For us the joy of the Emmy Nominations, announced this morning, is in the less-well-known categories. We see that there are only two shows, for instance, up for Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program: Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? with Maria Shriver, about Alzheimer's, and Nick News With Linda Ellerbee/Coming Home: When Parents Return from War. We'd love to hear kids' reactions to these, or to hear nominees for Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming talk Steadicam tricks in a Chuck Workman-filmed segment. And in Outstanding Hairstyling For A Miniseries Or A Movie, our money's on House of Saddam.

We also note with pleasure that in the Guest Performer categories Ernest Borgnine (ER), Carol Burnett (Law & Order: SVU), Ed Asner (CSI: NY), and Tina Fey "as Governor Sarah Palin (Spoof)" (SNL), all have a chance to come out for 20 seconds and announce some other award.

Oh, all right, you want to hear about the important categories. Very well: the nominees for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program are:

Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Jeff Probst (Survivor), Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race), and Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio (Top Chef). Better luck next time, Jon and Kate Gosselin (or Hailey Glassman).

Up for Outstanding Drama Series are Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost, and Mad Men. For Comedy/Variety: Letterman, Bill Maher, SNL, Jon Stewart, and the Colbert Report. So far, so expected.

But for Comedy Series, perhaps due to the shift in Emmy nomination procedures, there's a little more spice: 30 Rock, Entourage, Family Guy, Flight of the Conchords, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and Weeds. Yes, Family Guy knocked off Two and a Half Men in the normally animation-averse category. Maybe Up will win Best Picture! (Seth MacFarlane is also up for Best Voiceover for the " I Dream of Jesus" episode.) And kudos to the Conchords.

Best Actor Drama: Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Hugh Laurie (House). Best Actress Drama: Glenn Close (Damages), Sally Field (Brothers and Sisters), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), Holly Hunter (Saving Grace), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer). Best Actor Comedy: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carell (The Office), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men). Best Actress Comedy: Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), Toni Collette (The United States of Tara), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program).

Oustanding Mini-Series noms went to Generation Kill and Little Dorrit, and the top TV movies were Coco Chanel, Grey Gardens, Into The Storm, Prayers For Bobby, and Taking Chance.

Exciting as it will be to see Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer go toe-to-toe with Sir Ian McKellen's King Lear in the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie category, we're already clutching our popcorn and waiting for the non-televised winner of Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special to be announced. Come on, Little Britain!