Factoids for a big awards night

Unlike the Academy Awards, which consider a fresh crop of films each year, and often manage to upend expectations, the Emmys, honoring achievement in television, tend to be fairly predictable, with the same people receiving nominations every time -- and often winning again and again. But lurking in every Emmy contest are surprises, often in the form of intriguing trivia. Scan the list below for factoids to enliven this evening’sthree-hour telecast on Fox.

A role with legs: Anne Bancroft is nominated for outstanding supporting actress for a movie or miniseries for her performance in the Showtime movie “Tennessee Williams’ The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone.” Lotte Lenya, who played the same role in the 1961 feature version of “Roman Spring,” was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress.

Winning, but missing: Jeff Beal won the outstanding main title theme music for the USA series “Monk” at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony Sept. 13. Oddly, though, his theme music wasn’t used in the second season of the detective series; it was replaced by a Randy Newman song, “It’s a Jungle Out There.”

Missing, but winning: Notably absent from the ranks of candidates for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series is Kelsey Grammer, who for the first time in the 10-season run of “Frasier” is not nominated this year in the category. He won best actor three times for the NBC sitcom.

Beyond “Benson”: Bernie Mac has received his second Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for Fox’s “The Bernie Mac Show.” If he wins he’ll be only the second African American to win in this category. Robert Guillaume won for best actor in a comedy series 18 years ago for ABC’s “Benson.”

All in the family: Kiefer Sutherland is nominated for his second straight year as outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Fox’s “24.” His father, Donald Sutherland, won an Emmy eight years ago for outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or special for HBO’s “Citizen X.”

Going where Gleason couldn’t?: Brad Garrett is nominated again this year for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Last year, he won in this category. He’s also nominated for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie as the legendary performer Jackie Gleason for the CBS movie “Gleason.” Ironically, the real Gleason never won an Emmy. Gleason was nominated for best actor in a regular series in 1954 for “The Jackie Gleason Show” -- he lost to Danny Thomas for “Make Room for Daddy” -- and the following year for best actor-continuing performance for “The Honeymooners.” That time around, Gleason lost to Phil Silvers for “The Phil Silvers Show.”

Keeps on tickin’: At 78 he’s more than a decade over retirement age, but Paul Newman is busier than ever. This year he was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for “Road to Perdition” and a Tony Award for lead actor in a play for the revival of “Our Town.” And ol’ baby blue eyes is now up for an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie for Showtime’s version of “Our Town.” If he wins, it will be his first Emmy in his 50-plus year career.

Helen, straight and cheeky: Helen Mirren, who already has two Emmys to her credit, demonstrates her versatility and lack of inhibitions in her two Emmy-nominated roles this year. As an aging actress romanced by a gigolo, Mirren bares it all several times in her Showtime’s “Tennessee Williams’ The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,” for which she is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a movie or miniseries. But she’s the model of maternal virtue in her role as the mother of a man with cerebral palsy in TNT’s “Door to Door,” for which she’s gotten a nomination in the “supporting actress in a movie or miniseries” category.

Crossover role: Lightning could strike twice this year for Chris Cooper. In March, he won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for “Adaptation.” Tonight, if the stars align, he could get the nod as outstanding supporting actor in a movie or miniseries for HBO’s “My House in Umbria.”

Crossover role 2: In HBO’s “Normal,” Jessica Lange -- nominated for leading actress in a movie or miniseries -- plays the wife of a man (Tom Wilkinson) who decides to have a sex-change operation. Lange received an Oscar for best supporting actress 20 years ago in “Tootsie,” playing the best friend of a soap opera actress who she doesn’t know is really a man (Dustin Hoffman) in drag.