"Ugghh!", and Other Thoughts on the 2011 Golden Globes (TV) Nominations

(The 2011 Golden Globe nominations were released this week. Suffice to say, this was one of my reactions.)

Those of you veteran readers might recall a blog post that I wrote back in December of last year where I dedicated it mostly to my predictions on the major TV awards of the 2010 Golden Globe Awards that would air a month later. Well now its almost a year later and a new slate of nominations were given out for both the movies and TV categories. I'm not going to get into my thoughts on the films section of the nominees since I have only watched only five movies total this year ("Toy Story 3," "Shrek: The Final Chapter," "Megamind," "The Social Network," and "Inception"). So, I'm just going to talk about my thoughts and predictions of the nominations for the field that I am pretty well-acquainted with: TV. And to put it in the simplest of terms, they are not good ones.

Now, this isn't the first time that I have ever expressed my feeling of anger and dismay at the list of nominations. The Golden Globes have developed a reputation of themselves as the more elitist Emmys, with nominations that are more based on buzz and big names than the September TV awards show, and occasionally just weird altogether However, this nominations for this year's awards show featured nominations that were even more anger-enducing that makes you even wonder why the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would still have awards dedicated to TV when they clearly care more about the movies. So, without further ado, here are the list of the nominations complete with every angry criticisms that I have of it followed by my predictions (because what post dedicated to the analysis of an awards show would be complete without one, right?).

BEST TELEVISION SERIES- DRAMA
The Nominees: "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO), "Dexter" (Showtime), "The Good Wife" (CBS), "Mad Men" (AMC), "The Walking Dead" (AMC)

The drama category is one that I had little problems with. "Boardwalk Empire" has an outstanding first season complete with some great names (Scorsese! Winter! Buscemi! MKW!) that would have been enough for them to get nominated even if they just had a mediocre season. "Mad Men" has also had a very stellar season, while "The Good Wife" and "Dexter" have a reputation at this point that will is starting to make them shoe-ins for every major drama award every time as long as they're still on. My one problem was the exclusion of the terrific thirteen episode season three of "Breaking Bad" in favor of the six-episode season of "The Walking Dead."

Don't get me wrong, 'TWD' wasn't awful. It had an amazing pilot, and it was among the year's ten best new shows. That said, the rest of the episodes were so-so, and nowhere near as stunning and interesting as that first episode. Plus, I can't help but feel that it wouldn't have gotten close to being nominated had Frank Darabont been in the credits and had ratings that 99% of other cable shows can only dream of. "Breaking Bad," meanwhile, was simply brilliant, with "quality" written across all aspects of it, and I will fight anyone who says so otherwise. The fact that this show once again did not get nominated while shows like "The Walking Dead," "House" and "Dexter" have is a total farce.

Prediction: "Mad Men." "Boardwalk Empire" may have had a great first season and may have the buzz to win it. However, after having their best season yet (highlighted by the now-classic "The Suitcase" episode," its going to be Matt Weiner and the folks involved in the already 3 time Golden Globe award winning show that should come out of night as the clear winner.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES- DRAMA
The Nominees: Julianna Marguiles ("The Good Wife"), Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"), Piper Perabo ("Covert Afffairs"), Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy"), Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

Out of all of the nominations, none of them had me fume more than this one. For starters, Piper Perabo?!?! Look, I like Perabo, and I thought that she was one of the few likeable parts of the few episodes of "Covert Affairs" that I actually watched. However, in a field that also included Mariska Hartigay, Jaunary Jones and Connie Britton, how could the HFPA possibly pick her as a finalist? Is it because she matches the criteria of young, attractive actresses that the HFPA seems to adore (see: Anna Paquin and Jennifer Garner)? Also, while I am glad that Katey Sagal did get nominated (I was a big fan of "Married with Children, after all), all I keep hearing is that her nomination is about a year late and that her character wasn't used as much this season as in season past on "Sons of Anarchy." If that is the case, then I guess we could also add "chooses nominees the same way that TIME chooses their Person of the Years: a year late" to the list of the HFPA's stereotype.

Prediction: Elisabeth Moss. "The Suitcase." 'Nuff said. That work, as an actress, was her masterpiece, just like how Edith Piaf in "La Vie on Rose" was Marion Cottilard's masterpiece, or how Aileen Wuornos in "Monster" was Charlize Theron's masterpiece. Let's hope the voters appreciated that performance as well.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES- DRAMA
The Nominees: Steve Buscemi ("Boardwalk Empire"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), Hugh Laurie ("House")

No criticisms in this category, just praise, especially since the HFPA finally added three-time Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston to the field that already features former Golden Globe winners Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall, beloved actor and people's champion Hugh Laurie and, now, the terrific Steve Buscemi. The field is so good that it has left out past winner Gabriel Byrne for his role on "In Treatment" and Matthew Fox for his work in the final season of "Lost." Should be very interesting to his the winner finally announced in this one.

Prediction: Jon Hamm. I could see all five winning this award for a month from now. However, much like Elisabeth Moss delivered the best performance by a TV actress this season on "The Suitcase," it was Hamm who also did outstanding work on "The Suitcase" playing alongside Moss. Besides "The Suitcase," Hamm also delivered many other outstanding Golden Globe-caliber acting, most notably in "The Summer Man," "The Chrysanteum and the Sword," and even "The Rejected," so there's that. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the HFPA finally recognizes the outstanding acting by Cranston this season on "Breaking Bad" and give him the Golden Globe to add on to that already big trophy case.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES- COMEDY OR MUSICAL
The Nominees: "30 Rock" (NBC), "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS), "The Big C" (Showtime), "Glee" (FOX), "Modern Family" (ABC), "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)

Though I am not surprised by the nominees, it doesn't mean that I'm not angry. After all, you are reading the thoughts of a guy who is both a big fan of "Parks and Recreations" and "Community," two shows that are not nominated this year. First of all, what's so great about "The Big C"? Outside of Laura Linney, there's nothing special about it. It also features tons of flaws and, much like its Showtime counterpart "Nurse Jackie," is more light-drama then comedy. Second, when is the "Glee" hype ever going to come to an end? Season 8? Out of all of these six nominees, only two ("30 Rock" and "Modern Family" are ones that I truly felt deserves to be nominated. The other four? Not so much.

Prediction: "Glee." Well, it is a comedy. And...it's considered a musical. Also, unlike the Emmys, which does a better job at having voters who actually decide this category as best as they can by selecting the best choice, the winner of this category comes down to which one enters the awards ceremony with the most adoration and buzz. And when you're looking at both of these criteria, none seem to fit them better than "Glee." Besides, it won this award last year, so they're already the early favorite to win it again a month from now.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES- COMEDY OR MUSICAL
The Nominees: Toni Collette ("The United States of Tara"), Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Laura Linney ("The Big C"), Lea Michele ("Glee")

Amy Poehler should have been nominated instead of Lea Michele. Also, even though I know that this will never happen, Kaitlin Olson from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" should have also gotten a nomination for her acting. Otherwise, I got nothing in this category. Though, it does seem that, with this category, the Golden Globes are just showing their willingness to be just as repetitive in their nominations selection as the Emmys' have been in recent years. Its either that, or the fact that there aren't many great leading ladies in the comedy TV world these days.

Prediction: Edie Falco. Most of the time, the woman who wins this award is usually the same one who wins an Emmy for this award a few months before. That's what happened in January with Toni Collete, and that's what happened with Tina Fey in 2009. Personally, I think that this will happen again in January with Falco, who wasw the winner of the Emmy for this category four months ago.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES- COMEDY OR MUSICAL
The Nominees: Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), Thomas Jane ("Hung"), Matthew Morrison ("The Big Bang Theory"), Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory")

This is really a good and bad type of situation. One one hand, because "Californication" wasn't on this year it means that the more deserving Jim Parsons was nominated for this award than David Duchovny. Second, Alec Baldwin and Steve Carell are nominated, and both are always deserving of that nomination. On the other hand, you have Matthew Morrison, which even the "Glee" fans in my life would admit is one of the show's weakest aspects, and Thomas Jane nominated instead of some more deserving people like a Louis C.K. So while these nominees don't make me as cranky as some of the other ones mentioned already, I still have some big problems with it.

Prediction: Alec Baldwin. Because he has been one of the best parts of what has been an outstanding season five of "30 Rock." Parsons and Carell come close, but at this point its the already three time Golden Globe winner who ends 2010 in the clubhouse lead.

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Nominees: "Carlos" (Sundance Channel), "The Pacific" (HBO), "Pillars of the Earth" (Starz), "Temple Grandin" (HBO), "You Don't Know Jack" (HBO)

I really don't have much criticisms for a category that has a small list of TV programs listed under this category. Plus, the Golden Globes have done something that I have been waiting for the Emmys to do for quite a while, and that is to combine both the miniseries and made for TV movies into one mega-category. Alas, this has not been the case yet.

Prediction: "The Pacific." This one is too big and too good to fail, with its star-studded list of executive producers, their terrific battle scenes, and an outstanding overall performance by every main actor involved. No one, not even "Temple Grandin," stands a chance against it.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Nominees: Hope Davis ("The Special Relationship"), Jane Lynch ("Glee"), Kelly Macdonald ("Boardwalk Empire"), Julia Stiles ("Dexter"), Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family")

This isn't a complaint about the category as it is about the supporting acting category entirely: why, in an awards show that isn't afraid to give out writing and directing awards in the movie category and acting categories for miniseries/made for TV movies, that they still haven't decided to separate the supporting TV actors category instead of just mashing them all up in an impossible to figure out field? Is the Golden Globes that worried about running over time like the Oscars? The gall!

Prediction: Jane Lynch. No Chloe Sevigny for Lynch to compete with this time around, so its the Emmys award winning actress's award to lose. Then again, its hard to judge Lynch's character on "Glee" to, say, Julia Stile's character on "Dexter," so I'm not entirely sure.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES AND MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Nominees: Scott Caan ("Hawaii Five-O"), Chris Colfer ("Glee"), Chris Noth ("The Good Wife"), Eric Stonestreet ("Modern Family"), David Strathairn ("Temple Grandin")

Where to begin? For starters, why isn't a single actor from "Boardwalk Empire" nominated in this category? Michael Pitt was a really pleasant surprise in his role of Jimmy Darmody, doing a really good job depicting the evolution of his character and at times stealing the scene from other prominent actors like Steve Buscemi, while Michael Shannon was just plain awesome in his role as Detective Nelson Van Alden (you might even say that he was born to play such a character). How any of these two men, or even Jack Huston as the creepy Rich Harrow, weren't nominated is beyond me. Second, why was Aaron Paul from "Breaking Bad" not nominated? Michael Emerson from "Lost"? Arliss Howard from the short lived but still good "Rubicon"? Nick Offerman from "Parks and Recreations"?

Finally, why was Scott Caan of all people nominated instead of those seven men that I just mentioned? Look, I like Scott Caan, and I thought that he was pretty good in the few episodes of "Hawaii Five-O" that I watched before just quitting on it. However, to name him as one of the five best supporting TV actors in 2010 is just plain ludicrous.Could it be simply because his father, James Caan, who was a four time Golden Globe nominee in his time? One can only guess at this point.

Prediction: PASS. The only two out of those five that I have actually seen in action this season are Stonestreet and Caan, and none of those two are actors that I would consider to be the best supporting actor in America. Also, I don't know how their acting matches up with the acting of, say, a Colfer or a Noth. So, unlike all of the other categories mention, this is the only one that I will have to pass on.

And...that's all the venting that I have left of what has been a disappointing list of nominations for next month's Golden Globe Awards. And you know what, I feel a lot better. Man, its amazing how venting your problems and frustrations through the Internet could make you more relaxed! Be sure to come back tomorrow for my final "Random Thoughts" post of 2010, along with some other additional goodies. Until then, enjoy the rest of your Sunday night, everyone!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.