HOLLYWOOD — It was supposed to be six but turned out to be seven. And you know what? Seven is better.

Earlier this year, the Academy of Television Arts&Sciences announced it would expand the number of nominees in the best series and acting categories from five to six.

But ties for the sixth spot (apparently a rock, paper, scissors situation is out of the question) put seven shows in competition for outstanding comedy and drama and resulted in two lists that are, by comparison to previous years, anyway, startlingly wise and even inspired.

This might be due to the welcome inclusion of Showtime’s “Weeds” and HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords” in comedy and “Big Love” (also HBO) and “Dexter” (also Showtime) in drama. (Emmy voters, apparently, finally have begun to watch television.) But it also seems to explain the reason why seven is perceived as a luckier number than six.

With seven, you can pull a cut-and-paste from last year — oh, look, there’s “30 Rock” (NBC), “The Office” (NBC), “House” (Fox) and “Mad Men” (AMC) — while still raising a few cheers and eyebrows. With the inclusion of Fox’s “Family Guy,” you can do both.

Seven is a large enough number to make the list interesting and inclusive (who says excellence is synonymous with high-brow?), but not so large as to push it into an embarrassing every-kid-gets-a-trophy rite.

You see the difference seven makes when you glance at the acting categories, which all have only six. The addition of one extra slot gave us a few new names, including Simon Baker (for “The Mentalist,” CBS), Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”), Sarah Silverman (Comedy Central’s “The Sarah Silverman Program”) and Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS). But even so, each list bears a disheartening similarity to last year’s. (I am not even going to mention the numbing presence of Mariska Hargitay, who got her sixth nomination for NBC’s “Law&Order: Special Victims Unit,” and Tony Shalhoub, who received his seventh for USA’s “Monk” because I don’t need the e-mails.)

If there had been seven nominees, perhaps voters could have included Denis Leary, who has totally rocked this season on “Rescue Me,” or Chloe Sevigny, ditto on “Big Love.” Jeanne Tripplehorn got a nod for her turn as Jackie O. in “Grey Gardens,” but how can you nominate “Big Love” for best series and not nominate any of the actors?

And what about the passing of giants, including “ER,” “The Shield,” “Boston Legal” and “Battlestar Galactica?” Finale seasons are always dicey, awards-wise, but seriously, only a nod for Ernest Borgnine’s guest appearance on “ER”?

Please.