It's been so long since the second season of Lifetime's UnReal that they're probably hoping you forgot how widely panned that season was. Still, I'll give this new one a chance, although it's curious that it's been wrapped and kinda sitting on the shelf for a while now (the show's already moved into production for Season 4). They're finally doing a take on The Bachelorette instead of The Bachelor, but who knows how that's gonna go, since I'm pretty sure the creator/showrunner claimed to prefer writing female characters as the contestants. I have always liked Caitlin Fitzgerald in everything she's been in from Masters of Sex to Rectify. It returns on Monday, February 26th at 10pm.
'Big Little Lies,' 'Handmaid's Tale' and 'Mrs. Maisel' Take Top Globes on TV Side
It was a big night for female dominated shows, as Big Little Lies, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Handmaid's Tale all won top honors. This was one of my better years predicting, as I went 8 for 11.
- Best Supporting Actor: Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
- Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
- Best Actress in Miniseries/TV Movie: Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
- Best Actor in a Miniseries/TV Movie: Ewan McGregor, Fargo
- Best Miniseries/TV Movie: Big Little Lies
- Best Actress in a Drama: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
- Best Actor in a Drama: Sterling K. Brown, This is Us
- Best Drama Series: The Handmaid’s Tale
- Best Actress in a Comedy: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Best Actor in a Comedy: Aziz Ansari, Master of None
- Best Comedy Series: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Golden Globe TV Predictions
Okay, TV time! The Globe Awards for TV are always a pretty meaningless grab bag of whatever it is this odd group of 90 older, foreign journalists happened to like best, so there’s no big secret to predicting in these categories. They tend to have a history of liking new, first season shows and bigger name winners, but that’s about it, and even that gets varied up from time to time. Let’s dive in.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
- The Crown
- Game of Thrones
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Stranger Things
- This is Us
Gonna go with Handmaid’s Tale. It’s the buzziest new first season show, so I think they’ll want to jump on that Emmy bandwagon.
Winner: The Handmaid’s Tale
Alternate: The Crown
Dark Horse: This is Us
BEST COMEDY SERIES
- Black-ish
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Master of None
- SMILF
- Will & Grace
Be kinda funny if Will & Grace could win for its comeback after more than a decade, but…I’m thinking the Globes will choose the brand new Mrs. Maisel show (which I haven’t seen one second of. Not an Amy Sherman-Palladino fan).
Winner: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Alternate: Will & Grace
BEST ACTOR- DRAMA
- Jason Bateman, Ozark
- Sterling K. Brown, This is Us
- Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor
- Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Eh- I think probably Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown? He’s new, he’s popular, and they liked the show, since it’s nominated.
Winner: Sterling K. Brown
Alternate: Freddie Highmore
BEST ACTRESS- DRAMA
- Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
- Claire Foy, The Crown
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce
- Katherine Langford, 13 Reasons Why
- Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
I think Elisabeth Moss will win, but I could see it going to newcomer Katherine Langford as well, which would be a kind of Golden Globes thing to do.
Winner: Elisabeth Moss
Alternate: Katherine Langford
BEST ACTOR- COMEDY
- Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
- Aziz Ansari, Master of None
- Kevin Bacon, I Love Dick
- William H. Macy, Shameless
- Eric McCormack, Will & Grace
I feel like Kevin Bacon will win this, for some reason. Big name, veteran actor. Also a very Globes thing to do, but maybe Eric McCormack could take it.
Winner: Kevin Bacon
Alternate: Eric McCormack
BEST ACTRESS- COMEDY
- Pamela Adlon, Better Things
- Alison Brie, GLOW
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Issa Rae- Insecure
- Frankie Shaw, SMILF
I would love to see Alison Brie or Issa Rae win, and since both are new I could see it happening. But neither of their shows are nominated, so I’m thinking they’ll pick Brosnahan, whose show made it into the series category.
Winner: Rachel Brosnahan
Alternate: Issa Rae
Dark Horse: Alison Brie
BEST ACTOR- MINISERIES/TV MOVIE
- Robert DeNiro, The Wizard of Lies
- Jude Law, The Young Pope
- Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks
- Ewan McGregor, Fargo
- Geoffrey Rush, Genius
Ummm…going with Jude Law. That show made more of a splash overseas than here, I think, and the HFPA are mostly European, so there you go. Plus he’s a big movie name.
Winner: Jude Law
Alternate: Kyle MacLachlan
BEST ACTRESS- MINISERIES/TV MOVIE
- Jessica Biel, The Sinner
- Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
- Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan
- Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette and Joan
- Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
This category’s packed with big movie names, but going to go with Emmy winner and Globe darling Nicole Kidman here. Jessica Lange in a distant second.
Winner: Nicole Kidman
Alternate: Jessica Lange
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- David Harbour, Stranger Things
- Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette and Joan
- Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
- Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
- David Thewlis, Fargo
I don’t know…maybe Skarsgard? He won the Emmy for this too, surprisingly. I’m assuming they’re going to fall all over themselves for Big Little Lies, like the Emmys did, so perhaps it’ll just clean up.
Winner: Alexander Skarsgard
Alternate: Alfred Molina
Dark Horse: David Thewlis
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
- Ann Down, The Handmaid’s Tale
- Chrissy Metz, This is Us
- Michelle Pfeiffer, The Wizard of Lies
- Shailene Woodley, BIg Little Lies
Again, the Emmy winner was Laura Dern, but I have a feeling Chrissy Metz could take this. The Globes don’t always follow the Emmy precedent. I might as well take a chance somewhere.
Winner: Chrissy Metz
Alternate: Laura Dern
BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
- Big Little Lies
- Fargo
- Feud: Bette and Joan
- The Sinner
- Top of the Lake: China Girl
Big Little Lies, for sure. It led the nominations, it’s HBO, it’s the most popular. It will win.
Winner: Big Little Lies
Alternate: Feud: Bette and Joan
Top 10 Shows of 2017
To kiss off 2017, here were the top ten shows I enjoyed the most. I thought this year was a slight comedown in terms of quality, at least compared to recent years, but that's because some of my favorite shows produced some "down" seasons. Still, this is what came out on top:
1. THE VIETNAM WAR
A grueling, engrossing 18-hour experience that documents the war, the times, the fighters on both sides, the government, the citizens, everything you'd ever need to know about this defining era in American history. Like the best documentaries, what it masterfully provides is context for what happened then so you can read into what's still happening now. A can't miss.
2. CASUAL SEASON 3
I'm one of about three people who actually watches this show, which is too bad, because many are really missing out. Sadly, that's why the fourth season will be its last, but Hulu's family dramedy is really something special and will be missed. This last season was its best yet, as the cast keeps on shining and the show continues the reveal the depths of the sibling relationship at its center by exploring Alex and Valerie's past. Funny, real, filled with pathos and heart, but not sentimentality. I love it.
3. FARGO SEASON 3
Amazingly, Noah Hawley wrote another quality season of Fargo without repeating himself. This one gave us another female cop heroine (Carrie Coon), a dual performance by Ewan MacGregor and a deliciously repulsive villain in David Thewlis. It packed a particularly powerful punch in a finale that took aim at the heart of 2017, asking us about who "wins" versus who deserves to, or whether anything truly matters at all.
4. AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT
Yup. I never watched any other season of this show, but this one gave me the murderous catharsis that I was looking for this year. Evan Peters kills it as an insane alt-right cult leader (and impersonates several famous ones in history) while Sarah Paulsen gives us the vengeance we deserve. If only.
5. THE CROWN SEASON 2
A glorious second season is in lockstep with the quality of the first, enhancing our intimate knowledge of the royal family as the 1960's roll onward. With deepening looks at Philip and Margaret's shenanigans, it's Claire Foy who stays majestic as the stoic Elizabeth, doing more with subtle looks and unemotional rigidness than most actors can do when given tantrums and hysterics to work with. It's going to be hard to get used to a new Queen when the show recasts for its third season.
6. BROADCHURCH SEASON 3
I loved this show's first season and hated the second one, so it was SO nice to see it reclaim its former glory with a story centered on a serial rapist terrorizing the town, with Hardy and Miller on the case. A much better note for the show to go out on.
7. FEUD SEASON 1
For Old Hollywood junkies like me, this was like candy. Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon relish playing Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, respectively, but Joan's story gets the most poignancy in the end, as the show manages to garner some sympathy for her tragic life. Filled with trivia and great performances from Stanley Tucci and Alfred Molina, its commentary on the lasting effects of how women are treated in Hollywood resonates even more as we go through what's happening today.
8. CATASTROPHE SEASON 3
A darker, more serious tone for this show is still entertaining and packs a punch, especially since death and alcoholism are some of the themes Sharon and Rob have to deal with, now that they have two little kids and financial problems. It's still hilariously funny of course.
9. LEGION SEASON 1
Probably the most innovative new show of the year, also from Noah Hawley, and unlike any other superhero show on TV, even though it's dealing with a character who's technically part of the X-Men. It's almost pointless to explain it- you just have to be willing to submit to all eight episodes and experience it yourself. Headtrip doesn't begin to describe this.
10. GLOW SEASON 1
A lovely surprise this summer, as this delightful ensemble looks at the origins of women's wrestling on TV in the 1980's. Funny, fresh and smartly cast, especially leads Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin as frenemies Ruth and Debbie, while Marc Maron brings exactly the right amount of crabby cynicism to the proceedings. Kinda reminds of a series version of A League of Their Own.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Big Little Lies, Stranger Things 2, Orphan Black S5, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt S3, Underground S2, Planet Earth II
'Underground' Season 2 Starts March 8th
One of the best new shows of last year was WGN's Underground, which returns for its second season in just a couple of weeks. This year they cast Aisha Hinds to star as Harriet Tubman and I cannot wait. Looks amazing.
'Stranger Things' and 'Orange is the New Black' Take Top SAG TV Prizes
On the TV side of things, there were some repeat winners (William H. Macy, OiTNB) and great speeches from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, and new winners in John Lithgow and Claire Foy from The Crown. The speeches from the TV actors were no less fiery and defiant than the ones on the movie side, which I have to say, makes these shows a LOT more entertaining. I hope it keeps up.
- COMEDY ENSEMBLE: Orange is the New Black
- COMEDY ACTOR: William H. Macy, Shameless
- COMEDY ACTRESS: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
- DRAMA ENSEMBLE: Stranger Things
- DRAMA ACTOR: John Lithgow, The Crown
- DRAMA ACTRESS: Claire Foy, The Crown
- ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/MINISERIES: Bryan Cranston, All the Way
- ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE/MINISERIES: Sarah Paulson, The People vs. OJ Simpson
Here's the awesome speech from David Harbour after winning with the Stranger Things cast (and the bizarre, evolving facial expressions from Winona Ryder next to him, which made for a thousand gifs):
Mary Tyler Moore 1936-2017
It's hard to overstate what Mary Tyler Moore meant to television. One of the biggest icons in the history of the medium, and especially for women on TV, she became famous after being cast as Laura Petrie, the wife of Rob Petrie on Carl Reiner's legendary 1960's sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66). She and Van Dyke were the epitome of the happy married couple on a show that was groundbreaking in the Kennedy era, and she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy, but after that, she formed a production company with her husband Grant Tinker, and went on to star in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77). As Mary Richards, successful single working woman, she changed the face of how women could be seen not just on television, but culturally as well.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was emblematic of a changing society in the 1970's, but amazingly, it still holds up today, mostly because it was so damn funny. One of the great ensemble casts of all time that saw nearly every single actor win at least one Emmy during its run, it led to many spinoffs, including Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant. MTM Productions was responsible for not only the spinoffs, but also such television staples as The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele and Newhart. The impact of the show (for which Moore won three Emmys as Lead Actress) would leave Moore forever seen as that character, but she went on to act in films, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for 1980's Ordinary People, a role that turned her cheery, sunny image on its head as a cold, distant mother. She was also an activist for various causes, including animals rights and juvenile diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in her early 30's. She won the SAG lifetime achievement award in 2011 and died yesterday from cardiopulmonary arrest due to pneumonia. Her legacy lives on, as one of the most influential comediennes in television history, up there with Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was often times a flat out musical comedy, and the chemistry between Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke is what made Rob and Laura such an appealing couple:
Since they have the whole thing on youtube, I'm just posting the full episode of the classic MTM from Season 6- "Chuckles Bites the Dust":
'The Crown,' 'Atlanta' Win Top TV Honors at the Golden Globes, Jimmy Fallon Bombs as Host
I actually did better on my predictions this year than last, going 8 for 11 in the TV categories. I should have trusted my instincts on The Night Manager a little more, which the Globes loved so much they gave it all three acting wins, despite feeling obligated to go for OJ in Best Limited Series. But the new prevailed overall with the rest. I should mention here how host Jimmy Fallon fared on the actual ceremonial duties, and that was pretty pitifully. He tried to go slightly edgier (for him) in the opening monologue with some Trump jokes, but coming from the guy who helped normalize the racist, sexually assaulting monster on national television, it's a little too late for that shit, buddy. I will not forget or forgive. Aside from that he bombed most of his bits and then all but completely disappeared in the second half, so even though the ratings were higher this year, who knows if he'll be back to host these again. Good riddance. The funniest bit of the night came from Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell presenting Animated Feature with ironically tragic recollections of their first time seeing animated movies as kids. Get them to host next time.
- Best Comedy Series: Atlanta
- Best Actress in a Comedy: Tracee Ellis-Ross, Black-ish
- Best Actor in a Comedy: Donald Glover, Atlanta
- Best Drama Series: The Crown
- Best Actor in a Drama: Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath
- Best Actress in a Drama: Claire Foy, The Crown
- Best Limited Series/TV Movie: The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Best Actor in a Limited Series/TV Movie: Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
- Best Actress in a Limited Series/TV Movie: Sarah Paulson, The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Best Supporting Actor: Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
- Best Supporting Actress: Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
Traces Ellis-Ross's beautiful acceptance speech about inclusion:
Golden Globes TV Predictions
On the TV side of things, the HFPA pretty much just goes for what they like, which is usually the new, shiny nominee with the most recent buzz. In most categories anyway. Let's have at, shall we?
BEST DRAMA SERIES
- The Crown
- Game of Thrones
- Stranger Things
- This is Us
- Westworld
This may be trickier than it looks to predict, because we've got four hot new shows here. Hmm. So which one does the HFPA love the most? I'm thinking The Crown. Prestige period drama about the royal family? Yeah, that's Globe catnip if ever there was any.
Winner: The Crown
Alt: This is Us
Dark Horse: Westworld
BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL SERIES
- Atlanta
- Black-ish
- Mozart in the Jungle
- Transparent
- Veep
They really love this Mozart in the Jungle show, but do they go for it yet again? Seems like too much for them. But what wins instead? To be honest, none of these other shows feel like their type. Is it Veep, after five seasons? New kid on the block, Atlanta? I'm stumped on this one.
Winner: Atlanta
Alt: Mozart in the Jungle
Dark Horse: Veep
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
- Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
- Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Matthew Rhys, The Americans
- Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
- BIll Bob Thornton, Goliath
I thought for sure Rami Malek would win this last year and he didn't, so maybe they catch up with him this time, after his Emmy win. Otherwise, I think Matthew Rhys may have a shot. None of these actors' shows got nominated in drama series, so it's kind of a free for all.
Winner: Rami Malek
Alt: Matthew Rhys
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
- Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
- Claire Foy, The Crown
- Keri Russell, The Americans
- Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
- Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
I think Foy should take this one, as the young Queen Elizabeth. The HFPA almost always chooses a first time nominee from a hot new show here, but Winona Ryder is tempting, as a veteran star in a comeback role.
Winner: Claire Foy
Alt: Winona Ryder
Dark Horse: Caitriona Balfe
BEST ACTOR COMEDY/MUSICAL
- Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
- Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
- Donald Glover, Atlanta
- Nick Nolte, Graves
- Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
I'm saying Donald Glover for this, following the hot newcomer trend.
Winner: Donald Glover
Alt: Gael Garcia Bernal
BEST ACTRESS COMEDY/MUSICAL
- Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
- Issa Rae, Insecure
- Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
- Tracee Ellis-Ross, Black-ish
Yikes. With two previous first time winners here, I'm not sure if they'll repeat or go for someone new. They've never gone for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, despite her epic awards run for Veep- could the Globe finally be hers? Or maybe Tracee Ellis-Ross is the new winner? I could honestly see any one of either Bloom, Louis-Dreyfus, Rodriguez or Ellis-Ross winning.
Winner: Tracee Ellis-Ross
Alt: Rachel Bloom
Dark Horse: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
BEST LIMITED SERIES
- American Crime
- The Dresser
- The Night Manager
- The Night Of
- The People vs. OJ Simpson
I'm guessing People v. OJ, although to be honest, I'm not sure if the HFPA's tastes align with that show. If not for all the hype, I'd be tempted to go with something like The Night Manager. But it was a little too much of a cultural, zeitgeisty thing to be ignored by them.
Winner: The People vs. OJ Simpson
Alt: The Night Manager
BEST ACTOR- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
- Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
- Bryan Cranston, All the Way
- Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
- John Turturro, The Night Of
- Courtney B. Vance, The People vs. OJ Simpson
I should maybe go for OJ in all these categories, same as the Emmys did. But I'm less certain about it, knowing this voting group. I'm saying Tom Hiddleston.
Winner: Tom Hiddleston
Alt: Courtney B. Vance
BEST ACTRESS- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
- Felicity Huffman, American Crime
- Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience
- Sarah Paulson, The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Charlotte Rampling, London Spy
- Kerry Washington, Confirmation
Paulson it is, with less competition here, seeing as how these other shows don't have as much Globes attention.
Winner: Sarah Paulson
Alt: Kerry Washington
Dark Horse: Riley Keough (don't ask me why- I just have a feeling the HFPA knows this is Elvis Presley's granddaughter)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Sterling K. Brown, The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
- John Lithgow, The Crown
- Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
- John Travolta, The People vs. OJ Simpson
Okay, I'm deviating from OJ here. I'm gonna go with John Lithgow, who was extremely good and a total scene-stealer as Winston Churchill. Again, it feel like Globes catnip.
Winner: John Lithgow
Alt: John Travolta (they would like this performance)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
- Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
- Chrissy Metz, This is Us
- Mandy Moore, This is Us
- Thandie Newyon, Westworld
I'm at a disadvantage here, having not seen any of This is Us or Westworld. I don't even know if those shows are up Golden Globe alley or not. It'd be nice to see Lena Headey win something for Game of Thrones someday, but the Globes do like the new. I'm thinking Thandie Newton. On the other hand, there is precedent for the Globes using this category to catch up with someone who's overdue, and Headey would be the most obvious beneficiary of that. Hmm.
Winner: Lena Headey
Alt: Thandie Newton
Dark Horse: Mandy Moore
PGA Nominations for Television Honor 'Black Mirror,' 'Westworld,' 'Stranger Things'
The producers guild nominations for TV picked some cool, new stuff and of course some of the same old, same old (when are these guys finally going to let go of House of Cards? It's over, man). On another note, I wonder if Stranger Things can actually win any of these many awards it's being nominated for by the industry.
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:
· Black Mirror (Season 3- above)
· The Night Manager (Season 1)
· The Night Of
· The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Season 1)
· Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
· Better Call Saul (Season 2)
· Game of Thrones (Season 6)
· House of Cards (Season 4)
· Stranger Things (Season 1)
· Westworld (Season 1)
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
· Atlanta (Season 1)
· black-ish (Season 2)
· Modern Family (Season 7)
· Silicon Valley (Season 3)
· Veep (Season 5)