HBO's 'Sopranos' Leads Emmys
By LYNN ELBER, AP
LOS ANGELES (AP), ``The Sopranos,'' HBO's critically acclaimed series about a
mobster in suburbia, captured a leading 16 Emmy nominations today and became the first
cable program recognized in the best dramatic series category.
Also making strong showings with 13 nominations apiece were Fox's off-kilter
comedy ``Ally McBeal,'' the ABC legal drama ``The Practice'' and the CBS miniseries ``Joan
of Arc.''
HBO also fielded only the second cable comedy series to earn a nomination, ``Sex
and the City.''
But the most nominated network, with 82 bids, was NBC. HBO was second with 74.
ABC received 58 nominations, CBS had 46 and Fox received 33. The awards will be announced
Sept. 12 in a ceremony broadcast live on Fox.
The nominations were announced by Camryn Manheim, who was nominated as best
dramatic supporting actress for ``The Practice,'' and by David Hyde Pierce, also a nominee
for supporting comedy actor for ``Frasier.'' The pair were winners in those categories
last year.
Meryl Marshall, chairman and chief executive officer of the Television Academy,
broke the good news to Ms. Manheim and Pierce in an announcement carried live on
television.
``There's pressure,'' Ms. Manheim said. ``Everyone says you're a shoo-in, but
you never are.''
Other best drama series bids went to NBC's top-rated medical drama ``ER'' and
the network's ``Law & Order,'' to ABC's ``NYPD Blue,'' and to ``The Practice,'' last
year's winner in the category.
``The Sopranos'' also drew nominations for its stars, James Gandolfini, who
plays mobster Tony Soprano; Edie Falco, who plays his wife; and Lorraine Bracco, who plays
his therapist. ``I hope what it is is the character flaws, people identify with
them,'' ``Sopranos'' creator and producer David Chase said from New York.
Joining ``Sex and the City'' and ``Ally McBeal'' in the comedy category were
CBS' ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' NBC's ``Friends'' and NBC's ``Frasier,'' which last year
won for a record fifth time in the category.
Nominated as lead actors in drama series were Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits of
``NYPD Blue,'' Dylan McDermott of ``The Practice,'' and Sam Waterston of ``Law &
Order,'' along with Gandolfini. Besides the two ``Sopranos'' actresses, drama series
lead actress nominees were Gillian Anderson of Fox's ``The X-Files,'' Christine Lahti of
CBS' ``Chicago Hope'' and Julianna Margulies of ``ER.''
Kelsey Grammer of ``Frasier,'' who won the best comedy actor trophy last year,
was nominated again. Joining him were Michael J. Fox of ABC's ``Spin City,'' John Lithgow
of NBC's ``3rd Rock From the Sun,'' Paul Reiser of NBC's ``Mad About You'' and Ray Romano
of ``Everybody Loves Raymond.''
Comedy lead actress nominees included Jenna Elfman of ABC's ``Dharma &
Greg,'' Calista Flockhart of ``Ally McBeal,'' Patricia Heaton of ``Everybody Loves
Raymond,'' Sarah Jessica Parker of ``Sex and the City,'' and last year's winner, Helen
Hunt of ``Mad About You.''
Among the snubs: ``The X-Files'' and its male lead, David Duchovny. No cast
member of ``Friends'' except Lisa Kudrow grabbed a nomination, although the series itself
got a bid after missing out for two years. And ABC's critically recognized new comedy
``Sports Night,'' failed to get a nomination.
Joining ``Joan of Arc'' in the miniseries category were NBC's ``The
Temptations'' and the network's ``The '60s,'' A&E's ``Horatio Hornblower'' and PBS'
``Great Expectations.'' Nominations for made-for-TV movie went to HBO's ``The Rat
Pack,'' which received a leading 11 bids, A&E's ``Dash and Lilly,'' HBO's ``A Lesson
Before Dying,'' TNT's ``Pirates of Silicon Valley'' and Showtime's ``The Baby Dance.''
Nominated as supporting actors in a drama series were Michael Badalucco and
Steve Harris of ``The Practice,'' Benjamin Bratt and Steven Hill of ``Law & Order,''
and Noah Wylie of ``ER.''
Actresses nominated in the category included three from ``The Practice'': Ms.
Manheim, Lara Flynn Boyle and Holland Taylor. The others were Kim Delaney of ``NYPD Blue''
and Nancy Marchand, who plays the scheming matriarch on ``The Sopranos.''
On the comedy side, supporting actor nominations went to Peter Boyle of
``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' Peter MacNicol of ``Ally McBeal,'' David Spade of NBC's
``Just Shoot Me,'' and two ``Frasier'' co-stars, John Mahoney and Pierce.
Bids for supporting funny women went to Kristen Johnston of ``3rd Rock from the
Sun,'' Lucy Liu of ``Ally McBeal,'' Wendie Malick of ``Just Shoot Me'' and Doris Roberts
of ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' as well as Ms. Kudrow of ``Friends,'' who was last year's
winner.
The strong showing by HBO newcomers ``The Sopranos'' and ``Sex and the City'' is
unusual in light of the academy's tendency to honor old favorites. HBO's ``The Larry
Sanders Show'' was the only cable comedy series to be nominated previously.
The cable industry acknowledged its increasing Emmy clout last year by scrapping
the Cable Ace Awards. Last year, HBO was second only to NBC in nominations and trophies.
