Best Television Series – Drama: Breaking Bad (AMC), Downton Abbey (PBS), The Good Wife (CBS), House of Cards (Netflix), Masters of Sex (Showtime)
Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, and The Newsroom: Gone. Say hello to newcomers House of Cards and Masters of Sex and the grand return of The Good Wife! The Good Wife hasn’t been nominated in this category since 2010 and wasn’t nominated in the Outstanding Drama category of the last Emmy’s, but its resurgence is hardly a surprise considering the popularity. The same goes for House of Cards which got an Emmy nom this year. Masters of Sex however is an eye opener. I’ve heard that the show is excellent, but better than last year’s winner Homeland? What about Game of Thrones or Mad Men? None of these shows were nominated at all. Talk about a shake up! Regardless, Breaking Bad trumps them all.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS), Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America), Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black (Netflix), Kerry Washington, Scandal (ABC), Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)
To those who thought Maslany was a big snub from the Emmy’s this year, hopefully this will suffice. Margulies is the only returner from last year, but considering how Washington and Wright were both nominated for 2013 Emmy’s, she has some stiff competition. Two-time winner Claire Danes is notably absent too. As for Schilling, consider this the one of many future nominations for her. Orange is the New Black is ridiculously acclaimed and this is the first major award its been nominated for. This category in particular will be an immensely tight race.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC), Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime), Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex (Showtime), Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (Netflix), James Spader, The Blacklist (NBC)
Similar to Margulies in the actress category, Cranston is the only returner. The fact that Emmy winner Jeff Daniels isn’t on here for The Newsroom is incredibly shocking as is the complete lack of Jon Hamm for Mad Men and last year’s winner Damian Lewis for Homeland. Never in a million years did I expect to see Schreiber, Sheen, and Spader in this category on their current shows. You can’t deny the acclaim that each has received though, especially the mega hit The Blacklist. But let’s be serious here, none of them can even come close to Cranston.
Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox), Girls (HBO), Modern Family (ABC), Parks and Recreation (NBC)
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE?! This is probably the biggest shock of them all. I love this show and knew it was excellent, but edging out Veep and 30 Rock is big news. Modern Family, Girls, and The Big Bang Theory were the usual obvious picks. I am glad that the underdog hit of Parks and Recreation is on here too for the first time. Girls won last year and could very easily win again, as could The Big Bang Theory. Interesting though that not a single nominee here is a musical…
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical: Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (Fox), Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO), Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (Showtime), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO), Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Tiny Fey out, Edie Falco in. Other than that it’s the same exact category as last year. The same goes for the Emmy’s which didn’t have Deschanel but did have Fey and Laura Dern. I don’t know if this means that there is just a lack of leading actresses in comedies or if these ladies are just better than everyone else, but here we are. Not much else to say other than it’s probably going to be between Dunham and Louis-Dreyfus.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical: Jason Bateman, Arrested Development (Netflix), Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime), Michael J. Fox, The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
Talk about big changes! Louis C.K., Alec Baldwin, and Matt LeBlanc are out and Fox, Bateman, and Samberg are in. Bateman is hardly a shock considering his Emmy nom but I am blown away by Fox and Samberg. The Michael J. Fox Show isn’t nearly the success it should be but no one can doubt how outstanding Fox is as a comedic actor. If anything, this is a, “Thanks for coming back big guy. We missed you.” As for Samberg, he can now be known as Golden Globe nominated actor Andy Samberg. I look forward to hearing a song about that on the next Lonely Island album, in between songs about jerking off and poop of course. Parsons won this Globe before as did Cheadle, so it’s likely between them, but I would love a Samberg, Fox, or Bateman upset.
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: American Horror Story: Coven (FX), Behind the Candelabra (HBO), Dancing on the Edge (Starz), Top of the Lake (Sundance), The White Queen (Starz)
I have honestly heard very little about the quality of Dancing on the Edge, Top of the Lake, and White Queen. Interestingly enough, American Horror Story was a TV series in 2012 when Downton Abbey was considered a miniseries but now those two have switched. I guess the Hollywood Foreign Press association doesn’t know exactly what they are? Regardless, this will come down to American Horror Story and Behind the Candelabra.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Helena Bonham Carter, Burton & Taylor (BBC), Rebecca Ferguson, The White Queen (Starz), Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven (FX), Helen Mirren, Phil Spector (HBO), Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake (Sundance)
Despite the complete lack of Mad Men noms, the multiple Emmy nominated Moss still found her way in. There’s some stiff competition here though with the legendary Mirren, Lange, and the ever popular Bonham Carter. I know even less about the Swedish born Rebecca Ferguson. Her role in The White Queen has been met with praise, making her a real underdog, but this is probably Lange’s game.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra (HBO), Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra (HBO), Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge (Starz), Idris Elba, Luther (BBC America), Al Pacino, Phil Spector (HBO)
Ejiofor and Elba both have the interesting honor of being nominated in both film and TV categories for acting in different roles. This category is just packed with talent too. Elba has won a Globe before for Luther, Ejiofor is getting Oscar buzz for 12 Years a Slave, Damon and Douglas were nominated for Emmy’s (which Douglas won), and Pacino is freaking Pacino. Expect this to be between Damon and Douglas though.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge (Starz), Janet McTeer, The White Queen (Starz), Hayden Panettiere, Nashville (ABC), Monica Potter, Parenthood (NBC), Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)
Jessica Lange won this in 2012, Maggie Smith won this in 2013, and neither of them are here. Panettiere is back for the second time and Vergara for the fourth time. Vergara also has the glory of being the only nominated Modern Family cast member. Thank you Hollywood Foreign Press association for recognizing other talent than just falling back on the Modern Family laurels like the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences likes to do so much. I digress, this category is basically up in the air. Three people are newcomers and Panettiere and Vergara have yet to wow people enough to win this award. Will this be their year?
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Josh Charles, The Good Wife (CBS), Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra (HBO), Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC), Corey Stoll, House of Cards (Netflix), Jon Voight, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Despite having major parts of highly successful shows for many years, this is the first time Charles and Paul have been nominated in this category. Lowe, Stoll, and Voight round out this talented list in brand new programs that are all critically acclaimed. But just like the Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama for Television category, Breaking Bad will take this home as well. Get your Globe holding hands ready Paul.
