The Emmys. They’re like the Oscars, but less important.

Whether or not that assessment is fair, nobody can argue that the Emmys will be affected by the writer’s strike, which robbed networks of some of its best programming. The Academy’s chairman John Shaffner is looking on the bright side, however; with fears mounting that audiences had turned to reality T.V. as a substitute for the scripted kind, the strike proved that people missed their Grey’s Anatomy and Lost. Insisting that the quality is now better than ever, Shaffner insists that he thinks it’s “unfair” to pit all this great programming against itself.

The nominations are coming on July 17th, followed by the ceremony itself in late September. The Hollywood Reporter estimates that a third of this year’s T.V. season was lost to the strike; how will the nominees reflect this? Many in the industry predict that premium cable channels might finally have an equal standing at the Emmys, when they’ve traditionally been passed over for network shows.

Predictions for the nominees will probably be accurate this year; Ray Richmond’s is typical. The lineup in Comedy looks pretty much the same as last year, with network shows lording over just a few cable offerings. But cable dominates Drama, with only House, Brothers & Sisters, and Friday Night Lights hailing from the big networks. If the Academy follows the popular formula, premium shows like Dexter might take home a statue or two.

But the rise of cable isn’t the biggest change coming to the Emmys this year. The Academy has decided to make room for “broadband content” - that is, shows created for and aired on the internet. Though they haven’t yet created any special categories just for these shows, they have carved out subheadings in some areas that will be a perfect fit for many internet productions. They’ve also encouraged online producers to submit their shows for consideration in “normal” categories as well, though the decision to go up against such massive competition is entirely theirs to make.

It’s a little early to start worrying about the votes yet, but for those who support an NBC Universal show - which includes those aired on other networks, like House - the company is providing free campaign buttons for anyone who requests one. Lemon/Donaghy ‘08!

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