FX
The Golden Globes nominations were announced this morning, and while it was the usual mix of expected choices, occasional smart calls and total head-scratchers (Burlesque—that is not a typo), we’ll indulge them and take them seriously, at least for the moment.
To start with the positive: Katey Sagal got a well-deserved actress nomination for Sons of Anarchy—granted, it was a year after the season for which she really most deserved it, but as I said, staying positive. Boardwalk Empire deservedly entered the Best Drama sweepstakes, and Steve Buscemi picked up an acting nomination—creating, with Bryan Cranston, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall and Hugh Laurie, a tough-to-dislodge bloc of nominees for future seasons, meaning that things are going to get crazy when Dustin Hoffman shows up on HBO in David Milch’s Luck. And whatever I’ve had to say about Glee this season, I’m delighted Chris Colfer was recognized.
OK, enough positivity! The best comedy category (30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, The Big C, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie) is almost a total travesty, with Modern Family the only defensible choice based on the 2010 calendar year, possibly along with Nurse Jackie. (I’d put up Parks and Recreation, Louie, Community and, as long as I’m dreaming here, Party Down and maybe Archer or United States of Tara. And no, I’m not arguing that “Nurse Jackie” is not a comedy—it’s a dark comedy, among other things—it just did not have as strong a season 2.)
As for drama (Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife, Mad Men, The Walking Dead)—well, I’ll give partial credit. Empire, Wife and Mad Men all made my year-end list, and while I don’t think The Walking Dead is at that level, I don’t begrudge its success. Dexter is just coasting, though, and while Bryan Cranston did score another well-earned nomination for Breaking Bad, I can’t fathom the best series of 2010 being ignored as a drama. What the hell, is the show improvised?
Head scratchers? Perhaps there were layers in Piper Perabo’s performance in Covert Affairs that escaped me. Scott Caan was a bit puzzling too, but at least defensible in that he stole Hawaii Five-0 from its ostensible star. And clearly HFPA loves them their Showtime. (And yet they honored The Big C over Tara; cancer defeats mental illness!)
Oversights? Take your pick, but this was a year I actually thought John Noble had a shot at recognition for Fringe, and he should have. I’ve been a defender (somewhat) of Hung, but if any anyone was going to get nominated, it should have been Jane Adams and not Thomas Jane. And this falls more under “surprise” than “injustice,” but I was struck by the shutout of the final season of Lost—not that I put it on my own year-end list, but I would have expected maybe a gold-watch nomination for Matthew Fox (who, I suppose, can thank Steve Buscemi) or Terry O’Quinn.
Then again, this is the Golden Globes, the near-random choosings of the handful of voting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, so that’s about all the criticism I can muster. Feel free to raise your own in the comments.
The full list of TV nominations (and click here to read the movie nods as well):
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions, HBO Entertainment
b. DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company
c. THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
CBS Television Studios
d. MAD MEN (AMC)
Lionsgate Television
e. THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
AMC
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. JULIANNA MARGULIES THE GOOD WIFE
b. ELISABETH MOSS MAD MEN
c. PIPER PERABO COVERT AFFAIRS
d. KATEY SAGAL SONS OF ANARCHY
e. KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. STEVE BUSCEMI BOARDWALK EMPIRE
b. BRYAN CRANSTON BREAKING BAD
c. MICHAEL C. HALL DEXTER
d. JON HAMM MAD MEN
e. HUGH LAURIE HOUSE
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. 30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little
Stranger Inc.
b. THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
Warner Bros. Television
c. THE BIG C (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Sony Pictures Television, Perkins Street Productions, Farm Kid, Original Film
d. GLEE (FOX)
Ryan Murphy Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television
e. MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Twentieth Century Fox Television
f. NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber, Caryn Mandabach Productions
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. TONI COLLETTE UNITED STATES OF TARA
b. EDIE FALCO NURSE JACKIE
c. TINA FEY 30 ROCK
d. LAURA LINNEY THE BIG C
e. LEA MICHELE GLEE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
b. STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
c. THOMAS JANE HUNG
d. MATTHEW MORRISON GLEE
e. JIM PARSONS THE BIG BANG THEORY
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. CARLOS (SUNDANCE CHANNEL)
Sundance Channel
b. THE PACIFIC (HBO)
Playtone and DreamWorks in association with HBO Films
c. PILLARS OF THE EARTH (STARZ)
Starz, Tandem Communications, Muse Entertainment Scott Free Films
d. TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO)
A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production, HBO Films
e. YOU DON’T KNOW JACK (HBO)
Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions, HBO Films
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. HAYLEY ATWELL PILLARS OF THE EARTH
b. CLAIRE DANES TEMPLE GRANDIN
c. JUDI DENCH RETURN TO CRANFORD
d. ROMOLA GARAI EMMA
e. JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT THE CLIENT LIST
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. IDRIS ELBA LUTHER
b. IAN MCSHANE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
c. AL PACINO YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
d. DENNIS QUAID THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
e. EDGAR RAMIREZ CARLOS
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. HOPE DAVIS THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
b. JANE LYNCH GLEE
c. KELLY MACDONALD BOARDWALK EMPIRE
d. JULIA STILES DEXTER
e. SOFIA VERGARA MODERN FAMILY
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. SCOTT CAAN HAWAII FIVE-O
b. CHRIS COLFER GLEE
c. CHRIS NOTH THE GOOD WIFE
d. ERIC STONESTREET MODERN FAMILY
e. DAVID STRATHAIRN TEMPLE GRANDIN