Tuesday we looked at six worthy but unlikely nominees for best comedy series at the Emmys. Now, six long-shot dramas.

As I mentioned in the previous post, these aren't necessarily the six shows I would put up for the outstanding drama series award; I'm not going to quibble with likely nominees "Mad Men" and " Lost," for instance. And frankly, the drama field is probably as deep as it's ever been, so it's tough to crack into the top six.

The following shows, though, all had seasons that, in a perfect world or an expanded Emmy field, would be worth a nomination. Here they are, from what I consider to be the worst to best chances of nomination.

"Friday Night Lights": NBC's (and now DirecTV's too) beautifully made family-and-football drama has been criminally under-recognized for two years running now, and since it's now almost an afterthought on NBC, that will probably continue. And it's still a damn shame, because it's maybe the most emotionally honest show on TV.

"Battlestar Galactica": Sci-fi fans and critics have been hyping "BSG's" Emmy bona fides for several years now, to no avail. A polarizing series finale may not help its chances any either. Fans can still hold out hope for overdue acting noms for Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos.

"Breaking Bad": Bryan Cranston was a surprise winner for best lead actor in a drama at last year's Emmys. He, and the show, only got better this time around, but the crowded field and uneasy subject matter -- terminally ill chemistry teacher turns meth cooker to provide for his family -- may leave it on the outside.

"Rescue Me": I have to admit I fell off the "Rescue Me" bandwagon in season four. But I have to agree with my colleague Korbi -- the show about New York firefighters has really found its way back this season, and has been consistently strong throughout.

"In Treatment": It's not always easy to watch this series about a therapist ( Gabriel Byrne) and his troubled patients. But Byrne is riveting in the lead role, and the cumulative effect of it after watching multiple episodes is kind of astounding. Alas, that's not how the Emmy system really works, so "In Treatment" remains a bit of a longshot for a series nod.

"The Shield": Vic Mackey and Co. broke barriers for basic cable at the Emmys way back in 2002 with Michael Chiklis' best actor victory, but it hasn't won an award since then. A brilliantly intense final season -- and one of the best series finales of the past decade -- should change that, but I'm not convinced it will come nomination time on Thursday.

Your thoughts on the potential drama snubs? What would you really like to see in the field?