Golden Globes nominees: TV nods demonstrate changing TV landscape
This year, broadcast networks were almost completely shut out of both the best comedy series and best drama series categories. Cable networks and streaming services continue to have a reputation as a place for quality TV.
'Orange Is the New Black' stars Taylor Schilling (l.) and Uzo Aduba (r.).
Paul Schiraldi/Netflix/AP
When the Golden Globes nominations arrived, the TV major categories demonstrated just how much the TV landscape has changed.聽
All of the nominees for the best comedy series Golden Globe are for cable or streaming shows. Broadcast networks were completely shut out. And only one show (Fox鈥檚 鈥淓mpire鈥�) made the cut for the best TV drama Golden Globe, with all the rest coming from cable networks or streaming.聽
The best comedy series nominees are Hulu鈥檚 鈥淐asual,鈥� Netflix鈥檚 鈥淥range Is the New Black,鈥� Amazon鈥檚 鈥淢ozart in the Jungle鈥� and 鈥淭ransparent,鈥� and HBO鈥檚 鈥淰eep鈥� and "Silicon Valley." The other drama nominees besides 鈥淓mpire鈥� are Starz鈥檚 鈥淥utlander,鈥� Netflix鈥檚 鈥淣arcos,鈥� USA鈥檚 鈥淢r. Robot,鈥� and HBO鈥檚 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥�
This is in contrast to the ceremony five years ago, when four of the six nominees for the best comedy prize came from broadcast TV. Only two, Showtime鈥檚 鈥淣urse Jackie鈥� and HBO鈥檚 鈥淭he Big C,鈥� were from cable. Streaming was pretty much a nonentity (Netflix鈥檚 first streaming original show, 鈥淗ouse of Cards,鈥� wouldn鈥檛 debut until 2013).聽
The change was already beginning to be seen in the 2011 drama category, though, where only one show (CBS鈥檚 鈥淭he Good Wife鈥�) was from broadcast TV. The rest were all from cable.
This current roster of nominees exemplifies the changing TV landscape. Cable networks and streaming services are increasingly known as a place to find quality television, with some of the most acclaimed programs of the last several years coming from places like cable network AMC (鈥淢ad Men,鈥� 鈥淏reaking Bad鈥�) or Netflix (鈥淗ouse of Cards,鈥� 鈥淥range Is the New Black鈥�).聽
Broadcast networks, of course, are still the home of high-profile events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars. In some ways, the big channels are still at the center of our lives.
But in other ways, they鈥檙e struggling to find what works in the new TV world. They have had some found successes 鈥� 鈥淓mpire,鈥� for example, which became a huge hit.聽
But the AMC hit 鈥淭he Walking Dead鈥� has surpassed even the ratings powerhouse 鈥淪unday Night Football鈥� multiple times.聽
The list of nominees for the major Golden Globe prizes demonstrates that cable and streaming shows are continuing to shake up the TV landscape in a profound way.