Julie Benz - "Dexter" Tv Series among dramas on Emmys shortlist

Nominees narrowed to 10, according to Web site ; Extras, Friday Night Lights in, The Tudors, The Wire out.

This year’s Emmy nominations aren’t due out until later this month, but screenings to narrow down the list of finalists are already under way.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences doesn’t make it a practice to reveal which shows make its initial run of potential nominees. The organization only reveals the final five nominees (this year the nominees will be announced on July 19), but actually begins with a list of 10 possibilities in each category before names are whittled down to half that number.

TheEnvelope.com, a Web site run by the Los Angeles Times, specializes in all things awards show and has apparently managed to track down the Academy’s top 10 choices worthy of Emmy nomination in a few categories.

According to information acquired from anonymous sources, the following shows are being considered for best drama series and best comedy series :

Drama Series / Episode being screened
Boston Legal / "Angel of Death"
Dexter / "Born Free"
Friday Night Lights / "Pilot"
Grey’s Anatomy / "From a Whisper to a Scream"
Heroes / "Genesis"
House / "Half-Wit"
Lost / "Through the Looking Glass"
Rome / "De Patre Vostro"
The Sopranos / "Soprano Home Movies"
24 / "Day 6 : 6am-7am"

Comedy Series / Episode being screened
Desperate Housewives / "It Takes Two"
Entourage / "One Day in the Valley"
Extras / "Daniel Radcliffe"
My Name Is Earl / "Robbed a Stoner Blind"
The Office / "The Coup"
Scrubs / "My Musical"
30 Rock / "Hard Ball"
Two and a Half Men / "Apologies for the Family"
Ugly Betty / "Pilot"
Weeds / "Cooking With Jesus"

Awards show time is also the time to make a hubbub over who got snubbed and who got in but shouldn’t have. However, given that these lists are of the top 10 possibilities and not the final five nominees, some omissions are more glaring than others.

While 24 made the list after what many consider its worst season, critical darlings like The Wire, Rescue Me, and The Shield were left off. And as for period-piece dramas, the now canceled Rome made it, while Showtime’s decadent The Tudors did not.

On the comedy side, The New Adventures of Old Christine couldn’t shake the Seinfeld curse, and new favorite How I Met Your Mother couldn’t crack the top 10.

The site also claims to have information on the acting categories, but does not have all 10 in each category. The following are the actors that TheEnvelope claims to have confirmed to be on the shortlist.

Drama - Lead Actor
James Gandolfini / The Sopranos
Michael C. Hall / Dexter
Eddie Izzard / The Riches
Hugh Laurie / House
Denis Leary / Rescue Me
Kiefer Sutherland / 24

Drama - Lead Actress
Minnie Driver / The Riches
Edie Falco / The Sopranos

Drama - Supporting Actor
Masi Oka / Heroes

Drama - Supporting Actress
CCH Pounder / The Shield

Comedy - Lead Actor
Alec Baldwin / 30 Rock
Steve Carrell / The Office
Charlie Sheen / Two and a Half Men

Comedy - Lead Actress
America Ferrera / Ugly Betty
Teri Hatcher / Desperate Housewives
Felicity Huffman / Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus / New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker / Weeds

Comedy - Supporting Actress
Vanessa Williams / Ugly Betty

Comedy - Supporting Actor
John Krasinski / The Office

It’s important to note that the information has not been confirmed by the Academy, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Check back with TV.com on July 19 for a final list of the official 2007 Emmy nominees.