2012 Emmy nominees announced

WASHINGTON, United States of America – Couch potatoes will rejoice when they find out that their favorite TV programs and actors are among the nominees for this year’s 64th annual primetime Emmys.

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and actress Kerry Washington announced the nominees Thursday morning in Los Angeles.

Geek favorite “The Big Bang Theory” and the anti-Sex-and-the-City “Girls” are among the nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series, while action-packed “Homeland” and period drama “Downton Abbey” join 4 others in Outstanding Drama Series. 

Here are some of the nominees: 

1) Outstanding Comedy Series:

• The Big Bang Theory • CBS 
• Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
• Girls • HBO 
• Modern Family • ABC 
• 30 Rock • NBC 
• Veep • HBO  

2) Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series:

• Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath, Girls • HBO 
• Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn, Mike & Molly • CBS 
• Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day, New Girl • FOX 
• Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, Nurse Jackie • Showtime 
• Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, Parks And Recreation • NBC 
• Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, 30 Rock • NBC
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, Veep • HBO  

3) Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series:

• Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory • CBS 
• Larry David as Himself, Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO 
• Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, House Of Lies • Showtime 
• Louis C.K. as Louie, Louie • FX Networks 
• Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock • NBC 
• Jon Cryer as Alan Harper, Two And A Half Men • CBS  

4) Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series:

• Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler, The Big Bang Theory • CBS 
• Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey, Desperate Housewives • ABC 
• Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, Modern Family • ABC 
• Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, Modern Family • ABC 
• Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow, Nurse Jackie • Showtime
• Kristen Wiig as various characters, Saturday Night Live • NBC  

5) Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series:

• Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett, Modern Family • ABC 
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett, Modern Family • ABC 
• Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Modern Family • ABC 
• Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker, Modern Family • ABC 
• Max Greenfield as Schmidt, New Girl • FOX 
• Bill Hader as various characters, Saturday Night Live • NBC  

6) Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series:

• Dot-Marie Jones as Coach Shannon Beiste, Glee • FOX 
• Maya Rudolph, Host, Saturday Night Live • NBC 
• Melissa McCarthy, Host, Saturday Night Live • NBC 
• Elizabeth Banks as Avery Jessup, 30 Rock • NBC 
• Margaret Cho as Kim Jong-il, 30 Rock • NBC 
• Kathy Bates as Charlie Harper, Two And A Half Men • CBS 

7) Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series:

• Michael J. Fox as Himself, Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO 
• Greg Kinnear as Tad, Modern Family • ABC 
• Bobby Cannavale as Dr. Mike Cruz, Nurse Jackie • Showtime 
• Jimmy Fallon, Host, Saturday Night Live • NBC 
• Will Arnett as Devon Banks, 30 Rock • NBC 
• Jon Hamm as Abner and David Brinkley, 30 Rock • NBC  

8) Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series:

• Robert B. Weide, Director, Curb Your Enthusiasm • Palestinian Chicken • HBO 
• Lena Dunham, Director, Girls • She Did • HBO 
• Louis C.K., Director, Louie • Duckling • FX Networks 
• Jason Winer, Director, Modern Family • Virgin Territory • ABC 
• Steven Levitan, Director, Modern Family • Baby On Board • ABC 
• Jake Kasdan, Director, New Girl • Pilot • FOX  

9) Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:

• Chris McKenna, Community • Remedial Chaos Theory • NBC 
• Lena Dunham, Girls • Pilot • HBO 
• Louis C.K., Louie • Pregnant • FX Networks 
• Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation • The Debate • NBC 
• Michael Schur, Parks And Recreation • Win, Lose, Or Draw • NBC  

10) Outstanding Drama Series:

• Boardwalk Empire • HBO 
• Breaking Bad • AMC 
• Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Game Of Thrones • HBO 
• Homeland • Showtime
• Mad Men • AMC 

11) Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:

• Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, Damages • DirecTV 
• Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley, Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn, Harry’s Law • NBC 
• Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, Homeland • Showtime 
• Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Mad Men • AMC 

12) Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series:

• Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, Boardwalk Empire • HBO 
• Bryan Cranston as Walter White, Breaking Bad • AMC 
• Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, Dexter • Showtime 
• Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham, Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, Homeland • Showtime 
• Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Mad Men • AMC  

13) Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series:

• Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Breaking Bad • AMC 
• Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Joanne Froggatt as Anna, Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris, Mad Men • AMC  

14) Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series:

• Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad • AMC 
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo ‘Gus’ Fring, Breaking Bad • AMC 
• Brendan Coyle as John Bates, Downton Abbey • PBS
• Jim Carter as Mr. Carson, Downton Abbey • PBS 
• Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Game Of Thrones • HBO 
• Jared Harris as Lane Pryce, Mad Men • AMC 

15) Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series:

• Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Loretta Devine as Adele Webber, Grey’s Anatomy • ABC 
• Jean Smart as D.A. Roseanna Remmick, Harry’s Law • NBC 
• Julia Ormond as Marie Calvet, Mad Men • AMC 
• Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson, Shameless • Showtime 
• Uma Thurman as Rebecca Duvall, Smash • NBC 

16) Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series:

• Mark Margolis as Tio Salamanca, Breaking Bad • AMC
• Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning, The Good Wife • CBS 
• Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett, Justified • FX Networks 
• Ben Feldman as Michael Ginsberg, Mad Men • AMC 
• Jason Ritter as Mark Cyr, Parenthood • NBC 

17) Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series:

• Tim Van Patten, Director, Boardwalk Empire • To The Lost • HBO 
• Vince Gilligan, Director, Breaking Bad • Face Off • AMC 
• Brian Percival, Director, Downton Abbey • Episode 7 • PBS 
• Michael Cuesta, Director, Homeland • Pilot • Showtime
• Phil Abraham, Director, Mad Men • The Other Woman • AMC 

18) Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series:

• Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey • Episode 7 • PBS 
• Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, Homeland • Pilot • Showtime 
• Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner, Mad Men • The Other Woman • AMC 
• Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton, Mad Men • Commissions And Fees • AMC 
• Erin Levy and Matthew Weiner, Mad Men • Far Away Places • AMC 

19) Outstanding Miniseries or Movie:

• American Horror Story • FX Networks 
• Game Change • HBO 
• Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY
• Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO 
• Luther • BBC America 
• Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS 

20) Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie:

• Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon, American Horror Story • FX Networks 
• Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, Game Change • HBO 
• Nicole Kidman as Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO 
• Ashley Judd as Rebecca Winstone, Missing • ABC 
• Emma Thompson as She, The Song Of Lunch (Masterpiece) • PBS 

21) Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie:

• Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmidt, Game Change • HBO 
• Kevin Costner as ‘Devil’ Anse Hatfield, Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY 
• Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy, Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY 
• Clive Owen as Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO 
• Idris Elba as John Luther, Luther • BBC America 
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS 

22) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or A Movie:

• Frances Conroy as Moira, American Horror Story • FX Networks 
• Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, American Horror Story • FX Networks 
• Sarah Paulson as Nicolle Wallace, Game Change • HBO 
• Mare Winningham as Sally McCoy, Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY 
• Judy Davis as Jill Tankard, Page Eight (Masterpiece) • PBS 

23) Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie:

• Denis O’Hare as Larry Harvey, American Horror Story • FX Networks 
• Ed Harris as John McCain, Game Change • HBO 
• Tom Berenger as Jim Vance, Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY 
• David Strathairn as John Dos Passos, Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO 
• Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson, Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS 

24) Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special:

• Jay Roach, Director, Game Change • HBO 
• Kevin Reynolds, Director, Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY 
• Philip Kaufman, Director, Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO 
• Sam Miller, Director, Luther • BBC America 
• Paul McGuigan, Director, Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS 

25) Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special:

• Danny Strong, Game Change • HBO 
• Ted Mann (Story and Teleplay), Ronald Parker (Teleplay) and Bill Kerby (Story), Hatfields & McCoys • Part 2 • HISTORY 
• Abi Morgan, The Hour • BBC America 
• Neil Cross, Luther • BBC America 
• Steven Moffat, Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS  

26) Outstanding Variety Series:

• The Colbert Report • Comedy Central 
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central 
• Jimmy Kimmel Live • ABC 
• Late Night With Jimmy Fallon • NBC 
• Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO 
• Saturday Night Live • NBC 

27) Outstanding Variety Special:

• Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America’s Golden Girl • NBC 
• Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker • Bravo 
• The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS 
• Mel Brooks And Dick Cavett Together Again • HBO 
• Tony Bennett: Duets II (Great Performances) • PBS 

Visit the Emmys website for the complete list of nominees. Winners will be announced at the live telecast on September 23. – Rappler.com