Mission accomplished. The roster of nominees announced Thursday morning is sprinkled with first-timers.

   How I Met Your Mother, Weeds, Flight of the Conchords and the subversive animated series Family Guy broke through for best comedy, along with returnees Entourage, The Office and 30 Rock, which scored a record 22 nominations.

   Big Love is new to the drama series field (and long overdue) along with Breaking Bad, whose star, Bryan Cranston took home an Emmy last year. Lost is back in the running as are Damages, Dexter, House and last year's winner Mad Men, which leads all dramas with 16 nominations.

   Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory and Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords are first-timers for lead comedic actor as are Toni Collette of The United States of Tara and Sarah Silverman for her self-titled series in the lead actress field.

   Familiar faces among the men include Tony Shalhoub of Monk, Steve Carell of The Office, Charlie Sheen of Two and a Half Men (which was inexplicably and unforgivably passed over in the series category) and defending champion Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock.

   Joining Collette and Silverman are Julia Louis-Dreyfus of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Chistina Applegate of the canceled Samantha Who?, Mary-Louise Parker of Weeds and last year's winner Tina Fey of 30 Rock.

  Simon Baker of the past season's hottest new drama, The Mentalist, broke into the best lead actor in a drama category. He's up against former nominees Michael C. Hall of Dexter, House's Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne of In Treatment, Jon Hamm of Mad Men and Cranston.

  Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men is the new face in the dramatic actress field. Also nominated are Academy favorite Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters, Kyra Sedgwick of The Closer, Damages' Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU and Saving Grace's Holly Hunter.

  The death of the miniseries was underlined again by the presence of only two worthy contenders, Generation Kill and Little Dorrit. This category should be folded in with TV movies, as is done for the acting nominees.

  With the broadcast networks out of the game, the movie category is again dominated by cable. HBO has three finalists--Grey Gardens, Into the Storm and Taking Chance--and Lifetime has the other two, Coco Chanel and Prayers for Bobby.

  Grey Gardens topped its field with 17 nominations and HBO is the most honored network with 99.

  NBC, which has been struggling in the ratings, nevertheless had the most nominees for a broadcast network, 67.

   The winners will be announced on CBS Sept. 20. 

   Laura, speculating aloud why Jessie doesn't like her, complained, "It's not my fault I have big boobs."

   It sure is, if you catch my drift.

   Not for that reason, I'm rooting for Laura (and just about everyone else) to hang around longer than self-adoring Jessie.

  What do you think?

  Just as 90210 has brought back as many of the old Peach Pitters as would agree to sign on, Melrose Place is planning its own reunions.

   Daphne Zuniga is the latest returnee recruited. She'll reprise her role as Jo.

  Josie Bisset and Thomas Calabro have been with the 2009 edition from the start as Jane and Michael Mancini.

  However, the core group will be new, young faces of the generation the CW targets.

  If you are an old Melrose faithful, how much interest do you have in this revival? 

  If you are too young to remember the original, does it mean anything to you that Melrose was once your parents' show?

  TBS has ordered 10 episodes, and has an option for 90 more (100 is they magic number for syndication), with a targeted premiere date of next June.

  Terry Crews of Everybody Hates Chris is taking over the Ice Cube role of a lady's man, so determined to date a single mom that he plans a New Year's surprise of delivering her kids to her on a business trip. What he didn't know is her children hate any guy who tries to get close to their mom.

  I didn't see the flick, so I'll reserve comment.

  If you are one of those who saw it, would you be interested in the TV knockoff?

  What also should have been mentioned is that WBFS-Ch. 33 began airing the program weekdays at 5 p.m. this past Monday and WFLX-Ch. 29 will begin airing it at the same time this coming Monday, July 20.

  Maura Tierney, last seen on ER, is suffering from a tumor in her breast, which will require surgery. She said doctors are optimistic it is treatable but that she will have to be away from her role on the new Parenthood for about two months.

  As a result, the remake of the 1989 movie about four adult siblings and their extended families, has been taken out of the Wednesday night at 8 slot and retargeted for a midseason premiere.

  Parenthood failed the first time it was adapted by TV as a comedy but the new version, primarily a drama with light moments, is among the three or four most promising pilots on any network.

  Mercy, a hospital drama as seen through the eyes of the nursing staff, will take Parenthood's place in the fall lineup.

  It's candy for the eyes and toxic sludge for the brain. There's lots of skin and cliched Miami scene-setters but almost nothing else. As visually appealing as it is, I spent most of the hour watching the timer on my DVD player, counting down the seconds until I didn't have to watch any more.

  The latest  Bravo celebration of vanity and bitchiness focuses on seven SoBe narcissistic hedonists, not one of whom is tolerable, let alone likeable. Typical is one of them noticing his reflection in a window and saying out loud, "I look so good."

   Michael and Soroh used to be married but were unable to keep it together. It's difficult to stay in love with someone else when you love yourself so much. George brags about his new "Russian hottie" and Soroh tells a friend her new guy has a "big (bleep)."

  Michael is gay, "but not a big queen," he says. The crisis in his life is a woman points out he's beginning to get lines in his face.

  Katrina is getting divorced. While her own romantic life is in disarray, she counsels Michael on his love life and plays wingman for him with guys he'd like to meet.

  Katrina tells a friend she's a workaholic while sipping wine at an Ocean Drive outdoor cafe in the middle of the day.

  Ariel, in his own words, is "an incredible fashion (show) producer." He says he's not straight but doesn't consider himself gay.

  Maria also is gender neutral in dating.

  Hardy, a nightclub operator, is known as "the social mayor of Miami."

   Unless you're as vain and superficial as this bunch, the only emotional connection possible is loathing.  

  Tomorrow night (Wednesday) McCartney will be a guest on David Letterman's Late Show, which is based at the Ed Sullivan Theater, where Paul, John, George and Ringo made their celebrated U.S. TV debut in 1964, one of the biggest entertainment events in the history of TV.

  How long ago was that? The show was in black and white.

  Paul will chat up Letterman and perform, according to CBS.

  The visit sets up Paul's latest American tour, which begins Friday at CitiField, the successor to Shea Stadium, where the Beatles made a memorable concert appearance.

  Hollywood (the one in Broward) is running ads on South Florida TV extolling its virtues as a tourist destination.

  The ad is slick and might be really effective if run in Milwaukee in February.

  Somehow I don't see folks in Dania or Pompano Beach seeing the spot and going to their phone to see if they can make a hotel reservation for next weekend.

  A federal judge has denied a request by original Surivivor Richard Hatch to have time shaved off his house arrest for tax evasion, the final phase of his penalties, which included a jail term. Hatch told the court he has an opportunity to participate in a 20th edition of Survivor, which apparently will be another all-star showdown. He promised that any prize money he made would go toward the $400K he owes the IRS.

  Variety is reporting the format for what will be the upcoming season's second Survivor will be heroes and villians and that it will be shot in Samoa. No question which side Hatch would have represented.

  CBS was willing to bring him back despite the fact that he accused Survivor of cheating, saying some contestants were allowed extra food, and said CBS promised it would pay the taxes on the $1 million he won if he kept his mouth shot. CBS, of course, vehemently denied this. The allegation also fell flat in court.

  This isn't the only time Hatch had issues with CBS. The conclusion of Survivor: Africa happened to coincide with a January press tour. So the network invited back previous Survivor participants, including Hatch, for a viewing and post-results party on the set of the finale. The idea, of course, was to generate additional publicity for Survivor.

  Hatch availed himself of the free trip to Los Angeles but when TV reporters approached him for interviews, he turned them away, saying that wasn't why he was there. Responding to critics complaints, CBS publicists reminded Hatch that doing interviews was precisely the reason he was invited. Hatch told them where to go, too.

  But his presence as the man everyone loves to hate figured to help the ratings, so CBS was willing to forget everything that has gone before.

  Who would you like to see as Survivor heroes and villains. Wonder if Rob and Amber are up for another trip? How about Johnny Fairplay?