It’s always a wonderful surprise when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences shakes up things and nominates underdogs for its Primetime Emmys.

This year is no exception and when the nominees for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Thursday, the list included a few first-timers and even some veterans whose praise is overdue.

Refreshing nods went to Matt LeBlanc in the lead comedy actor category for his role on Showtime’s “Episodes.” LeBlanc had been nominated in the past for his work on “Friends” but has never won. Category newcomer Louis C.K. also nabbed a nomination as the star of FX’s “Louie.”

Rounding out the category are Steve Carell, for his final season on NBC’s “The Office”; Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock”; and CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” co-stars Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons. This is Galecki’s first Emmy nomination. Parsons walked away with the win last year. With any luck, Carell will seize the gold for his offbeat but endearing portrayal of middle manager Michael Scott for seven seasons. It is an honor that has eluded him thus far.

Familiar names missing from the lead comedy actor list include Charlie Sheen and Matthew Morrison of “Glee.” Morrison received a nod last year, and Sheen has in past, less controversial years.

Not to be ignored, the Creative Arts Emmy nominations grabbed a bit of the spotlight as well. The most notable nod went to Chrysler 200′s “Born of Fire” commercial starring rapper Eminem. The ad, which debuted during the Super Bowl, made a lot of folks stand up and cheer for Detroit and will be competing against Conan O’Brien’s American Express commercial and Nissan’s polar bear spot.

But it’s all about the Primetime Emmys, where funny ladies also made a splash. An unexpected nomination went to Melissa McCarthy in the lead comedy actress category for her role on CBS’ romantic sitcom “Mike & Molly.” This is her first nomination.

Other nods in the category include past winners Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) and Edie Falco (Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”) as well as category newcomer Martha Plimpton for her turn on Fox’s “Raising Hope.”

Noticeably absent from this year’s pool is past winner Toni Collette (Showtime’s “United States of Tara”) and past nominee Lea Michele of “Glee” fame.

Meanwhile, AMC’s addictive advertising drama “Mad Men” received the most nominations with 19 nods, including ones for star Jon Hamm in the lead actor in a drama category and Elisabeth Moss for lead actress in a drama. Co-stars Christina Hendricks and John Slattery also have been nominated for their supporting drama actress and actor turns, respectively. Intense contract negotiations halted the production of “Mad Men,” much to fans’ dismay, and the beloved show will not return for a fifth season until March 2012.

Robert Morse, who plays Bert Cooper on “Mad Men,” received a guest actor nod. The show also earned a drama series nomination but co-star January Jones failed to nab a nod. Jones was a lead drama actress nominee last year.

While many consider Hamm a shoo-in to win the lead actor statue — he’s been nominated three times but hasn’t won yet — Hamm has some stiff competition. This includes Steve Buscemi, for his starring role on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” and Timothy Olyphant. The latter stars on FX’s lawman serial, “Justified.” Like Hamm, neither Buscemi nor Olyphant have won Emmys. This is Olyphant’s first Emmy nomination.

All of the men on ABC’s hit familial comedy “Modern Family” have earned Emmy nominations including Ed O’Neill, who received his first Emmy nod. Sadly, O’Neill’s former “Married With Children” co-star Katey Sagal still hasn’t garnered any Emmy love in spite of her brilliant performance on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.” Sagal has never been nominated.

Sagal isn’t the only tragic omission. AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” NBC’s “Community,” Fox’s “Fringe,” and HBO’s “True Blood” and “Treme” received no major category nominations. CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” also got overlooked as did actors Peter Krause of NBC’s “Parenthood” and “Fringe” star John Noble.

In spite of these glaring snubs, the Academy made great strides by nominating HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and DirecTV’s/NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” in the outstanding drama category. The lead drama actress nomination for Mireille Enos of AMC’s “The Killing” is a pleasant surprise as are the supporting actress nods for Michelle Forbes (“The Killing”) and Margo Martindale (“Justified”). This is the first Emmy nomination for all three.

The 63rd Primetime Emmys will air 8 p.m. Sept. 18 on Fox and will be hosted by Emmy winner and nominee Jane Lynch of “Glee.”

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