Television

With the widely acclaimed "best show ever on television," The Sopranos, finally gone – no half-season comebacks this year – the Emmy nominations process is opened up. And as it turns out, there are a lot of other good shows on television. Leading that post- Sopranos charge are the NBC comedy 30 Rock, with 17 nominations, and AMC's drama Mad Men, with 16.

We're far enough along in the cable-vs.-broadcast television evolution that the Emmy nominations start to reveal more specific storylines than just the rudimentary observation that cable has become an important source of original programming. Among the 2008 nominees, you can discern emergent trends that more sharply delineate the television landscape.

Most prominently, this year's nominations point out a basic programming division between the broadcast and cable networks. Broadcast networks dominate the comedy categories while cable networks rule the drama categories. There are, of course, exceptions on either side of this assertion – broadcast actually split the nominations with cable in the drama series category thanks to the annually unaccountable inclusion of ABC's Boston Legal, while HBO stalwarts Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm made the comedy series field once again.

But taken overall, this trend creates a telling split. Just as some bookstores make a distinction between "literature" and "fiction," television seems to be dividing between substantial entertainment (cable) and slight (broadcast). This trend is even more magnified when you include the categories for miniseries and movies made for television. Once upon a time, such projects were the prestigious tent-poles over which broadcast networks would drape their brands, but today they have all but ceded such projects to cable. The big winners of the nominating process in these categories are HBO's John Adams miniseries (the overall leader with 23 nods) and its movie on the 2000 presidential election, Recount. The only broadcast networks entries to be recognized in these categories are ABC for the made-for-TV-movie A Raisin in the Sun and PBS (which has always been a specialty, pre-cable cable sort of broadcast network, anyway) for the miniseries Cranford.

AMC

John Hamm portrays advertising executive Don Draper in AMC's hit drama, Mad Men.

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Furthering this trend is the fact that this year's outstanding drama contenders include newcomers Mad Men and Damages, the first time basic cable shows have earned best-series nominations. Artistically ambitious drama is no longer just the domain of boutique networks such as HBO and Showtime. Basic outfits like AMC and FX are now high-quality contenders.

Meanwhile, the most popular and/or nominated dramas on broadcast are either quirky, personality-driven shows such as House or primetime soap operas such as Grey's Anatomy. Cable is even making a run at reality-TV programming, which has been broadcast's bread-and-butter in recent years. While ratings mammoths such as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars still reign supreme in the reality competition category, cable has swooped in to take over the reality series class with Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs, Bravo's Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and A&E's Intervention.

Another useful measure the Emmy nominations provide is a quick-hit window on which shows are hot and which aren't. Obviously, the two leading shows – 30 Rock and Mad Men – are hot. But their heat index jumps when you consider that 30 Rock almost doubled its nomination total over last year and Mad Men led all dramas in its first year of eligibility. Other hot comedies include HBO's Flight of the Conchords with four nominations in its first year and ABC's Samantha Who?, which landed Christina Applegate in the comedy-actress field. Most impressive of all – in a good news/bad news way – may be ABC's Pushing Daisies. With 12 nominations, it is poised to become the new Arrested Development, a critically acclaimed, cult-worshipped (but perennially low-rated) comedy.

As for other hot dramas, there is the aforementioned Damages from FX with seven nominations in its first year, as well as AMC's Breaking Bad, which earned a lead drama actor nomination for Bryan Cranston. Showtime's Dexter upped its 2007 count from three to five this year, and HBO's In Treatment garnered four in its first year.

In the not-so-much and fading fast group is NBC's My Name is Earl , which went from five nominations last year to one this year, and the once red-hot Ugly Betty dropped from 11 to six. Speaking of cooling heat, Heroes, one of the buzziest shows last year, attracted only three nominations after grabbing eight last year.

In a tribute to a master comedian's lasting legacy, George Carlin's last special for HBO – George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya! – was nominated as outstanding variety, music or comedy special.

The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held Sept. 21 and broadcast on ABC (Channel 8).