The 70th Annual Golden Globes – GB Recap

I am, admittedly, an awards show fan so it comes as no surprise that I tuned in to last night’s Golden Globe Awards. There’s just something about watching Hollywood’s best and brightest get all dressed up and then sit for hours while pretending they were okay with just being nominated that makes for really good entertainment. Add in my well documented love for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and there was no way I’d be missing this one. As with every other awards show, there were definite highs and even more definite lows but I think we can all agree that perhaps last night’s Golden Globes ended up with more in the “highs” column.

First off, the aforementioned Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. After three years of Ricky Gervais and his “trying too hard” approach to comedy, it was really nice to laugh at a joke without feeling like an awful person for doing so. It wasn’t like Fey and Poehler went all Pollyanna on us, for they did have some nice zingers throughout the night, but it certainly did not feel as if they were mean-spirited. Of course I am biased, being a fan in the first place, but they were quite possibly the best hosts I’ve seen in quite some time.

Another high? Ben Affleck winning Best Director for Argo. He had the stage and could have mentioned his “snub” from the Oscar committee but decided against it, classy move. We’ve already discussed the Academy Awards nominations here but the befuddlement is only increased by Affleck’s win last night. What did the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) see that the Academy did not? It boggles the mind.

Of course I’m a huge SNL geek so it’s no surprise that I loved Will Ferrell and Kristin Wiig as they presented one of the best actress awards. When Ferrell said that Dame Judy Dench used to be a police sheriff and this was her breakout role? I nearly choked on my coffee. Of course I would love for Tina and Amy to host from now to eternity but if they can’t, Will Ferrell and Kristin Wiig would be an okay replacement. However, I think it’s safe to say that if Ferrell and Wiig were the hosts, perhaps Tommy Lee Jones would stay home as he did not appear to be a fan of their antics in any way, shape, or form.

Jodie Foster’s acceptance speech after being awarded the Cecil B. DeMille award was both a high and a low maybe? I honestly spent the entire six minutes ping ponging between “you go Jodie Foster!” and “I have no idea what you are saying right now Jodie Foster”. It was very discombobulated. I have to imagine that when she wrote the speech (I’m assuming she wrote it), it made a lot more sense than it did when she got up on stage and nerves and adrenaline took over. Like Kevin Costner earlier in the evening, it made people question if she was either going to retire from show business or take a long walk off a short pier. Of course when she talked about her mom, I was just like every other sap in the room, searching my cleavage for a kleenex.

A definite high? I’m sorry but it had to be Taylor Swift losing to Adele in the Original Song category. I usually don’t delight in the heartbreak of others (well not all the time) but this was hysterical. She is just so used to winning everything that she just sat there rather stunned when she got beat. Of course if she had won I’m sure there would have been a resurrection of the Kayne incident and nobody needs that so really it was a double win for all involved. Well, except for Taylor Swift.

Lows? There weren’t a whole lot but one of the biggest ones was Sacha Baron Cohen. Oh boy, that was uncomfortable. I don’t know if it was announced what he was going to be presenting beforehand (I didn’t hear it0 but after he slams Russell Crowe’s singing performance in Les Mis and then makes reference to Anne Hathaway’s unfortunate upskirt photo he goes on to present Best Animated Feature. Call me crazy, but don’t presenters usually say something at least somewhat related to the award they are presenting? Yikes.

Perhaps the biggest low of the entire show, and frankly award shows in general these days, was network television. I love network television and I know I am not alone in that. There are millions of people who tune into network television every single day and quite a few of those millions are watching something besides singing and dancing (and diving- seriously Fox?) competitions. 30 Rock, Happy Endings, Community, New Girl, and my beloved Parks and Recreation are all examples of great shows that can be found on network television. So why is it that year after year, the only awards being given out to TV shows and their actors, are going only to premium cable? Don’t get me wrong, I like Girls just as much as the next gal but I have an incredibly hard time believing that Lena Dunham gave a better performance in Girls than Amy Poehler did as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. I understand that the voters like shows that push the envelope but when premium cable is up against networks there really is no contest as the envelope HBO and Showtime are dealing with is light years larger than the networks have to stay within.

While I’m on my little mini-rant can we all just finally agree to stop nominating Chuck Lorre shows in the first place? They are fun entertainment for a night when you just really don’t want to think or feel any type of emotion beyond slightly amused. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no way that they should ever be nominated for anything beyond a Teen Choice award.

Glenn Close drinks when bad shows get nominated

So there’s my highs and lows of the night, but no recap would be complete without a list of the winners so here you go:

Best Supporting Actress in Television, Movie, or Mini-Series
Maggie Smith- Downton Abbey (PBS)

Best Supporting Actor in Television, Movie, or Mini-Series
Ed Harris- Game Change (HBO)

Best Actress in Television, Movie or Mini-Series
Julianne Moore- Game Change (HBO)

Best Actor in Television, Movie or Mini-Series
Kevin Costner- Hatfields & McCoys (History Channel)

Best Television Movie or Mini-Series
Game Change (HBO)

Best Actress in Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Lena Dunham- Girls (HBO)

Best Actor in Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Don Cheadle- House of Lies (Showtime)

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Girls (HBO)

Best Actress in Television Series, Drama
Claire Danes- Homeland (Showtime)

Best Actor in Television Series, Drama
Damien Lewis- Homeland (Showtime)

Best Television Series, Drama
Homeland (Showtime)

Best Foreign Language Film
Armour (Austria)

Best Original Song
“Skyfall”- Adele

Best Original Score
Life of Pi

Best Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained

Best Animated FilmBrave

Best Supporting Actress in Motion Picture
Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables

Best Supporting Actor in Motion Picture
Christoph Waltz- Django Unchained

Best Actress in Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor in Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Les Miserables

Best Actress in Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain- Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor in Motion Picture, Drama
Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln

Best Director
Ben Affleck- Argo

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Argo

So there’s the Golden Globes, next up- the Oscars! See you then.

11 New and Returning TV Shows to Watch in 2013…

There was a time when a show premiered in January or February it usually meant it was crap. I think it is safe to say that this is no longer that case, and to prove my point, a list of the top new and returning shows that are premiering (or have premiered in the last week or so) in the coming weeks.

In order of premiere date, the top eleven shows that you should be on the look out for this winter. Why eleven? Well I had come up with ten and then realized I’d forgotten one and by that time I was too attached to the ten original so eleven it is!

1. Portlandia

First off, a show that came back on Friday, January 6th on IFC. The brain child of SNL’s Fred Armisen and musician/actress Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia is a show you should be watching, if for no other reason than to understand why people keep talking about “put a bird on it!” and thinking it’s hysterical. Now in its third season, you can catch up on the first two seasons on Netflix which I would highly recommend. Even though the show is comprised of shorts, it does have a story arc. You won’t be completely lost if you start with season 3 but you’d at least understand why the new Geico commercial with the pig at the restaurant is so humorous. Portlandia has always been a fan of guest stars and season 3 looks to be no different. Patton Oswalt, Jeff Goldblum and Penny Marshall plus so much more!

Portlandia– Fridays at 10 eastern on IFC, check it out and feel free to thank me.

2. Downton Abbey

7.9 million Americans can’t be wrong. That is how many people tuned into the season 3 premiere of PBS’s Downton Abbey on Sunday, January 6th. A product of the Britain’s itv, Downton Abbey follows the lives of the inhabitants of a great English manor in the 1900’s. At it’s base it’s nothing more than a soap opera but the great characters and beautiful settings have worked their way into our hearts and DVR’s alike. While I really enjoy the dichotomy of the upstairs vs. downstairs, it is the individual characters that I love. Watching Dame Maggie Smith as the matriarch of the family is like watching a master class on acting; the woman can do no wrong, none! Add in Shirley MacClaine as the other mother-in-law and the personality clashes practically write themselves.

One has to wonder, given the success of shows like Downton Abbey and Sherlock, how many times Ed Begley, Jr.’s character from A Mighty Wind has been quoted by those in the PBS offices.

You can find Downton Abbey on Sunday nights at 9 eastern on PBS. Word of warning, if you are looking to record it on your DVR, it will more than likely listed as Masterpiece Theatre.

3. Cougar Town

I’m sure everyone just let out a groan, but hear me out, especially if you never watched Cougar Town beyond the first few episodes. When it premiered, this show had one of the worst premises ever; a newly divorced woman in her 40’s who is out to date younger men, therefore making her a “cougar”. Not totally sure why they thought that would ever take off, and surprisingly it didn’t. The writers saw this and changed the premise almost completely. The show’s creators even flirted with the idea of changing the name of the show, but in the end kept it. Now instead of the dating escapades of Courtney Cox, it’s a show about friends and family and friends who are family. I like my sitcoms to have an emotional element and have a story that grows with the characters. Cougar Town does that, now.

After airing on ABC for three seasons, this season will be on TBS. What effect it will have on the writing (given that standards and practices are more lenient on cable than network TV) remains to be seen, but I know I will be tuning in to find out. If I’ve convinced you, or your interest is the slightest bit piqued, you can catch Cougar Town premiering on January 8th at 10 eastern on TBS.

4. 1600 Penn

Another sitcom and one that I’m not convinced will be good but I think still needs to be given a chance is NBC’s new show, 1600 Penn. NBC needs this show to win. Their comedy schedule is taking some big hits with The Office and 30 Rock signing off this year and Community and Up All Night on shaky ground (Up All Night completely changing formats from single cam to multi-cam with live audience is almost unheard of), they need something to fill those slots. Animal Practice shockingly enough, crashed and burned and while Matthew Perry’s Go On has had a bit of success, it can’t carry the entire schedule. The only thing NBC has going for it right now is Parks and Recreation and it doesn’t have the ratings to stand alone either, which is a crime but that’s another thought for another day.

Enter Bill Pullman and Jenna Elfman as the President and First Lady of the United States. The sitcom focuses on them and their somewhat dysfunctional family including their son, Josh Gad. These are not small names which makes it all the more surprising that they’d sign on for something that doesn’t look all that promising. However I did just recommend a show that started off in the toilet and redeemed itself further down the road so perhaps I’ll be singing a different tune after a few episodes, here’s hoping.

1600 Penn premieres on January 10th at 9:30 eastern on NBC.

5. Girls

I have to wonder if Lena Dunham occasionally pinches herself to make sure it’s all real. I know I would be. The first season of Girls, which she created and stars in, was met with critical and commercial success. On a network that is known more for its dramas, Girls has made a name for itself and has Dunham mainly to thank for it. That and the fact there hasn’t been a “group of girls” type of show that is actually good since the departure of Sex and the City in 2004. I happen to love this show and can’t wait to see what those crazy kids get themselves into in season 2. If I had to guess, it would be a lot of alcohol and a lot of sex.

Girls starts back up on January 13th at 9pm on HBO.

6. Ripper Street

Another British import, Ripper Street takes place in the East End of London shortly after the murder spree of Jack the Ripper. One can only imagine how crazy that area would have been given the fact that Jack the Ripper and his crimes were known worldwide. The amount of people there to just be what we today call “disaster tourists” must have been overwhelming. I do like how in the promo, there is a guy giving a tour! So it’s up to the “H Division” who investigated the Ripper crimes, are tasked with keeping that area of London under control. Ripper Street follows their story, with Matthew MacFadyen (MI-5/Spooks) as the famous Edmund Reid. I think we can all agree that the BBC usually does a very good job with their projects and this looks to be no different.

Ripper Street finds its way to BBC America on January 19th at 9 eastern.

7. The Following

As I mentioned a few weeks back, Kevin Bacon is returning to TV with a show called The Following. It’s already making news, but not in ways I imagine they’d wanted, but rather because of the level of violence in the show. Given that I just watched an episode of Criminal Minds in which an insane man was making marionettes out of live people, I daresay the violence won’t be a lasting issue. The Following has an interesting premise- a serial killer who escapes and the police then discovering that he has become a cult favorite with the psychopaths of the world- and I’ll admit this is one that I’m looking forward to most this mid-season. I’m a big fan of James Purefoy and of course Kevin Bacon is, well he’s Kevin Bacon.

You can get caught up in the mystery starting on January 21st at 9 eastern on Fox.

8. The Americans

Neon is back in style so why not Communist Russia? I’m guessing that is what the creators of The Americans thought and at first blush, it appears as if they might be on to something. Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters) play married KGB agents here in America in the 1980’s. I think it will be very interesting to see how this plays out. There are some who are dismissing it as just a Homeland knockoff but I daresay they aren’t really the same concept at all. Growing up in the Cold War the idea that anyone could be a Russian spy really was a thing. How many stories have come out over the years of “ordinary” people being outed as spies and their friends and neighbors having no idea? Even though I hadn’t heard much of this show before seeking it out, I’m intrigued and will certainly be checking it out.

The Americans premieres on January 30th at 10 eastern on FX.

9. Community

I will not be surprised if someday in the future, Community finds its way into a textbook in a chapter titled “what not to do when trying to produce a successful television show” and it will have nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the performances of the actors. If it wasn’t so aggravating as a fan, it would be almost comical to watch NBC yank Community around like a neglected rag doll. They’ve never put much marketing into it, and have repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with time changes and taking it off the schedule only to put it back on but then change the air date… it’s a mess. Add in the drama with Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase both leaving the show and lord have mercy where do they go from here?

In my perfect world, everyone with a television would tune into Community when it airs so the ratings are astronomically high and NBC will be forced to renew Community for another season even though they are making it pretty clear with their actions that they don’t want to. That would be a perfect world. Alas that won’t happen so I’m just going to enjoy Community for however long it has left.

You can find Community on October 19th February 7th at 8 eastern on NBC.

10. Touch

Kiefer Sutherland running! Kiefer Sutherland out of breath! Kiefer Sutherland’s child is in danger! No, this is not 24, but rather Touch. I’ll admit that I did not watch Touch when it aired. Just happened to come across it one day on Netflix and gave it a shot. I am thankful for this bit of kismet because it really is a good show. From Tim Kring, creator of Crossing Jordan and Heroes, Touch is about a kid who doesn’t speak or interact with anyone but is obsessed with numbers, numbers that his father (Sutherland) and social worker discover actually mean something. Every week he gives them a new set of numbers which lead them to a new clue in an even more expansive mystery involving Danny Glover and Maria Bello. If you missed the first season, find it on demand or on Netflix, it’s a good one. It of course requires a massive suspension of disbelief but if you don’t dwell on details too much, the story is quite fantastic.

This is another show that was scheduled to premiere in the fall but got bumped to the mid-season so we’ll just have to wait and see what that means for the future.

For now, you can see Touch with a two-hour premiere on February 8th at 8 eastern on Fox.

11. Zero Hour

I am a closest lover of conspiracy theories. Most of the time I think they are bubkus but it doesn’t make me love them any less. I especially like conspiracy theories wrapped up in treasure hunting scenarios. National Treasure, The Librarian, Uncharted (the games)? Big fan of them all. So it comes as no surprise that I was really excited when I read the description of Zero Hour. A woman goes missing, her husband who by the way has a magazine called “Skeptics” finds a clock she bought that has some kind of treasure map inside and that leads him on a wild goose chase with people talking in whispers and riddles? Yes please.

Anthony Edwards returns to television for the first time since Dr. Green died on ER and in my opinion, he couldn’t have chosen a cooler looking show. Here’s hoping it lives up to my own hype.

Zero Hour premieres on February 14th at 8 eastern on ABC.

Of course being the somewhat indecisive person I am- a few Honorable Mentions:

Justified – Tuesdays at 8 eastern on FX
Archer – Season 4 premieres January 17th at 10 easter on FX
All the Showtime shows – Shameless, Masters of Sex, and Ray Donovan

It’s always a good thing when the hiatus is over so let’s celebrate- Happy New Year everyone!