The 2013 Golden Globes: Times are Changing

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

In four years, this site has never talked about the Golden Globe Awards. They've been around since 1944 and annually award excellence in film (14 categories) and television (11 categories). They're not one of the "big four" awards, which is probably why I've always dismissed them as "not counting" like the big boys do. Others discount them because the members who determine the winners are foreign journalists. Really. The 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association all live in Southern California and are accredited by the Motion Picture Association of America but write for newspapers and magazines elsewhere.

Regardless of who is picking the winners, some people embrace the Golden Globe Awards as part of the "Award Season," which ends with the Oscars each year. For those who aren't cinephiles, the Academy Awards (Oscas) don't mean a whole lot, aside from possibly giving you a film or two to put on your bucket list. The Golden Globes, on the other hand, tend to appeal to a broader audience because of its mix of television and movie awards. Sure, Argo and Les Miserables took the big awards home in the silver screen division, but many expected that sort of thing. The bigger surprised were from the small screen categories.

Golden Globe Awards © HFPA facebook.com/GoldenGlobes

You may already be aware of the winners from last night's ceremony, but did you realize that they are almost exclusively from premium cable channels? Broadcast networks and the main cable networks had many nominees to boast, but when the hammer fell, so did they. Take a look: 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Downton Abbey Season 2  (PBS)
The Newsroom (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Connie Britton, Nashville (ABC)
Glenn Close, Damages (Audience Network)
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey Season 2 (PBS)
Julianna Magulies, The Good Wife (CBS)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Damian Lewis, Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom (HBO)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Girls (HBO) *winner
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Episodes (Showtime)
Modern Family (ABC)
Smash (NBC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO) *winner
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (FOX)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
Tiny Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime) *winner
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
Louis C. K., Louie (FX)
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (Showtime)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Game Change (HBO) *winner
The Girl (HBO)
Hatfields & McCoys (History)
The Hour (BBCAmerica)
Political Animals (USA)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Julianne Moore, Game Change (HBO) *winner
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Sienna Miller, The Girl (HBO)
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals (USA)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys (History) *winner
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock (BBCAmerica)
Woody Harrelson, Game Change (HBO)
Toby Jones, The Girl (HBO)
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey Season 2 (PBS) *winner
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville (ABC)
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (CBS)
Sarah Paulson, Game Change (HBO)
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ed Harris, Game Change (HBO) *winner
Max Greenfield, New Girl (FOX)
Danny Huston, Magic City (Starz)
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Showtime)
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (ABC)

FOX didn't have a single winner. Neither did ABC, CBS, NBC, or the CW. PBS took one award. ONE. So, of the broadcast networks, only one out of eleven awards went to a show that the general public had a fair chance at seeing. History, a cable network, picked up a single win as well. I don't know how much every provider charges for History, but U-Verse includes it in all packages at and above $57/month. The remaining nine categories were all swept by HBO (with five) and Showtime (with four), networks which are additional costs for cable subscribers. Some quick internet research shows that HBO is about $13 extra per month, and Showtime is about $14 more per month. So, illegal downloading aside, what percentage of the population was familiar with the vast majority of the winners? How upset were the people around your office water cooler today when they couldn't talk about House of Lies, Girls, or Homeland? I know that it definitely limited some of the conversation that I witnessed today, and it made me think...

I mean, there's a reason that Game of Thrones was the show most pirated in 2012! People don't have access. The way that the premium channels took the Golden Globes really forces some perspective on the futures for those networks... was this a strange coincidence or is it a trend? During a time when so many people have been discussing the disparity in our nation's socioeconomic classes, will the elite be the only ones talking about awards shows? Last fall's Emmys gave us 12 broadcast winners, 8 cable winners, and 10 premium network winners in the non-creative categories. Premium did better than cable, but only got one-third of the total awards, allowing more of the general public to be aware of "what's best" and take part in conversations about the ceremony.

No, I don't think that the premium networks should be excluded from these awards. But the playing field isn't exactly level, either. What you can say and show at 8pm on ABC is not the same as what you can say and show at 10pm on HBO. The goals for the networks aren't the same. So many things work differently, from censorship to funding to audience demographics. If this is a taste of where "good" television is going, what is going to happen next?

Thursday at Comic-Con 2012: Psych, Homeland, and Dexter

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

For the first day of Comic-Con, it went by much faster than last year (and here)! The process of waking up, heading to the convention center, and getting in line for badge pick-up was a little slower than last year, but not a big deal. After that, I cruised the floor, checking out the booths for South Park, Falling Skies, and FOX in particular. But, soon it was time to buckle down for the first serious line of the Con, and it was for Ballroom 20. For a complete rundown of all photos, check out our SmugMug album.

The 2:15pm Thursday panel was for Psych, and each person walking into the room received a pair of sunglasses to commemorate the series.

photo: Amy K. Bredemeyer

Things then started up with a video introduction by a professional wrestler! It was a full panel, with executive producers Chris Henze, Kelly Kulchak, and Steve Franks, and actors James Roday, Dule Hill, Maggie Lawson (loved her dress!), Tim Olmundson, Kirsten Nelson, and Corbin Bernsen. Everyone on the panel was offered pineapple juice alongside the obligatory water, immediately illustrating how committed Psych is to truly offering Comic-Con the show and its talent at their finest. We hear some facts, like how there are 2.4M facebook fans and that it's the #1 twittered show on USA (even though James Roday doesn't have a Twitter account). We hear about the 100th episode, see random poses of Dule sleeping everywhere they go, and even get to listen to James and Dule sing "Boom from the Bottom." Of course, there were some other surprises as well, like Dule's mom calling and him putting her on speaker to the microphone. Yes, this seriously happened. Tim also had the audience give a shout-out to his cousin, a military man who will soon be back stateside. Another highlight would be that they pulled four girls to compete in a Psych trivia game, where they had to name episode titles and Gus's nicknames, in addition to simpler questions.

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

Here are some facts from the panel, both from the Q&A and directly from the panelists:

- If Kirsten was to make out with someone, she'd choose Maggie.
- Corbin's least favorite scene to shoot was the one where he gets shot.
- Maggie's worst audition was when she was 19 and trying out to act as a 30-year-old single mother.
- The wardrobe people set out a few necklaces for James to pick from each year.
- There will, indeed, be a musical episode. AND, it'll be a special, two-hour ordeal. PLUS, it is already partially written, so get excited! It will shoot in October. We even got to hear some. :)
- When Dule was on Broadway, a fan wanted his sweat towel - he gave it to her and she took off screaming. How's that for a funky fan encounter??
- When it comes to naming the best singer, Dule says that he and James are about even, or maybe Tim, but James claims that it's Maggie.
- Corbin suggested that Henry could have a career as an assassin. Weapon of choice? Pie.
Sean will not mature this season.
- Even celebrities have their favorites! Dule has geeked out over Lionel Ritchie, Kirsten over Tim Curry, Corbin over Jeffrey Tambor (who plays Maggie's stepdad on the show), and everyone else over William Shatner.
- The strangest question was what Dule and James would do if they were in one another's bodies... James would dunk and Dule would get twitter.

Look forward to Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified coming February 19, 2013.

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

After Psych, we had two panels for new shows, Beauty and the Beast and Elementary, which we'll get to in a different post. But, first, an old fan-favorite... like Dexter, which has its final season premiering on September 30th at 9pm on Showtime. The panel was actually preceded by a fifteen-minute presentation from Homeland, with executive producer Howard Gordon. We see a trailer for the second season and find out that Claire Danes' pregnancy will not affect her character.

The lanyards that all Comic-Con attendees received were branded with Dexter, so no swag was expected. We did find out that there is a Dexter mobile game, and that even more "Early Cuts" are coming. We got a recap of the previous season and the first two minutes of the new season's premiere (Deb sees Dexter over Travis's body, she goes to call the station, he wants to stop her), then it was right into a Q&A with actors Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, and Yvonne Strahovski, plus executive producers John Goldwyn and Scott Buck. Not the best selection of questions in the world, but here are some highlights gleaned from the discussion:
- a piece of advice that Michael C. Hall would give Season One's Dexter would be to not make any friends.
- Michael C. Hall and Dexter may look alike, but that's pretty much it for their similarities.
- Michael believes that people love a serial killer because they identify with him.
- Harry will appear in the upcoming season.
- Michael considers Trinity to be Dexter's most satisfying kill.
- Michael can't believe he worked with John Lithgow.
- Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall didn't think that the show would really take off when they each read the pilot.
- People actually send in bail-bondsmen suggestions.
- Michael C. Hall thinks it would be cool for the finale to actually be 12 different episodes, each suggesting a different ending.
- Regarding their most embarrassing moments on-set, Jennifer confesses to falling at the ice rink and hitting her head, and Michael says that he ran the Slice of Life into a pier and did $8,000 of damage.

Stay tuned for more Comic-Con updates!

News Roundup: Lots of Picked-Up Pilots

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals, Cancellations, & Scheduling:
HBO's Treme won't air season three until the fall, even though the previous seasons began in April.

FOX's Touch will launch in more than 100 countries (including Canada, the UK, Germany, Israel, and Russia) on March 19th.

Tonight on TLC, Sorority Girls premieres at 9pm ET/PT. The show will be about five Sorority Sisters who attempt to establish a sorority in Britain, a country that doesn't have the 200+ year history of these fraternal groups.

Bravo's Shahs of Sunset begins on Sunday, March 11th. It's a documentary series that looks at the lives of six thirty-something Persian-Americans living in Los Angeles.

History has a new fishing show coming February 9th: Mudcats, where some folks in Oklahoma catch giant catfish with their hands.

CBS will continue hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards through 2021.

HBO's Eastbound & Down will be back on Sunday, February 19th at 10pm ET/PT.

If you don't want to watch the Super Bowl, ABCFamily is going to air the five Bring It On films, beginning at 9am. Amusingly, they're not showing them in order.

HBO's Luck has already been renewed... mere days after its premiere.

It's a good thing that America's Most Wanted got back on the air after all... four fugitives were put behind bars in one week!


Cast & Plot Updates:
Lea Michele will be a guest mentor on the first episode of the second season of The Glee Project, which airs this summer on Oxygen.

Kristin Chenoweth will appear in a May episode of Hot in Cleveland.

Amber from 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom has struck a plea deal in response to her latest drug arrest - she'll complete a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program instead of going to jail for five years. She plead guilty to one count of "possession of a controlled substance" and one count of "probation violation." The hearing will be February 6th.

Leah from 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom 2 had a miscarriage.

Steve Jones will not be hosting The X-Factor anymore.

Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
If you want to be in Los Angeles for the Simpsons 500th Episode Party (Monday, February 13th), you can enter until 5:59pm PT on Monday, February 6th over here.

Ben Stiller and Alan Alda may star in a new HBO comedy called All Talk, which is planned to be "politically, religiously, culturally, intellectually and sexually irreverent." The show will focus on the life of a Jewish family in Washington, DC.

The CW picked up three pilots - a "time-travel musical" called Joey Dakota, a comedy set in a New England summer resort called Shelter, and a futuristic "Hunger Games meets The Bachelor" called The Selection.

NBC bought TEN pilots last week, eight of which were comedies.

ABC has ordered a pilot based on Beauty and the Beast, despite the fact that the CW has already done the same.

I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard this one yet, but here ya go - Pat Sajak admitted to hosting the show after having a few drinks ("two or three or six") years ago.

Netflix is no longer marketing the DVD-by-mail part of its service, was they "expect DVD subscribers to decline each quarter forever," which is sad, since most brick-and-mortar video rentals are gone now. They also won't be adding video games like they had once intended.

If you're a fan of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, which runs on The Hub, get excited - you will be able to vote for the episodes for a mare-a-thon which will run on Saturday, February 11th and Tuesday, February 14th. Go vote!

As one might expect, visitors to Alcatraz Island are already creeping off the main paths to look for secret rooms. The island has posted signs, reminding tourists that Alcatraz is a fictional television show.

Can't get enough of Dearborn, Michigan after watching All-American Muslim? Well, Lifetime is coming up with ANOTHER sequel to Dance Moms... Ice Moms, which will have six episodes to start.

President Obama is a big fan of Showtime's Homeland, as is Bill Clinton and Diane Sawyer

CBS picked up three drama pilots: a period show, a PI show (Applebaum), and a character-driven procedural (Quean). They also ordered a pilot for a sitcom, written by Louis C. K. and Spike Feresten, who wrote Boomtown together ten years ago.

USA is working on The Moment, which is a nine-episode original reality series where football star Kurt Warner gives people a "second chance at reclaiming the career dreams that they put on hold when their lives took an unexpected turn." Each week, someone will have the shot to pick-up an old career where they left off, thanks to great mentors and opportunities. The someones are secretly nominated by loved ones. [USA Network Press Release]

USA picked up Political Animals, a six-hour drama series, to air this summer. It looks like it'll focus on a fictional former first family. Yep, try saying that five times fast!

USA will also be calling this February "Characters Unite Month" for the second year in a row. The goal is to combat prejudice and discrimination, which are problems everywhere. For examples of what they're doing, read here.

TLC is developing Preacher Wives, to be a "candid look into the holy worlds of outspoken ladies who work to ensure that their churches run as smooth as Southern-churned butter."

ABC is turning Scruples, Judith Krantz's 1978 best-selling novel into a one-hour drama.

The city of Hoboken will not allow Jersey Shore to film a spin-off there.