Downton Abbey up for Emmy

By Mark Fordham

ITV's wartime drama Downton Abbey has been nominated for the main prize at the 2012 Primetime Emmys.

The show is up for best drama alongside Mad Men, Homeland, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire.

Its stars Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery have also been nominated in the best actor and actress categories respectively.

Mad Men is up for its fifth best drama award and if it successful it will have won in the category more often than any other TV programme.

The other programmes to have won four awards are Hill Street Blues LA Law and The West Wing.

Success for Downton Abbey this year at the awards ceremony will follow its four gongs picked up at last year's main event, including best miniseries.

Meanwhile, Modern Family tops the best comedy series bill alongside Curb Your Enthusiasm, Girls, 30 Rock, Veep and The Big Bang Theory.