Tracy Morgan brought his own unique brand of lunacy to Letterman's show last night, where he spoke at length on what he plans to do to avoid the "Whitney Houston syndrome" in the event he wins an Emmy this year.

So the Emmy nominations were announced this morning and mostly they were surprise-less. Nothing for the well-deserving Big Love actors, another nod for Tony goddamned Shaloub, and Family Guy in Best Comedy. Wait, what?? Family Guy? How did this happen?

• The New York Times Co. is selling its classical radio station WQXR to WNYC Radio and Univision as part of a "complex deal." One thing that isn't complex: The sale will pump a much-needed $45 million into the paper's coffers. [NYT]
• Is Rupert Murdoch planning to buy the Daily News from Mort Zuckerman? That's what some are suggesting, although Mort is denying it. [DailyFinance]
• McGraw-Hill shouldn't expect to make much from the sale of BusinessWeek. In fact, the company may be forced to give the magazine away. [FT]
• Neil Patrick Harris has signed on to host this year's Emmy Awards. [NYDN]
• Russell Brand will be the host of the MTV Video Music Awards. [Vulture]

Sure, it seems like a good idea for the Emmys to expand their acting and series nominations from five to six (as the TV Academy announced they will today). Here's what will happen, though.

"I don't have a specific reference in the rules that would make it ineligible." [MSNBC, second item]

No One Escapes the Emmys Unscathed: You might think that after becoming the first basic cable show to win the Emmy for Best Drama, AMC's Mad Men would receive a bump in ratings from first-timer curious to see what all the fuss is about. You would be wrong: the series fell from 1.9 million viewers to 1.6 million for its first episode since the awards ceremony. In the words of defiant Emmy figurehead Josh Groban, "Really? Really?!" [THR]

Bounced from E!, the TV Guide Channel, and even Stylelist.com, times have been tough for red carpet commentators Joan and Melissa Rivers. For this week's Emmy ceremony, the two were reduced to vlogging for MyHollywood.com, though the deal came with one potential upside: their patter was supposed to receive a link from AOL. However, higher-ups at AOL changed their minds when they got a gander at the footage where Rivers calls some of Hollywood's most beloved stars (including Tom Hanks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Heidi Klum) "Nazis." Said Rivers to Page Six:

Does Josh Groban read Defamer? We may never find out for sure, but we have determined that we share startlingly similar perspectives on his grossly underappreciated performance at last weekend's Emmy Awards. You know our take, but we now yield the floor to Groban himself, who took to his vlog earlier today with refreshing candor about surmounting the monumental challenge of Emmycast suckdom around him. Again, it's not our place to say we were right, but we can say we're unreservedly Team Groban. More like this, please, Emmys. [Vimeo]

♦ Not only is Rachel Maddow more popular than Keith Olbermann, she's now ahead of CNN's Larry King, too. [HuffPo]
♦ Sunday night's Emmy Awards generated the lowest ratings in history. [THR]
♦ MTV missed out on its chance to buy MySpace, but they have no plans to give up on their sixth-tier social network, Flux. [AdAge]
♦ Life magazine is back. For the third time. Time Inc. and Getty Images will use life.com to offer up "free, downloadable photos from world-renowned photographers." [NYP]
♦ Jeffrey Toobin, who says he "owes his TV career to [O.J.] Simpson," has no interest in covering him again, thank you very much. [TV Newser]
♦ Starbucks and ad agency Wieden & Kennedy are parting ways. [AdAge]
♦ Kanye West is teaming up with Comedy Central on a new series described as "hip-hop meets the Muppets." [THR]
♦ The Times recaps the service held on Monday night in memory of Clay Felker, the founding editor of New York magazine who died on July 1. [NYT]

It's true that Alec Baldwin recently confessed to a bit of a suicidal streak, but those dark nights of the angry-voicemail-leaving soul should have a little more to redeem them on the bright shining day after his first Emmy win for 30 Rock. Shouldn't they? Or are we to trust last Friday's haunting 20/20 exchange with Diane Sawyer — the darting eyes, the professed disinterest in his own life and that earnest eagerness to shuffle off show business's mortal coil? While we hope we never have to find out, Baldwin's almost overnight shift in fortune suggests that someone up there is looking out for him. Like, you know, his publisher. Either way, Alec, don't retire; without you, Tina Fey really does have nothing but an eternity of Sarah Palin jokes to look forward to. [ABC]

Though the Emmys are often derided for being boring and predictable, last night's painfully awkward ceremony left us reeling. Whether it was the interminable improv given to stiff reality show hosts, the endless, poorly-chosen clips from shows like Desperate Housewives that segued into The Price is Right-level set recreations, or the vituperative comments from presenters and winners that had clearly turned on the shoddy format, the event was one prolonged cringe after another. Scientists are still studying the side effects caused by watching the ceremony without proper safety glasses (to make it through the whole show, we had to resort to viewing it through a pinhole), but have no fear, our two-minute long recap of the show's most awkward moments is FDA-approved. Enjoy! [Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]

Breaking news (must credit Defamer): Sarah Palin resembles Tina Fey! In fact, the Comparison That Wouldn't Die has proved so strong that even though a game Fey sated fan expectations by playing Palin in Saturday Night Live's season opener, she still can't escape interrogation about what she really thinks of the vice presidential candidate. At the Emmys last night, the multiple winner was quizzed by both Ryan Seacrest and backstage journalists about Palin, and Fey made a fervent plea for November to provide her with the change she needs:

♦ Vanity Fair's Dominick Dunne was taken to a Las Vegas hospital today after he fell ill while watching the O.J. Simpson trial. [AP]
♦ People.com passed TMZ last month for the first time with 11.5 million visitors, thanks to pics of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborns. [WWD]
♦ Hard to believe it if you've been watching the news this past week, but financial journalists say they're "parsing their words with unusual care." [NYT]
♦ MTV has given the greenlight to a "sex-themed series for teens and their parents" featuring Dr. Drew Pinsky. [THR]

Click to viewBoomp3.com Lost castaway Evangeline Lilly returned to the mainland to participate the 60th Annual Emmy Awards on Sunday night. As she walked the luxurious red carpet, Lilly was asked if she ever thought about getting any plastic surgery in the future. Lilly chuckled slightly, then demonstrated what her face may look like if she got the Joan Rivers special. In a cruel twist of fate, Rivers happened to be watching the ceremony through her crystal ball and summoned up a few evil spirits in order to cast a spell that froze Lilly's face that like for a week. Lilly mumbled as she walked, “That Joan Rivers serves a cold and bitter dish of revenge. The make up call times that I'm going to need to fix this hex aren’t going to be fun, either.” [Photo Credit: Bauer-Griffin] *A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

The 60th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards are here! Aren't you watching? Not the stupid daytime stuff, but Prime Time, where the money gets spent! E!'s red carpet extravaganza just got underway, and Jimmy Kimmel's pre-game show starts on ABC at 7:00. So, for all of those who want to share the merry—and make fun of people's clothing and bad one-liners—please come on in!

We've already run through our predictions for Emmy's comedy categories, but now it's time to sit down for forty-four minutes (excepting commercials) and soberly judge this year's crop of dramas. Again, we'll be blogging the Emmys live from the East Coast starting at 7pm EDT/4pm PDT, so if Mariska Hargitay lets loose with an expletive-laden diatribe or Jeremy Piven has a nip slip on the red carpet, you can be sure we've got it covered. Now, onto the predictions:Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Boston Legal - James Spader Breaking Bad - Bryan Cranston Dexter - Michael C. Hall House - Hugh Laurie In Treatment - Gabriel Byrne Mad Men - Jon Hamm Don't even bother, House fans. Though Hugh Laurie turned in the compelling, two-hour season finale as his submission, Emmy voters love three-time winner James Spader, and his submission (which finds him passionately arguing a case before the Supreme Court) provides Spader with his biggest tour-de-force yet. If he's ever to lose, it won't be this year. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Brothers & Sisters - Sally Field The Closer - Kyra Sedgwick Damages - Glenn Close Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Mariska Hargitay Saving Grace - Holly Hunter A toss-up! In a category filled with film refugees deigning to do TV (which Emmy loves), Sally Field won last year and notoriously gave a bleeped speech that will only solidify her as the incumbent in voters' memories. Her biggest threat is the cool, nefarious Close, but we'll side with inertia and predict Field as the winner once more. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Boston Legal - William Shatner Damages - Ted Danson Damages - Zeljko Ivanek Lost - Michael Emerson Mad Men - John Slattery All but two of the nominees are newcomers to this category, and last year's winner Terry O'Quinn is nowhere to be found. We think voters will reward his co-star, Lost MVP Michael Emerson, whose blockbuster episode submission included horse-riding, piano playing, action scenes, foreign languages, and a juicy scene grieving the death of his daughter. Plus, Emerson is no Emmy novice: he won the award in 2001 for guest-starring on The Practice. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Boston Legal - Candice Bergen Brothers & Sisters - Rachel Griffiths Grey's Anatomy - Sandra Oh Grey's Anatomy - Chandra Wilson In Treatment - Dianne Wiest If the category seems oddly mild this year, it's because of 2007 winner Katherine Heigl's infamous decision to pull her name out of consideration. As a reward to the co-stars who bit their lips and suffered in silence, we expect either Oh or Wilson to pull through as the winner, with a slight edge to Oh (after all, she once had to deal with Isaiah Washington, too). Outstanding Drama Series Boston Legal Damages Dexter House Lost Mad Men For party crashers Damages and Dexter, it's an honor just to be nominated. Like them, Mad Men is little-seen, but the difference is that it's watched by all the right people (and heavily appeals to older Emmy voters), so we expect a first-season surge to victory. What Would Don Draper Do if he had to go home empty-handed?

It's just two days before television's biggest event (that isn't the American Idol finale, the Oscars, or a political convention speech), and we at Defamer are gearing up to fulfill all your Emmy needs — at least, the ones that don't involve white linen slacks. Don't forget, we'll be blogging the Emmys live from the East Coast starting at 7pm EDT/4pm PDT (West Coast spoilerphobes, beware: the Emmys air here tape-delayed). So who do we expect to be taking home the hardware? After the jump, get our official predictions in the Emmys' comedy categories (for dramas, head right here):Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 30 Rock - Alec Baldwin Monk - Tony Shalhoub The Office - Steve Carell Pushing Daisies - Lee Pace Two and a Half Men - Charlie Sheen With last year's surprise winner Ricky Gervais out of the mix, the stage is set for Alec Baldwin to take home the first of what will most likely be several Emmys for his role as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock. Clinching the deal? Baldwin submitted the episode containing this season's instant classic therapy scene: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 30 Rock - Tina Fey The New Adventures of Old Christine - Julia Louis-Dreyfus Samantha Who? - Christina Applegate Ugly Betty - America Ferrera Weeds - Mary-Louise Parker If this is not Tina Fey, Sarah Palin will have all the Emmy voters fired. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Entourage - Kevin Dillon Entourage - Jeremy Piven How I Met Your Mother - Neil Patrick Harris The Office - Rainn Wilson Two and a Half Men - Jon Cryer While Neil Patrick Harris has had a career-best year, How I Met Your Mother is still little-seen. The Emmys fear change, especially in the comedy category (five-time winner Candice Bergen and four-time winner John Laroquette both eventually withdrew their names to give other actors a chance), so this award should go to the Pivs in a walk. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Pushing Daisies - Kristin Chenoweth Samantha Who? - Jean Smart Saturday Night Live - Amy Poehler Two and a Half Men - Holland Taylor Ugly Betty - Vanessa Williams My Name is Earl's Jaime Pressly took home this award last year, but this time she's not even nominated (neither was dark horse Jenna Fischer for The Office). Kudos to Amy Poehler for becoming the first modern Saturday Night Live performer to score a supporting actor nomination, but Emmy loves a veteran, so we expect this to go to two-time winner Jean Smart. Outstanding Comedy Series 30 Rock Curb Your Enthusiasm Entourage The Office Two and a Half Men Curb Your Enthusiasm is a weak-fill in for last year's nominee Ugly Betty; frankly, we're surprised that the dazzling Pushing Daisies pilot couldn't muster up the votes to fill that fifth slot (the strike-truncated season could have sapped its momentum). All the buzz is with 30 Rock right now — not only did it win in this category last year, but none of its challengers are coming off their best seasons. If anything besides Tina Fey's expertly crafted sitcom wins, we promise to liveblog an episode of Two and a Half Men as penance.

♦ The Emmy Awards will take place on Sunday evening; AMC's Mad Men is the "overwhelming favorite" to win for best drama series. [Reuters]
♦ What's happening with the New York Sun, which said it will shut down on September 29th without additional funding? It's a "very fluid situation," according to Ira Stoll. [Portfolio]
♦ Tina Fey's SNL imitation of Sarah Palin earned NBC its most-watched web clip in history. [THR]
♦ According to a new research study, Survivor is the most addictive show on TV. [NYP]
♦ MSNBC is expanding to India and Indonesia, among other places. [THR]
♦ The founders of Dreamworks have sealed their pact India's Reliance, a deal that will provide them with $1.2 billion to set up a new film company. [WSJ]

Part of getting in shape for our epic Emmy liveblog this Sunday involves gritting it out through even the toughest conditioning regimens. Today is our equivalent of the Alps stage of the Tour De France: Like the shameless cultural terrorist he is, halfwit Gold Derby gadfly Tom O'Neil videotaped his recent ambush of Real Time host Bill Maher, a 20-time Emmy loser who stands to notch No. 21 this weekend when he faces The Daily Show in the Variety category. (O'Neil notes 19 in the video, but Maher added another at last weekend's Creative Arts ceremony.) Observe after the jump how gracefully Maher handles his inquisitor's googly-eyed ineptitude before finally indulging a variation on the ageless "Who wants one of those ugly-ass trophies anyway" defense. Clearly he has bigger prizes in mind; we'll witness history Sunday either way. Join us! [Gold Derby]

Gosh—are the Emmy Awards here already? While we make the last arrangements for our fabulous Emmy Awards Liveblog Extravaganza and eco-themed after-party Sunday (hey—who seated America Ferrera next to Blake Lively? There's gonna be so much eye-rolling going down, it's gonna be like it's all Scanners up in he-yuh!), we thought we'd do our part for anyone else out there scrambling to pull things together in time. We dutifully pass along, then, this Craigslist ad seeking a highly specific brand of companionship for the big show: