Mad Men Aims for Emmy History

Should AMC's Mad Men snag tonight's Best Drama Emmy, it'll be the first basic cable show to walk away with the honor, reports Susan King in the LA Times—but the set-in-the-'60s show isn't a shoe-in, even with its 16 noms. "Emmy votors are notorious for shying away from period-based series," writes King, and it's up against faves like Lost and House. Keep your eye on that race, along with these:

• 30 Rock and its so-so ratings go for a second-straight Emmy for Best Comedy series.
• American Idol tries to take the cake from Amazing Race, which has won the Competitive Reality Show category every year since it was created
• HBO's John Adams, up for Best Miniseries, "could make history of its own" thanks to 23 Emmy noms .

(More Emmy Awards stories.)