Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning.  Here are the lucky ones with my picks bolded…those with stars, I haven’t had the pleasure to watch:

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES * DRAMA
PATRICIA ARQUETTE	MEDIUM
EDIE FALCO	THE SOPRANOS*
EVANGELINE LILLY	LOST
ELLEN POMPEO	GREY’S ANATOMY
KYRA SEDGWICK	THE CLOSER

 

Kyra Sedgwick is the reason that I don’t watch The Closer, I just found her accent to be a bit too grating for my tastes.  I wouldn’t say that Pompeo’s performance as the title character in Grey’s Anatomy is bad, but I guess it’s the character itself I don’t much care for.  It’s all wispy, staring off into space, not answering questions, which guy’s head am I going to mess with today…it’s not Ellen, it’s just Meredith that frustrates me.  While I haven’t watched a heck of a lot of Medium, what performances I’ve seen have been very well done, but not award-winning.  Unfortunately, I haven’t watched The Sopranos in a couple of years, so I can’t really comment on Falco’s performance.  I’ve got to give this one up to Kate…and it’s not just that I’m biased…Lilly did a tremendous job during the short run we’ve seen this season (and it looks like she’s got a lot of good stuff ahead of her after the break.

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES * DRAMA
PATRICK DEMPSEY	GREY’S ANATOMY
MICHAEL C. HALL	DEXTER*
HUGH LAURIE	HOUSE
BILL PAXTON	BIG LOVE*
KIEFER SUTHERLAND	24

 

Dempsey plays the cocky doctor to perfection, but, again, I don’t see award written on it.   Kiefer does a great job at yelling at terrorists and threatening to cut out people’s eyes, but I think we should look for him to win next season.  I haven’t caught Dexter or Big Love.  This one goes to Laurie, thought, hands down.  He’s the reason this show works, and it works magically.
 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES *COMEDY OR MUSICAL
MARCIA CROSS	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
AMERICA FERRERA	UGLY BETTY
FELICITY HUFFMAN	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS	THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
MARY-LOUISE PARKER	WEEDS*

 

Honestly, I see this one going two ways.  Cross has done a brilliant job this season of capturing Bree’s perfectionist Martha Stewart-esque homebody, trying to start a new marriage with a man who obviously has a lot to hide.  At the same time, Huffman’s performance in the hostage situation at the grocery store alone deserves the award.  I’ve got to go with her.  Ferrera and Louis-Dreyfus both do commendable jobs in their respective parts, but they are far outshone by the ladies of Wysteria Lane.  Again, haven’t seen Weeds, so I can’t comment on that.
 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES * COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALEC BALDWIN	30 ROCK
ZACH BRAFF	SCRUBS
STEVE CARRELL	THE OFFICE
JASON LEE	MY NAME IS EARL
TONY SHALHOUB	MONK

 

Carrell, no question.  I think I can say the same thing for all of the other nominees:  they own their roles and play them flawlessly, with Jason Lee standing out from the bunch.  But Steve Carrell’s performance is consistent, consistent, consistently the funniest performance on television. 
 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
EMILY BLUNT	GIDEON’S DAUGHTER*
TONI COLLETTE	TSUNAMI, THE AFTERMATH*
KATHERINE HEIGL	GREY’S ANATOMY
SARAH PAULSON	STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP
ELIZABETH PERKINS	WEEDS*

 

Again, I’m only covering shows that I’ve actually watched, and that pretty much leaves Grey’s and Studio 60.  Paulson brings the only nomination for one of the best shows of the new season, and it’s a great performance.  But Heigl’s performance in last season’s finale was phenomenal.
 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
THOMAS HADEN CHURCH	BROKEN TRAIL*
JEREMY IRONS	ELIZABETH I*
JUSTIN KIRK	WEEDS*
MASI OKA	HEROES
JEREMY PIVEN	ENTOURAGE*

 

Heroes is the only one in this list that I’ve watched.  Go figure.  But, man, I love me some Hiro.  He is the most relatable hero on the show, and, knowing Oka’s background, he’s every geek’s dream come true.

 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES * COMEDY OR MUSICAL
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ENTOURAGE*
THE OFFICE
UGLY BETTY
WEEDS*

 

I’m still not sure why Desperate Housewives falls into the comedy genre any more than shows like Boston Legal or Grey’s Anatomy, but apparently it does.  Regardless, The Office is consistently hilarious, and I am always pumped when I know it’s on, and severely depressed when I know it’s not.  It deserves this award…again.
 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES * DRAMA
24
BIG LOVE*
GREY’S ANATOMY
HEROES
LOST

 

You know, I’ve really gone back and forth on this section.  The first six weeks of Lost pushes it out of the running, no question.  The nomination was a nice gesture.  24 is a heckuva ride and a fantastic show, but I couldn’t in good faith put it as the best drama on television.  So, for me, it really comes down to Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes.  And, I’ve gotta say, Grey’s just edges out on the competition, and the reason is something I’ve repeated a lot here: consistency.  It is a great show, and it is a great show every single episode.  We constantly see the characters in situations that are completely unlike anything else on TV:  situations where the characters actually have to change.  They move forward in their story arc, not because that is what the story demands, but because that is who they are…that is where the decisions that they have made, decisions that were completely in character and completely rational at the time they were made, take them.  It’s a show that I seem to overlook every time I’m talking about good television, but when it’s on, it brings me back in.  It’s the best show on TV.
 

FINAL TALLEY
ABC	12
NBC	9
HBO	8
SHOWTIME	4
FOX	3
BBC	1
TNT	1
USA	1
AMC	1