Golden Globes plug in to cable
12/13/07 09:33 AM
By ED BARK
It's a blowout, even with barely any help from The Sopranos.
Again led by HBO, but with strong assists from Showtime and FX, cable outpaced broadcast TV 39 to 21 in Golden Globes nominations for the 2007 calendar year.
Last year it was a 28-to-28 tie, with broadcasters dominating nominations in the weekly series categories.
Not so this time. In the major battles for best drama and comedy series, cable corralled 7 of the 11 nods. The chosen few didn't include notables such as HBO's The Sopranos for its final season, NBC's Friday Night Lights, The Office and Heroes, Showtime's Dexter and Weeds and CBS' Two and a Half Men.
Broadcast programs had more nominations than their cable counterparts in only two of the 11 TV categories -- best performances by actors and actresses in a comedy series or musical.
CBS managed just one nomination overall, for Sissy Spacek's lead role in the movie Pictures of Hollis Woods. In contrast, its cable corporate cousin, Showtime, had six, led by two apiece for The Tudors and Californication.
FX's Damages led all series with four nominations, including for best drama and performances by Glenn Close and Ted Danson in his first dramatic series role.
HBO's Longford also had four nods to top the movie contenders.
Broadcasters scored with three nominations apiece for NBC's 30 Rock and ABC's Pushing Daisies, both of which made the final field as best comedy contenders.
AMC's Mad Men series gave that network its first two nominations ever while 90-year-old Ernest Borgnine put The Hallmark Channel on the map with a best actor nomination for A Grandpa For Christmas. Borgnine's Oscar for 1955's Marty makes him the oldest living best actor victor.
The other first-year TV series with one or more nominations are: The Riches (FX), Saving Grace (TNT), Samantha Who? (ABC) and Jekyll (BBC America).
The Sopranos nabbed just one nomination, for Edie Falco as best actress in a drama series. Golden Globes voters crowded that field with seven nominees, with Close the likely winner.
NBC will televise the 65th annual awards ceremony on Sunday night, Jan. 13th.
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