Long-gone legal drama This Is Wonderland has the edge going into the 21st annual Gemini Awards, with a total of 12 nominations, including nods for best dramatic series and best female lead for Cara Pifko. Science drama ReGenesis, from The Movie Network and Movie Central, follows with 10 noms.

Pifko, who portrayed young lawyer Alice De Raey for three seasons on Wonderland, is one of the nominees expected to make an appearance at the main gala, which will be held in British Columbia for the first time at Vancouver’s River Rock Resort Theatre on Nov. 4. Pifko won a Gemini for the same role last year.

Wonderland’s Michael Murphy has his third nod in a supporting role after a win as Judge Fraser last year. Michael Riley, who earned best leading actor honors in 2005 for his portrayal of Elliot Sacks, is surprisingly absent from the nominee list this year.

‘It’s always nice to be recognized by your peers… and to have people that have put so much energy and dedication into a show be recognized as well,’ says Wonderland executive producer Bernie Zukerman, who admits to hesitating, at first, about submitting the show for any awards because its life was over. CBC cancelled the series in February.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television announced the nominations in Toronto on Aug. 29. With the exception of Wonderland, all of the dramatic series nominees air on specialties or pay-TV. Wonderland and ReGenesis, which has five nominations in performance categories, are up against Showcase’s aboriginal series Moccasin Flats, and Slings & Arrows and Terminal City, both on TMN/MC.

CBC news magazine the fifth estate has nine nods – six less than last year – as does the miniseries Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, which stirred some controversy over its depiction of former Saskatchewan premier Jimmy Gardiner.

Following with seven nominations each are the CTV MOW One Dead Indian, CBC’s six-part Ken Finkleman satire At the Hotel and Slings & Arrows.

Brent Butt and the crew from CTV’s Corner Gas are back this year in the best comedy category, after the show recorded its first win last year. Corner Gas is up against another CTV original, Jeff Ltd., for its debut season.

Rounding out the best comedy nominees are History Television’s History Bites, Showcase’s Kenny vs. Spenny and Naked Josh, and CBC’s The Rick Mercer Report.

Showcase’s Trailer Park Boys, however, was snubbed for a second straight year after winning in 2004.

Muse Entertainment’s Human Trafficking and the Ceeb’s Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making are up against Prairie Giant in the best miniseries category.

On the nonfiction side, Peter Mansbridge (CBC News: The National) and Norma Lee MacLeod (CBC News at Six: Halifax) are competing against only Global’s Kevin Newman for best news anchor honors, while in the best newscast category, The National is up against CHUM’s CityNews at Six and Global National.

Distinctly absent is CTV News, which announced at the end of June it will refrain from taking part in the Gemini Awards’ news categories amid concerns about the impartiality of voting, which traditionally favors CBC.

‘I certainly think it is unfortunate that CTV News has chosen not to participate this year,’ says Paul Gratton, chair of ACCT. ‘We were aware of some of the concerns they had… we went to significant lengths about two years ago to actually modify the voting method for nominations.’

Gratton says that, at that time, participants in the news category, including CTV, signed off on a list of specific Academy members who were deemed acceptable as voters. ‘The final voters had very specific procedures that would ensure they saw all the nominated shows,’ he explains.

Concerns that the news jury is made up of a majority representing one network is a ‘myth,’ according to Gratton, who says the Academy is open to listening to CTV News’ concerns to make ‘the appropriate adjustments.’

Galas for the News, Documentary and Sports; Lifestyle, Children’s and Youth; and Drama, Comedy and Variety shows take place Oct. 16, 17 and 18 in Toronto, ahead of the main gala in B.C.

www.geminiawards.ca