Emmy Likes Grey's Gals, Grande Dames

Rose Byrne, Candace Bergen, Sandra Oh FX, ABC

The women of Lost are nowhere to be found.

None of the eligible female players from ABC's mind-boggling island mystery—in addition to the XX crew of Battlestar Galactica, women married to Bill Paxton and hardly anyone who solves crime—made it onto the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences' list of semifinalists for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Not that some pretty fine thesps didn't make the cut, per the list obtained by the L.A. Times' Gold Derby blog. But this year it was lawyers, moms, people giving or receiving therapy, people who just plain need therapy and some familiar hot doctors who tickled Emmy voters' fancy.

Standard 2007, etc. nominees Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson from Grey's Anatomy scrubbed in as usual, along with Brothers & Sisters sister Rachel Griffiths.

But thanks to the Emmy-eschewing Katherine Heigl and the demise of The Sopranos and its large cast, the path to glory was also cleared for a host of first-timers, including Tell Me You Love Me's Jane Alexander, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks and Damage's Rose Byrne—who despite her central role has apparently been relegated to the sidelines to make way for scene-chewing Lead Actress Glenn Close.

Speaking of which, Connie Britton, who as Friday Night Lights' Tami Taylor was a semifinalist for Best Actress last year, was bumped into the supporting category this year and then didn't make the Top 11. (Well, at least the beloved yet painfully underwatched show is still being considered for Best Drama and maybe, just maybe, will squeeze another couple of viewers out of the publicity.)

Veterans Candice Bergen and S. Epatha Merkerson are also in consideration for their respective boss-lady roles on Boston Legal and Law & Order.

Fellow grande dames in the fold are two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest, who plays the therapist's therapist on HBO's In Treatment, Dirty Sexy Money matriarch Jill Clayburgh and Burn Notice's chain-smoking mommy dearest Sharon Gless.

Final nominees for the 60th Annual Emmy Awards will be announced July 17.

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