Golden Globes: TV Nominations

After the woeful decisions the Screen Actors Guild made yesterday, there really was nowhere to go but up with these Golden Globe nominations. They aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but the Globes don't really take TV that seriously anyways. With that said, the list is full of new shows with Downton Abbey and Mildred Pierce sharing the honor of amassing the most nominations with 4 each.

Best Television Series, Drama

• American Horror Story
• Boardwalk Empire
• Boss
• Game of Thrones
• Homeland

Last year's winner Boardwalk Empire is the only returning show in this very premium cable-heavy line-up. That pretty much tells you the sad state of affairs broadcast TV is in. The Good Wife and Breaking Bad should be on here, but since I only watch one show here (Game of Thrones) I can't really say which show to take out.

Best Actor, Drama

• Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
• Kelsey Grammer, Boss
• Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
• Damian Lewis, Homeland

Rinse and repeat my comments up top. I've only seen Cranston's performance from the lot so there's not much to say, except to comment on Grammer's 9th Globe nomination. They really, really like him. No Michael C. Hall or Kyle Chandler which is a shame, but there's also nary a mention of Patrick J. Adams either.

Best Actress, Drama

• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Mireille Enos, The Killing
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
• Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

I have no idea who Callie Thorne is, but just for the fact that Stowe is included in this list makes this slightly better than the SAG nominees for me. Apparently Danes is really, really good on her show and will be tough to beat even by the good wife.

Best Television Series, Comedy

• New Girl
• Enlightened
• Episodes
• Glee
• Modern Family

Meh. That's pretty much my reaction to these nominees. I like New Girl and Modern Family, but I don't love them and y'all know my feelings about Glee. And as I said yesterday, the omission of Parks & Recreation on these awards shows is simply laughable. Moving on.

Best Actor, Comedy

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

How do they not honor Steve Carrell's last season or Emmy winner Ty Burrell? I'm also very confused as to how Galecki, who is pleasant enough, made it over his co-star and last year's winner, Jim Parsons. Then again at least they held off in nominating Morrison again, so that's a point in their favor.

Best Actress, Comedy

• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
• Laura Dern, Enlightened
• Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
• Laura Linney, The Big C

This is definitely preferable from yesterday's SAG nods if only since they appropriately honored Poehler. I expected Melissa McCarthy to show up here as well after her Emmy win and awards season momentum, but seems like the HFPA didn't get her at all. Alas, Betty White was denied. Didn't know that was still possible.

Best Mini-Series or TV Movie

• The Hour
• Downton Abbey
• Cinema Verite
• Mildred Pierce
• Too Big to Fail

Was Sherlock not eligible? Let's just say yes and move on. I'm pretty okay with these nominations. I've seen The Hour, Downton Abbey, and Mildred Pierce and as I said before those latter two led in the nominations. This award is probably Downton Abbey's to lose.

Best Actor, Mini-Series or TV Movie

• Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
• Idris Elba, Luther
• William Hurt, Too Big to Fail
• Bill Nigh, Page Eight
• Dominic West, The Hour

Weird to see West nominated and not his co-star Ben Whishaw, but it does hilariously put him up against his old The Wire co-star Idris Elba. Usually the biggest star wins these awards. So that would be...?

Best Actress, Mini-Series or TV Movie

• Romola Garai, The Hour
• Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
• Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
• Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
• Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

What a lovely set of ladies. I'm of course happy for Kate Winslet who was double nominated today after getting a nod for her film Carnage as well, but I'm thrilled to see Romola Garai make it in. Winslet should come out on top though, as she should.

Best Supporting Actor

• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
• Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
• Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
• Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Very happy to see Dinklage here, but I'm still shocked that Aaron Paul is not getting more dues like his Breaking Bad co-star. I'm also a bit surprised that Stonestreet makes it in despite a stronger year for the other actors in his show namely Ty Burrell. And his is of course the only broadcast TV nominations. Sorry Neil Patrick Harris or last year's winner Chris Colfer.

Best Supporting Actress

• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
• Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
• Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

This is actually a pretty great list. A little disappointed that Archie Panjabi didn't make it in or even someone like Naya Rivera, but I wasn't expecting them to be. And while I'm not surprised to see Vergara nominated, I thought her co-star and Emmy winner Julie Bowen would show up here as well.

Click to see my thoughts on the film nominations.