The Golden Globes Are So Over ‘Mad Men’
The Foreign Press Association snubs Weiner’s show, but still loves the long-in-the-tooth ‘Modern Family’
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t Mad Men’s best season. Nor has Homeland been good in a long time — not by anyone’s standards. But these awards-nom staples from the drama category were among those that got a major snubbing this year by the Foreign Press Association.
I’m not saying that I believe either show should have been nominated. I was disappointed by both dramas this past season—but a complete actor shut-out for Mad Men? Come on! That is just plain wrong. And there were worthier new dramas this past year that really blew me away. Some were nominated, like Showtime’s Masters of Sex and Netflix’s House of Cards. But more were egregiously overlooked: BBC-America’s inventive sci-fi thriller Orphan Black (though they did give its wonderful star, Tatiana Maslany, a well-deserved nod); AMC’s Cold War espionage tale, The Americans; Netflix’s wickedly wry prison dramedy Orange Is the New Black (which should have been in the comedy category). Even veteran show Game of Thrones enjoyed its best season, and where the eff was that? Is the Foreign Press not getting screeners?
As I jokingly said in “Hate-Watching the Emmys,” awards shows are invitations to gripe about the snubs. In fact, the snubs are often more notable than the nods. But the Globe noms tend to be a little more interesting, dare I say, well, daring than the Emmys. I believed Orange Is the New Black — the most talked-about and seemingly universally acclaimed show of the summer —would earn big love. It got a single nomination, for Taylor Schilling (for Best Actress in a TV Drama). I wanted to see it also nab a Best Drama, and more so, a Best Supporting Actress for Kate Mulgrew (Red) or Natasha Lyonne (Nicky) or Uzo Aduba (“Crazy Eyes”). No such luck. I’d certainly have preferred to see Orange in the comedy category over the no-longer-Modern Family, and Orphan Black instead of this ho-hum season of Downton Abbey. And while I was thrilled to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine as a new contender for comedy — it is my favorite freshman network sitcom (I love Michael Schur with all my heart) — and a star from that show up for best comic actor, that nom belongs to Andre Braugher, whose deadpan delivery and poker face provides the real laughs (which is not to begrudge the goofy Andy Samberg). And don’t even get me started on Veep, the smartest, most acid comedy on TV in years. Someone needs to get those guys an HBO subscription.
But, alas, no one asked me or the other American critics. This is all about the Foreign Press. So we’ll have to stump for those that they DID choose, and hope for the best. And sit back and enjoy an evening of Amy and Tina. I think we can do that, right?
