It all adds up for 'Mad Men'

Sixteen nominations and a historic first for AMC drama

"Mad Men" garnered 16 Emmy nominations, the most out of any drama this year. (AMC)

How nifty, as they might have said back in the early 1960s. Yesterday, AMC's "Mad Men'' was anointed TV's new wunderkind. For its first season, the evocative period drama about ad men and martini lunches won more Emmy nominations than any drama this year, with 16 nods including best drama, best actor (Jon Hamm), and best supporting actor (John Slattery).

And so it is official: Made men have given way to "Mad Men'' as we enter the post-"Sopranos'' TV world.

"Mad Men,'' along with FX's "Damages,'' also made Emmy history. The two dramas are the first basic-cable titles to win nominations in a best series category during the awards' 60-year life. While the folks at AMC must be pinching themselves, having found a midlife foothold in popular culture, HBO executives are probably kicking themselves. The pay-cable network passed on "Mad Men,'' which was created by "Sopranos'' writer Matthew Weiner.

Perhaps HBO can console itself with its whopping 23 nominations for the historical miniseries "John Adams,'' 11 nominations for the hanging-chad movie "Recount,'' 10 nominations for the Doris Duke melodrama "Bernard and Doris,'' as well as assorted other series nods for "Curb Your Enthusiasm,'' "In Treatment,'' and "Entourage.'' Despite a markedly weak season, "Entourage'' was nonetheless nominated for best comedy and best supporting actor for Jeremy Piven and Kevin Dillon.

Still, the critical buzz has undeniably moved from HBO to AMC, which also won four nominations for the cancer-patient-dealing-meth-to-make-money-for-his-family series "Breaking Bad.'' AMC, once known solely for airing and reairing old movies, has more X factor than HBO? That's got to sting a little.

NBC's worthy "30 Rock'' was yesterday's big name in comedy, with 17 nominations including best comedy series, best actress (Tina Fey), and best actor (Alec Baldwin). The hyper-witty show, which won the best comedy statue last year, is a hit with critics and younger audiences, as it both embraces and ridicules NBC. But "30 x Rock'' has not found Nielsen glory like Emmy's previous comedy obsessions, "Frasier,'' "Friends,'' "Seinfeld,'' "Everybody Loves Raymond,'' and "Will & Grace,'' all of which were top 10 shows. The only mainstream name on this year's comedy list: CBS' retro, sex-punchline-driven "Two and a Half Men.'' Ugh.

Indeed, like the Academy Awards, the Emmys are taking a decided turn away from the mainstream. Among the nominated shows this year -- a year that was interrupted by the Writers Guild of America strike -- only a few are massive hits, including "House'' and "Lost.'' "Grey's Anatomy'' was ignored for best drama, although it has a pair of supporting actress nominations for Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson. "Ugly Betty,'' nominated for best comedy last year, was overlooked this year, although America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams won acting nods. And "Desperate Housewives'' got no major nods at all. It was, as they say, snubbed.

Instead, the voters found it in their hearts to give best-series nominations to smaller quality shows such as "Dexter,'' "Damages,'' and "Mad Men.'' Indeed, "Mad Men'' only drew a tiny average of 1 million viewers a week last summer (although it's bound to get more when it returns July 27). That's about as niche as you can get. Showtime's "Dexter'' has the reputation as a vehicle for lead actor Michael C. Hall, who is phenomenal as the serial killer who kills series killers. But the Emmy voters were savvy enough to realize that the show itself -- so tightly written and stylishly filmed -- is very deserving of celebration.

The fact that Emmy voters are willing to overlook the mainstream makes their egregious omissions of excellent shows such as "The Wire'' even more peculiar. No major nominations for "Friday Night Lights'' and "Big Love''? Really? It's hard to understand how ABC's "Boston Legal,'' which is past its prime, and "Two and a Half Men,'' which never had a prime, continue to rake in the kudos while "How I Met Your Mother'' squeaks by with only one significant nomination (Neil Patrick Harris).

That is the wonder and the weirdness of award shows, I guess - that actors such as Mariska Hargitay and James Spader seem to get free passes onto the nominee list every year, while Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler from "Friday Night Lights'' and all "The Wire'' actors are ignored. Why Jon Cryer from "Two and a Half Men'' instead of the outrageously funny Tracy Morgan from "30 Rock''? And where is Showtime's "Californication'' and its star, David Duchovny? Go figure.

Despite the shortage of ratings giants in the scripted categories (there are plenty of them in the reality corner, including "American Idol'' and "Dancing With the Stars'') there will be no shortage of star power at the Emmy ceremony on Sept. 21. The nominee list is lousy with Oscar types, with Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, and Sally Field in the dramatic actress category and Ralph Fiennes, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Laura Linney, and Tom Wilkinson in the movie and miniseries categories. As the Emmy nominations increasingly spread out further and further among pay-cable, basic-cable, and network outlets, they will probably never stray too far from the big-name performers.

By the way, the nominations reflect a few new and extenuating circumstances this year. The writers' strike, which lasted from Nov. 5, 2007 to Feb. 12, 2008, certainly had an impact on the list. New 2007-08 series with awards potential whose seasons were cut short, such as "Life'' and "Dirty Sexy Money,'' were overlooked, although ABC's "Pushing Daisies'' managed to win 12 nods, including best actor (Lee Pace) and supporting actress (Kristin Chenoweth), despite having aired only nine episodes.

For the first time, members of "Saturday Night Live'' were eligible in the series comedy categories. That's how the always amazing Amy Poehler finally made it onto the best supporting actress list. Coincidentally, Poehler recently announced that she'll be phasing out of "SNL'' during the next season for a new comedy series created by Greg Daniels of "The Office.''

And finally, there were ties this year in two categories, best drama and best actor. After all, the mediocrity of "Boston Legal'' and James Spader must be accommodated at all costs.

Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. For more on TV, visit boston.com/ae/tv/blog/.