67th Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations Revealed: 7 Series Compete For Outstanding Drama

Cat Deeley and Uzo Aduba announced the major nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmys on Thursday morning from the Pacific Design Center.

Game of Thrones led the pack with an impressive 24 nods, and in close second was American Horror Story: Freak Show with 20.

Check out a list of the major nominees below:

Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men
Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schrieber, Ray Donovon
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Robin Wright, House of Cards

NEWS: Linsey Godfrey, Ray Liotta, Katherine Heigl, Jonny Labey

'The Bold and The Beautiful' actress Linsey Godfrey: "I'm so grateful to be alive" after being hit by a car
Both ankles were dislocated and the bones in one leg pierced through her skin. Yet she was lucky. Had she frozen rather than run, Linsey says, she "wouldn’t be here today".

Despite the pain, her first thoughts were of Aleda. "I remember thinking that I had to breastfeed my baby," she recalls. "I’d only just dashed out and was planning to go straight back to feed her."

'EastEnders' newcomer Jonny Labey: "Paul is excited by Ben"
New EastEnders regular Paul Coker arrives in Walford with a bang next week, surprising his grandparents Les and Pam by turning up on Albert Square unexpectedly. Paul's early scenes on the Square see him catch the eye of Ben Mitchell, as well as uncovering a family secret when he realizes that something is going on between Les and Claudette Hubbard.

"He's a bit of a troublemaker," says Labey. "He's come back from his travels as he's been in Turkey, so in the first episodes I'm ridiculously tanned! Paul also stirs up a few touchy subjects. He causes a bit of mischief."

'Orange Is the New Black' Season 3 Will Be About Faith and Motherhood, Lighter Than Season 2
The new season will be lighter than previous ones but will still combine drama and comedy. (“Orange” competed as a comedy in last year’s Emmys, but the TV Academy ruled that it would be considered in the drama category.)

“It’s very important to me to play in both worlds because I don’t think anything is all serious or all humorous,” creator Jenji Kohan said. “I remember watching dramas and thinking when there was no humor or no comic relief that they didn’t reflect any sort of reality because there’s no such thing as life without humor. (But) you need a dramatic spine to hold it together.”

Ray Liotta on Cowboys, Texas Rising, and His Problem with Hollywood: The star of the new historical miniseries opens up about his latest role (not as a mobster)
"I've only done two mob movies, so it's not so much that I'm getting typecast as those things. Just like I've never been in a fight my whole life. I starred on a soap opera [Another World] and played the nicest guy in the world, a really principled, really religious type. I've been lucky, I have done different things, but Westerns weren't one of them. I've been out there, but you've got to show them. It's a catch-22, not just for me but for the majority of actors out there. They do a lot of different roles, but they get pigeonholed in certain things. Playing pretend is a great way to make a living, but this business sucks."

It's Time for Katherine Heigl to Return to 'Grey's Anatomy,' and Here's Why
She wouldn’t even have to return full-time, either. She could suture any old wounds with just a short stint — a scenario to Katherine Heigl Grey's Anatomywhich she was open as recently as 2012. “If they want me to return for an arc, I would love to know where Izzie is now,” she told TVLine at that time. “It’s been a couple of years. I really hope she’s succeeding somewhere.”

NEWS: "Anti-Game of Thrones" Death; Hursley Grandson Visits 'General Hospital'; Thaao Penghlis Back to 'GH'; Univision For Sale?

Finale Postmortem: Director Breaks Down the "Anti-Game of Thrones" Death
[WARNING: The following contains spoilers from the Season 4 finale of Game of Thrones. Read at your own risk!]

On Sunday's big finale, several characters bit the dust, but no one died with less dignity than Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), who perished while on the toilet after being shot by his son Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) with a crossbow.

"Tywin's death is the anti-Game of Thrones death in that it's very simple," director Alex Graves tells TVGuide.com. "There's a guy sitting down and rather [than] it being how much blood or how much gore or how shocking it was, it's actually about how futile and humiliating it is that this pillar of strength and arrogance who has had an enormous purpose in the War of the Five Kings is killed on the toilet, a death he would not be happy with."

Cinemax nabs war drama 'Signal'
Signal, which counts Ben Silverman as an exec producer, will look inside the clandestine world of military contracting during the Iraq/Afghanistan war.

George Takei, 'Orange is the New Black,' 'Amores Verdaderos' Among 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City

TV icon and LGBT advocate George Takei received the Vito Russo Award at Saturday night's 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City, the award was presented by Stafford Arima, director of the upcoming Broadway musical Allegiance starring Takei.

Global superstar Kylie Minogue performed at the show, as did Grammy Award-winning singer Kacey Musgraves, the first country star to perform at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in New York:

Vito Russo Award: George Takei
Outstanding Film - Limited Release: Concussion (RADiUS-The Weinstein Company)
Outstanding Comedy Series: Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character): "Snow Angels" Elementary(CBS)
Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Philomena (The Weinstein Company)

'Orange Is the New Black' Season 2 Trailer Released

Lorraine Toussaint

Lock up your screwdrivers and hide the pie! Netflix has released the new official trailer for the upcoming second season of its original series Orange Is the New Black, premiering with all 13 episodes on Friday, June 6 in all territories where Netflix is available.

The trailer includes new inmate Vee played by Lorraine Toussaint (Dr. Watkins on The Young and the Restless).

Watch the trailer below as well as special "3 Words" promo to find out what the cast has to say about the upcoming second season.

25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Winners: THE FOSTERS, DAYS OF OUR LIVES

The 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, was the first of two annual showcases in which GLAAD announces the winners of its annual awards. The second slate of winners -- including outstanding comedy series -- will be announced May 3 in New York.

Below is a complete list of Saturday's winners follows:

· Pioneer Award: Norman Lear (presented by Wilson Cruz)

· Vanguard Award: Jennifer Lopez (presented by Rita Moreno)

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Season 2 Premieres June 6; Netflix Releases Teaser

Viewers who binged on the second season of HOUSE OF CARDS were rewarded with some good news about another acclaimed Netflix series.

As first reported by Buzzfeed, the season finale of of the Kevin Spacey drama concluded with an ad announcing that the second season of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK will premiere June 6.

A 15-second clip teasing the upcoming season was also released Saturday. Watch it below:

NEWS: How the Daytime Soap Came Back; New DAYS Role; CW Orders Pilots; Melissa Claire Egan; Walt Willey; Roache Closing Argument

How the Daytime Soap Came Back From the Dead
Tim Teeman from The Daily Beast writes: "It’s the best soap arc itself: from the jaws of death—the number of daytime soaps on air has shrunk from 12 in 1998 to 4 today—to vivacious life, with the current quartet commanding impressive audiences and fierce loyalty."

"After a flood of cancellations, the critics crowed the daytime soap was finished. In fact, the surviving quartet have just been renewed and are enjoying increased audiences. Who's watching, and why?"

DAYS OF OUR LIVES casting new role
DAYS is seeking an actor to play someone who sounds like a cross between EJ and Chad. "Fletcher" is described as a 25 to 32 year old "GORGEOUS CAUCASIAN MALE. Must be at least 6'. Confident, Charismatic, powerful, dynamic. His dry wit and breathtaking looks make him irresistible to the ladies. He is a master in the boardroom and bedroom. Men want to be him. Underneath it all though, is a good man with a heart of gold." The role is contract.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Star Michelle Hurst Kept In Medically-Induced Coma For More Than Two Weeks After Car Accident

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK star Michelle Hurst (Miss Claudette) was kept in a medically-induced coma for more than two weeks after being involved in a car accident over the holidays, and is now recovering, according to some of her castmates.

A fundraising page launched via www.youcaring.com notes that Hurst is in the intensive care unit at UNC Chapel Hill Hospital in North Carolina.

"Michelle Hurst was in a bad car accident just before the holidays," the post reads. "She had major injuries so the doctors put her in a medically induced coma to avoid movement while they did multiple surgeries near her spine. She is out of the coma (after 16 days) and has opened her eyes!"

All donations made through the website will go to Hurst's sister to cover her medical expenses and time off work, according to Hurst's page.

Many of Hurst's OITNB co-stars have been sharing the link to her YouCaring page on social media.

"Michelle Hurst, aka "Miss Claudette", was injured in a very bad car accident. More info @ fundraising page," wrote Piper Kerman, who authored the memoir upon which the series is based. Added Natasha Lyonne: "Please give what you can to help Michelle Hurst - the amazing actress who plays Ms. Claudette on OITNB," along with a link to the page.

2014 Writers Guild Awards Nominations Revealed

Nominations for the 2014 Writers Guild Awards were announced Thursday for achievement in TV, new media, news, radio, promotional writing, and graphic animation. Check out the list below:

TELEVISION NOMINEES

DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives, Written by Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Christopher Dunn, Janet Iacobuzio, David A. Levinson, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Melissa Salmons, Christopher J. Whitesell; NBC
General Hospital, Written by Michelle Altman, Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Jean Passanante, Elizabeth Page, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten; ABC
The Young and the Restless, Associate Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Tracey Thomson; Written by Amanda Beall, Jeff Beldner, Brent Boyd, Susan Dansby, Janice Ferri Esser, Jay Gibson, Beth Milstein, Lisa Seidman, Natalie Minardi Slater, Anne Schoettle, Linda Schreiber, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS

The Paley Center for Media Announces the Inaugural Launch of "PaleyFest: Made in NY"

The Paley Center for Media and the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment will present the first annual PaleyFest: Made in NY on October 2-6 at the Paley Center in New York. For thirty years, The Paley Center for Media has presented the iconic PaleyFest in Los Angeles - the premier television festival in the country. PaleyFest: Made in NY builds on this history, reputation, and dedicated community, giving an audience of avid media consumers the opportunity to connect with leading creators - and one another - and have meaningful dialogue around quality programming and content. Confirmed panel events include the casts and creators of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, ELEMENTARY, THE AMERICANS, SMALL EMPIRES WITH ALEXIS OHANIAN, THE OUTS and BOARDWALK EMPIRE.

NEWS: Twitter Testing 'TV Trending' Feature; P&G's Is Russia's Biggest TV Advertiser

Twitter Testing 'TV Trending' Feature
As a part of an effort to encourage users to follow tweets while watching TV, Twitter is currently testing a new "TV Trending" feature highlighting the most discussed shows in real time for some members.

Trending shows appear as Twitter cards located at the top of your timeline, along with information and top tweets about the programming.

SWITCHED AT BIRTH's Cassi Thomson Replaces Ashley Tisdale in Nicolas Cage Pic Left Behind
Left Behind also stars Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray and Jordin Sparks. Cage is playing the pilot of a jumbo jet, trying to calm his hysterical passengers. Thomson is portraying his daughter trying to find her mother and brother in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Sparks portrays a passenger.

Laura Prepon Is Leaving ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (For Now, At Least)
Prepon will come back for a limited number of episodes in the show’s 13-episode second season in order to resolve her story. And the door will be left often for her to return in the future. But the actress did not sign a contract tying her to the show for the upcoming season.

NEWS: Soap Springs Eternal; Moonves on Broadcast Dramas at the Emmys; Jurnee Smollett Joins PARENTHOOD; Web Series Creators; Casey Moss; 24

Soap Springs Eternal: ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and the sweetly human act of caring about fictional characters
"TV has gotten more sophisticated since daytime was popular, and we have gotten more sophisticated in our viewing habits, but deep concern for fictitious human beings is still a major part of the TV-watching experience. This is another thing that soap operas bequeathed us: intimate, long-term relationships with make-believe people. We may mock the soap-opera watcher for her bad taste, but we and our good taste spend an awful lot of time dissecting the psychology of Omar Little, imagining Carrie Mathison’s future, obsessing about Don Draper’s past. Soap operas remind me that I’m lucky TV has gotten better—not because I wouldn’t have watched and cared if it were bad, but because I would have watched and cared anyway. Lesser stories are still stories. In the heart of most snobs is also someone who just wants to know what happens next. I wish AMC and OLTL luck on their space flight."

CBS chief: Hard for THE GOOD WIFE to beat GAME OF THRONES at Emmys
“I don’t think we’re the bastard child of the entertainment business,” the CBS chief said, though later he seemed to sympathize with the overall point Greenblatt was making: “They’re competing against some phenomenal programs,” he said. “It’s hard to put THE GOOD WIFE up against GAME OF THRONES. It probably costs three times as much [to make and is given] three times as long to shoot. It’s a brilliant show and I love it as much as anyone. [But cable shows] get a lot more attention for a lot fewer numbers.”

Emmy Nominee Carrie Preston Poised to Return in Season 5 of THE GOOD WIFE
Fresh off her long-overdue Emmy nomination for playing Elsbeth Tascioni, Preston is nearing a deal to return to the CBS drama in Season 5. To date, she has appeared in nine episodes.

James LeGros joins REVENGE
LeGros, who most recently appeared on HBO's hit series GIRLS, is set to join the ABC sudser in the recurring role of Father Paul when it returns in September. Father Paul will be introduced to viewers after Emily (Emily VanCamp) seeks him out; he also has ties to the Grayson family...never a good thing in the Hamptons!

NEWS: Lesbians Are Having the Best Summer Ever on TV; The Evolution of the TV Lawyer; BREAKING BAD Documentary; NBC Says "Flat Is The New Up"

Lesbians Are Having the Best Summer Ever on TV
"We're at a point now where tokenism or generic representation isn't enough. What's special about this summer is the range of lesbian characters we're seeing on TV: from super femme to super butch, Kinsey sixes and Kinsey ones, monogamous and non-monogamous, young and old. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK is the new high-water mark for shows with prominent lesbian characters."

RAY DONOVAN Executive Producer Bryan Zuriff Pleads Guilty In Gambling Ring Tied To Russian Mob, Faces 5 Years In Prison
Days after Showtime picked up his freshman drama for a second season, the series’ executive producer Bryan Zuriff has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling operation. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement today from New York that Zuriff faces up to five years in prison and has agreed to forfeit $500,000 as part of his plea deal, according to the statement.

NBC’s Bob Greenblatt: “flat is the new up”
NBC Entertainment boss Bob Greenblatt called this “the year of improvement” for the Peacock network. NBC had its most competitive 18-49 season in nine years, he noted, with no help from Super Bowl or Olympics.
“Flat is the new

Fiona Ogilvy, 45th in line to the throne, will appear on DOWNTON ABBEY
The granddaughter of the Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra of Kent, is joining the popular TV series. According to U.K.'s Daily Express, the 18-year-old will be an extra in the upcoming season and has already filmed with Maggie Smith (who plays Dowager Countess of Grantham) and Hugh Bonneville (Earl of Grantham on the show).

NEWS ROUNDUP: Stockard Channing Joins THE GOOD WIFE. Plus, Kate Mulgrew, Tina Sloan, Shonda Rhimes, Jessica Capshaw, AnnaLynne McCord

Four more reasons to cheer for soaps
The success of REVENGE is one big reason that Roger Newcomb and his team at WeLoveSoaps.net are declaring the rest of 2012 as "The Year of the Soap."

GUIDING LIGHT alum Tina Sloan in Wichita
Tina Sloan, left, introduces herself to Nancy Koeppel, center, and Karen Nelson, before speaking at an author's talk at Watermark Books.

Kate Mulgrew joins the new Netflix drama ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
The show centers on Piper (Taylor Schilling), an engaged Brooklynite whose decade-old relationship with a drug-runner (Laura Prepon) in college results in her arrest and multi-year detention in a federal penitentiary. Mulgrew will play Red, a Russian prisoner who runs the kitchen and serves as a mother figurehead for the women.