He’s curbing his enthusiasm

This is the fifth time that CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond” has been nominated for best comedy series, and once again executive producer Phil Rosenthal’s money is on another horse.

It is Rosenthal’s philosophy that “shows of the moment” win, not his stable family hit. So, this year, Rosenthal figures he’ll watch HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” take the Emmy for funniest show on TV.

“All this show has ever had going for it was writing and acting. That’s all. It’s not trendy in any way,” said Rosenthal, whose sitcom, in its four years of Emmy competition, has lost to “Will & Grace,” “Friends,” “Sex and the City” and “Ally McBeal.”

The series is heading into its eighth season, and while CBS has locked up the show for a ninth season, star Ray Romano’s contract is up at the end of this year. “Ray and I are planning on this being the last year of the show,” Rosenthal said.

Romano already has won an Emmy, as have other co-stars. This time around, the show received a best-ever 13 nominations.

-- Paul Brownfield

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The ‘do rights

of the industry

Both the obvious and not-so-obvious are among the nominees for outstanding hairstyling for a series.

The obvious: “Sex and the City.” The not-so-obvious: “MadTV.”

The Fox sketch comedy might not seem the essence of style, but “they do these characters very, very quickly,” said Judy Crown, a stylist with 25 years in movies and TV and among those in the academy who will vote on the winner. “They use high-quality wigs and hairpieces, which are not custom-made. It’s a lot of work in a short period of time, and very high quality.”

Crown, a two-time Emmy winner (for the sitcom “Designing Women” and the made-for-TV movie “Houdini”), said all stylist members of the academy vote on the nominees, and a blue-ribbon panel chooses a winner.

Other nominees are NBC’s retro 1960s show “American Dreams,” ABC’s spy drama “Alias,” and HBO’s “Six Feet Under.”

“I don’t know why people voted for ‘Six Feet Under,’ necessarily,” Crown said. “Not that the work isn’t good.”

Last year’s winner was UPN’s “Enterprise,” which means if nothing else, this year’s Emmy will go to hairstyles on Earth.

-- Paul Brownfield