Emmy nominations 2007

Fresh faces and freshman shows made an impressive showing this morning as the nominees for the 59th annual Emmy Awards were announced: More than half of the nods doled out in the top drama and comedy categories went to performers and series that were either new or hadn't been nominated in the previous year.

"A 60% rate of fresh faces and shows," crowed the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which has fended off criticism for several years that it's impossible to break the entrenched circle of nominees.

Among the newcomers to the party were freshman series "Ugly Betty," "30 Rock" and "Heroes," as well as a first-time best comedy nod for "Entourage."

AMC's first foray into a miniseries paid off in a big way. Its Western epic, "Broken Trail," received 16 nominations, including outstanding miniseries.