who will win: golden globes 2011 edition

I know what you're thinking: will I ever tire of award shows? Considering the number of award shows I've watched in my life already, the answer is: probably, someday...but it's not going to be this year.

As you may know, the Golden Globes are coming up on Sunday. Once again, they'll be hosted by Ricky Gervais, who will hopefully say many, many uncouth things and keep the home audience from falling asleep sometime in the second hour. The nominees and extraneous celebrities in the audience will be plied with alcohol so there is a higher chance of someone getting toasted and saying or doing something unexpectedly hilarious/appalling, which makes the Golden Globes by default the best awards show.

So just for funzies, here are my predicted winners. Note that I have absolutely no credentials to even be making critical predictions, aside from the fact that I watch a bit of TV. Also note that I cannot claim to have seen all the nominated actors/series/miniseries, so half the time I'm pulling this out of my bum. I can't decide if this is going to be a who-I-think-will-win list or a who-I-want-to-win list, so let's just say it's a little of both.

Since it's not relevant to this blog, I will refrain from going through the film categories. Also, I don't think I can muster the requisite brain power right now to actually debate whether Burlesque or The Tourist should win Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Yes, the film categories are even more wacked out than the TV ones.

Best Television Series Drama
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
DEXTER
THE GOOD WIFE
MAD MEN
THE WALKING DEAD

Duh. It is the only show that gets us posting on a regular basis.

Best Television Series – Comedy/Musical
30 ROCK
THE BIG BANG THEORY
THE BIG C
GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
NURSE JACKIE

Since Community wasn't nominated, I have to go with Modern Family. If Glee wins, that enormous whoosh you'll hear is me emitting the largest sigh in the known universe.

Best Television Series – Miniseries/Movie
CARLOS
THE PACIFIC
PILLARS OF THE EARTH
TEMPLE GRANDIN
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

As much as I looooooooove Band of Brothers, I just couldn't get into The Pacific at all. I gave up after three episodes, although I do mean to go back and give it another shot later. Even though WWII+Spielberg+Hanks=high probability of winning, I think Temple Grandin (I haven't seen it) won a ton of Emmys so it's a safe choice.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Toni Collette, UNITED STATES OF TARA
Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE
Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Laura Linney, THE BIG C
Lea Michele, GLEE

I must confess to being pretty uninformed here, since I'm only familiar with Tina Fey and Lea Michele's characters. I'm going to go with Laura Linney just because I like her. Do I need a better reason?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Steve Carell, THE OFFICE
Thomas Jane, HUNG
Matthew Morrison, GLEE
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY

I'm surprisingly uninterested in this category. Yes, Alec Baldwin is the best thing about 30 Rock but he's won so many times. I'm not quite sure Steve Carell had such a great year. I've never seen Hung. I'm sure Matthew Morrison must have a legion of fans, but does he even do anything on Glee anymore? Also he's not funny. I do think Jim Parsons is the funniest person on The Big Bang Theory but he should have won like two years ago. Ummm, let's go with the Emmy trend.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE
Elisabeth Moss, MAD MEN
Piper Perabo COVERT AFFAIRS
Katey Sagal SONS OF ANARCHY
Kyra Sedgwick, THE CLOSER

I really want to give this one to Elisabeth Moss because Peggy Olson was the best character on Mad Men this year, but award shows seem to love Carol Hathaway--I mean, Julianna Margulies.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD
Michael C. Hall, DEXTER
Jon Hamm, MAD MEN
Hugh Laurie, HOUSE

I feel like Bryan Cranston or Michael C. Hall will actually win, but Jon Hamm is one of the patron saints of this blog, so of course I feel obliged to pick him. Also, he totally deserves it.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Scott Caan, HAWAII FIVE-0
Chris Colfer, GLEE
Chris Noth, THE GOOD WIFE
Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY
David Strathairn, TEMPLE GRANDIN

This is an odd category. The Scott Caan thing is a little strange, but I have to say, I watched five minutes (literally) of Hawaii Five-0 once, and he was very charismatic during those five minutes! The supporting role nominations always stinks a bit because they lump comedies, dramas, and miniseries all together, so tons of people get left out. I'm going to go with Cam, although if I had my way I'd give it to Phil Dunphy in a heartbeat.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hope Davis, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
Jane Lynch, GLEE
Kelly Macdonald, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Julia Stiles, DEXTER
Sofia Vergara, MODERN FAMILY

This is the showdown category between Gloria and Sue Sylvester. I'm going with Gloria by a hair.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Idris Elba, LUTHOR
Ian McShane, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Al Pacino, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
Dennis Quaid, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
Edgar Ramirez, CARLOS

I don't really have a horse in this race, as I haven't seen any of these miniseries, but I'm going with Idris Elba based on nothing but the fact that he was SO good on The Wire.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayley Atwell, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Claire Danes, TEMPLE GRANDIN
Judi Dench, RETURN TO CRANFORD
Romola Garai, EMMA
Jennifer Love Hewitt, THE CLIENT LIST

Randomly, I really enjoyed Romola Garai's Emma (she was a lot better in that than in, well, pretty much every other thing I've ever seen her in), but it's kind of light. And you can never count out a Dame. Which reminds me that I really need to move up Cranford on my Netflix queue. All that considered, and the fact that I don't have a clue what The Pillars of the Earth is, it seems Claire Danes will win. And she already won the Emmy. Although not a tiny part of me would love to see JLH win, just because I think that would be really entertaining to watch.