As if you needed any more proof that the Emmys are a joke:

Best Comedy All five nominees from last year are back this year.
Best Drama Four of the five are repeaters, with The Sopranos taking Law & Order's place (the mob show wasn't eligible for awards last year based on when the new season started relative to the nomination deadline).
Best Actor - Comedy The most "diverse" group, as half of the nominated folks here weren't last year. Two are on shows up for best comedy (Eric McCormick and Larry David), with only Tony Shalhoub bringing in real fresh air for his performance in Monk
Best Actress - Comedy All five from last year return this year.
Best Actor - Drama Four of five returners, with James Gandolfini re-taking his spot for The Sopranos
Best Actress - Drama Three of five return, Edie Falco returns for The Sopranos, and Marg Helgenberger gets a nod for her work in the nominated drama CSI.

Not that this is a new phenomenon (see Bergen, Candace; Grammer, Kelsey; Hunt, Helen; Hyde-Pierce, David). I just wish that the voters were more able to nominate based on a given year of work rather than collective success/popularity. There's also the concern that the only channel to get new shows into the awards mix quickly is HBO, one that I'd share except that the lack of nominations for Arli$$ suggests at least a rudimentary threshold.