A Look at the Golden Globes: TV Categories

The Golden Globe nominations for 2014 were announced this morning. As per usual, there were plenty of surprises as well as some familiar names. It wasn't a particularly exciting year otherwise, though it does see the Foreign Press Agency trying to appeal to a wider group of targets. While it still has no idea how to handle a "miniseries," it has improved in the comedy category and the dramatic ones are equally engaging. The following is a look at the nominees in the TV categories and predictions on who should win.

Note: If you want to see my predictions regarding the movie fields, check out my post at The Oscar Buzz.

Kevin Spacey in House of Cards
BEST TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Masters of Sex

PRO: It is probably going to be that Breaking Bad, which became even more of a pop culture behemoth in 2013, will take away the top prize as the ultimate farewell gift. It is also nice to see Freshman series Masters of Sex make the cut. Also, nice to know that even if Netflix is revolutionizing how TV is viewed, it is still able to get recognition for its series.


CON: I don't know that there is any, though some would consider the absence of shows like Mad Men to be a little peculiar. However, when it is replaced with heavyweight freshman series, it doesn't really matter.

SHOULD WIN: Breaking Bad

WILL WIN: Breaking Bad

Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Liev Schreiber - Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen - Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacey - House of Cards
James Spader - The Mentalist

PRO: We already know that Bryan Cranston is likely to win. It is also nice to see Michael Sheen getting into the category for a show that had a very strong debut. Some would argue that there is an absence of Mad Men or Homeland, but the performers that they have replaced them with seem applicable.


CON: There isn't really much competition. Bryan Cranston nailed the final season of Breaking Bad and the legacy has already built in its wake. No show can stand in its way, though it is strange to see Liev Schreiber and James Spader in this field.

SHOULD WIN: Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

WILL WIN: Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany - Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling - Orange is the New Black
Kerry Washington - Scandal
Robin Wright - House of Cards

PRO: Two series that recently made my Listmania series for the Favorite New Shows (Orphan Black and Orange is the New Black) have performers who are nominated this year. It is exciting and well deserved, though I don't know if their star power is strong enough to compete against the likes of Julianna Margulies, who is a veteran in this category.


CON: I don't know that anyone will beat The Good Wife despite being highly compelling and scrappy young dramas. Even House of Cards probably doesn't stand a chance on the grounds of it being its first time out of the gate.

SHOULD WIN: Taylor Schilling - Orange is the New Black

WILL WIN: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife

Left to right: Zosia Mamet and Alex Karpovsky in Girls
BEST TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Girls
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

PRO: Unlike the drama category, I watch four out of five of the series almost religiously (The Big Bang Theory less so) and have a fondness for them. I feel like they really got the category somewhat correct this year (especially since Orange is the New Black was thankfully a Drama contestant). It is a solid category representing some of the most ambitious programming currently on, notably Girls and its stellar, genre-shattering ambitious second season.


CON: Can anyone beat Modern Family? I really do hope so, as I never understood the appeal of that show. Even then, the second most popular show on the list is The Big Bang Theory which while fine is not my personal pick.

SHOULD WIN: Girls

WILL WIN: Modern Family

Michael J. Fox in the Michael J. Fox Show
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
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

PRO: It is nice to see Andy Samberg sneak into this category, as the scrappy new Fox series seemed to be on the verge of being cancelled at any time for awhile. It is also nice to see Michael J. Fox in the race, though it is more of a debatable move, as the Michael J. Fox Show hasn't exactly done great in ratings and the episodes aren't that strong. What he does bring is heart and sincerity to his physical handicaps, and that does give him some edge. However, I don't know that it is enough to make him the front runner.


CON: I feel like going with something old and familiar is in play. Jim Parsons always seems to be a favorite. Also, what is Don Cheadle in House of Lies doing on this list? It wasn't very comedic last time I checked it out, nor was it that good as anything.

SHOULD WIN: Jason Bateman - Arrested Development

WILL WIN: Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Zooey Deschanel - New Girl
Lena Dunham - Girls
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep
Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

PRO: It is an excellent list that includes Lena Dunham in one of the most astounding and impressive transitions in a comedy series this year. Her mental breakdown was one of the key elements that made this season of Girls not only one of the most ambitious, but one of the most enjoyable shows. It didn't always work, but it did few shows could capture the magic that was Girls and its quest to break down the barriers of what comedy is.


CON: I have massive issues with New Girl, so I don't get any praise that it receives. Amy Poehler was great on Parks and Recreation, though the latter half of the season was very lackluster and meandering, thus taking out steam from the enthusiasm it had built up. Nurse Jackie is still a show apparently and I'm sure someone out there is talking about it, though I don't know who. Also, I don't think Lena Dunham will beat Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the ceremony, as she seems like the perenial favorite.

SHOULD WIN: Lena Dunham - Girls

WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep

Elisabeth Moss in Top of the Lake
BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
American Horror Story: Coven
Behind the Candelabra
Dancing on the Edge
Top of the Lake
White Queen

PRO: As someone who really enjoyed Top of the Lake, it is great to see it make the nominations. Behind the Candelabra was also excellent and probably is far and away the superior of the two in terms of attention. Even if I want the former more to win as it had more artistic integrity, I feel like the Liberace biopic has been picking up steam the entire year and remains an unbeatable force.


CON: I really wish that Top of the Lake was going to win. Also, for a third SEASON of a series, why is American Horror Story still getting nominated in the "Miniseries" category? It seems rather egregious when considering that it has produced more than the requirements of a series that is mini.

SHOULD WIN: Top of the Lake

WILL WIN: Behind the Candelabra

Al Pacino in Phil Spector
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Matt Damon - Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas - Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba - Luther
Al Pacino - Phil Spector

PRO: Again, it looks like Behind the Candelabra is going to sweep the categories. In this case, Michael Douglas is pretty much a shoe-in for the win.

CON: Why is Al Pacino nominated? Phil Spector was a very flawed picture that turned the infamous trial into an anticlimactic procedural. Even with the zaniness that comes with the Pacino moniker, the results weren't all that fresh or interesting.

SHOULD WIN - Michael Douglas - Behind the Candelabra

WILL WIN - Michael Douglas - Behind the Candelabra

Jessica Lange in American Horror Story
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OF MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Helana Bonham Carter - Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson - The White Queen
Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Coven
Helen Mirren - Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss - Top of the Lake

PRO: Elisabeth Moss is in the race and hopefully will mean that she has a win coming her way. The only issue is that I am not familiar with three of these nominees, so I cannot make a great judgment on what is great.

CON: More-so than Al Pacino, Helen Mirren's nomination seems baffling. The HBO movie wasn't all that great and where Pacino got away with crazy haircuts and hi-jinks, Mirren was pretty much the straight man in the haphazard drama. There is no real reason for it to even be here other than the Golden Globes ran out of contenders, which with their loose definition of a Miniseries suggests, is impossible.

SHOULD WIN: Elisabeth Moss - Top of the Lake

WILL WIN: Elisabeth Moss - Top of the Lake

Rob Lowe in Behind the Candelabra
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Josh Charles - The Good Wife
Rob Lowe - Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll - House of Cards
Jon Voight - Ray Donovan

PRO: It looks like Breaking Bad will be going out on top with Aaron Paul looking to have a lock in the field. The new guys Corey Stoll and Jon Voight probably won't stand a chance against him winning. That is provided that this becomes more of a commemorative ceremony for the series and it goes out with style. Also, Rob Lowe is an intriguing nominee here, even if he pales in comparison to his co-stars and doesn't quite carry the charisma necessary to lead to a victory.

CON: The Good Wife could possibly upset Aaron Paul's victory. While it seems unlikely, that series has significantly more viewers and thus is more recognized on a global scale.

SHOULD WIN: Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

WILL WIN: Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

Hayden Panettiere in Nashville
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jacqueline Bisset - Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer - The White Queen
Hayden Panettiere - Nashville
Monica Potter - Parenthood
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family

PRO: I haven't seen any of the nominees in this category, so I am unable to make a proper judgment. Based on predicaments, I will just assume that Nashville is all the rave and that it is going to win.


CON: Do we still find Sofia Vergara's attempt to set back people with foreign accents to be a comical device? While it is nice to see Modern Family with very few nominations, Vergara's performances don't feel like they should be something to be proud of.

SHOULD WIN: Hayden Panettiere - Nashville

WILL WIN: Hayden Panettiere - Nashville

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