Creative control

The Creative Arts Emmys recognize directors, cinematographers, editors, art directors and the wide variety of artists and professionals that create the shows we love. Next week, we'll have our picks for the prime-time telecast Emmys (which airs live on September 18), but this week we're taking on a handful of the most noteworthy Creative Arts categories—that ceremony is a week earlier, on Sunday 11. Sadly, E! is waiting a week to air that show—all those reruns of Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive pushed the Creative Arts Emmys to September 17. Sorry, noncelebrities. And the nominees are...

Animated ProgramFamily Guy, Samurai Jack, The Simpsons, South Park, SpongeBob SquarePants

Last year, Samurai Jack took home top honors, but we're pulling for Family Guy. What better way to celebrate the miraculous return of the brilliant and bawdy Griffins? And if you think pitting SpongeBob against Cartman is a bit unfair, remember that animated shows can choose to compete by medium or by content—that is, as animation or comedies or dramas. Cartman against Ray Romano? Now we're talking.

Casting: Comedy
Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Scrubs, Will & Grace

Casting is a delicate and criminally underappreciated art. We have to tip our hat to Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken and Meredith Tucker, who brilliantly cast Entourage. The show balances its fictional and realistic elements so well that we believe Jeremy Piven and Debi Mazar don't exist in Hollywood but remember that Jimmy Kimmel and Jessica Alba do.

Casting: Drama
Deadwood, Grey's Anatomy, House, Lost, Nip/Tuck, 24

Amy Lippens cast Hugh Laurie as Dr. House, and she richly deserves both a raise and an Emmy. While Nip/Tuck is a close second, and Deadwood is a contender in any category, House demonstrates the best examples of core and guest casting. Laurie is a revelation, and the rest of the regular cast is as natural and charismatic as any on television. Lippens really knocks our socks off with the guest casting, though: Stacy Edwards, Sela Ward, John Cho, Ever Carradine and Scott Foley all fit seamlessly into episodic roles.

Costumes
Alias, Carnivale, Deadwood, Desperate Housewives, Six Feet Under

Nominations are made based on a specific episode, rather than a full season. We'd have gone with Alias, but its nominated episode, "Tuesday," wasn't all that impressive costume-wise (it's the Sydney-in-a-coffin episode). Our pick is Carnivale. The "Road to Damascus" episode—in which Ben and Sofie's wild sexytime causes a rainstorm—includes a variety of outfits for characters from a cheap, seedy circus, including our favorite, an intentionally cut-rate half-man, half-woman costume. Different designers won for Carnivale's dust-bowl carny gear last year, too.

Main Title Design
Desperate Housewives, The Grid, House, Huff, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Desperate Housewives's opening sequence of bizarre animation is simply mesmerizing. For a big, campy soap, DH sure loves its brainy roots, and the title design—which includes images of Adam and Eve, American Gothic, pinup girls and Cleopatra—reflects that. The zippy music and highly stylized graphics fit perfectly with the tone of the show.