Newcomers scoop Emmy nominations

Maury McIntyre, president and COO of the Television Academy, makes opening remarks at the 66th Primetime Emmy nominations announcement on July 10, 2014, at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in the NoHo Arts District in Los Angeles. Picture: Brian Dowling, Invision for the Television Academy, via AP

Maury McIntyre, president and COO of the Television Academy, makes opening remarks at the 66th Primetime Emmy nominations announcement on July 10, 2014, at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in the NoHo Arts District in Los Angeles. Picture: Brian Dowling, Invision for the Television Academy, via AP

Published Jul 11, 2014

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Los Angeles - Television newcomers True Detective, a crime drama from HBO, and Orange Is The New Black, a dark prison comedy from Netflix, racked up a dozen Emmy nominations each on Thursday, challenging stalwarts like Breaking Bad and Modern Family.

Online streaming company Netflix more than doubled its nominations for TV's highest honours last year, reaching 31 with political thriller House of Cards earning 13 nods.

HBO's medieval thriller Game Of Thrones led all nominees with 19 and pushed the premium cable network's overall nods to 99, the most of any network for the 14th year in a row.

While cable and online streaming fared well, the broadcast networks were once again shut out of the top competition, best drama. AMC's drug tale Breaking Bad will compete there for its final season, along with the network's ad world drama Mad Men, House Of Cards, PBS's British period drama Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones and True Detective.

True Detective, which follows a sadistic crime spree in rural Louisiana, earned best actor in a drama nominations for both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, some of the biggest film stars to move into the thriving television industry.

In another cross-over from film, the Fargo mini-series, based on the cult movie from the Coen brothers and starring Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman, notched up 18 nominations, including best actor in a mini-series nods for those two men.

In the TV movie category, HBO's The Normal Heart, based on the true story of an early Aids activist in New York City, earned 16 nods, including a best actor nomination for Mark Ruffalo. - Reuters

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