The big news of the day is the Golden Globe nominations even though the Golden Globes are a sham and a fraud. ~SIIIIIIIIIIIGH~
Alright, let’s get on with it. Oh, and just so you know, I’m not going to be delving into the movie nominations here, but I am happy for Black Panther. Congratulations, Black Panther!
Your nominees and my screaming about who was snubbed:
Best Television Series – Drama
- The Americans (FX Networks)
- Bodyguard (Netflix)
- Homecoming (Amazon Prime Video)
- Killing Eve (BBC America)
- Pose (FX Networks)
T’s Notes: This is actually not a terrible list of best dramas, and in fact, with the exception of Bodyguard, they all appeared in my best of list this year. (Not that I have anything against Bodyguard — if I’m being honest, it’s one that I just haven’t had a chance to watch yet. I KNOW, I KNOW, DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.) There is some surprise among some circles that The Handmaid’s Tale and This Is Us didn’t make the cut, but don’t count me amongst them — they are both good shows, but the other nominees were just better this year. I might have included Succession, and Better Call Saul, but then, again, without having seen Bodyguard, it’s hard to say that it shouldn’t be included in favor of either of those dramas.
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
- Barry (HBO)
- The Good Place (NBC)
- Kidding (Showtime)
- The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video)
T’s Notes: OH HERE WE GO. HERE’S THE STUPID I WAS LOOKING FOR. WHERE THE HELL IS ATLANTA? YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE OFF ATLANTA THE BEST SHOW OF THE GODDAMN YEAR IF NOT THE DECADE BUT NOMINATE THE KOMINSKY METHOD? AND KIDDING? ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING? I AM DONE HERE.
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- The Alienist (TNT)
- The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX Networks)
- Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
- Sharp Objects (HBO)
- A Very English Scandal (Amazon Prime Video)
T’s Notes: Where is The Looming Tower? Because I’ve tried to give Escape at Dannemora a chance, but it is no Looming Tower. AND SERIOUSLY, NO ATLANTA?
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
- Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
- Connie Britton, Dirty John
- Laura Dern, The Tale
- Regina King, Seven Seconds
T’s Notes: Interesting that Florence Pugh wasn’t nominated for The Little Drummer Girl but whatever. And here’s where I begin my annual rant about how it’s dumb that they single out the lead performances in limited series and TV movies, but then lump all supporting performances into one category as if it is possible to compare a supporting comedic performance to a dramatic one. THIS ENTIRE AWARDS CEREMONY IS NONSENSE. ALSO, ATLANTA.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
- Daniel Bruel, The Alienist
- Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace
- Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
- Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
T’s Notes: I mean, these nominees are fine. They’re fine! I would have included Jeff Daniels for The Looming Tower, but it’s hard to get worked up about any of these because limited series and TV movies is such a narrow category unlike, say, Best Comedy WHICH ACTUALLY REALLY FUCKING MATTERS, YOU IDIOTS.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama
- Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
- Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
- Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
- Julia Roberts, Homecoming
- Keri Russell, The Americans
T’s Notes: Here they also do a reasonable job, and Balfe is an interesting choice. I might have swapped her out for Carrie Coons in The Sinner but then I’m of the mind that Carrie Coon should be nominated for everything, always.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
- Jason Bateman, Ozark
- Stephan James, Homecoming
- Richard Madden, Bodyguard
- Billy Porter, Pose
- Matthew Rhys, The Americans
T’s Notes: I am thrilled to see Billy Porter and Stephan James recognized here, particularly Billy Porter who is an American treasure. I would have swapped out Jeremy Strong for Succession for Jason Bateman, but, again, not angry.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
- Kristen Bell, The Good Place
- Candice Bergen, Murphy Brown
- Alison Brie, GLOW
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Debra Messing, Will & Grace
T’s Notes: Yeah, looking at this list, it makes me realize just how not great comedies have been for women this year. Obviously, I love Alison Brie and Kristen Bell here, but Candice Bergen is something of a surprise. I would swap her out for Tracee Ellis Ross who I think is criminally overlooked for black-ish. Veep can’t return too soon.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
- Sacha Baron Cohen, Who Is America
- Jim Carrey, Kidding
- Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
- Donald Glover, Atlanta
- Bill Hader, Barry
T’s Notes: SACHA BARON COHEN????? ~pinches the bridge of her nose, closes her eyes, heaves a deep sigh, then remembers that Atlanta was overlooked for best comedy~ GOD DAMMIT.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Alex Bornstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
- Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace
- Thandie Newton, Westworld
- Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
T’s Notes: I mean, I don’t even know where to begin here because the options are virtually unlimited. D’Arcy Carden for The Good Place; Jameela Jamil for The Good Place; Betty Gilpin for GLOW, Kia Stevens for GLOW; Jodie Comer for Killing Eve; Zazie Beats for Atlanta; Dominique Jackson for Pose; Indya Moore for Pose — literally ANY OF THESE would be a better choice than Penelope Cruz in The Assassination of Gianni Versace (a series I enjoyed, by the way). BUT ALSO, TOO, YOU CAN’T REALLY COMPARE THESE PERFORMANCES
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
- Kieran Culkin, Succession
- Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace
- Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
- Henry Winkler, Barry
T’s Notes: Alan Arkin for The Kominsky Method but nothing for Brian Tyree Henry or Lakeith Stanfield for Atlanta? Alright. I see how it is. I see how it is.
A FUCKING SHAM AND A FRAUD.
In non-Golden Globe news
The first two episodes of True Detective will be screened at Alamo Drafthouses across the country on December 18 which only serves to remind me that it is SOME BULLSHIT THAT THERE STILL ISN’T AN ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE INSIDE THE GOD DAMNED LOOP HERE IN HOUSTON. WHAT UP, ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE?
Conan O’Brien reveals how he wrote the classic “Girl Watchers” sketch for Tom Hanks, and how Greg Daniels, Bob Odenkirk, and Robert Smigel were involved.
Is The CW’s big DC crossover next week going to die into Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy? Maybe! I guess!
Aaron Rodgers might be ending his feud with his parents, which, you might remember, was a minor and stupid plot point on The Bachelorette a while ago.
Alright, so maybe it wasn’t cool of ABC News folks to even glancingly joke about Trump’s eventual funeral during President Bush’s funeral coverage yesterday, but be honest, you were fantasizing thinking about it, too. We all were.
#MeToo
Hoh’boy. A fourth woman has stepped forward to accuse Neil deGrasse Tyson of inappropriate behavior. This woman claims that deGrasse Tyson approached her at a holiday party, drunkenly made sexual jokes and tried to get her to come to his office alone. She was upset enough by his behavior to tell her employer about it to discourage them from doing a project with deGrasse Tyson.
This allegation is obviously not that serious, but it does add to a larger pattern of disturbing behavior. The allegation comes as part of a larger piece at BuzzFeed (linked above) about Tchiya Amet, the woman who initially accused him of raping her at the University of Texas in the 80s. BuzzFeed had been investigating her claim for three years now, and they tell a compelling story not just about what may have happened, but how people protected deGrasse Tyson. As Pajiba points out here, the larger scientific community dismissed Amet’s claims because of her unorthodox spiritual beliefs and new age practices:
Unfortunately, when it comes to allegations of sexual assault, the evidence often comes down to who is more credible: the victim or the accused, and guess how well that goes for the victim. (The answer you’re looking for is every flavor of awful under the sun.) Of course, what should be concerning is when the accused very clearly grasps that dynamic and openly admits at much on social media while calling for an investigation that he knows is going to great for him and not just because it’ll be conducted by two entities with a financial interest in finding him not guilty quick as shit.
That’d be messed up, right?
“For a variety of reasons, most justified, some unjustified, men accused of sexual impropriety in today’s ‘me-too’ climate are presumed to be guilty by the court of public opinion. Emotions bypass due-process, people choose sides, and the social media wars begin.
In any claim, evidence matters. Evidence always matters. But what happens when it’s just one person’s word against another’s, and the stories don’t agree? That’s when people tend to pass judgment on who is more credible than whom. And that’s when an impartial investigation can best serve the truth – and would have my full cooperation to do so.”
– Neil deGrasse Tyson, December 1, 2018
Harvey Weinstein sent out an email to friends saying that he’s had “one hell of a year,” and that it has been “the worst nightmare of my life.” OH? OH HAVE YOU HAD A HELL OF A YEAR, YOU FUCKING MONSTER? YOU KNOW WHO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN LIVING A NIGHTMARE? ALL OF THE WOMEN YOU RAPED AND ABUSED. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck off.
“All I could think at the time was that I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I had this opportunity to publicly call out an abuser to his face and I just quietly sat there. I was just thinking about every woman I know who has been sexually assaulted, sexually harassed or bullied in some way or another. And to see the rest of the audience just be so excited and legitimately happy that he was there was scary. Because I knew that everyone else was on his side.”
Good for her.
Apparently, Lifetime had planned to screen its documentary Surviving R. Kelly at the NeueHouse Madison Square Garden theater, but it had to be evacuated due to gun threats. Kelly’s ex-wife is pretty sure someone connected to Kelly is behind it.
Hannah Gadsby is not done with us. Here she calls out “good men” for their misogyny.
Renewals
- Loudermilk was renewed for a third season at Audience.
- Das Boot has been renewed for a second season by Sky.
In Development
- OOOH, The Watcher is coming to Netflix. The short version of the true story is a few years ago, a family bought an expensive house in a New Jersey suburb and started immediately receiving menacing letters from someone who identified themselves as “The Watcher.” It’s a terrifying story. Netflix optioned the rights to this piece about it, which you should read when you have the time.
- Celebrity Deathmatch is coming back to MTV.
- A New York Undercover reboot is being considered at ABC.
- Chris Columbus has signed a deal with Netflix.
Casting News
- Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg are hosting the Golden Globes this year. For some reason.
- Anna Camp, Skylar Astin, Rachel Bloom, Alfred Molina, Chris Sullivan, Sara Ramirez, Jorge Gutierrez, and Henry Winkler will guest star on Vampirina this season.
- Katey Sagal and Freddie Stroma will recur on Grand Hotel on ABC.
Mark Your Calendars
- Miracle Workers will premiere on TBS on February 12.
- Reminder: Jason Momoa is the host of Saturday Night Live this week.
- Just in case you need another reminder:
- The Simpsons will air its original episode on December 23 on Fox to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
- The Twilight Zone marathon will begin on Syfy on December 30 at 10/11 p.m.
- The Final, a 111-hour dart competition, will air on BBC beginning on January 1.
- The Year in Memoriam 2018 will air on ABC on December 17.
- Fox’s New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey: Live from Times Square will air on December 31 on Fox.
WATCH THIS
Supernatural: Castiel has to make a huge sacrifice. 7 p.m., The CW
Legacies: Lizzie and Josie prepare for their sweet sixteen party. 8 p.m., The CW
Top Chef: The chefs compete in Kentucky this season (until they don’t and are whisked off to Montana or something for the final few episodes for no good reason). Season premiere. 8 p.m., Bravo
The Good Place: “With Janet’s help, Michael hatches a plan” is the description we have for the winter finale. Of course, this describes the entire premise of the show, so. 7:30 p.m., NBC
Great American Baking Show: The contestants make cakes in the season premiere. How novel. 8 p.m., ABC
The Big Bang Theory: Heads up: it’s the crossover episode with Young Sheldon. 7 p.m., CBS
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jason Momoa, J.K. Simmons, Joe Machi Late Night with Seth Meyers: Alec Baldwin, Bazzi, Nikki Glaspie The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Sen. Bernie Sanders, Emma Willmann The Late Late Show with James Corden: Jennifer Aniston, Dolly Parton, Leon Bridges Jimmy Kimmel Live: Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Tatro The Daily Show: Julia Roberts Watch What Happens Live: Kenan Thompson, Dua Lipa
| THURS | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | A Charlie Brown Christmas | Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition (new) |
| CBS | The Big Bang Theory (new) |
Young Sheldon (new) |
Mom (new) |
Murphy Brown (new) |
S.W.A.T. (new) |
| CW | Supernatural (new) |
Legacies (new) |
News/Local |
| FOX | Thursday Night Football: Jaguars at Titans (live) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Superstore (new) |
The Good Place (new) |
Will & Grace (new) |
I Feel Bad (new) |
Law & Order: SVU (new) |