Why It Should Be a Category: The Screen Actors Guild hands out ensemble awards for drama and comedy series, but there's no Emmy equivalent. Series like The Office and The Shield rely heavily on their full casts, and awards for lead and supporting actors can't possibly recognize every deserving performer. While we're at it, how about another category designed to spotlight one standout member of an ensemble cast?

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Battlestar Galactica and Weeds might pop up in the ensemble categories. For a bit player, how about Michael Paul Chan, who plays the excitable Lieutenant Tau on The Closer? His role isn't nearly large enough to qualify him as a regular supporting actor, but his brief appearances on the television screen enhance the show.

Why It Should Be a Category: This former category -- scrapped this year -- used to lump together: sketch show players; variety shows anchors; and hosts for special events (concerts, award ceremonies, and televised stand-up). Now, Saturday Night Live cast members are considered supporting comedy actors, which is an injustice to both groups. Dump that reality-show host award and give these people back their own category. Go one step further and split the variety category into two lists -- one each for males and females.

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Supporting comedy actress nominees Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig would certainly show up here, accompanied by male costars Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, and Seth Meyers. Oscar host Hugh Jackman would definitely get in as well.

Why It Should Be a Category: Though the best series categories are judged based on six selected episodes, the trophy goes to the season as a whole. Individual episodes are eligible for directing and writing commendations, but no award recognizes the best single half-hour (or hour) of television in a given season. The Emmys honor the best miniseries and television movie, so why shouldn't individual episodes be eligible?

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: The pilot of True Blood; series finales of The Shield and Battlestar Galactica; and an episode or two of The Office and 30 Rock. Shows with standout installments like Rescue Me could also pop up here.

Why It Should Be a Category: This year's nominees are a perfect example of why it's important to recognize new shows -- without their own category, they barely show up. Shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and The X-Files were shut out during their first years, only to be awarded many Emmys later in their runs. Here's one way to acknowledge them from the start.

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Better Off Ted; Fringe; The Mentalist; True Blood; and The United States of Tara.

Why It Should Be a Category: Spotlighting new shows with a promising future is one thing. What about those series that just didn't get the ratings but still earned critical praise? Forgotten series from past years like Raines and Women's Murder Club could certainly place here, and it's a great way to salute shows that could have worked but just didn't get the chance.

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Life on Mars would be a lock, and it might be joined by series like: The Beast; Eleventh Hour; Kings; and Privileged.

Why It Should Be a Category: The number of characters killed off in half a season of Prison Break and 24 alone could populate a football field. Highlight the most entertaining, stunning, shocking, and gross demises on television. Relegate the nominees to cast members with character names to weed out too many John Does; sorry, CSI.

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Vampire lovers on True Blood; beloved characters on 24; turncoat agents on NCIS; a tragic triple homicide on The Shield; and a few Cylons and humans on Battlestar Galactica.

Why It Should Be a Category: Actors win awards for playing specific characters, but how about flawlessly pulling off a Southern drawl? This category might be populated by Brits currently camping out on American television, and it would be a slap in the face to those actors -- like Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver on The Riches -- who viewers don't find terribly convincing.

Who Would Be Nominated This Year: Hugh Laurie (House) would be the reigning champion and be accompanied by: Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica); Damian Lewis (Life); and Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood). Anna Paquin (True Blood): in or out? You decide.