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The decision to have “Desperate Housewives” compete as a comedy series at the Golden Globe Awards reaped handsome rewards Monday.

ABC’s freshman hit earned five nominations Monday, the most of any single program in the TV categories for the 62nd annual Golden Globes.

In addition to a nod for best comedy series, the show picked up acting nominations for Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Nicolette Sheridan.

The TV nominations offered their usual unpredictability, with several past favorites failing to make the cut this year. HBO’s “Sex and the City” received only two nominations for its swan song – one for best comedy and one for star Sarah Jessica Parker. A tough-talking criminal from an HBO series was nominated for best actor in a drama, but it wasn’t James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos; it was Ian McShane of “Deadwood.”

As is becoming the norm at awards shows, HBO led all networks with 20 total nominations, including two each for best comedy (“Sex and the City,” “Entourage”) and best drama (“Deadwood,” “The Sopranos”).

ABC was second with nine nominations, and FX, which has three of its stars – Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”) and Julian McMahon (“Nip/Tuck”) competing for best actor in a drama – picked up six to place third. NBC and Showtime each had four nominations.

Without Gandolfini, the competition for lead actor in a drama (Emmy winner James Spader of “Boston Legal” is the fifth nominee) is wide open.

The two best series categories, too, seem like a crapshoot. The hourlong “Housewives” is competing for best comedy with “Sex and the City” (off the air for nearly a year), “Arrested Development” (Emmy-winning but low-rated), “Entourage” (not seen by many people) and “Will & Grace” (five nominations, no wins).

In the best drama category, “The Sopranos” may be a more clear favorite. Fox’s “24” won last year in the absence of HBO’s flagship series but had what many critics consider to be its weakest season in 2003-04. ABC’s other freshman hit, “Lost,” and FX’s over-the-top “Nip/Tuck” round out the category with “Deadwood.”

Nominees for best actor in a musical or comedy were Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development”; Zach Braff, “Scrubs”; Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; Matt LeBlanc, “Joey”; Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”; Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men.”

Along with Cross, Hatcher, Huffman and Parker, Debra Messing of “Will & Grace” rounded out the musical/comedy actress nominees.

Nominated for best actress in a drama series were Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”; Jennifer Garner, “Alias”; Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”; Christine Lahti, “Jack & Bobby”; and Joely Richardson, “Nip/Tuck.”