Emmy nominations: ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ lead the pack

The Emmy nominations for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced on Thursday, with few surprises in the dramas leading the pack.

The popular "Mad Men and the miniseries "American Horror Story" each garnered 17 nominations, and the British soap opera "Downton Abbey" was not far behind with 16 nominations, according to CBS News.

"Mad Men" which has won the best drama award four times and is tied with "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law" and "The West Wing" for that honor, received a fifth nomination in that category. CBS News noted that it could set a new record as the most-honored drama in TV history.

The New York Times noted the absence of all four major broadcasters in the outstanding drama series category, for the first time ever. The Times said, "Continuing a trend of recent years, the nominations reflected the gradual drift of top writers, producers and actors to cable."

The best drama series category saw nominations for "Mad Men," "Downton Abbey," "Breaking Bad," "Homeland," "Boardwalk Empire," and "Game of Thrones," according to ABC News.

The Los Angeles Times noted that several big screen stars, including Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange, were also nominated for their work on the small screen.

The LA Times noted that the nominations indicate "a shift that underscores the medium's growing appeal to film stars who hunger for meaty roles that are harder to come by in youth-oriented Hollywood."

Here is the entire list, via of ABC News.