The Nice Girls Guide to the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes are upon us! The awards show that honors movies and television is generally the most fun of the season, thanks in large part to the dinner party format, and the free booze at every table. This year Ricky Gervais is hosting the ceremony, which must have broadcaster NBC quaking in their boots, or at least keeping a finger hovering over the “censor” button. Are you ready for the party? Here’s a Nice Girls guide to who’s nominated in several of the television categories.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Glenn Close – Portraying tough litigator Patty Hewes in the dark FX series Damages, Glenn has brought to life this complicated, multi-layered lawyer who has a great deal of deep dark secrets and less than stellar attributes. Yet, she has made Patty a character for which the audience almost wants to pity while being terrified of what move she’ll play next. Competition in this category will be fierce and any of these talented actresses could walk away with the statuette. – Rueben

January Jones – As the Nordic Betty Draper, January Jones took on many different facets to the housewife this season on Mad Men. Much of her story focused on her pregnancy before shifting to how Betty would react to more proof of her husband’s infidelities. Into this mix, Betty found herself falling for another man, who comforted her following her father’s death and in her aspirations to be more like the model wife Don needed. The season closed with Betty, baby and her new man on a trip to Nevada so that she can start anew—away from Don Draper and the life she created in Ossining. – Louise

Julianna Margulies stars in The Good Wife / Photo: Eike Schroter/CBS

Julianna Margulies – Continuing a red-hot streak of accolades for her performance as Alicia Florrick, the wife of a state attorney accused of corruption turned junior litigator at a prestigious law firm in the series The Good Wife, Julianna Margulies received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama. For anyone who saw the pilot episode, or any episode since, this comes as no surprise. Not only has the show become a break-out success with an average of 14 million viewers, it managed to crack the Top 10 of the most watched shows for 2009. It is Julianna’s electrifying and finely nuanced performance combined with a cracker-jack twisty backstory that keeps the viewers glued to their screens. Competing against four other very talented women, this is a highly competitive category and Julianna is the dark-horse contender. – Tiffany

Anna Paquin –  This year Anna adds two nominations for Golden Globes. One for Best Actress in a Television Drama, is for her role as Sookie Stackhouse on HBO’s hit series, True Blood, and one for her lead role in the television movie The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler.  The film told the story of the woman who is credited with saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children during World War II. Last year, Anna took home the Globe for Best Performance By An Actress in a Television Series – Drama, also for True Blood. Anna demonstrates her incredible range as an actress in the role of Sookie Stackhouse, a mind-reading waitress who falls in love with a vampire in Louisiana, during a time when vampires are allowed to “live” among humans. Sookie’s life becomes a roller-coaster ride of fun, danger, heartbreak and terror, and Anna makes you feel each emotion vividly. – BethAnne

Kyra Sedgwick – Headlining another season of her hit show The Closer, Kyra had the chance to play with some strong emotions as Brenda balanced solving high profile crimes with being a newlywed, losing a beloved pet, and housing a rebellious niece. Her breakdown over Kitty’s death was a powerful revelation for a character who must avoid emotional attachments in her work. Playing opposite her real life daughter, Sosie Bacon, in an arc that saw Brenda try to help her troubled niece provided even more character development. Kyra’s strong presence has made Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson a force to contend with professionally and privately. – Melissa

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Simon Baker stars in The Mentalist / Photo: Richard Foreman/Warner Bros.

Simon Baker – Receiving his second Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Patrick Jane in the series “The Mentalist,” and on the heels of his Emmy nomination for the same role, Simon Baker is once again being recognized for his outstanding performance with a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama. Simon’s performance is credited for launching “The Mentalist” on to the Nielsen Top 10 for 2008, ranking at #5 behind the reality series juggernauts “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars,” and ranking #1 of all scripted shows in 2008. The combination of devil-may-care façade concealing the boiling rage beneath is riveting and keeps the viewers guessing as to when all those suppressed emotions will erupt. Besides the complex duality, it is a pure joy to watch the impish glee with which he unmasks criminals and foils their devious plots. However, despite the overwhelming mass popularity, Simon remains a long-shot in this category. – Tiffany

John Hamm – Jon Hamm’s portrayal of Don Draper has only become more cool and calculated as the series entered the third season. Don’s charm failed for a short time, before he fell back into another woman’s welcome embrace. He also befriended hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, who didn’t settle for any of the pitches he heard all year long. By the end of the season, Don has witnessed his marriage’s complete destruction, as well as the destruction of Sterling Cooper he had conceived. In the ashes of ruined marriage, Draper forged a new company, one that is certain to provide for more dramatic moments for Hamm next season. – Louise

Also nominated: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Hugh Laurie (House), Bill Paxton (Big Love)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy

Courteney Cox stars in Cougar Town / Photo: ABC/Kevin Foley

Courteney Cox – Long time television favorite, Courteney Cox received her first Golden Globe nomination for her zany, but lovable portrayal of Jules Cobb in the series Cougar Town. Following her much-loved role as Monica Gellar Bing on the series Friends, Courteney has worked hard to capture the attention and love of viewers once again. It is her undaunted approach to physical comedy and willingness to do anything for a laugh that stands out. If there is a word for her performance it is “fearless.” – Tiffany

Lea Michele – Bursting onto the television landscape as Rachel, the talented high school student focused on stardom in Glee, Broadway-trained Lea has quickly emerged as a critical and fan favorite. In what is already an impressive ensemble cast, Lea shines as she manages to balance the confusion, selfishness, and angst of teenage life with charm, humor, and a really nice set of pipes. – Melissa

Also nominated: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Toni Collette (United States of Tara)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Rose Byrne – Not to be outdone by her senior partner, Rose Bryne is also picked up a nomination for her role on Damages. Her role as Ellen Parsons is not only riveting to watch as each layer of her character’s life is peeled back as the story unravels but also heartbreaking to witness as those layers are laid to waste by the firm for which she works. Her nuanced performance is stunning to behold and must hold up against the other fine actresses also nominated for this award. – Rueben

Jane Lynch – Her acerbic wit and dry delivery have served Jane well in countless roles, but America really sat up and took notice when she appeared on their screens and told them nothing was harder than living with Hepatitis. As cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, Jane never fails to steal a scene. But just when you think there’s no redeeming Sue Sylvester, a beautiful scene comes along featuring her sister. It’s a role that almost became a caricature, but Jane’s skill is keeping her character from crossing that line. And that’s how Sue sees it. – Melissa

Also nominated: Jane Adams (Hung), Janet McTeer (Into the Storm), Chloë Sevigny (Big Love)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Neil Patrick Harris co-stars in How I Met Your Mother, and hosted this year's Eimmy Awards. / Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS

Neil Patrick Harris – He’s a suit-loving, scotch drinking man who loves to flirt and bed women all around New York City, but he’s also a man committed to helping his hapless friends into finding something better. Two sides of one man: Barney Stinson, played by Neil Patrick Harris in CBS’s comedy series How I Met Your Mother, which tells two children how their father found their mother. Much more than be said about Barney, who loves his laser tag and a good cigar, but recently it has been the story of his love for friend Robin Scherbatsky that’s captured viewers. From a sort of one-off character with a singular purpose, Barney, and Harris, have managed to capture the admiration and devotion of millions of viewers. – Louise

William Hurt – William Hurt has been nominated for his role as duplicitous Daniel Purcell in the FX series Damages. First introduced as the loving family man who loses his wife to a presumed home invasion, the viewers slowly come to learn that not only was he was involved in the planning of his wife’s death, but also dirty dealings in his professional life, which gain the attention of Patty Hewes and her firm. – Rueben

Michael Emerson – Playing the evil minded Benjamin Linus on the ABC series Lost, Michael Emerson has taken what was to be a short-term character contained within a much longer story arch from this mind-bending series, and termed into one of the most-watchable bad guys in television history. Benjamin Linus is a contradiction in terms, but as deftly portrayed by Michael, the audience almost feels sorry for him while routing for the survivors on the island to defeat him in any way they can. – Rueben

Also nominated: John Lithgow (Dexter), Jeremy Piven (Entourage)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Glee – After a much ballyhooed preview last spring, Glee emerged as both a critical and viewer success story in its freshman season. Initially lauded for combining high school angst, musical numbers, and devilish wit, the show has begun to show a more poignant, sensitive side in recent episodes, proving that it has both style and substance. – Melissa

Modern Family – Right in the midst of its extraordinary freshman year, Modern Family nabbed a surprise Golden Globe nomination. Literally one day after the L.A. Times deemed it “overrated,” the nomination was a wonderful affirmation of Modern Family’s ingenuity and outrageous comedy — and best yet, nicely emphasized the LA Times’ clearly erroneous assessment. Adored by the mass television audience and raved about by virtually all of the television critics in an era where family comedy was thought to be on the decline, Modern Family has delighted in proving this misguided belief wrong. Its unique documentary-style story-telling and hair-raisingly funny situation comedy has nailed the top tier of comedic television. It also showcases the wide-range and array of talent brought by its cast and writers, which blend beautifully together to bring us thirty minutes of primetime joy with each new episode. – Tiffany

Also nominated: 30 Rock, Entourage, The Office

Best Television Series – Drama

Mad Men – In its third season Mad Men set to define the decade so many people still think of as a watershed in American history. From the first episode of the season, Matt Weiner set the seeds of the diaster that befell 1963: The Kennedy Assassination. Along the way, the folks at Sterling Cooper had a number of other headaches—competing interests to be head of Accounts, sexual awakening, and more than a few crumbling marriages. The bigger challenge came for the Draper family, as Don’s infidelities were made public and Betty became aware of what her life had become. Don finally met with a man who’s approval he could never count on in the business world—Conrad Hilton—who kept the ad man on his toes (and off looking at hotels) more than a few times. – Louise

True Blood vies for Best Drama / HBO

True Blood – HBO’s hit series, True Blood, has picked up two nominations for Best Television Drama and Best Actress in a Television Drama (Anna Paquin).  Since its premiere in 2008, the show has become one of the most watched and talked about television series. Created by Alan Ball and based on the popular Southern Vampire Mysteries, written by Charlaine Harris, this show boasts an ensemble cast of some of the brightest talents out there, including Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell and Ryan Kwanten. The show started out with modest numbers, but by the end of season two, had become the most watched HBO program since The Sopranos, and has garnered numerous awards for music, writing and acting in its two-season run. The third season premieres in June. – Liz

Also nominated: Big Love, Dexter, House

The Golden Globes air tonight, January 17, on NBC.