Golden Globes Play it Safer than Ever as Homeland and Game Change Lead the Television Nominations

Throughout the years the Golden Globe television nominations have been the birth place of some of the craziest/wackiest nominations.  The Globes have also been a lot braver honoring television shows/performances that were newer to the landscape, and that may not get attention from the Emmy Awards.  In the past the Globes were the first to recognize shows like Boss, Felicity, 24, Alias, My-So Called Life, Party of Five, Nip/Tuck and many more.  In predicting these awards this year I figured they would follow the same pattern, and with the exception of two nominations for Nashville,  two nominations for The Newsroom, and a nomination for Smash this award show looks more like the Emmy Awards than the past Golden Globes.

In this changing award show landscape every award show is trying to define their purpose as though they are a teenager struggling to get to adulthood.  One of the most fun things about this award show (especially with television) was that there were nominees that you knew you never see at the Emmy Awards, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) played it safe this year.  In years past you got nominations like Madeline Stowe from Revenge, Kerri Russell from Felicity, and while Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere fit those spots on the drama side, they are the only two.  Nominations for The Newsroom, and its star are not unexpected.

The Globes usually have some crazier comedy nominations, I was expecting nominations for their (HFPA's) God Ryan Murphy with The New Normal, but the show was shut out.  Mindy Kailing was shut out for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and there no bold statements from the Globes beyond bringing Episodes back into the mix, which the Emmy Awards have done through Matt LeBlanc.

I have to admit the nominees are not awful, although there are a few head scratchers, like Boardwalk Empire of Mad Men, and Best TV Movie or Miniseries category snubbing American Horror Story, and Sherlock for the most uneven HBO film The Girl, Makes no sense, but that's The Globes I know and love.  Don't change and become something your are not, continue being the people with the wacky television nominations. 

Best Drama Series
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Damien Lewis - Homeland

Best Actress in Drama Series
Connie Briton-Nashville
Glenn Close-Damages
Claire Danes-Homeland
Michelle Dockery-Downton Abbey
Juliana Margulies-The Good Wife

Best Comedy or Musical Series
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Best Actor in a Comedy Series or Musical
Alec Baldwin-30 Rock
Don Cheadle-House of Lies
Louis C.K.-Louie
Matt LeBlanc-Episodes
Jim Parsons-The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress in a Comedy Series or Musical 
Tina Fey-30 Rock
Zooey Deschanel-New Girl
Lena Dunham-Girls
Julia Louis-Dreyfus-Veep
Amy Poehler-Parks and Recreation

Best Supporting Actor in Television Series, Drama, Mini-Series, Movie, or Comedy
Max Greenfield - New Girl
Ed Harris - Game Change
Danny Huston - Magic City
Mandy Patinkin - Homeland
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family 

Best Supporting Actress in Television Series, Drama, Mini-Series, Movie, or Comedy
Hayden Panettiere-Nashville
Archie Panjabi-The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson-Fame Change
Maggie Smith-Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara-Modern Family

Best TV-Movie or Mini-Series
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfields & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Best Actor in a TV-Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Costner-Hatfields & McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch-Sherlock
Woody Harrelson-Game Change
Toby Jones-The Girl
Clive Owen-Hemingway & Gellhorn

Best Actress in a TV-Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman-Hemingway & Gellhorn
Jessica Lange-American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller-The Girl
Julianne Moore-Game Change
Sigourney Weaver-Political Animals