My Reactions To This Year's Golden Globe TV Nominations, Part 1: Drama and Comedy - And Whether They Should Be Back at All

 

Ever since the mass protests against the Golden Globes that occurred in the spring of 2021, I have written numerous columns about the furor and reactions from everybody. I have tried to look at this from a fair and balanced perspective, at least as far as television went.

I wrote articles arguing that, during the era of the new Golden Age of Television, the HFPA has been more diverse and radical than any other awards show on television – at least until the Broadcast Critics began giving TV awards in 2011 and even still rivaling them. I argued that in regards to TV, the HFPA has demonstrated a radical diversity when it comes to the nominated and winning series and actors – and far more racially balanced than the Emmys have been for the last twenty years.  It is hard to think badly of any awards show that’s willing to give mor major prizes to the CW in two years (Gina Rodriguez and Rachel Bloom) than the Emmys have done in the entirety of the network’s existence. It’s hard to think badly of any show that’s willing to give Best Actor prizes to Hugh Laurie and Michael C. Hall, something the Emmys has never done. And there’s something to be said for a network that’s willing to give nominations for the one HBO Drama that slipped under the Emmys radar: Big Love.

But admittedly, it’s hard to expect that the Golden Globes is willing to take lessons from their  ‘punishment’ when they decide to give nominations and awards even though there’s not going to be a broadcast or even an audience. And its hard to argue there have been any consequences when NBC agreed to broadcast the 2023 Golden Globes when they only have the word of the HFPA that anything has changed at all.  I have never particularly liked Ricky Gervais’ comedy, but if there was a time this awards show cried out for his presence, it’s this year. He barely had regard for anybody present the previous five times he hosted; I’d love to see what he'd do now that it’s genuinely worthy of his contempt.

The larger question is, of course, suppose the HFPA throws a party and nobody comes? Brendan Fraser, the lead favorite for Best Actor in a Drama, made it clear before the nominations he had no intention of showing up and has every intention of keeping that promise. Tom Cruise returned the three Golden Globes he won over the course of his career last year; what will he do now that Top Gun: Maverick has been nominated? What will Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, the heavy favorites for Best Director do? What will Cate Blanchett, on the verge of making history with her fourth Golden Globe, do? In all honesty, the real drama in the next month will probably not be who wins but who shows up. This will be the test the HFPA has to pass and there is no guarantee they will.

But the awards do go on, and I feel a certain obligation to follow through. I did so reluctantly last year, even though it was never broadcast and I was heartsick regardless because the nominations in all the categories were genuinely good ones. For all the HFPA’s sins – and apparently they’re so numerous it would take a book to fill them- they have never been bad when it came to picking nominations for television. And indeed, after years of privately admonishing them to do something about all the Supporting Awards for TV being in a single category, this year they decided to adjust to the times, giving one set of Supporting Awards in a Drama or Comedy and another set for those whose appear in Limited or Anthology Series.  There’s something admirable about honoring more actors and actress, particularly in a time when more awards groups seem inclined to honor fewer. (I’ve already raged about this, so I won’t go through it again.)

And so, when the nominations were announced this morning, I couldn’t help but be impressed. There was a good mix of the old and the new, of new sensations and old standards, cable and streaming and for the first time in years, a serious by network television again. This is what awards shows should be doing. The question is, will it matter?

Under the assumption that it will, here are my reaction to this year’s nominations for television. We’ll start with Drama

BEST TV SERIES DRAMA

This is slightly closer to expectations after the Critics Choice but not entirely disappointing.  I’m thrilled beyond words that Better Call Saul, The Crown and Severance are here and I understand why House of the Dragon is. Am I disappointed to see Ozark here instead of, say, The Gilded Age or The Good Fight? Yes. But better Ozark than Euphoria, which is what I feel now that it’s been basically ignored.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA

Thrilled beyond words to see Bob Odenkirk, Adam Scott, and Jeff Bridges in the running. Bridges is now officially among the contenders for Best Actor in a Drama for The Old Man. Glad to see that they acknowledged Kevin Costner for Yellowstone after ignoring him at the Critics Choice. Diego Luna would seem to be among the contenders for Andor. No Sterling Brown or Dominic West, but no Jason Bateman either. All in all, not bad.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA

And the Golden Globes has its first real advantage over the Critics choice by picking two actresses who more than earned it. Imelda Staunton is only a minor surprise for her work on The Crown. I’m over the moon that Hilary Swank was nominated for her superb performance on Alaska Daily and hope that will help push ABC to renew it for a second season.

It was inevitable Zendaya would be included, but she is the only nominee for her series so that’s an edge for the Golden Globes too. Laura Linney was inevitable for the final season of Ozark. Emma D’Arcy is an interesting choice, but she’s the only acting nominee for House of Dragon.

Now to comedy.

BEST TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Abbott Elementary looks like the front runner and will probably win in a walk. Hacks more than deserves to be here as does Only Murders in the Building.  The Bear already looks like a great show.

I have questions about Wednesday, not only here but being picked over Barry but considering that they didn’t entirely ignore the show, I’ll let it slide.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY

No complaints at all. Bill Hader, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Jeremy Allen White have all earned it and the Globes gets another point over the Critics Choice by choosing Donald Glover when they ignored it. (They also get a lot of points for nominating Only Murders in the Building and its cast.) No complaints.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Slightly disappointed here, but not much. Quinta Brunson and Jean Smart will fight it out again. Kaley Cuoco deserves to be in the running and it was a travesty to ignore Selena Gomez for an Emmy nomination last time out. I have questions of Jenna Ortega over say, either of the co-leads of Dead to Me, but I’ll let it stand.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, TELEVISION

I honestly expected them to do a worse job considering that the HPFA was merging two genres and people would get ignored and that probably led to many of the cast of Better Call Saul getting shut out. That said, it’s still a good group.

I have no problem with Tyler James Williams or Henry Winkler on the comedy side of things: both of them are going to be fighting it out at the Critics Choice. On the drama side, the HFPA gets more points that the Broadcast critics do. Not only did they nominate John Lithgow for his exceptional work in The Old Man, but they also nominated two superb characters who did great work in nominated series: Jonathan Pryce for his measured performance as Prince Philip in The Crown and John Turturro for his sublime character study on Severance. Not bad first time out.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TELEVISION

Let’s all admit that the HPFA’s decision to ignore Rhea Seehorn is a reprehensible one, though I imagine many will look at this list and say: “Well, who would you forego in her place? (Believe me, I have a candidate.)

Full credit to nominating Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary. And again, the HFPA gets more credit than the Broadcast Critics for choosing two nominees that they overlooked: Hannah Einbinder for Hacks and Elizabeth Debicki for her work as Diana on The Crown.  Yes, I’m not thrilled to see Julia Garner here for Ozark over Seehorn but even I admit that if you ignore the Emmy winner in this category, it would be a measure of stupidity on everybody’s part. Besides, it was her last year too.

 

Because this article is getting wordy, tomorrow I’ll wrap things up with Best Limited Series and Anthology. It’s not a bad group either.