Golden Globe Musings: Best TV Series - Drama

The following represents some preliminary thoughts on Golden Globe contenders for the given category. Predictions will be narrowed and revised towards the end of November or the beginning of December. A reminder that last year’s nominees mean zilch at the Globes and that the race is almost entirely unpredictable.

Last year’s nominees:
BIG LOVE
GREY’S ANATOMY (winner)
HEROES
LOST
24

This year’s top contenders:
BIG LOVE
A nominee last year in this category, this show is now HBO’s second longest-running drama (“The Wire” has never been nominated). I hear very little buzz compared to last year.

DEXTER
Last year’s best new show walked away with only one Globe nomination and a whole lot of Emmy snubs. I think the show is only getting more popular and may land a spot here.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY
This is the only new network show which should garner enough attention to warrant a place here. The hiccup is that it may not be seen entirely as a drama.

GREY’S ANATOMY
It is rumored to have gone way downhill this season, but the beauty of the Golden Globes is that they look at the entire year and often forgive a lackluster second half. There is a lot of competition, so “Grey’s Anatomy” may fall through the cracks.

HEROES
Another show which was immensely popular in its early days but has since plummeted in quality. Even its creator acknowledged how bad it is now. Can the once-beloved show overcome dismal reviews?

HOUSE
I am happy that this show has yet to appear on this list despite back-to-back wins for lead actor Hugh Laurie. I see no reason why they would ever nominate it if they have much more exciting, story-oriented fare to choose from, but given its Emmy history, I have learned not to underestimate it.

LOST
This show rebounded in a major way with a stellar finale which fans (including myself) went wild for. The trouble is, if you do not watch the show, the finale means little. I think that the impression of the finale should do the trick, though.

MAD MEN
They advertised the hell out of this show about advertising in the 60s. It was compared favorably to “The Sopranos” (never a bad thing). It aired on AMC but I think it should be able to get nominated anyway.

THE SOPRANOS
The mob dramedy missed out on a nomination last year despite being eligible for the first half of its final season, which was far superior to this year’s second half. The final season of the show was made great by individual episodes, not the cohesive rule. I have said before that the Globes are not kind to shows they have stopped nominating, however…

24
…this show is the exception. After three straight nominations, “24” took an unexplained leave of absence from this category to make room for “Commander-in-Chief” and “Prison Break” of all shows before returning last year for its fifth season. The sixth season was panned and missed out big time at the Emmys, but is this a true Globe favorite?

Anything else? Always count on a major surprise here. Boston Legal may continue to destroy television and pop up here. A plethora of new shows, including Brothers & Sisters, Damages, The Riches, and Tell Me You Love Me, may have better luck with their stars. Rome made it in two years ago but I think there is zero buzz. Both Brotherhood and The Closer have never made it in despite good feelings. And diehard fans of Battlestar Galactica and The Wire will never give up hope.

Current predictions:
DEXTER
DIRTY SEXY MONEY
GREY’S ANATOMY
LOST
MAD MEN