Nobody should take the Hollywood Foreign Press Association too seriously (and you wouldn’t either if you had gone to a press conference with them). But when they throw the Golden Globes each year, people pay attention because stars come and they drink and a few of them get awards.
It’s the one show where TV and movie stars all mingle, so there’s that. And their nominations give an indication of how some people are thinking as other awards shows considered more reputable consider their options. (Ultimately, they’re all meaningless, but let us continue).
While “12 Years a Slave,” “American Hustle” and “Nebraska” are leading among the films, Netflix’ “House of Cards” leads all TV series with four nominations, followed by three for “Breaking Bad,” “The Good Wife” and some cable miniseries, “White Queen” and “Dancing on the Edge,” whose Chiwetel Ejiofor, pictured here, is also nominated for “12 Years a Slave.”
The first season “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is nominated along with stalwarts “The Big Bang Theory,” “Girls,” “Modern Family” and “Parks and Recreation.”
“House of Cards” is up for best drama alongside the new “Masters of Sex,” “The Good Wife,” “Downton Abbey” and “Breaking Bad.” No room for onetime favorites “Mad Men” or “Homeland,” both shut out of nominations.
So instead of Claire Danes, the best actress nominees for a drama are Julianna Margulies, Kerry Washington of “Scandal,” Robin Wright of “House of Cards,” Taylor Schilling of “Orange is the New Black” and Tatiana Maslany in “Orphan Black.”
The actor in a drama category has newcomers Liev Schreiber of “Ray Donovan,” James Spader of “The Blacklist” and Michael Sheen of “Masters of Sex” as well as Kevin Spacey in “House of Cards” and Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad.”
Andy Samberg is up for best actor in a comedy for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” as is the returning Michael J. Fox and Jason Bateman. Don Cheadle of “House of Lies” and Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” round out the category.
Among women in comedies, it’s Amy Poehler of “Parks and Recreation,” Julia Louis Dreyfus of “Veep,” Edie Falco of “Nurse Jackie,” Lena Dunham of “Girls”and Zooey Deschanel of “New Girl.”
The “mini-series or movie” category is clogged up with nominations for the HBO Liberace movie “Behind the Candelabra” which tied “House of Cards” for most TV nominations with four. “American Horror Story” and “Top of the Lake,” both considered in this category, each got two. “White Queen” and “Dancing on the Edge” each got three.
The Golden Globe Awards will be given Jan. 12. The good thing is that its hosts will be Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.