Emmy nominations finally seem tuned in

Yesterday, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this year’s Emmy nominees, and the list actually does not inspire eye-rolling and head-wagging. Indeed, it contains some pleasing names and titles. To wit, “30 Rock’’ led the comedy nominations with 22 nods, and “Mad Men’’ was the drama king with 16. Both shows won best series gold last year, and both certainly deserve to be in the running this year.

In the “at long last’’ department, “How I Met Your Mother’’ has finally been added to the comedy list after years of begging by critics. The lovely, wry “Flight of the Conchords,’’ too, made the grade. Of course this year, the Emmy organization decided to expand the number of contenders in the acting and series categories to six and sometimes seven, so perhaps the inclusion of these shows, alongside the less worthy “Weeds’’ and “Entourage,’’ is just a matter of filling the bill.

Whatever: I’ll take it.

The drama series list is also not entirely nauseating. Along with “Mad Men,’’ AMC got a best-drama nod for the intense, cinematic “Breaking Bad.’’ Both are high-quality shows that belong on the list. Also in the drama category and deserving enough: “Big Love,’’ “Damages,’’ “Dexter,’’ and a pair of network notables, “House’’ and “Lost.’’ Wisely, the Academy restrained itself again from giving one of its automatic nominations to “Grey’s Anatomy’’ for best drama. The show had another pretty (cough, dead Denny, cough) bad year.

Some of the happiest nomination surprises were in the acting categories. Sarah Silverman won a lead comedy actress slot for her whimsical and wonderfully sick Comedy Central show, “The Sarah Silverman Program.’’ Nice. Jim Parsons, so adept as the Poindexter in “The Big Bang Theory,’’ got a comedy actor nod. Amy Poehler (love her) and Kristen Wiig (totally love her) both got supporting comedy actress nods for “Saturday Night Live.’’ Tracy Morgan, who could make reading the phone book funny, was put on the list at last for “30 Rock.’’ Elisabeth Moss was rightly honored for the first time as lead actress nominee for “Mad Men,’’ as the increasingly empowered Peggy.

And most impressive of all, the Academy managed to notice the amazing work by Aaron Paul in “Breaking Bad’’ this year. As the drug-addled and oddly humane Jesse Pinkman, Paul stole the season. Bravo.

OK, enough of the good news. That was making me nervous. Now for the always satisfying “what are they thinking’’ section of the story, a requirement in all Emmy coverage ever. Why nominate Jemaine Clement for “Flight of the Conchords,’’ but not his partner Bret McKenzie? Really, the two are a team. January Jones and Vincent Kartheiser of “Mad Men’’ surely deserved notice, as did the brilliant Chris Lilley for the comedy “Summer Heights High.’’ Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer for “Two and a Half Men’’? Really? Tony Shalhoub and William Shatner? Again?

“In Treatment’’ ought to have been nominated for best drama, and the way-past-its-peak “Family Guy’’ ought not to have become the Emmys’ second-ever animated best-comedy nomination (following “The Flintstones’’ all the way back in 1961). That honor should have gone to “The Simpsons’’ many years ago.

Nominating Shirley MacLaine for best actress in “Coco Chanel’’ is absurd, not because she was so bad but because she was barely in it. Also in the movie/miniseries category: Why weren’t the two extraordinary “Little Dorrit’’ leads - Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy - given their due?

And no mention of “The Shield’’ or “True Blood’’? That’s just wrong. Perhaps “True Blood’’ creator Alan Ball should stop calling his show “popcorn TV’’; the label diminishes the truly rich supernatural fantasy that features an expert cast. Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, they’re like a troupe of gothic comic-opera players.

The biggest oversight, though, is “Friday Night Lights.’’ Of course. Again. What is it with the Emmys? There is no question that “Friday Night Lights’’ and its actors, especially Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, are among TV’s best right now. I’m sure Mariska Hargitay is nice and all, but Britton blows her out of the water. And Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins and Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen were standout supporting actors this season. Academy, get with this program!

The Emmy telecast is Sept. 20, with Neil Patrick Harris hosting.

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