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  3. 25 Biggest Emmy Nomination Snubs

25 Biggest Emmy Nomination Snubs

Part two of our countdown of the actors and shows that most unforgivably got the cold shoulder at Emmy time -- from ''Buffy'' and ''America's Next Top Model'' to Ron Howard and Courteney Cox
By EW Staff Updated August 28, 2009 at 03:00 PM EDT
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25. SPORTS NIGHT

Josh Charles, Joshua Malina, ... | Aaron Sorkin's dramedy about a struggling cable sports program had it all: a swoon-inducing central romance (between Peter Krause's sly anchor and Felicity Huffman's brainy…
Credit: Everett Collection

Aaron Sorkin's dramedy about a struggling cable sports program had it all: a swoon-inducing central romance (between Peter Krause's sly anchor and Felicity Huffman's brainy producer); a stunning supporting cast (including the awesome Robert Guillaume); and lightning-quick dialogue that ranged from heartbreaking to hilarious. And funny enough, we reacted to Sports Night's lack of Emmy recognition much the same way we would to a typical episode — by laughing out loud and reaching for the Kleenex. —Michael Slezak

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24. WALTON GOGGINS The Shield

Walton Goggins, The Shield
Credit: Prashant Gupta

Michael Chiklis garnered most of the award attention for his bulldog-on-steroids performance as Vic Mackey, the head of a stop-at-nothing L.A. police squad. But as his onetime right-hand man and best friend Shane Vendrell, Goggins also proved he's an acting force to be reckoned with. A loose cannon whose messes kept getting bigger and stickier and more dangerous each season, Shane spun out of control in season 6, playing all sides against each other and becoming hell-bent on self-destruction after dropping a hand grenade in the lap of his squad mate at the end of season 5. (Thankfully the academy recognized his good work in Justified this year with a supporting actor nod.) —Erin E. Stevenson

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23. MY SO-CALLED LIFE

Jared Leto, Claire Danes, ...

Okay, so it only lasted one season. And while ''the Academy'' didn't know it then, this critically acclaimed ratings bust has since become one of the most beloved cult-classics to ever hit the tube. It not only captured teen angst in a way few series have been able to replicate, but it also showed the softer side of trying to figure out who you are. Although I may never forgive Claire Danes (she admitted to EW in 2004 that she had a hand in the show not returning for a second season) at least they didn't go with their first rumored pick — Alicia Silverstone. Cher pining over brooding Jordan Catalano? Whatever! —Loren Lankford

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22. SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar | I'm resolving to FINALLY watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer . I've seen maybe two episodes, and I liked those, and I've liked everything else Joss…
Credit: Richard Cartwright

Can you believe it!? The closest this classic ever got to a major nomination was a writing nod for the genius Joss Whedon (and the poor guy didn't even win). But if there was one person that deserved that little golden angel it was Gellar (duh), who played Buffy Summers as a high school girl all high school kids could relate to. Sure, the goths may have claimed her, but Buffy blurred the lines of cliques and social circles and played into a fantasy any high schooler would envy: superpowers + important mission in life. —Loren Lankford

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21. HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET

Kyle Secor, Andre Braugher, ... | When it premiered in January 1993, Homicide was a meticulously bleak show — morose, cynical, and allusive in a way nothing else on prime time…
Credit: Everett Collection

When it premiered in January 1993, Homicide was a meticulously bleak show — morose, cynical, and allusive in a way nothing else on prime time was even trying to be. Critical raves poured in for these tales of the Baltimore homicide division; viewers, correctly suspecting a downer, stayed away in droves. Sadly, the Academy didn't bestow the Best Dramatic Series love either. And that's a crime. —Ken Tucker

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20. AN AMERICAN FAMILY

An American Family | Twelve episodes. One family. A 20-year-old gay man. And more than 10 million viewers. Long before The Real World , The Osbournes , and Wife…
Credit: Everett Collection

Twelve episodes. One family. A 20-year-old gay man. And more than 10 million viewers. Long before The Real World, The Osbournes, and Wife Swap, filmmakers Susan and Alan Raymond gave America a peek inside the lives of a normal clan, the Louds, in An American Family. PBS' documentary series was so ahead of its time that no Emmy category existed in 1973 to accommodate it. (Sure, it might have qualified for Outstanding Documentary, but that category was filled with news-division shows on such topics as Watergate.) Among the first ''ordinary people'' to become ''celebrities,'' the Loud family appeared on the cover of Newsweek and son Lance became something of a gay icon. Little did they know what they had wrought. —Ari Karpel

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19. KATEY SAGAL Married...With Children

Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

With a cigarette dangling from one hand and the remote control from the other, Sagal's sex-obsessed Peggy ruled the suburban middle-class wasteland that was the Bundy household. It was the actress' own idea to outfit her character in '60s- and '70s-style TV-housewife garb — a hilarious move, as it further highlighted the divide between those women's devotion to homemaking and Peg's refusal to ever lift a fake nail...unless it was to eat a bonbon. —Annie Barrett

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18. RON HOWARD The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days

Ron Howard | Don't you wish there was a ''Best Narration'' category? Because Ron Howard would've cleaned up for Arrested Development . Sticking to his on-screen appearances, the…
Credit: Everett Collection

Don't you wish there was a ''Best Narration'' category? Because Ron Howard would've cleaned up for Arrested Development. Sticking to his on-screen appearances, the Academy dissed Howard in his six seasons as Howdy Doody look-alike Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. But how could little Ronny not have scored a nod for the episode ''Opie the Birdman'' from The Andy Griffith Show? Not many child stars can communicate a dawning youngster's awareness of the value of life, the importance of parenting, and the pain of separation as he did in this episode, a performance mature in its innocence. —Christian Blauvelt

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17. AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL

America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks | Just how crazy a weave must Tyra don before Emmy takes notice of ANTM ? The supermodel's modeling competition may not score the ratings of…
Credit: Monty Brinton

Just how crazy a weave must Tyra don before Emmy takes notice of ANTM? The supermodel's modeling competition may not score the ratings of some other reality juggernauts, but when it comes to entertainment value, the show never disappoints (see: every cycle's makeover episode). And unlike some other reality shows, ANTM actually does produce some success stories (e.g. Eva Pigford, Danielle Evans, Adrianne Curry...kinda). C'mon Emmy, you know that ANTM deserves to still be in the running to become Best. Reality. Competition. Show. —Kate Ward

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16. KRISTIN DAVIS Sex and the City

Kristin Davis, Sex and the City | From home, we all followed Kristin Davis' Park Avenue princess Charlotte York as she went through the same big-girl realizations as the rest of us.…

From home, we all followed Kristin Davis' Park Avenue princess Charlotte York as she went through the same big-girl realizations as the rest of us. Discarding Prince Charming fantasies and big-city illusions, Charlotte developed throughout the series into the sweet but strong woman we later saw on the big screen. —Lisa Raphael

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15. ROBERT SEAN LEONARD House

House
Credit: Isabella Vosmikova

Dr. James Wilson is one half of the bromance that's made House work for so long — the longtime enabler who remains the narcissist's best friend. Robert Sean Leonard has kept Wilson from simply being House's foil by playing him with such lovely layers and imbuing him with internal life that almost makes him as complex as the show's main character. —Abby West

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14. CHLOË SEVIGNY Big Love

Chloë Sevigny, Big Love | While it's slightly shocking to see indie fashionista Chloë Sevigny so comfortable in the conservative skin of Mormon Nicki on HBO's Big Love , the…
Credit: Lacey Terrell

While it's slightly shocking to see indie fashionista Chloë Sevigny so comfortable in the conservative skin of Mormon Nicki on HBO's Big Love, the actress' portrayal of the second wife is believable far beyond her single braid/turtleneck/long skirt ensembles. She gives an honest glimpse into the struggles facing a fundamentalist polygamist gal trying to survive in a world where her belief system is illegal. —Lisa Raphael

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13. DESI ARNAZ I Love Lucy

Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy | Sure, we all know that the real star of I Love Lucy was comedy legend Lucille Ball, but Lucy wouldn't have been half as funny…
Credit: Everett Collection

Sure, we all know that the real star of I Love Lucy was comedy legend Lucille Ball, but Lucy wouldn't have been half as funny without her heavy-accented, bongo-banging, disciplinarian foil/husband Ricky Ricardo, played by real-life spouse Arnaz. In fact, out of the show's four regular cast members — Ball, Arnaz, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance — Arnaz was the only one never recognized during its six-year run. Emmy, you got some 'splainin' to do. —Kate Ward

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12. Ed O'Neill Married With Children

Married... With Children, Ed O'Neill | For 10 years he ruled his roost (not really) as the crass but lovable Al Bundy. Yet no matter how many yucks he delivered, Ed…
Credit: Everett Collection

For 10 years he ruled his roost (not really) as the crass but lovable Al Bundy. Yet no matter how many yucks he delivered, Ed O'Neill couldn't land an Emmy nomination. He earned multiple Golden Globe nods but that Emmy remained elusive. (O'Neill got no Emmy love this year with his Modern Family debut either.) Just makes you want to sink into a couch and stick your hand down your pants...or is that just me? —AW

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11. THE WIRE

The Wire, The Wire (Season 4 -- Episode 401: Boys of Summer) | We can almost convince ourselves that there were too many fantastic actors on David Simon's Baltimore threnody for Emmy to get around to them all…
Credit: Paul Schiraldi

We can almost convince ourselves that there were too many fantastic actors on David Simon's Baltimore threnody for Emmy to get around to them all (though how one overlooks Dominic West or Michael K. Williams, we'll never know). But that a series routinely hailed as one of the best shows ever on television — if not the best — never even garnered a dramatic series nod? Shameful. —Alynda Wheat

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10. COURTENEY COX Friends

Courteney Cox, Friends | How was Cox — who aced her half of the Chandler-Monica affair — the only Friend ignored? — Alynda Wheat

How was Cox — who aced her half of the Chandler-Monica affair — the only Friend ignored? —Alynda Wheat

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9. BOB NEWHART The Bob Newhart Show

Three noms for Newhart's next sitcom didn't make up for earlier snubs. — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Everett Collection

Three noms for Newhart's next sitcom didn't make up for earlier snubs. —Alynda Wheat

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8. HEATHER LOCKLEAR Melrose Place

Rob Estes, Lisa Rinna, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

Her hilariously bitchy stroll on Melrose turned a snooze into a must-watch. —Alynda Wheat

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7. NORMAN FELL Three's Company

Norman Fell, Three's Company | The only thing lovable about wife-hating homophobe Mr. Roper? Fell's perfect timing. — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Everett Collection

The only thing lovable about wife-hating homophobe Mr. Roper? Fell's perfect timing. —Alynda Wheat

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6. MICHAEL LANDON

Little House on the Prairie (TV Show - 1974), Michael Landon

Ignoring the beloved star for his two seminal series, Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, is like never sending your dad a Father's Day card. —Alynda Wheat

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5. THE HONEYMOONERS

Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, ... | One of the best sitcoms on TV, and prototype for the rest of the best. Pity Emmy voters never noticed. — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Everett Collection

One of the best sitcoms on TV, and prototype for the rest of the best. Pity Emmy voters never noticed. —Alynda Wheat

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4. LAUREN GRAHAM Gilmore Girls

Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls | Put those hyperliterate scripts in a lesser actress' hands — see what hash they make of them. — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Lauren Graham: Patrick Ecclesine/ The WB

Put those hyperliterate scripts in a lesser actress' hands — see what hash they make of them. —Alynda Wheat

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3. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, ... | Believe it or not, kids, before Lost , Emmy didn't always understand shows with fanciful premises. — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Everett Collection

Believe it or not, kids, before Lost, Emmy didn't always understand shows with fanciful premises. —Alynda Wheat

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2. ANDY GRIFFITH The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show, Andy Griffith | Don Knotts nabbed four trophies, but not one nod for the sheriff? A crime! — Alynda Wheat
Credit: Everett Collection

Don Knotts nabbed four trophies, but not one nod for the sheriff? A crime! —Alynda Wheat

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1. ROSEANNE

Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, ... | Emmy loved the sitcom's actors but never acknowledged the show or its writers. So the stars did an amazing job saying...nothing worthwhile? — Alynda Wheat…
Credit: Everett Collection

Emmy loved the sitcom's actors but never acknowledged the show or its writers. So the stars did an amazing job saying...nothing worthwhile? —Alynda Wheat

Want more? See part 1 of our Emmy Snubs countdown (Nos. 50-26)

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    1 of 25 25. SPORTS NIGHT
    2 of 25 24. WALTON GOGGINS The Shield
    3 of 25 23. MY SO-CALLED LIFE
    4 of 25 22. SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    5 of 25 21. HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET
    6 of 25 20. AN AMERICAN FAMILY
    7 of 25 19. KATEY SAGAL Married...With Children
    8 of 25 18. RON HOWARD The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days
    9 of 25 17. AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL
    10 of 25 16. KRISTIN DAVIS Sex and the City
    11 of 25 15. ROBERT SEAN LEONARD House
    12 of 25 14. CHLOË SEVIGNY Big Love
    13 of 25 13. DESI ARNAZ I Love Lucy
    14 of 25 12. Ed O'Neill Married With Children
    15 of 25 11. THE WIRE
    16 of 25 10. COURTENEY COX Friends
    17 of 25 9. BOB NEWHART The Bob Newhart Show
    18 of 25 8. HEATHER LOCKLEAR Melrose Place
    19 of 25 7. NORMAN FELL Three's Company
    20 of 25 6. MICHAEL LANDON
    21 of 25 5. THE HONEYMOONERS
    22 of 25 4. LAUREN GRAHAM Gilmore Girls
    23 of 25 3. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
    24 of 25 2. ANDY GRIFFITH The Andy Griffith Show
    25 of 25 1. ROSEANNE

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