2011 Golden Globe Nominations - Television (by Dave Machado)

While most people don't consider The Golden Globes to be much more than the Hollywood Foreign Press throwing awards at America's most popular (yet usually undeserving) stars, I still get excited each year when the nominations come out as is signals the beginning of Oscar Season. For someone like me who doesn't follow any sports teams, it's the one time of year when I root for someone to win something despite the outcome having no impact on my life whatsoever. It's fun to see things you like get recognized and even more fun to complain about things that were horrifically forgotten (Community...LOST...*sniff*...). To make things a bit easier, I've decided to split this up into two posts, so today we will tackle the TV nominations. As expected, I'll run down who was nominated along with my own take on who should win (and who got left out).

Best Series (Drama)

• Boardwalk Empire
• Dexter
• The Good Wife
• Mad Men
• The Walking Dead

Thoughts: I'm amazed that LOST didn't get a nomination here (they were shut out in all categories). I'm calling this one for The Good Wife. I've never seen the show (and never will), which makes me even more sure that it will win. The only other show that has a chance is Mad Men.

Best Actress (Drama)

• Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
• Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
• Piper Perabo - Covert Affairs
• Katey Segal - Sons of Anarchy
• Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

Thoughts: I don't care who wins this. I had never even heard of Covert Affairs until this nomination. I would love to see Katey Segal win, but I haven't even watched Sons of Anarchy. I just love her from LOST, Married with Children, and Futurama. Let's say Elisabeth Moss gets the award.

Best Actor (Drama)

• Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
• Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall - Dexter
• Jon Hamm - Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie - House

Thoughts: I really think Matthew Fox should have been nominated this year. Say what you will about how LOST ended, but Fox did a great job this year making us fall in love (again) with Jack Shepard. In an ideal world that will never exist, Jensen Ackles would also get a nomination for Supernatural. They seem to pick the same damn people every year now.  While Cranston is technically new since he didn't get nominated last year, he's won the Emmy multiple times in this category, thus making his inclusion here far less exciting. I'm going with Buscemi purely because he's a new name for this category.

Best Series (Comedy)

• 30 Rock
• Big Bang Theory
• The Big C
• Glee
• Modern Family
• Nurse Jackie

Thoughts: Community will easily win this. Oh wait, they forgot to include the greatest comedy on TV since Arrested Development. OK fine, one snub is excusable, I'll choose Louie as the winner instead. Damnit, they forgot that as well. Fine, I guess Eastbound and Down deserves it anyway...I mean It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia...Jesus Christ they missed a lot of amazing comedies. 30 Rock is the only show I even watch in this category but I think they will give it to Glee (which I quit watching after the Britney Spears episode). At least Two and a Half Men wasn't nominated...

Best Actress (Comedy)

• Toni Collette - United States of Tara
• Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey - 30 Rock
• Laura Linney - The Big C
• Lea Michele - Glee

Thoughts: This is the first category where I actually think one of the nominees deserves to win (Tina Fey). Liz Lemon is easily the greatest female character on TV and also of the the funniest. So clearly Tina Fey will lose to Laura Linney for a show I haven't seen. The other three nominations either make me sleepy with indifference (Collette and Falco) or angry (Michele).

Best Actor (Comedy)

• Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
• Steve Carrell - The Office
• Thomas Jane - Hung
• Matthew Morrison - Glee
• Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Thoughts: 30 Rock had a pretty sub-par season last year but has thankfully bounced back in the first half of the current season and is now in the middle of one of the best runs it has had since Season 2. A lot of that is due to the greatness of both Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. It would have been great for them to both win but I'm fine settling for just Alec (though of the two, he is far less funny than Tina Fey). However, the fact Louie C.K. isn't nominated automatically makes this category a joke.

Best Miniseries/Made for TV Movie

• Carlos
• The Pacific
• Pillars of the Earth
• Temple Grandin
• You Don't Know Jack

Thoughts: The Pacific was one of the greatest things I watched all year. It will win because it deserves to. Though I am a bit worried that Temple Grandin will steal the prize away.

Best Actress (Miniseries/Made for TV Movie)

• Hayley Atwell - Pillars of the Earth
• Claire Danes - Temple Grandin
• Judi Dench - Return to Cranford
• Romola Garai - Emma
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - The Client List

Thoughts: Guess which nomination made me laugh. Clare Danes will win. Can you tell I don't care about TV movies and miniseries?

Best Actor (Miniseries/Made for TV Movie)

• Idris Elba - Luther
• Ian McShane- Pillars of the Earth
• Al Pacino - You Don't Know Jack
• Dennis Quaid - The Special Relationship
• Edgar Ramirez - Carlos

Thoughts: Al Pacino wins and I shrug and eat some chips.

Best Supporting Actress

• Hope Davis - The Special Relationship
• Jane Lynch - Glee
• Kelly MacDonald - Boardwalk Empire
• Julia Stiles - Dexter
• Sofia Vergara - Modern Family

Thoughts: I initially had Jane Lynch picked but that choice made me too sad so I convinced myself to go with Sofia Vergara instead. Yes, Jane Lynch is funny, but the character is too one-note for me (part of the reason I stopped watching). You know whose missing from this list? Alison Brie! She is amazing on Community as Annie and should at least be noticed for how perfect she is on that show.

Best Supporting Actor

• Scott Caan - Hawaii Five-O
• Chris Colfer - Glee
• Chris Noth - The Good Wife
• Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family
• David Strathairn - Temple Grandin

Thoughts: Another lame win for The Good Wife. Missing from this category: Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase (I love Community!), Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny...), and Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson (the two saddest and anger inducing LOST snubs). I will admit though that Colfer's role as Kurt on Glee is the only thing I miss about the show. Lastly, "lol" to Scott Caan's nomination.

That about does it for the TV nominations. It's a whole lot of indifference mixed with a good amount of rage at certain shows being locked out. I'll be back later with my take on the movies, which I'm sure will be slightly less anger inducing but still filled with lots of mistakes (not mine, I don't make those).

You're Welcome,

Dave