That great American think tank known as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is out with its much-anticipated Emmy Award nominations for supposed excellence in television. I use the word “supposed” because excellence when it comes to art (if that’s what television is) is, of course, a subjective concept.  I’m made more aware of this given the fact that its idea of what constitutes “excellence” is so different than mine. I guess that’s what makes the world go around.

But, for what their worth, here are my thoughts on the upcoming Emmy Awards (due to be broadcast on NBC on Sunday, August 29th).

First thought. There are way too many televised award events for the entertainment industry. I’m not saying successful actors, musicians, writers and directors aren’t worthy of some recognition for their work (I mean beyond often astronomical salaries that an investment banker would envy).

I can remember a time when the list of televised events included the Oscars (for movies), the Emmys (for television), the Tonys (for theater) and the Grammys (for records, now a dated term).

Today, we can add to that list the BET Awards (for black artists), the Teen Choice Awards (because teens are, like, soooo discriminating in their tastes), the (very prestigious) MTV Movie Awards, the American Music Awards (I guess for Americans), the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Clio Awards (for TV commercials), the People’s Choice Awards (where “we the people” choose the winners as called for in the Constitution), the SAG Awards (for actors of every age, not just aging ones), the Daytime Emmy Awards (because there is just too much excellence in television to be restricted one endless event) and, of course, the Golden Globe Awards (given by the Foreign Press Association, as if we care what they think).

The list goes on but I think I’m experiencing the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. So, before my doctor orders me to stop typing, here are my thoughts (again, for what they’re worth) on this year’s Emmy nominees.

Best Drama Series
• Breaking Bad
• Dexter
• The Good Wife
• Lost
•
Mad Men
• True Blood

Personally, I can’t get into shows in which the heroes are high school chemistry teachers who deal drugs (Breaking Bad), serial killers (Dexter), vampires (True Blood) or advertising executives (Mad Man). Okay, maybe I should give Mad Men a chance since I hear the two guys who play Darrin Stephens are awesome. That leaves The Good Wife (which my sister insists is a great show and, from what I’ve seen, actually is pretty good) and Lost.

Since Lost, in my view, is one of the very few current TV series to which the word “excellent” would actually apply, I’ll be rooting for it.  The show (which recently aired its finale in case you were, you know, lost on an island somewhere), offered great characters and a plot (which though sometimes confusing) rarely failed to be captivating.

Plus, it seriously dealt with concepts of faith in a way that few television shows ever have. Lost, to this humble critic, is actually one of the best TV drama series of all time (right up there with NYPD Blue, The Fugitive, Quantum Leap and Columbo).

Best Comedy Series
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Glee
• Modern Family
•
Nurse Jackie
• The Office
• 30 Rock

I’ve watched Curb Your Enthusiam and have found it funny but simply can’t root for a show in which having someone urinate on a picture of Jesus was played for laughs. I know Christians need to have a sense of humor but that crosses any line of common decency or respect. If they did the same gag involving Mohammed it would also be offensive. But don’t worry. It ain’t gonna happen. As it is, I will curb my enthusiasm for this show.

As for the other nominees, Glee professes to be about tolerance and understanding but has, thus far, demonstrated little of either for traditional Christian or political conservatives, Nurse Jackie (about a pill-popping nurse) fails to ignite my interest and 30 Rock is (in my opinion) smug and overrated. (Bulletin: In a possible attempt to actually live up to its theme, Glee will add a devout Christian character next season. We’ll see how that goes.)

That leaves Modern Family from the minds of Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan who respectively gave us Frasier and Just Shoot Me, two of the funniest series that aired way back during the turn of the century. Modern Family has some warmth and is occasionally amusing but its not nearly as funny as its pedigree suggests it should be.

That leaves The Office which may have seen better days but, on those occasions when I do check in, it still manages to make me laugh. But, all things considered, this is a very weak comedy field. There’s not a Frasier, Just Shoot Me or Everybody Loves Raymond in the bunch.   

Best TV Miniseries
• The Pacific
• Return to Cranford

I haven’t seen either but it is a sad state of affairs when they can only come up with two nominees in this category. It was once a crowded field but the medium that once gave us quality epics like Roots, Holocaust, Sh?gun, Centennial and Jesus of Nazareth now is content to serve up such ready-for-YouTube fare as The Bachelor and Big Brother.    

Best Reality TV Competition
• The Amazing Race
• American Idol
• Dancing
With the Stars
• Project Runway
• Top Chef

I actually enjoy Dancing with the Stars (silly, I know) and can understand the appeal of American Idol, Project Runway and Top Chef, but on sheer quality and logistical and technical accomplishment, none of them hold a candle to The Amazing Race. It also helps that the show really does tell compelling stories (as diverse teams of two race around the world for a million-dollar payday).  By the time it’s over, you really care about these people. Christians, gays and everyone else are treated fairly and with equal dignity and respect by the producers. There’s no apparent agenda at play. It’s just a great show.

Best Reality Program
• Antiques Roadshow
• Dirty Jobs
• Jamie Oliver’s
Food Revolution
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• Mythbusters
•
Undercover Boss

Actually a pretty good list of shows — though I think Kathy Griffin actually belongs on TV’s D list. She does like to take sometimes crass and uncalled for swipes at Christianity and you have to wonder if her “humor” was directed at certain other groups how well it would fly in EmmyLand.

Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series
• The Colbert Report
• The Daily
Show
• Real Time With Bill Maher
• Saturday Night Live
• Tonight Show
with Conan O’Brien

The news here involves two guys that were raised Catholic. The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien nailed a nomination while Jay Leno was snubbed.  Now, you can make a pretty good case that Conan is funnier than Jay but I never bought into the Conan, The Martyr crap and find Hollywood’s utter disdain Leno to be a bit unseemly. At least, Leno is handling the situation with humor.

I also find Stephen Colbert (another Catholic boy) to be a frequently funny talk show host. Next to Supreme Court justice, no other field is as dominated by Catholics.

Jon Stewart also makes me laugh and Betty White was certainly funny on SNL.

If it were up to me, I’d cross Bill Maher (who was also raised a Catholic) off this list. But, along with Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Kathy Griffin, I would like to nominate him for Most Annoying Emmy Nominee. Now, that’s a competitive category!