'Hugh' and Cry

I did a search for House in the list of Emmy nominees announced Thursday morning and found Showtime’s House of Lies and ABC’s Desperate Housewives, but no House and no Hugh Laurie. There was a “Hugh” nominated for best actor, but it was Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey.

Nothing against any of the nominees who did get the nods, or, for that matter, whoever won instead of Jackie Gleason for The Honeymooners way back when or Martin Sheen for West Wing a little less way back when-that was usually Dennis Franz, and I love Dennis Franz. But, come on, Laurie’s character has been a tour de force and brought a cable drama-like edge to a broadcast drama, and we know how Emmy loves cable dramas.

Laurie has won two Golden Globes and two SAG awards for the role because, well, those organizations recognized what was as clear as the real diagnosis in a House case in the last 90 seconds of each episode — Laurie was riveting. Yes, the show was as predictable within its set-up as Perry Mason, but it was brilliantly written, and Laurie was brilliant in it.

Night Court was no M*A*S*H, but John Larroquette managed to take home four statues for it.

House is over after eight seasons and so is the Academy’s chance to rectify a 0-for-8 record in recognizing a groundbreaking role by a nearly peerless actor.