'30 Rock' gets record 22 Emmy nominations2009-07-18

Fey's NBC comedy series, "30 Rock," earned 22 Emmy nominations yesterday, the most any comedy series has received in Emmy history.

It earned nods for best comedy series, as well as best comedy actress for Fey and best comedy actor for Alec Baldwin. The show won best comedy series last year.

Though Emmys eluded her during her lifetime, Farrah Fawcett was posthumously nominated for an Emmy for outstanding nonfiction special for "Farrah's Story," the poignant NBC documentary chronicling her courageous battle with cancer. Fawcett, 62, died June 25. Also nominated for this film: Fawcett's good friend and producer, Alana Stewart.

Joining "30 Rock" in the best comedy category are HBO's long-running "Entourage," Fox's ribald animated "Family Guy," HBO's quirky "Flight of the Conchords," CBS' popular "How I Met Your Mother," perennial NBC nominee "The Office" and the Showtime drug comedy "Weeds."

Competing with "Mad Men" in the best drama series category are HBO's polygamy melodrama, "Big Love," and AMC's dark "Breaking Bad" – the two have never received nominations in this category before. Also nominated in this category: FX's legal drama, "Damages"; Showtime's lovable serial killer, "Dexter"; Fox's grouchy doctor, "House"; and ABC's enigmatic "Lost."

Other notable nominations: 92-year-old Ernest Borgnine earned a nomination as guest actor in a drama series for "ER." Betty White earned a nod for guest actress in a comedy series for playing "Crazy Witch Lady" in "My Name Is Earl." Fey also will be competing in that category, for her role as Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, on "Saturday Night Live's" "Presidential Bash 2008."

Justin Timberlake earned two nominations, one for guest actor in a comedy series as host of "Saturday Night Live" and for co-writing the naughty and heavily bleeped song "Motherlover." And Sedgwick isn't the only member of her household to be nominated this year: Husband Kevin Bacon earned a nod for best actor in a movie or miniseries for "Taking Chance."

The Emmys will air Sept. 20 on CBS from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. "How I Met Your Mother" star and Emmy nominee Neil Patrick Harris, who received acclaim in June for hosting the Tony Awards telecast, has been tapped as the emcee.

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