Outstanding Drama Series at the 59th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards

Every year, the award for Outstanding Drama Series has always been the most coveted. The contenders this year at the 59^th Annual Primetime Emmys include ABC's Boston Legal and Grey's Anatomy, NBC's new show Heroes, FOX's House, and previous winner, HBO's The Sopranos. Since the first award was given out in 1952, NBC holds the record for most wins, with 22, while ABC comes in with just 9. HBO and FOX, both contenders this year, have each only had one win.

Boston Legal, the ABC legal drama heading into its fourth season this fall, is no stranger to Emmy Award nominations. Created by David E. Kelley, the show that stars James Spader and William Shatner as witty and well-informed attorneys has been nominated for several Emmys and Golden Globe Awards in the past, having won the awards for both Outstanding Lead Actor (Spader) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Shatner) in a Drama Series in 2005. Average ratings have fallen overall, however, as the show's third season attracted nearly 3 million less viewers than its freshman season. Regardless, the show remains one of ABC's most influential shows, and based on past performances, it should definitely be regarded as a serious contender for Outstanding Drama Series this year.

The highest-rated medical dramedy in existence, Grey's Anatomy took the nation by storm two and a half years ago as a mid-season replacement for ABC. Since the show's premiere, it has been nominated for several awards, winning a Golden Globe in 2006 and becoming the People's Choice for Favorite TV Drama in 2007. To date it has not, however, won an Emmy Award for any of the categories that it has been nominated for. Having been a nominee for last year's Outstanding Drama Series award, the show lost to 24, which won the award for its most impressive season yet. This year, the show hopes to change that. With Boston Legal also in the running, ABC's chances of improving its records seem strong.