As anybody attempting to cull a Top 10 list knows, this has been a rather spectacular year for scripted TV, both in terms of the upper echelon — “Breaking Bad” delivered one of the best send-off seasons ever — but also in terms of depth, as I could substitute a Top 10 list of *new* shows for my overall Top 10 and still be very happy.
That means that next Thursday (December 12) morning’s Golden Globes nomination announcement will be especially unpredictable, given the Hollywood Foreign Press’ penchant for shiny and new things.
Many of the big questions surround Netflix, which scored fairly big at the Emmys with “House of Cards” and now will look to make “Orange Is The New Black” into a player. But will the HFPA warm to the darkly funny, but deeply humanistic prison show? And will they warm to it as a drama? We’ll see.
After being snubbed by Emmy voters, will this be a breakthrough for Tatiana Maslany and “Orphan Black”?
And who will be this year’s Callie Thorne or Piper Perabo, a bizarro nominee that nobody saw coming?
In this gallery, I’ve broken down the contenders in each TV category under Probable Nominees (basically the sure-things), Strong Contenders (the shows I’d expect to fill out each roster) and Dark Horses (worthy contenders and other oddballs). Unlike my epic Emmy previews, these aren’t formal predictions.
Check out the candidates in the gallery below (and note that “30 Rock” and “Broadchurch” are among the random shows not eligible).