Emmy Awards

In one clip, viewed 14 million times on YouTube, family members stage a "puke-a-thon" to see who can hold off vomiting after guzzling ipecac. In another, the same brood performs a spirited song-and-dance routine about the joys of smoking marijuana. Welcome to the world of Stewie, the diabolical toddler at the center of "Family Guy," who's supplanted Bart Simpson as TV's enfant terrible and who's just pushed the often-staid Emmys into new territory.

'There are unbelievably strong contenders.' -- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on nominees in the lead actress in a comedy category -- 'The fact that we're more mature women in a highly competitive profession is something to be very proud of. People are finally thinking of great stories for complex women, and that's something to be excited about.' -- Glenn Close, "Damages" star, nominated for lead actress in a drama series -- 'I think we're all extra surprised because our first season was cut short by the writers strike.

Emmy honors: The National Geographic Channel's "Preserve Our Planet Campaign," consisting of environmentally themed specials, series and public-service announcements, will receive the governors award at next month's Emmy Awards from the board of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The prime-time Emmy Awards this year will hand out an additional 10 nominations in major categories to "accommodate an abundance of outstanding programs and performances," the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said Wednesday. The categories that will get an extra nominee are: outstanding comedy and drama series; outstanding lead actor and actress in comedy and drama series; and outstanding supporting actor and actress in a comedy and drama series. Emmy nominations are slated for July 16, and the awards ceremony is set for Sept.

Alex Borstein of "Family Guy" is standing on the brink of a milestone. Her show could make TV history Sunday by becoming the first animated series to win an Emmy as outstanding comedy. But just a few days before the gala, Borstein, who provides the voice of Lois, the loving wife of oafish lead character Peter Griffin, had another kind of history in mind -- the kind that might earn a citation from TV's fashion police. "I haven't even gotten a dress yet," Borstein confessed. "I may make history by wearing something I've already worn."

If trophies were handed out for promoting diversity in nationally televised award programs, CBS' telecast of the Primetime Emmy Awards would not stand much of a chance to win. On a night dedicated to spotlighting the television industry's best and brightest, it was difficult to see many people of color onstage during the three-hour ceremony. Few minorities were represented as nominees in Sunday night's telecast. Only one individual nominee of color received an award, Shohreh Aghdashloo for supporting actress in a movie or miniseries for HBO's "House of Saddam."

In nabbing a series of high-profile awards shows from other L.A. venues over the last month, the Nokia Theatre is beginning to deliver on the promise of drawing more star power to downtown L.A. The Emmys, the ESPYs and the "American Idol" finale will call Nokia home -- creating what downtown officials and others hope will be a juggernaut when combined with the Lakers, Kings, Clippers and Grammys at Staples Center next door. (Nokia had earlier secured the American Music Awards.

HBO DOMINATED the annual Emmy nominations once again but faced stiffer competition than usual from rival networks that have adopted the premium cable channel's approach to inventive dramatic series. The network drew 85 nominations, one fewer than last year, mostly for its miniseries, movies and comedies, while its tent-pole dramatic series were largely overlooked by Emmy voters. ABC placed a relatively close second, with 76.

MASS appeal for Emmy-nominated comedies is hardly a laughing matter. In an echo of recent years, the category is once again largely dominated by specialized, sophisticated comedies embraced by critics and showbiz insiders but not by a broad audience. Last year's comedy award winner, the ratings-challenged “30 Rock," will face off in this Emmys race against the even more selective appeal of HBO's “Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm.

LIKE ALL show business awards, like all exclusive lists -- the 10 best films of 1942, the 100 greatest songs about dogs -- whether created by individual fiat or by a voting body, the Emmy nominations are a machine for starting arguments. That there are generally only five nominees in each category out of a vast array of possibilities means that these arguments usually revolve around who has been left out.