Some of these people listed will win an Emmy. Some won't even be nominated.
The spoiler anarchists over at The Envelope, who were responsible for the the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences revealing the Top 10 finalists in the Best Drama and Best Comedy categories, are at it again - they're trickling out the Top 10 (or 11) in the acting categories, as well. And here's the shocker: ABC is absolutely trouncing everyone else. Of the 31 finalists listed below, more than half - 16, to be precise - are from ABC shows.
Now, we don't know if that means that a lot of ABC employees dedicated their time to helping select the nominees, or whether it means that ABC has the finest actors available anywhere (though we kind of doubt that). And, by the time that the nominees are actually announced, ABC's domination may not be so prominent. Nonetheless, it's a curious development.
And the finalists are:
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?" (ABC)
Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" (ABC)
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (NBC)

Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies" (ABC)
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
Eva Longoria Parker, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS)
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds" (Showtime)
Sarah Silverman, "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central)

So who would you pick as your Final Five? I'll go with Applegate, Fey, Friel, (Mary-Louise) Parker and Silverman, though I doubt Silverman or Friel will make the cut and will be replaced by Ferrara or one of the housewives.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Jane Alexander, "Tell Me You Love Me" (HBO)
Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal" (ABC)
Rose Byrne, "Damages" (FX)
Jill Clayburgh, "Dirty Sexy Money" (ABC)
Sharon Gless, "Burn Notice" (USA)
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters" (ABC)

Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men" (AMC)
S. Epatha Merkerson, "Law and Order" (NBC)
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment" (HBO)
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Bergen, Clayburgh and Gless all turn in essentially comedic performances, so I'll go with Alexander, Griffiths, Hendricks, Merkerson and Wiest, though Mia Wasikowska as the playful but seriously troubled teen Sophie was remarkable on "In Treatment," better even than Wiest, and probably deserved not just a nomination but to win. But there you go. And you?
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Naveen Andrews, "Lost" (ABC)
Bruce Dern, "Big Love" (HBO)
Christian Clemenson, "Boston Legal" (ABC)
Ted Danson, "Damages" (FX)

Michael Emerson, "Lost" (ABC)
Zeljko Ivanek, "Damages" (FX)
T.R. Knight, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
William Shatner, "Boston Legal" (ABC)
John Slattery, "Mad Men" (AMC)
Blair Underwood, "In Treatment" (HBO)
Jake Weber, "Medium" (NBC)
Me: Andrews, Danson, Emerson, Slattery and Underwood. You: (well, fill in the blank).

David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. 

I now know that the Emmy nominations are a joke. Diane Wiest did a good job in "In Treatment." But, Mia Wasikowska's riveting performance far outshined Wiest's performance and Mia wasn't even nominated. Clearly, the Emmys are about name recognition and politics more than about acting.