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STEAMY EMMY ACTION

The Emmy nominations were announced this morning, and The Sopranos went out with a bang, picking up 15, including the inevitable and much-deserved nods for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco, as well as Michael Imperioli, Aida Turturro and Lorraine Bracco.

But that total fell two short of another HBO creation, the TV movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which picked up 17. Rookie sitcom Ugly Betty was third with 11 nods, while the often brilliant 30 Rock got 10, as did mini-series The Starter Wife and the ABC franchise Grey’s Anatomy.

The other nominees for best drama series were Boston Legal, House and Heroes, while Entourage, last year’s winner The Office and Two and a Half Men picked up nods on the comedy side.

Other nominees we love: Minnie Driver of The Riches, Sally Field and Rachel Griffiths of Brothers & Sisters, Kyra Sedgwick of The Closer, Jaime Pressley of My Name Is Earl,Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock, Mary-Louise Parker of Weeds, Helen Mirren of Prime Suspect: The Final Act, Debra Messing of The Starter Wife, Ricky Gervais of Extras, Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson of The Office, Kevin Dillon and Jeremy Piven of Entourage, and last year's winner, the great comic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus of The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Shut out was the critically adored but barely breathing Friday Night Lights. Also stiffed in the major categories was the polarizing (and cancelled) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, while Kiefer Sutherland got the lone major nom for 24, reflecting the widespread conclusion that the once-mighty action series jumped the shark this year.

The Emmy Awards will air Sept. 16 on Fox from the Shrine Auditorium.