When it comes to breaking ground in recognizing new television awards royalty, Golden Globes voters have done it again.
In a stunning upset—one of the few we accurately predicted here last week—Fox’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was anointed TV’s best comedy, amid a tough field of proven comedic contenders. Not only that, its star, Andy Samberg won enough love of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. to take the comedy actor prize.
It was a good night for “SNL” alum, with another stellar hosting job by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who finally got her due as the star of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”
But for us, we didn’t do so well with our predictions in the television categories, getting only 5 of 11 on the money.
Let’s take a look:
Best TV Comedy or Musical
Girls
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
And the winner is: With its surprise win, Fox’s new comedy “B 99” has a much better chance of getting renewed for a second season, so let’s hope the Globe translates into enough new viewers to fuel a green light.
Best TV Drama
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Masters of Sex
And the winner is: We didn’t think they’d go “Bad”—we went with “House of Cards” as the HFPA’s choice here—but the incredible final season of AMC’s iconic drama was apparently as addictive as crystal meth.
Best Actress in a TV Drama
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards
And the winner is: Yeah, we called it: Robin Wright reigns as brilliant, manipulative but oh, so sexy villain who will crush anything getting in the way of whatever she damn well pleases.
Best Actress in a TV Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
And the winner is: While our choice, JLD, had some side-splitting cutaway moments during the telecast, moving from the elite film crowd to the more earthy TV peeps, it was finally Poehler’s turn to be recognized for “Parks and Rec.” She’s been deserving for so long.
Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
James Spader, The Blacklist
And the winner is: We went with Spacey here, but in sort of a surprise because he’d been overlooked many times, it was Cranston who can bookend his time as Walter White with a Golden Globe.
Best Actor in a TV 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
And the winner is: We were rooting for Samberg, thought M.J. Fox would take the gold, but were correct in feeling that HFPA would go with a first-season outing here. This is such a great feather in Samberg’s box. Oops, we mean hat.
Best Miniseries or TV Movie
American Horror Story: Coven
Behind the Candelabra
Dancing on the Edge
Top of the Lake
White Queen
And the winner is: As sure as Liberace sold out every show in Las Vegas, this was as certain of a bet as you could get. Another well-deserved honor to HBO for picking up “Behind the Candelabra,” originally intended as a feature film for which no studio was coming to the table.
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson, White Queen
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake
And the winner is: We called it for Lange, but thrilled that Moss was able to sway the most votes for her lead role in “Lake.” Still, we can’t wait to see her evolution as Peggy on “Mad Men” when it returns later this spring.
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba, Luther
Al Pacino, Phil Spector
And the winner is: “The only reason I’m up here and not you is more sequins,” said Michael Douglas to “Candelabra” co-star Matt Damon. Another predictable but fully justified victory.
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer, White Queen
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
And the winner is: We had called out the Starz women, Bisset and McTeer, but went with the one that didn’t walk to the podium. And Ms. Bisset sure had everyone talking with her seeming shock at winning. Not to mention her recollection that she won a promising newcomer award 45 years ago.
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
And the winner is: Another correct call in our less than .500 batting average. Hooray for Voight and his best role in years as Ray Donovan’s dad. Actually, given his explosive portrayal, we’d be very afraid if he didn’t win.
