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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The 2011 SAG & Golden Globe Awards, In Comparison

Last week, there uproar as two awards giving organizations, The Screen Actors Guild and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association rolled out their nominations for their respective awards shows, both of which will air sometime in early January. Though they achieve nowhere near the level of prestige of either the Oscars or the Emmys (though they do seem to rank above the Grammys and AMAs), television critics were nonetheless incensed, as they usually are, over the perceived injustices that awards organizations make when they overlook certain series. And while this critic-organization dialectic will most likely continue until the end of human existence, there is something about the way that these two nominations list compare – at least in terms of television nods - that’s particularly and peculiarly interesting.

The common knowledge in the television industry is that you can’t trust HFPA to make good selections for TV (or movies, for that matter), because there are more interested in promoting big name and/or foreign stars over those who have displayed actual talent. (Example: Last year, amid a myriad of negative reviews, The Tourist manages to snag a few nods, much to everyone’s confusion.) And even though the SAG Awards are much younger than the Globes or any other awards ceremony, it’s generally taken for granted that they do all right in their nomination, because hey, it’s actors voting for actors, and they now their craft, right?

Well, those two assumptions seemed to have gotten upended last week. Take a look at the television nominations that these two groups handed out:

SAG Awards:

An Ensemble In A Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire 
Breaking Bad 
Dexter 
Game of Thrones 
The Good Wife

Male Actor In A Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Female Actor In A Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

By An Ensemble In A Comedy Series
30 Rock 
The Big Bang Theory 
Glee 
Modern Family 
The Office

 A Male Actor In A Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Female Actor In A Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland 






















Male Actor In A TV Movie Or Miniseries
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
James Woods, Too Big To Fail

Female Actor In A TV Movie Or Miniseries
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Betty White, Hallmark Hall Of Fame: The Lost Valentine
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Golden Globes:

Best TV Series - Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game Of Thrones
Homeland

Best Actor In A TV Series - Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammar, Boss
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Actress In A TV Series - Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best TV Series - Comedy
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl

Best Actor In A TV Series - Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung 
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actress In A TV Series - Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation

Best Supporting Actor In A TV Series
Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress In A TV Series
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Best Miniseries Or TV Movie
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce 
Too Big To Fail

Best Actor In A Miniseries Or TV Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Actress In A Miniseries Or TV Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce


I won’t pretend that there’s not some good choices in each, or that each doesn’t make bad choices, but for once in the history of these two organization, the Globes seems to have made the more informed nomination list than SAG did. I don’t know what to make of this, other than the fact that SAG members voted poorly this year, and HFPA member voted a little better, but it is interesting to note, and it makes me wonder how these nomination lists will play out when it comes to time to name winners in January.

Beyond that, I don’t have a lot to say generally/thematically, so let’s just run through some of the finer points, shall we?
  • While I’m glad that the Globes gave notice to Homeland – it’s neither flashy nor established, which goes against their MO – I’m sad that there was no recognition from SAG, where it was more likely to win.
  • The only reason Patrick J. Adams and Callie Thorne seem to be on the SAG list to fulfill this weird USA fetish that awards ceremonies have developed over the past few years.
  • Really, nothing for Justified? Or Community? From either one of you? Fuck….
  • Why the shit are the Globes treating BBC series as miniseries? Do they not understand how it works across the pond? I think they may need to drop the “Foreign” from their name.
  • That being said, I’m glad that The Hour, which I think has been a bit underrated in terms of its cultural buzz, especially for Romola Garai, who gave a fantastic performance. I’m choosing to see Dominic West’s nom as way to make up for the dearth of awards recognition for The Wire.
  • Glee? Modern Family? American Horror Story? On both lists? Shit….
  • I’m beginning to think that these voters don’t actually Dexter anymore, and they’re just putting it on the list out of habit. 

I’d be happy to hear any individual complaints that you may have. Sound off below.

3 comments:

  1. Glee? Fucking GLEE?!
    Well, at least it only got one nom, and I highly doubt it will win.
    I mirror your disdain for the absence of Community. If it's so critically lauded, why aren't the critics giving them awards?!
    While I do find it strange that Patrick J. Adams is on the list, Suits really wasn't half bad. Definitely better than Necessary Roughness, which looked insipid from the beginning. At least Suits never had a character say, "...and I DO NOT give up!"

    And I still need to finish Homeland.

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  2. First off, critics don't make any of these selections - Hollywood insiders do. Critics have a couple of their own awards shows, but the noms lists and award winners are actually fairly predictable if you follow enough critics.

    I have nothing against Suits particularly (it probably helps that I haven't seen it), and while admit that the USA formula for show works for what it's aiming for, it's also not a formula for producing award-winning shows. However good Adams may be on the show - and I've heard he's actually quite good - it's not a role that would allow him to display whatever acting chops he may or may not have that would make him award-worthy.

    And damn straight you need to finish up on Homeland

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  3. Well, I meant 'critics' in a more over-arching way, as if to say 'people who (should) pay attention to quality TV'.
    But I guess these people just follow the hype. SHOCKER.

    ReplyDelete