(See the complete list of nominees.)
(Pond: Globes' surprises are in the snubs.)
When it comes to TV, Golden Globes voters are a lot like the character of Phil Dunphy on ABC's "Modern Family": Despite their best attempts to act cool and hip, deep down they're pretty conventional.
Consider the lead actress in a comedy/musical category. Choosing breakout star Lea Michele from "Glee" keeps the Globes ahead of (or, in the Twitter era, right on the edge of) the curve, much like its nomination of a then-unknown Keri Russell ("Felicity") a decade ago.
But how predictable that Globes voters would nominate Monica, er, Courteney Cox for "Cougar Town"-- while overlooking Amy Poehler of NBC's "Parks and Recreation"? The "Friends" alum is doing fine work on the steadily-improving ABC series, but her nomination is more a reflection of her star power than anything else.
By contrast, Poehler this season has been shaping a character that could end up nearly as iconic as Steve Carell's Michael Scott. A Globes nom would have represented some much-needed validation for "Parks" and would have demonstrated that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is as uber-cool as it likes to pretend it is.
Likewise, the best comedy/musical series category feels like it could have been put together by Emmy voters-- three years ago. "Glee" and "Modern Family" are welcome additions, but in a year when TV comedy is finally springing back to life, the HFPA chose to play it boring by mostly nominating the usual suspects "Entourage," "The Office" and "30 Rock"-- even though all three have had off-seasons this year.
Where's the love for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which just wrapped its most-watched season ever? And while Poehler is the star of "Parks," the strong ensemble and great storylines should have made it a contender for best comedy over its older cousin "The Office," which at this point is quickly headed into what could be the home stretch.
And then there's "The Big Bang Theory." As long as we live in a world where "How I Met Your Mother" isn't an awards magnet, I'm not going to get too worked up about "BBT" getting dissed.
Still, it would have been nice for the HFPA to acknowledge that CBS has the top-rated comedies on TV, and that at least two of those half-hours-- "HIMYM" and "BBT"-- are also critically admired, pop culture hits.
Performance-wise in the comedy categories, if the Globes were as cool as they think they are, we would have seen Aziz Ansari snag a nomination for his layered performance in "Parks." Nick Offerman also would have been a deserving nominee, but it's clear the HFPA has never seen the show. Their loss.
On the drama front, meanwhile, it's hard to see how HFPA voters could be so culturally tone-deaf.
Their snubs of both FX's "Sons of Anarchy" and AMC's "Breaking Bad" are kind of stunning, particularly given the inclusion of "House" (a good show that's had its moment). Full disclosure: I don't watch either show yet (although I plan to via DVD), but even I know they're clearly both among the top five series on TV.
