"Awards — do they ever make sense?" Liz Smith asks in her New York Post column. She adds "It's rarely about talent — popularity and network politics rule." I agree. The 2005 Emmy Nominations have been announced.

There are some good choices, as well as the usual glaring omissions. But the most obvious evidence that the nominators are either under the sway of something and/or greatly lacking in discernment are the 15 nominations each for Will & Grace and Desperate Housewives.

W&G was once a very good show, but is now mostly tired. DH is a bad joke. Its actresses receiving three of the five nominations as Oustanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series is incomprehensible. (I would vote none of the above in that category.)

Another flaw in the Emmys process is allowing shows to decide whether they're a comedy or drama. DH doesn't belong in the comedy category, unless you think it's so bad it's funny. But it's not. Funny. Just bad.

Some nominees I'd vote for:

Comedy lead actor — Jason Bateman;

Comedy supporting actor — 1) Peter Boyle 2) Jeffrey Tambor;

Comedy supporting actress — Conchatta Ferrell, though the nominees are all deserving in this, the strongest series acting category;

Drama lead actress — Mariska Hargitay, but Marg Helgenberger should be on the list;

Drama lead actor — Hugh Laurie, but this is the worst missing nominees category. Most conspicuous is Dennis Franz, the best actor in a TV drama from the beginning to the end and he had one of his best years last year. Also missing and better choices, Anthony LaPaglia, Christopher Meloni, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Waterston and William Petersen;

Drama supporting actress — 1) Tyne Daly 2) Stockard Channing;

Drama supporting actor — 1) Alan Alda 2) William Shatner. Glaring omissions are Richard Belzer and Miguel Ferrer;

Best Comedy — Arrested Development; and

Best Drama — West Wing, long in the tooth but still the best.

The nominees for guest appearances and special programs are uniformly good, the only categories the nominators rarely screw up.

There are always some special bright spots in the nominations. Two I like this year are the number of older actresses and actors receiving nominations. And Cloris Leachman nominated for Emmys as Outstanding Guest Actress in both comedy series and drama series is a delight.