(CNN) "This is Us" is renowned for making its audience cry, but major Emmy nominations for the NBC drama would likely put a smile on plenty of faces, including those of Television Academy officials.

The Academy is supposed to love all its nominees equally. In terms of ratings, though, having a few more hit shows in the lineup when nominations for the 69th annual Emmy Awards are announced Thursday is perceived as an asset in getting people to watch, providing a greater rooting interest among potential viewers.

With several higher-rated programs out of the running or fading in Emmy prestige, "This is Us" is among the few programs that could find the overlapping sweet spot between awards recognition and widespread appeal.

Although Emmy voters often nominate the same shows over and over, some extra choice real estate has opened up this year. Two high-rated drama contenders, "Game of Thrones" and "Downton Abbey," won't be represented -- the former because it's premiering outside the June-through-May eligibility window, the latter because it completed its run in 2016.

Several strong new candidates, meanwhile, come from the world of prestige cable or streaming services. And while programs like Netflix's "Stranger Things" and Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" have generated critical acclaim and plenty of excitement, there's not even reliable data made public regarding how many people have actually watched them.

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