That sound you hear is the sound of Hollywood taking a deep breath in and preparing to hold it until the Emmy nominations roll out tomorrow morning. Seriously, some actors won't breathe until the show is over.
While the stars and creative teams of our favorite shows gird their loins, we wanted to take this time to make our predictions for the major categories, you know, just in case the TV Academy wants to take a look at our list and make last-minute changes. Plus, our very own Kristin Dos Santos gives her expert picks, and looks pretty doing it. We would also like to reiterate that these predictions are not necessarily lined up with who we think should be or deserves to be nominated, which we will certainly discuss after the Emmy announcements are made. So stay tuned for that!
COMEDY
Best Series: 30 Rock, Girls, Louie, Modern Family, New Girl, Parks and Recreation
Lead Actor: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Louis C.K. (Louie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Johnny Galecki (Big Bang Theory), Ed Helms (The Office), Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory)
Lead Actress: Laura Dern (Enlightened), Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Amy Poehler (Parks and Rec)
Supporting Actor: Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Supporting Actress: Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Jane Lynch (Glee), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Maya Rudolph (Up All Night), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
DRAMA
Best Series: Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Mad Men
Lead Actor: Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House), Damian Lewis (Homeland), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)
Lead Actress: Glenn Close (Damages), Claire Danes (Homeland), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
Supporting Actor: Josh Charlies (The Good Wife), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Walton Goggins (Justified), John Slattery (Mad Men)
Supporting Actress: Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Your turn! Give us your predictions in the comments, and we'll see you tomorrow for more 2012 Emmys coverage!