[July 22, 2011] The Modesto Bee, Calif., Pat Clark column Tweet Jul 22, 2011 (The Modesto Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- We're playing post-vacation catch-up this week, and it turns out some exciting stuff has been happening. Happily, we have plenty of readers to let us know when things need to be caught up on. And I really do mean happily. As we've discussed before, folks, if you don't tell us, we often don't know about it. Not always, but sometimes. And so it was last week when the Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Watching the announcements rebroadcast on the "Today" show, I almost jumped out of my soft little chair when Timothy Olyphant's name was announced in the category of lead dramatic actor. OK, so I actually did jump out of my soft little chair. It was kind of embarrassing, really, but I get awfully excited when our local performers get such national recognition. I quickly messaged my co-workers -- poor them, slaving away at work as I enjoyed time off -- to alert them to the nomination. Of course, they already either knew or soon would find out for themselves. Those lead-acting categories get plastered all over TV and the wires. But what doesn't make the "Today" show or the wires? Less high-profile categories. You know, outstanding achievement in casting, or best guest appearance, things like that. Oh, those categories are just as important, they just aren't as glitzy and talked about in the media as some of the others. As it turns out, our little neck of the woods not only has Olyphant vying for an Emmy this year, but two other folks in those two above-mentioned categories, as well. Ex-Modestan Robert Ulrich received his second Emmy nod for his work casting the Fox mega-hit "Glee," and Hilmar native Dot-Marie Jones received her first nomination for her acting work on that very same show. Not one, not two, but THREE Emmy nominees from the Modesto region? Yes, yes, things are good in entertainment editor land. Unfortunately, we didn't catch those last two nominees in our initial coverage. But we did have readers let us know about that. Some were quite understanding about it. Some, not quite so much. No matter the tone, we do appreciate the heads-up when things fall through the cracks. And don't worry, "Glee" fans, we will cover the Ulrich and Jones nominations with same oodles of excitement as we will Olyphant's nod. As a matter of a fact, it's pretty much a guarantee that there will be readers screaming "enough!" about the coverage we give these three nominees between now and the Sept. 18 Emmys telecast. I'm OK with that. There's no doubt in my mind that Ulrich, who has been nothing short of gracious and available to his hometown newspaper, again will happily discuss his latest achievement. And Olyphant, bless his high-profile heart, always has been willing to return our calls, too. Jones? Well, we're still hopeful. We know she's been really busy, but we kind of gave up trying a few months ago after repeated attempts to get her to talk to a reporter here about her then-new role on "Glee." Maybe some of those people who wrote in about her nomination could put a bug in her ear? A relative in the area, perhaps, who would like to see a story written about her? We'd love to chat with Jones about her work on "Glee" and, now, her Emmy nomination. Both are outstanding feats, and we couldn't be happier for her. Getting back to Olyphant's nomination, you didn't really think I'd let it go without a great big don't-make-me-say-I-told-you-so moment, did you? Because I did, you know. Tell you so. Couple of times, actually. The Beyer High School grad's work on "Justified" has been crazy-good in the two seasons that the drama's been on the air. The show itself certainly deserved a nomination, too, although it didn't get one -- this year. Olyphant also deserved this same nod from the Emmy folks last year, but, hey, it's OK, we'll take this one in its place. Now, if he could just win the prize. Along with Ulrich and Jones, perhaps? A Modesto-area trifecta -- how cool would that be? Reach Scene editor Pat Clark at [email protected]. To see more of The Modesto Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.modbee.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Modesto Bee, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]