Golden Globe Nominations – TV
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 12:12PM
Abe Friedtanzer in Golden Globes, Ratched, Schitt's Creek, TV, The Crown, The Undoing

By Abe Friedtanzer

The television choices from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association were announced this morning along with their film picks. While it is true that over half of last year’s eligible TV nominees are back, that only represents four performers since most shows didn’t return in 2020. There’s plenty of good news but also some peculiar omissions from the same series, which got nominated in some categories but not others. Here’s the list and some analysis, after the jump…

 

Best TV Series – Drama

The big surprise here is that Perry Mason, which scored only for actor Matthew Rhys, didn’t make the cut. I had predicted Ratched, which performed better than expected with two acting bids (which makes me happy – I think the show is terrific). I had resisted the notion of The Mandalorian making it in for its second season, but here it is, the only nomination for the show, along with freshman series Lovecraft Country, which didn’t spread the love to any of its cast members after four of them were cited by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). This is the first time Ozark is nominated in this category, and it did almost as well as it could have with three actors honored. The Crown, back for its fourth nomination, is the nominations leader with six bids even though Tobias Menzies got left out. Interestingly, the eligible Killing Eve got booted for season three.

Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama

I was just thinking about Hunters last night but did not anticipate it earning a nomination today. Pacino was definitely acting and doing something worth watching on that show, and it’s nice to see a very early 2020 series and performance recognized. Odenkirk returns after a few years off, nabbing a spot I thought would go to Sterling K. Brown. It’s good to see O’Connor after he missed most of the awards circuit last year, and this is the third overall nomination for Rhys, who shows up every other year, previously for The Americans. The only nominee from his show for its first two years, Bateman is now in good company with his costars and show listed. The predicted inclusions who didn’t make the cut were Jonathan Majors and Pedro Pascal.

 

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama

I found myself doing mental gymnastics when this category was announced to figure out which “C” last name came first. It’s always a toss-up if and how Killing Eve will be included, and Comer held on to her spot even with her show being expelled from the top category. Colman is the other returning nominee, joined by costar Corrin. Linney is here for the first time for this series, her first TV bid since season two of The Big C almost a decade ago. I was worried that Paulson would be left off after the CCA shut out her show, but here she is, and with a supporting costar, no less! It’s too bad for Jurnee Smollett, who I thought would be nominated, and anyone with hopes of Bridgerton cracking this lineup is likely disappointed. 

Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical

Say goodbye to the show that could have earned a repeat nomination – The Politician. Instead, welcome four new series (very on-brand with the Golden Globes), and one fan favorite that’s actually never been nominated and still managed to score five overall bids this year.

I’m so delighted that The Great is here following its severe Emmy underperformance. Ted Lasso is wonderful, and The Flight Attendant is also a lot of fun. Emily in Paris is considerably more unexpected, and I didn’t think it had been received so warmly. I’m sad to confirm that my prediction that Ramy would miss here just like it did at the Emmys came true, which is a shame, and it’s also peculiar to see Emmy honorees like Dead to Me and What We Do in the Shadows shut out. Curb Your Enthusiasm not being here is less of a surprise – that show’s strange airing schedule just does not work for this group.

 

Best Actor in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical 

Hello, Don Cheadle! I really don’t think anyone watches his show, but he sure is putting in a lot of energy, so it’s good to see him. Last year’s winner, Youssef, is back, while fellow nominee Ben Platt is not. I’m ecstatic about Hoult, happy that Sudeikis is here, and celebrating on behalf of relieved Schitt’s Creek fans everywhere that Levy has now earned his first-ever Golden Globe nomination. I thought Matt Berry might be here, but his show got no love. 

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical 

I didn’t initially notice that Christina Applegate, one of last year’s eligible nominees, wasn’t on this list. It’s so wonderful to see Levy included, especially since her show missed out in the top category. The same goes for Fanning, who I worried might somehow be left off for a show that’s literally all about her. Cuoco is fantastic, and Collins was endearing enough in as much of Emily in Paris as I got through. I’m curious if Globe voters, who tend to prefer shiny new shows, will choose one of the four freshman actresses nominated over O’Hara, earning her first Globe bid this year.

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or TV Movie

Note the “anthology series” listed in the name of this category, an important distinction in a year where, Bad Education be damned, there are no TV movies nominated but the five-film Small Axe is. This category actually includes one of the biggest snubs of the day in the form of Mrs. America, which I surely would have kept in place of The Undoing, which performed extremely well. It’s so great to see Normal People after its Emmy snub and Unorthodox since it’s always a toss-up how groups will react to programming that’s partially in a foreign language. Rounding out the category is the wonderful The Queen’s Gambit, a great choice, with a few expected vote-getters like I May Destroy You and The Good Lord Bird left off.

 

Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or TV Movie

Here we have what may be the biggest disappointment of the day, especially since the corresponding actress category was announced first. His Emmy-snubbed costar Daisy Edgar-Jones got in, but Paul Mescal didn’t, which is really too bad. I don’t know what Hugh Jackman and Bad Education did wrong that Small Axe seems to have done right – I had expected him to be here. Cranston really doesn’t need awards for a role that’s nowhere near as challenging as Breaking Bad, and I had a feeling that Daniels would be a Globe choice for a solid recreation of recent history. Like both Cranston and Daniels, Hawke managed to score here despite being left off the CCA’s six-wide list, the solo representative for his show, which did get cited in the top category by that group. Grant is in good company with a few of his costars, while, just like at the Emmys, Ruffalo is the only part of his very bleak series nominated.

Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or TV Movie

A huge sigh of relief and appreciation for the inclusion of Edgar-Jones, who I had swapped out of my predictions in favor of Michaela Coel, who didn’t show up here. The rest of the list is expected but still mostly worth celebrating. Kidman is always good even if this isn’t her best work, and though Blanchett is somehow the only part of her show cited by this group, she really does give a formidable performance. Haas and Taylor-Joy are both wonderful, and it’s great to see them here. 

Best Supporting Actor

For some reason, I thought that John Lithgow would score here for the ultimately underperforming Perry Mason, but two other Globe favorites did: Parsons, a bizarre choice as the only representative of his limited series, and Sutherland, whose intense scenery-chewing is surely one of the reasons he made the cut. I wasn’t positive that voters would want to see Trump imitated but they did, hence Gleeson’s inclusion. Boyega appeared as the inarguable lead in one film of his five-episode anthology series, and so I’m not sure how that makes him a supporting player. I also wasn’t positive that Levy would be able to crack this race since comedy performers don’t tend to have all that much luck in the supporting categories, but here he is along with the rest of his cast. I had thought that Tobias Menzies would be along for the ride, even with a reduced role in season four. And where’s Mahershala Ali for Ramy?

 

Best Supporting Actress

I went through the archives for this category to check and this is the first time in thirty years (!) that there is no limited series or TV movie representation, despite a wealth of potential contenders. I’m most disappointed for Jessie Buckley from Fargo and Marielle Heller from The Queen’s Gambit, though it’s also surprising to see no one from Mrs. America here after Emmy and CCA voters chose the same three actresses. Carter managed to repeat despite a more limited role in season four, joined by her much showier costar, Anderson. Garner finally got noticed for the third season of her show, surely influenced by her back-to-back Emmy wins. I’m happy to see Nixon, even if I might have thought Judy Davis would be a likelier pick from that show. And Murphy is here, ensuring full representation for her series and a chance for that show to go five-for-five here just like it did at the Emmys.

Tomorrow, we get SAG’s list, which I would have said is sure to be different, but who knows. For now, what are your favorite inclusions and most disappointing snubs from these nominations?

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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