Say what you will about the Golden Globes, on the TV side they’re often more open to acknowledging new talent and shows than the Emmys (let alone this week’s stodgy SAG Award nominations) tend to be. That’s the case again with today’s nominees, particularly in the acting categories.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)
MASTERS OF SEX (Showtime)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (FOX)
GIRLS (HBO)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
The recognition for Masters of Sex and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is good to see, although it would have been even better if Orange Is the New Black or The Americans were acknowledged as well. Notable omissions are Homeland, Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire, among others.
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD
Liev Schreiber, RAY DONOVAN
Michael Sheen, MASTERS OF SEX
Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS
James Spader, THE BLACKLIST
The acting is about all there is to praise on Ray Donovan, and without Spader The Blacklist would be nowhere, but there were other actors this season, including Matthew Rhys on The Americans, who deserved to be here. Sheen, though, is extremely well deserving.
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE
Tatiana Maslany, ORPHAN BLACK
Taylor Schilling, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
Kerry Washington, SCANDAL
Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS
I would be stamping my feet about Keri Russell somehow not being nominated for The Americans, and noting how the mighty have fallen as Claire Danes failed to even be nominated, but who cares, because TATIANA MASLANY GOT IN! It’s about time the single most amazing performance anywhere on television this past season got some of the recognition it deserves.
BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Jason Bateman, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Don Cheadle, HOUSE OF LIES
Michael J. Fox, THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY
Andy Samberg, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
Michael J. Fox? Really? Was this some kind of sop to the Globes’ home network, NBC? Louis C.K. is among those who should be filing suit in the court of missed nominations.
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Zooey Deschanel, NEW GIRL
Lena Dunham, GIRLS
Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Amy Poehler, PARKS & RECREATION
A safe, unexciting group of nominees–the only Globes group not much worth talking about.
BEST TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (FX)
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA (HBO)
DANCING ON THE EDGE (Starz)
TOP OF THE LAKE (Sundance)
WHITE QUEEN (Starz)
The remarkable nominees here are the two barely-watched, hardly-acclaimed Starz miniseries (both of which also received recognition in the acting categories)–or they would be if one didn’t remember the Euro-centric composition of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and that both Dancing On the Edge and White Queen were BBC series acquired for US airing by Starz.
Also check out the Instant Analysis of Golden Globe Nominations on the film side.