Of the five shows nominated for Best Comedy or Musical, one was from HBO (Enlightened), one was from Showtime (Episodes), two were on Fox (Glee and New Girl), and one – the winner – was on ABC (Modern Family). Of the five nominees, two were on premium networks, which is two more than NBC and CBS combined.

In the category for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, three of the five were on premium channels, including the winner, Matt LeBlanc for Showtime’s Episodes. In the Actress category, Laura Dern of HBO’s Enlightened beat out the competition from three network shows and one other premium network.

Adding all that up, two of the three winners and 7 of 15 nominees in the big three comedy categories were on channels that most of America don’t get to see. So what is it about these shows that is capturing the attention of the awards-givers? Is it the freedom to do and say things that wouldn’t fly on basic cable? Is it the money being poured into these programs by the cash-heavy premium channels? Or are they just making better shows right now?

At least NBC snuck in a few nominees in the best Actor and Actress categories. Only Johnny Galecki’s wonderful nerdiness on The Big Bang Theory allowed CBS to even get on the board. The Golden Globes don’t actually get to determine what people watch. The viewers will have their say in the end. But last night’s award show was just one more reminder to the once dominant NBC and CBS that the times, they are a’changing.

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominees

Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Dexter (Showtime)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Mad Men (AMC)
The Walking Dead (AMC)

There are two new nominees this year: Boardwalk Empire and The Walking Dead, and only because it’s just their first season. It’s always hard to determine which shows in the drama department will win the award because all of them are great shows. All of them are powerful uniquely and there’s not one that stands out amongst all of them. If we were going with favorites though, I want Dexter to win the award because it’s always good. This season may not be the best but it’s hard to top off the best season they’ve had so far, Season 4, with the Trinity Killer.  But realistically, I think Mad Men will take the award again this year.

Best Actress – Drama

Nominees

Julianna Marguelies (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs)
Katey Sagal (Sons Of Anarchy)
Kyra Sedgwich (The Closer)

This is hard for me to determine because honestly, I don’t really watch these shows regularly. But based on reviews and year-long, I’ll have to give this to Julianna Marguelies again.

Best Actor – Drama

Nominees

Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Hugh Laurie (House)

The award has always gone to Michael C. Hall for his amazing portrayal of a good samaritan serial killer. I don’t think it’ll be any different this year.

Next week: the nominees for Comedy.

Best Mini-Series
Grey Gardens

Best Actress, Mini-Series
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens premiered on HBO last April 2009 with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in the title roles as Edith Bouvier Beale. Drew Barrymore played Little Edie and Jessica Lange played Big Edie, Little Edie’s mom. Little Edie is Jacqueline Onassis’ real-life cousin. The film follows the isolated lifestyle of both mother and daughter, who were raised as Park Avenue debutantes but withdrew from the New York elite society. They retreated to their Long Island summer home, Grey Gardens.

This mini-series continues to run on HBO and has been nominated and won many awards, including Outstanding Achievement Mini-Series by the Television Critics Association and numerous awards from the Emmys, including Outstanding Made-for-Television Movie, Directing, Acting and Writing.

Best Actor, Mini-Series
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance

Also premiered on HBO, Taking Chance is the true story of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl (played by Kevin Bacon), as he accompanies fallen Marine Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, who was killed in hostile fire in Iraq, back to his home in Wyoming. In a personal, first-hand account he is required to provide for the Marines, he witnesses the support and respect the fallen Marine earned while stationed in Iraq. From the groundskeeper to the cargo handlers at the airport, Strobl witnessed it all.

Best Supporting Actress, TV
Chloe Sevigny, Big Love

Chloe Sevigny plays one of Bill Paxton’s wives in HBO Original Series, Big Love. Bill Paxton plays modern polygamist Bill Henricksen, who juggles, along with his church duties, three wives, played by Jeanne Triplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin and Sevigny. This season marks it fourth as Bill tries to deal with his family duties and problems, church duties, their new Mormon-friendly casino he is about to open with Native American partners and a public campaign. On top of that, he also has to deal with the dramas of his two oldest children, his brother, father and mother.

Sunday, 9pm, HBO

Best Supporting Actor, TV
John Lithgow, Dexter

John Lithgow appeared in the fourth season of the award-winning show, Dexter, starring Michael C. Hall. In Season 4, which ended last December 2009, Dexter is now a married man, having married Rita in the season 3 finale, and a proud daddy to Harrison, as well as Rita’s two older kids, Aster and Cody. They now have moved to the suburbs, and Dexter struggles to keep his secret identity secret from his new family while trying to live a normal life. New season premieres this September 2010.

Sunday, 10p/9c, Showtime

Best TV Series – Comedy
Glee

I’ve always included Glee in my previous Couch Tuber articles as one of the best shows that came out in 2009. However, this time, I’m not totally sure about the Best TV series win. I was rooting for The Office or Modern Family to win. I still think The Office has one of the best comedy writing in TV today. And Modern Family just gets funnier and funnier as it gets more absurd. But Glee was able to infuse comedy and music together on TV successfully, so I think they do deserve that award. The new season of Glee starts in April 2010.

Wednesday, 9/8c, FOX

Best Performance By An Actress
Toni Collette – United States of Tara

United States of Tara stars Toni Collette as Tara Gregson, a wife and mother of two and also suffering from dissociative identity disorder. When she doesn’t take her drugs or is under a lot of stress, she transforms into one of her multiple personalities, including T (a wild and flirty teenager), Alice (an old-fashioned housewife) and Buck (a loud, beer-drinking Vietnam vet who also happens to be male). Set in Overland Park, Kansas, her family supports her, except for her sister, Charmaine.

Monday, 930/830c, Showtime

Best Actor In A TV Series – Comedy
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

Everybody knows Alec Baldwin. And everyone knows 30 Rock. And everyone knows 30 Rock is not the same without Alec Baldwin, although I’ve yet to watch a 30 Rock episode without Alec Baldwin. He’s still the best thing there, I believe.

Thursday, 930/830c, NBC

Next week, we’ll talk about the Golden Globe mini-series winners.