Golden Globes 2017 TV Predictions: Will ‘The Crown,’ ‘Stranger Things’ Break In?

Hollywood Foreign Press voters have a history of recognizing the new and offbeat

Donald Glover, Claire Foy, Issa Rae
FX, Netflix, HBO

Which TV show will get the Golden Globes bump?

Monday morning will bring another round of nominations for the Golden Globes, and while much of the attention will be lavished on Oscar contenders in the film categories, the TV nominations nearly always contain some surprises that end up directing the spotlight toward surprise picks.

Previous beneficiaries of the boost from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association include “Ugly Betty,” “Girls,” “Boardwalk Empire” and last year’s shocker, “Mozart in the Jungle.”

So who has the advantage this year, with the era of “peak TV” creating so many choices on TV and online? Check out some of our predictions for the nominations below:

Drama Series: Globes voters tend to prefer new series, and several this year are likely contenders. “Stranger Things,” Netflix’s acclaimed mystery/Spielberg homage, is almost certain to turn up. Ditto “The Crown,” a very costly Netflix period drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which will likely prove irresistible to the Globes’ cosmopolitan-minded voters.

HBO’s sci-fi fantasy “Westworld” could certainly make the cut, as well as NBC’s topical, family-oriented “This Is Us,” one of the biggest dramas on broadcast TV in years. ABC’s political thriller “Designated Survivor” looks like a long shot, but it could deliver; “24,” another Kiefer Sutherland drama, won the Globe in 2004.

Among returning shows, “Mr. Robot” won last year for its freshman season; it could return for another round among the nominees (“Homeland” and “Mad Men” are among series that have won consecutive Globes). “Game of Thrones” and “Outlander” could be safe bets here. And “The Americans,” “Better Call Saul” or “House of Cards” might sneak in too.

Predicted nominees: “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” “Westworld,” “This Is Us,” “Game of Thrones”

Musical or Comedy Series: This is a crazy category. Last year, the against-all-odds winner was Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle,” a classical-music drama with appeal to a very limited (perhaps barely existent?) audience.

Assuming “Mozart” was a one-time-only phenomenon, Globe voters are very likely to give a nod to “Atlanta,” Donald Glover‘s inventive look at hip-hop and one of the year’s most-talked-about series. HBO’s “Silicon Valley” and “Veep” may make return appearances, although voters might be getting a little fatigued from all the award-show praise heaped on both; ditto Amazon’s “Transparent.” If so, the Globes might turn toward a newcomer such as HBO’s “Insecure” or the British series “Fleabag.”

Predicted nominees: “Atlanta,” “Silicon Valley,” “Veep,” “Transparent,” “Insecure”

Limited series: This category isn’t hard to figure out. FX’s acclaimed miniseries “People v. O.J. Simpson” is going to get a nod — that’s probably the closest thing to a sure bet you will hear all season. HBO’s murder mystery “The Night Of” is pretty close to a lock too. “All the Way” will join the nominee list, thanks mainly due to Bryan Cranston‘s towering performance as LBJ. Add “The Night Manager” and “American Crime,” and you’ve got your list.

Predicted nominees: “People v. O.J. Simpson,” “The Night Of,” “All the Way,” “The Night Manager,” “American Crime”

Drama Actor: This might be the year for Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot,” who last time was nominated but lost out to Jon Hamm of “Mad Men.” Malek is very likely to at least make the nominee roster again. Anthony Hopkins will probably make the cut because: 1) he’s a global film star with a storied career and 2) “Westworld” is a hot new show.

Similar logic would underscore a nomination for Paul Giamatti of “Billions.” Wagner Moura of “Narcos,” Bob Odenkirk of “Better Call Saul” and Liev Schreiber of “Ray Donovan” were nominees last year; any of them could round out the list this time around. Given that it’s the Globes and voters will consider international appeal, Matt Smith could win a place among the nominees for his memorable turn as Prince Philip on “The Crown.”

Long shots would include U.K. stalwarts Matthew Rhys of “The Americans” and Hugh Laurie of “Chance.”

Predicted nominees: Rami Malek, Anthony Hopkins, Paul Giamatti, Bob Odenkirk, Matt Smith

Drama Actress: Here’s a category that’s wide open. As Queen Elizabeth on “The Crown,” Claire Foy is an obvious pick.  Taraji P. Henson won for “Empire” last year, and it’s a fairly safe bet she will make the short list again. Beyond those two, it gets interesting, with a long list of plausible nominees: Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton of “Westworld,” Robin Wright of “House of Cards,” Viola Davis of “How to Get Away With Murder,” Winona Ryder of “Stranger Things” and more. The good news is that there were a lot of good roles for leading women in 2016.

Predicted nominees: Claire Foy, Taraji P. Henson, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Winona Ryder

Comedy Actor: Donald Glover will very likely get a nod in this category for “Atlanta.” Thomas Haden Church could get seat at the table for his fine performance in “Divorce.” Jeffrey Tambor of “Transparent” and Patrick Stewart of “Blunt Talk” could return to the nominee list.

Finally, you can’t entirely discount stars of other freshman series, such as Woody Allen of “Crisis in Six Scenes,” Nick Nolte of “Graves” or Ted Danson of “The Good Place.” Newcomers those three aren’t, though — and none of those shows quite broke through.

Predicted nominees: Donald Glover, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey Tambor, Patrick Stewart, Ted Danson

Comedy Actress: Here’s betting that Issa Rae will have a breakthrough with “Insecure.” Minnie Driver also looks solid to draw a nod for “Speechless.” While not quite as likely, Tig Notaro of “One Mississippi,” Pamela Adlon of “Better Things” or Kristen Bell of “The Good Place” could score too. Among the returning candidates, there is Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “Veep” — who’s virtually the queen of this category. And voters might have a soft spot for Lily Tomlin of “Grace & Frankie,” nominated but win-less last year.

Predicted nominees: Minnie Driver, Tig Notaro, Pamela Adlon, Kristen Bell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Limited Series Actor: Courtney B. Vance or Cuba Gooding Jr. — or both — could get nods for “People vs. O.J. Simpson.” Riz Ahmed had a breakthrough as the murder suspect in “The Night Of,” and voters aren’t going to forget him now. They’re also going to remember his costar, John Turturro, for his work as the ambulance-chasing attorney. And Bryan Cranston is almost a sure thing for “All the Way.”

Predicted nominees: Courtney B. Vance, Cuba Gooding Jr., Riz Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, John Turturro

Limited Series Actress: Sarah Paulson, who won plaudits across the board for “People vs. O.J. Simpson,” is going to be on the nominee list, period. Kerry Washington will very likely get a nod for HBO’s “Confirmation,” even if the series wasn’t universally beloved. Felicity Huffman and/or Lili Taylor could join the nominee circle for “American Crime.” And “Gilmore Girls” fans could always sneak in Lauren Graham for the Netflix reboot.

Predicted nominees: Sarah Paulson, Kerry Washington, Felicity Huffman, Lili Taylor, Lauren Graham

Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown of “People vs. O.J. Simpson” looks like the go-to choice here. His cast mate John Travolta, who played attorney Robert Shapiro, could likewise get a nod. Other actors likely to turn up include Kit Harington of “Game of Thrones,” Louie Anderson of “Baskets” (who worked in drag, playing Zach Galfianakis’ mother) and John Lithgow, who played Winston Churchill on “The Crown.”

Predicted nominees: Sterling K. Brown, Kit Harington, Louie Anderson, John Lithgow, John Travolta

Supporting Actress: A wide-open field. Maura Tierney of “The Affair” won last year, and she’s favored to return to the nominee list this time around. Other possibles include Constance Zimmer of “UnReal,” Judith Light of “Transparent” and Emilia Clarke of “Game of Thrones.” Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things” seems to be a favorite to round out the field.

Predicted nominees: Maura Tierney, Constance Zimmer, Judith Light, Emilia Clarke, Millie Bobby Brown

The Golden Globe Awards will air Jan. 8 on NBC.

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