Puzzling golden story: Golden Globes 2011: Popular shows and actors dominate TV nominations

Largely favoring the usual suspects, Golden Globe voters sang the praises of Fox’s “Glee” for the second year in a row, awarding five nominations to the musical comedy , including television series. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. , which will air its NBC broadcast of the 68th annual award ceremony on Jan. 16, focused more on popular picks than it has in recent years. The nominees for best picture musical or comedy are a less acclaimed bunch: Tim Burton’s trippy CGI-drenched ” Alice in Wonderland ,” the showgirly Cher comeback vehicle ” Burlesque ,” the elders-with-guns action flick ” Red ,” and ” The Tourist ,” the umpteenth espionage potboiler starring a dangerous sexy couple in this case Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, who were both nominated for their performances as an American traveler and a mystery woman who enchants him. Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for your continued support.” Ryan Gosling , Blue Valentine : “I am very grateful to the HFPA. “I would print out the ballots and make my mother fill one out for me.” Joining “Glee” and a string of previous nominees and winners (NBC’s ” 30 Rock ,” Showtime ‘s “Dexter,” AMC ‘s ” Mad Men ,” CBS’s “The Good Wife” ) were other popcorn hits, including CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” and ABC’s “Modern Family.” Supporting actor nominee Eric Stonestreet , who plays gay dad Cameron Tucker on “Modern Family,” hoped that sharing a men’s room with A-listers might raise his profile. As Lisa de Moraes explained , the nominations for television were no less anticipated: This season’s freshman crop of TV shows was mostly a bust, if Tuesday’s Golden Globe nominations are any measure – and they are. Without the 12 years of director Derek Cianfrance’s unwavering vision and commitment none of this would have been possible. I share this nomination with both of them.” Darren Aronofsky , Black Swan : “I am very thankful to the HFPA for this honor. The Coens got a best picture nomination in 2008 for “No Country for Old Men” but lost to “Atonement” before winning the big prize at the Oscars.

Firth believes the movie is relatable, thanks in large part to writer David Seidler’s own battle with a speech impediment. “It’s a pretty hard sell, you know. It’s hard to go up to somebody and say, “This film applies to you and it’s 1937, and it’s about a member of the royal family, and it’s about someone who has a stammer,” Firth said. “And yet people seem to have very strong emotional and personal responses to this film. This was a first Golden Globe nomination for Parsons and for “The Big Bang Theory,” which is in its fourth season. And it’s long been considered a top contender for awards-season love. ? True Blood Sookeh, I am a vampire … without nominations! “It’s been a slow climb,” he confessed. DeMille honor for lifetime achievement in 1988. “Maybe having us on a new night is showing us to different eyeballs.” Having worked as a presenter last year, Parsons said he looks forward to finally sitting at the chocolates-and-champagne table with other nominees.

“I’m a shy person, and I can be a bit of a wilting flower when I see people I’ve watched all my life,” he admitted. Plus, zombies are a lot of fun. That’s why this show has connected in a way that people didn’t expect.” Notable absences included ” Lost ,” which earned a supporting actor in a drama nomination for Michael Emerson last year, but seemed to disappoint viewers and critics in its final season.