Well, here we go again.
Sure, the Golden Globes don’t hold the same industry weight as the Emmys, considered TV’s gold standard of awards-show prestige.
But the Globes are an important barometer nonetheless — and often give an early indication of how Emmy voters are leaning, albeit early in the year.
We could go on and on about deserving TV nominees who were snubbed by the Golden Globes selection committee, but the nominees’ verdict is in — so here are our picks of who’ll win Sunday night, and why.
Best TV Series/Drama
“Breaking Bad”
“Downton Abbey”
“The Good Wife”
“House of Cards”
“Masters of Sex”
Michael’s pick: “House of Cards”
Now that “Breaking Bad” is over, the Hollywood Foreign Press will do what the Emmy voters were afraid to do — embrace the excellent “House of Cards,” the addictively diabolical Netflix series that’s custom-made for every viewer’s timetable.
Best Actor in a TV Series/Drama
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Michael Sheen, “Masters of Sex”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
James Spader, “The Blacklist”
Michael’s pick: Kevin Spacey
His performance as ruthless politician Frank Underwood was extremely effective and disturbing — on so many levels.
Best Actress in a TV Series/Drama
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange Is the New Black”
Kerry Washington, “Scandal”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Michael’s pick: Tatiana Maslany
The young Canadian actress had perhaps the biggest breakout TV performance of 2013 for her masterful portrayal of seven different clones, all with unique personalities (and, often, accents) in this BBC America sci-fi drama.
Best TV Series/Musical or Comedy
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
“Girls”
“Modern Family”
“Parks and Recreation”
Michael’s pick: “The Big Bang Theory”
In a field of weak comedy nominees (really, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”?), “The Big Bang Theory” is the favorite because of its sheer popularity — 22 million viewers a week, which is huge in the diluted TV viewing universe. And unlike other nominees like “Modern Family,” “Parks and Recreation” and last year’s winner, “Girls” — whose buzz has waned — “Big Bang”’s impact continues to grow with age.
Best Actor in a TV Series/Musical or Comedy
Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Michael J. Fox, “The Michael J. Fox Show”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Andy Samberg, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Michael’s pick: Jason Bateman
While its long-awaited fourth season on Netflix didn’t quite capture the same magic as its original run on Fox, Bateman literally held the series together as the only cast member to appear in all 14 episodes. The Globes also love a Hollywood star, which gives Bateman the edge over his competition.
Best Actress in a TV Series/Musical or Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Michael’s pick: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The “Seinfeld” alum is coming off an Emmy win for her role as Vice President Selina Meyer, and this political satire really hit its comedic stride in Season 2. Plus, HBO always comes out of the Globes with a nice hardware haul.
