WHAT MAKES EMMY LAUGH?

Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” has rocked this category for the last two years but now should be leery of new shows that haven’t yet been nominated. Sometimes it takes a series a while to gain Emmy momentum. “Everybody Loves Raymond” was snubbed in its first two seasons, then won this category twice. Don’t laugh off the Emmy hopes of “The Big Bang Theory,” “How I Met Your Mother” or “Two and a Half Men.”

COMEDY SERIES

Front-runners

“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS

“Californication,” Showtime

“Desperate Housewives,” ABC

“Entourage,” HBO

“Family Guy,” Fox

“How I Met Your Mother,” CBS

“The Office,” NBC

“Samantha Who?” ABC

“Scrubs,” ABC

“30 Rock,” NBC

“Two and a Half Men,” CBS

“Ugly Betty,” ABC

“United States of Tara,” Showtime

“Weeds,” Showtime

Spotlight: Last year, a one-time quirk of voting permitted “Family Guy” to compete for both top comedy series and animated program. It ended up reaping only a nomination for the latter, but it came so close to getting into the comedy contest that it’s bravely going for it again, even though it must now ditch the animation race to do so. Can “Family Guy” succeed? Only one cartoon show has been nominated for comedy series (“The Flintstones” in 1961, but it lost to “The Jack Benny Program”), and even the beloved “Simpsons” failed when it attempted the same ploy during the 1990s.

Possible

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” FX

“Eastbound & Down,” HBO

“Flight of the Conchords,” HBO

“Monk,” USA

“My Name Is Earl,” NBC

“The New Adventures of Old Christine,” CBS

“Parks and Recreation,” NBC

“Pushing Daisies,” ABC

“Rules of Engagement,” CBS

“The Sarah Silverman Program,” Comedy Central

“ ‘Til Death,” Fox

“Worst Week,” CBS

Spotlight: Even though it has been canceled, “Pushing Daisies” might still sprout a nomination -- maybe even a win. Emmy voters are stubborn folk who gave this award to another quirky show with fantasy elements after it was axed in 1970: “My World and Welcome to It.”

Second look: An addition to last week’s TV movie categories: HBO’s “Into the Storm”; lead actor, Brendan Gleeson; supporting actress, Janet McTeer.