Jessica Conrad, Matt Craig, James Downey, Tom Flanigan, Shelly Gossman, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Christine Nangle, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Schneider, John Solomon, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker, Jorma Taccone, Colin Jost)

Sung to the Two and a Half Men theme song. Men, men men, men men men men men.

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

  • Colin Quinn (Long Story Short)
  • Louie CK (Hilarious)
  • Eric Slovin, Russ Armstrong, Andrew Blitz, RJ Fried, Brian Huskey, Anthony King, Dan Mintz, Jason Reich, Craig Rowin, Andy Secunda, Robert Smigel, Anthony Jeselnik, Adam Moerder (Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbook Benefit for Autism Education)
  • Paula Pell, Seth Meyers, Emily Spivey, John Solomon (The Real Women of SNL)
  • Dave Boone, Matt Roberts, Mo Rocca (64th annual Tony Awards)

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance

  • Brenda Strong as Mary-Alice Young (Desperate Housewives)
  • Maurice LaMarche as Lrrr & Orson Welles (Futurama)
  • Bob Bergen as Porky Pig (The Looney Tunes Show)
  • Christopher Plummer, Narrator (Moguls & Movie Stars)
  • Seth Green as Robot Chicken Nerd, Batman, Venger, Cobra Commander, Teenager, Judge, Newscaster, Light Cycle Driver (Robot Chicken)
  • Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble, Louie (The Simpsons)

Outstanding Animated ProgramĀ 

  • The Cleveland Show
  • Futurama
  • Robot Chicken
  • The Simpsons
  • South Park

In other categories…

The Daily Show and 30 Rock are competing in “Outstanding Special Class” for short-format live-action entertainment online.

Jay Leno is up for an Emmy in the short-format nonfiction category for jaylenosgarage.com.

Team Coco and Fallon are competing with Grey’s Anatomy, Fringe and The Oscars in the online category, dubbed “Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media.”

Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List got nominated for Outstanding Reality Program, up against headier fare such as Deadliest Catch and Hoarders.

Oh, and Louis CK also earned an editing nomination for his stand-up special, Hilarious, which was a movie but also aired on Epix.

I want to see Peter Dinklage take home the supporting actor drama award for Game of Thrones just because.

And, last but not least, here’s an interesting match-up in the race for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics:

  • “Christmastime is Killing Us,” from Family Guy
  • “An American Prayer — Hymn II?” from Robert Klein’s Unfair & Unbalanced
  • “I Just Had Sex,” from Saturday Night Live
  • “Justin Timberlake Monologue,” from Saturday Night Live
  • “Jack Sparrow,” from Saturday Night Live
  • “3-Way (The Golden Rule),” from Saturday Night Live

The 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out Sept. 18, 2011.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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