We're talking about "Will & Grace's" Debra Messing, who has never taken home the golden statuette, and Courteney Cox-Arquette - the only "Friends" cast member who has never even received an Emmy nomination.

This year - as in last year, when Jennifer Aniston won the Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy - the "Friends" have put themselves into contention as series leads, elevating themselves from their historic we're-all-supporting- players stance. That means that if Academy of Television Arts and Sciences voters decide to recognize Courteney's contribution, she'll almost certainly be in a showdown with Messing, who unaccountably keeps coming home empty-handed despite multiple nominations.

And that is certainly not all. In this tough category, we'll probably see "Everybody Loves Raymond's" Patricia Heaton among the nominees. As one network exec put it, Heaton, already a double winner, is "always nominated." Then there's double winner Sarah Jessica Parker, likely to be nominated again for "Sex and the City." And Fox's Jane Kaczmarek from "Malcolm in the Middle" shouldn't be taken lightly; she had a huge season, no pun intended, being pregnant on the show as well as in real life - and she's been nominated twice without winning. Bonnie Hunt is loved by the industry and might have a shot as well. And don't count out "Less Than Perfect" star Sara Rue to be among the list of nominees.

The supporting category isn't much easier for comedy actresses, given that it includes multiple winner Megan Mullally from "Will & Grace," Doris Roberts of "Everybody Loves Raymond," and the rest of the "Sex and the City" gals.

It'll be a while before any answers are forthcoming. The Emmy nominations ballots are now out, and nominations won't be announced until July 17 for the Sept. 21 awards.