This year's Primetime Emmy award nominations will be announced tomorrow, meaning we can finally celebrate television actors. So who will be nominated? Well we kind of already know that. But who should be nominated?

My fearless forecast is that Monk and Boston Legal are going to win everything this year, because duh. I guess Frasier might sneak in a steal a few. That's always possible. But yeah, those are basically the only shows that will win 2011 Emmys. It's just how the Emmys work.

Haha, JK. But that's the whole gripe about the Emmy Awards, that they're always going to the same people every year and little attention is paid to smaller shows. And it's an old gripe for a reason! It is mostly true. Tony Shalhoub really did win a lot of awards, didn't he? On this year's nomination list we can expect to see old familiars like Steve Carell, Michael C. Hall, and goddamned Mariska Hargitay. Boo. It's not that these oft-nominated actors don't deserve the recognition, they're great and do, it's just that, viewing-wise (and, uh, blogging-wise), it gets a little boring. Meanwhile there are plenty of people who will likely never be in awards contention, but really should be.

People like Louis C.K. (I'd see him getting an individual acting nomination before the whole of Louie does, if it happens at all). People like Gretchen Moll on Boardwalk Empire. Or Ed Helms, who has turned his character on The Office into a fully realized, sad and flawed but lovable human being. Or hey, what about some of the weird and wonderful acting on Bored to Death? And, as is tradition with David Simon shows, it seems that everyone in the fine ensemble of Treme is destined to be ignored forever. But they shouldn't be!

In that spirit, here's a brief list of the major Emmy categories and one long-shot I'd love to see appear on the nominees list.

Best Drama
 Downton Abbey *

Best Comedy
 Also Downton Abbey? Or Louie.

Best Actor - Drama
 Wendell Pierce, Treme

Best Actress - Drama
 Khandi Alexander, Treme.

Best Actor - Comedy
 Louis C.K., Louie

Best Actress - Comedy
 Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Best Supporting Actor - Drama
 Robert James-Collier, Downton Abbey

Best Supporting Actress - Drama
 Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy
 Chris Pratt, Parks and Recreation

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy
 Ellie Kemper, The Office

* I feel like this doesn't count as a miniseries because, well, they're doing a second season.


So maybe I'm guilty of the same thing as the Emmys, picking everything from a small pool of shows. But they're people and shows that need paying attention to, dammit. Who are your long-shot picks?

[Photo via Getty]