Even though the television industry has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, 2020 was still full of fantastic TV. From Netflix’s triumphant fourth season of The Crown to the enjoyable, but ultimately ringarde Emily in Paris, the year was full of highs and lows — and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated a little bit of everything. Some of the nominees are inspired — the love for Lovecraft Country is much appreciated — while others are a bit more baffling. But hey, it wouldn’t be the Golden Globes if there weren’t a few head-scratchers thrown in for good measure.
One thing is certain, there’s never a bad time to stay in and marathon a Golden Globe -nominated TV show. And with most of this year’s nominees just a few clicks away, you’ve got no excuse not to watch the joyful Ted Lasso immediately.
Lovecraft Country
Golden Globe nominations: 1
Categories: Best Drama Series
Where to stream it: Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
Lovecraft Country is a dazzling horror series that tackles America’s legacy of racism through the lens of genre storytelling. While the HFPA wisely nominated the series for Best Drama, the show’s actors — particularly Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors — deserved noms too.
The Crown
Golden Globe nominations: 6
Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actress (Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin), Best Actor (Josh O’Connor), and Best Supporting Actress (Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham Carter)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Season 4 of The Crown moved the drama into the ’80s and the Princess Diana era of England’s royal family. As a result, the Netflix drama was dramatically revitalised thanks to tour de force performances from Corrin as Princess Di and Anderson as the divisive Margaret Thatcher.
Small Axe
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor (John Boyega)
Where to stream it: BBC iPlayer
Directed by Steve McQueen, Small Axe is an anthology series chronicling the experiences of London’s West Indian community between 1969-1982.
The Mandalorian
Golden Globe nominations: 1
Categories: Best Drama Series
Where to stream it: Disney+
The crowd-pleasing Star Wars series only became more adventurous in season 2 as Mando tried to bring Baby Yoda (er… Grogu) home. His quest led to some surprising cameos that tied the show to the larger Star Wars mythos, but it sadly didn’t lead to Pedro Pascal earning a Best Actor nomination.
Ozark
Golden Globe nominations: 4
Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actor (Jason Bateman), Best Actress (Laura Linney), Best Supporting Actress (Julia Garner)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Now in its third season, Ozark has shaken off comparisons to Breaking Bad to become a quality series in its own right. The latest season raised the stakes even higher as Wendy’s (Linney) brother came to town just as the Byrdes’ latest money-laundering scheme was starting to get off the ground.
Ratched
Golden Globe nominations: 3
Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actress (Sarah Paulson), Best Supporting Actress (Cynthia Nixon)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Only Ryan Murphy would find inspiration in the villainous nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Set in 1947, the series chronicles Mildred Ratched’s (Paulson) origin story, from her early days as an earnest nurse to her transformation into the dangerous woman from the classic film.
Normal People
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Daisy Edgar-Jones)
Where to stream it: BBC iPlayer
The quiet love story of Marianne and Connell captivated viewers in early 2020, but the Emmys caused a stir by only nominating Edgar-Jones’ co-star Paul Mescal. It seems the HFPA decided to rectify the situation by giving the up-and-coming star the recognition she deserves.
The Queen’s Gambit
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Anya Taylor-Joy)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Netflix’s miniseries about fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon was one of the year’s most pleasant surprises. And considering the show briefly made chess the most relevant sport in the world after its premiere, it’s only fitting The Queen’s Gambit and its star earned nods.
Unorthodox
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Shira Haas)
Where to stream it: Netflix
The stirring Unorthodox follows the journey of Esty, an Orthodox Jewish woman who flees Brooklyn for a new life abroad.
The Undoing
Golden Globe nominations: 4
Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Actor (Hugh Grant), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Sutherland)
Where to stream it: Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
There was no season 3 of Big Little Lies this year, but David E. Kelley re-teamed with Kidman for another addictive domestic thriller. This time around Kidman played a woman whose husband (Grant) is accused of a shocking crime. The ending was a bit controversial, but the journey leading up to that is something to behold.
Emily in Paris
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Lily Collins)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Emily in Paris‘ nominations caused quite the stir, but whether or not you think it deserved to be nominated, the show’s frothy charms did spark a few hearty debates when it premiered. For all their issues, Emily’s (Collins) low stakes adventures as an American in Paris were a fun distraction from the world at large in 2020. And at the very least, you wouldn’t want to be left out of the discourse should this sitcom actually take home the gold, right?
The Flight Attendant
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Kaley Cuoco)
Where to stream it: HBO Max
Cuoco left her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory firmly behind as she stepped into the shoes of an alcoholic flight attendant who wakes up next to a dead body with no memory of what happened the night before.
The Great
Golden Globe nominations: 3
Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Elle Fanning), Best Actor (Nicholas Hoult)
Where to stream it: All 4
The mostly true story of Catherine the Great’s rise to power made for a hilarious, surprisingly relevant 2020 comedy. And the show’s Golden Globes recognition definitely deserves a hearty huzzah!
Schitt’s Creek
Golden Globe nominations: 5
Categories: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Eugene Levy), Best Actress (Catherine O’Hara), Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Levy), Best Supporting Actress (Annie Murphy)
Where to stream it: Netflix
Expect all eyes to be on Schitt’s Creek at the Golden Globes. The hit Canadian comedy swept every major category at the Emmys, and it’ll be interesting to see if it can recapture that magic again for the Globes. It also makes a great comfort rewatch if you’re hitting that storied pandemic wall.
Ted Lasso
Golden Globe nominations: 2
Categories: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Jason Sudeikis)
Where to stream it: Apple TV+
As a show based on a Sports Center sketch, Ted Lasso didn’t sound particularly promising. However, this warm-hearted comedy about an American with no knowledge of soccer being hired to coach a English football team turned out to be exactly the kind of wholesome content the world needed last year.
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