How about ‘AFI’s Amazing Race’?

What kind of awards show, it seems fair to ask, creates a category called “reality/competition program” in which two of the nominees turn out to be the Bob Hope tribute “100 Years of Hope and Humor” and “AFI’s 100 Years ... 100 Passions: America’s Greatest Love Stories”?

Leave it to the Emmys. Having fashioned a category two years ago -- the “special class program” -- to bring popular staged reality series such as “Survivor” into the fray, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences this year changed the title to “reality/competition program.” To wit: Going up against the Hope and AFI specials are CBS’ “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” in addition to Fox’s “American Idol.”

John Leverence, vice president of awards for the academy, said the name of the category was changed because nearly all the entries were “reality” shows involving competition. Lest the makers of quasi-clip, quasi-documentary tribute specials a la “100 Years of Hope and Humor” feel left out, the academy added language to its eligibility requirements that said, in part: “This area includes so-called special class programming, e.g., programming that does not fit into any other category or area and programming that has potential eligibility in more than one category or area.”

How this will affect the Emmy chances of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!” remains to be seen.

-- Paul Brownfield

Watching the detective-nominee

Tony Shalhoub said he feels like “the sixth finger, the party crasher.” Squeezing into what usually is a five-person category, Shalhoub nabbed an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk in the USA Network comedy-drama hybrid that also aired on ABC last season.

He became the first star of a basic cable series to be nominated in the category, following on basic cable’s coup last year, when FX’s “The Shield” brought home the statuette for Michael Chiklis’ lead actor in a drama work. Other nominations in the category went to network sitcoms and to Larry David for HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

The nomination wasn’t a total surprise: Shalhoub’s work on the critically lauded show, which just entered its second season, won a Golden Globe this year.

Being in the comedy category, instead of drama, makes sense, he said, noting the quirky nature of the show. But, he added, “I’d be happy to be nominated in the wardrobe category.”

-- Elizabeth Jensen