'Family Guy' gets top comedy nomination

The Emmy Award nominees were announced Thursday morning and at least one show was a surprise: "Family Guy."

FOX's "Family Guy" is the first animated series to be nominated as top comedy series since 1961 when "The Flintstones" were in the running for the award. E! Online points out that FOX's other animated show "The Simpsons" has never been up for Outstanding Comedy Series (though the show has won many Emmys for animated series).

Creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane wanted his show to be nominated in the comedy category, rather than the animated category.

"We don't produce our show the way 'SpongeBob' does," MacFarlane said to Variety in May . "We're much more analogous to traditional sitcoms. Our writers don't come from animation; they come from comedies. I hear people all the time tell me that they love 'The Office,' '30 Rock' and our show. Then why are we not all competing in the same world?"

MacFarlane seems to have gotten his wish.

The LA Times writes that two things helped its nomination: first, there are are only a few strong comedies; and second, the category has been expanded to seven nominees. The blog Defamer , though, is simply offended by the nomination. (Warning graphic language used.)

"Family Guy" will be competing against NBC's "30 Rock" and "The Office," HBO's "Entrourage" and "Flight of the Concords," CBS's "How I Met Your Mother," and Showtime's "Weeds." The 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, is scheduled for Sept. 20.