Fox’s smash-hit, hip-hop drama “Empire” and old favorites “Big Bang Theory” and “The Good Wife” were elbowed out of the Emmy race on Thursday, while the Television Academy nominated a slew of new shows and actors for awards. The popular young-adult romantic comedy “Jane the Virgin” was also snubbed while Amazon’s transgender comedy “Transparent,” and AMC’s “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul” were among the newcomers making the grade. Despite attracting some 17 million viewers for its season finale in March, Empire’s tale of a family in the cutthroat world of the recording and entertainment industry was left out of the prestigious best drama series category.
