HBO leads nominations again among TV networks

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - HBO led all television networks in the Prime-time Emmy race for a ninth straight year on Thursday, as the premium cable channel gained 99 nods to best its total from a year ago and continue its reign as an Emmy powerhouse.

HBO, the most Emmy-nominated network every year since 2001, was shut out of the contest for best drama series last year for the first time in a decade, but this year it roared back with a nod for "Big Love," a show about polygamy.

"Grey Gardens," a made-for-television movie about an eccentric mother-and-daughter duo related to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, led all HBO programs this year with 17 nominations, including one each for stars Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore.

The tally for "Grey Gardens" was the highest for any non-series telecast this year, and the runner-up overall to the 22 nods earned by the NBC comedy "30 Rock."

Among the four major broadcast networks, NBC and Fox increased their share of Emmy nominations, while ABC and CBS saw theirs dwindle. None came close to HBO's total.

NBC scored 67 nominations this year, ABC claimed 55, CBS drew 49 and Fox took 42.

This year's nominations once again put cable TV in the spotlight, as HBO increased its take from 85 last year to 99 this year, Showtime gained 29 nods, AMC took 23, Comedy Central claimed 13 and Bravo and FX garnered 11 each.

Cable channels other than HBO have garnered growing Emmy recognition in recent years as they followed HBO in developing original programing that has wowed the critics and siphoned more viewers from the broadcast networks.

Charlie Collier, president of AMC, which airs Emmy nominees "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," said those shows help his company define itself as a destination for quality, adult dramas -- and they boost overall viewership.

"There are a lot of ways to look at numbers. We not only look at double-digit growth in (audience demographics), but also what the shows do for each other," he said.

As an example, Collier said AMC put on "Mad Men" as a lead-in to airing director Martin Scorsese's 1990 mobster movie "Goodfellas" because the two have similar characters and appeal to similar audiences. As a result, many viewers stayed with the channel to watch the movie.

Emmy nominations and wins help generate further viewer interest in little-seen shows, thus helping to attract advertisers.

For pay-cable channels like HBO and Showtime, which are known for airing edgier fare than the broadcast networks, Emmy recognition can also drive higher subscription fees.

Emmy glory can be a powerful boon to a struggling broadcast series as well. Last year's best comedy win for "30 Rock," the network TV parody starring "Saturday Night Live" veteran Tina Fey, helped that show build its audience and cement its place as a mainstay of NBC's lineup.

(Additional reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Steve Gorman and Philip Barbara)