New crop of cable shows break through at Emmys

LOS ANGELES
Two new cable TV shows, "Mad Men" and "Damages," claimed Emmy nominations for best drama series on Thursday, marking a turning point in the 60-year-old competition for US television's highest honors.
"Mad Men," the AMC network's 1960s period piece set in the world of advertising, and "Damages," the freshman legal hour on FX starring Glenn Close, are the first two shows airing exclusively on a cable network other than HBO that were nominated for best drama series.
They will be competing against the serial killer drama "Dexter," from Showtime and CBS, as well as the Fox medical drama "House" and ABC's castaway thriller "Lost," which won the best-drama Emmy in 2005 for its first season.
But NBC's show-within-a-show "30 Rock" was the most recognized series overall with 17 nominations, including a nod for best comedy, a category it won last year, and best-acting bids for its two stars, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. "Mad Men" was close behind with 16 total nominations.
"30 Rock," a spoof of network television, will compete in the comedy series race against fellow NBC workplace sitcom and 2006 comedy champ "The Office," the bawdy CBS hit "Two and a Half Men" and a pair of HBO series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage."
But HBO, home of such past Emmy darlings as "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood," was shut out of the best drama derby for the first time since 1998.