The Golden Globes are handed out Sunday, with Ricky Gervais hosting -- we'll interview him in a minute -- and plenty of chances to cheer and grumble.
My own preferences (not predictions) are topped -- as always -- by "The Big Bang Theory," TV's best comedy. In other categories, I've only seen some contenders, but I'll say something anyway:
-- Movie drama? I love both "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network," two true-life stories told well. I'll go with "Speech" by a smidgen.
Staring at approximately 14,000 new Emmy nominations today, what do we make of it all? Here are a few trends, gripes and more:
1) New is big: Anything new tends to seem bright and shiny and appealing. This year, three first-year shows scored big. "The Good Wife" is up for best drama, with Julianna Margulies up for best actress in a drama. "Glee" and "Modern Family" are both up for best comedy, with many of their actors also nominated.
If you're getting ready to watch TV tonight (Monday, Feb. 9), don't depend on schedules that were compiled in advance.
The complication came when President Obama set a press conference for 8 p.m. ET. To catch it, the networks are doing some quick scrambling.
On a different note, please read my previous blog about the Richard Thomsen memorial service in Lansing, Mich. Meanwhile, here are the expected changes tonight:
-- Two 8 p.m. shows -- "Chuck" on NBC, "House" on Fox -- are bumped.
We all know that Feb. 2 repeats itself over and over. That's what happened to Bill Murray in the "Groundhog Day" movie; the repeating was, we were told, a bad thing.
This week, however, I think it would be kind of good. Monday has way too many strong shows for one night; it would be a good day to repeat -- or at least to put our VCR's or TIVO's into hyperdrive.
This probably shouldn't surpise us: TV's best sitcom also has one of the best sets. It's full of playthings; also, the math equations really do make sense.
We're talking about "The Big Bang Theory," of course. With the clever touch of any Chuck Lorre production, it simultaneously mocks its characters -- four young Cal Tech scientists and the waitress who lives in the next apartment -- and views them warmly.
