Fan Fare

Can “Idol” finally win the top Emmy?

They did great things for “American Idol” by thrilling fans in one of the closest contests on that TV talent show in years, but can David Cook and David Archuleta turn the tide for “Idol” at the Emmy awards this year?

“Idol” might be the most watched show on U.S. television but it has struggled to get some love from Emmy voters over the last six years. The show with a huge fan base has won only one of the U.S. television industry’s top honors –  for technical direction for the 2007 charity special “Idol Gives Back.” But it has lost out for five years to “Amazing Race” in the contest for the top honor in its genre, best competitive reality show.

“Idol” got five Emmy nominations on Thursday for its most recent season that ended in May, including one for host Ryan Seacrest but nothing for judges Simon, Randy and Paula – there doesn’t appear to be a category for best put-downs!

After what was considered a better show in terms of talent this year, a record 97.5  million votes cast in the May finale, an average 28 million viewers per episode in 2008, and a sell-out Idol national tour now underway, can the show now get some respect from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences? 

Watch this space when the Emmys awards are handed out on September 21.

Britney Spears up for Emmy nomination

Britney Spears helped the CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother” add more viewers, and now she stands to earn an Emmy nomination for her work on the show.

Spears, 26, is listed on an Emmy ballot of 41 names for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series, said John Leverence, a spokesman for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Nominations for Emmys — U.S. television’s highest honors – will be announced on July 17.

The pop star’s two-episode venture into prime-time TV came after more than a year of turbulence in her real life that included a bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, two stays at Los Angeles-area hospitals for psychiatric evaluation, and a court order putting her assets into a conservatorship overseen by her father.

In recent months, however, her life seems to be back on track, and one key piece of evidence has been her appearances on “How I Met Your Mother.” Spears played an easily seduced receptionist named Abby. The show had been in danger of cancellation, but ratings shot up with Spears’ guest starring role.