Emmys: TV academy chairman John Shaffner has designs on Conan O'Brien's new show

July 8, 2010 4:57 PM ET

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Chairman/CEO John Shaffner has a special reason for being very glad that Conan O'Brien got an Emmy nomination for "The Tonight Show" on Thursday (July 8). (Jay Leno, as you may have read on Zap2it, did not).

Seems he did the production design for "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" and is now -- with his longtime partner Joe Stewart -- doing the job for Conan's new TBS series, which launches in the fall.

"I personally love Conan," Shaffner says, adding (with a big grin) "I'm going to meet with Conan at 10:30 this morning and I can't wait to get to that meeting."

Shaffner and Stewart have been nominated 32 times for Primetime and Daytime Emmys. They also do production design for two of our fave (and snubbed) sitcoms, "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory."

At least "Bang" star Jim Parsons got an acting nod. Otherwise, heads would have rolled!

Shaffner also talks about his hopes for the Emmy telecast on Aug. 29, saying it will "celebrate the year in television" -- both the nominated shows and fan favorites that were left out of the running.

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Here's the complete Emmy nomination list and more Emmy nomination news and views.

And watch our Zap2it leader, Joseph Kapsch, on KTLA talking with Sam Rubin about the Emmy Nominations.

Video credit: Elizabeth Snead/KTLA

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