In the Golden Globe Nominations, Some TV Virgins Experience Their First Time

This is your annual reminder that unless you were eligible for a Golden Globe in television, you should not care overmuch about the Golden Globes in television. It’s a fun awards show representing the tastes of a small body of foreign journalists covering Hollywood, is unlikely to save any show from cancellation or boost its ratings–and unlike with movies and the Oscars, it bears little relation to the Emmys, except maybe to predict which new comedy might lose to Modern Family next year. (Here’s the full list of nominations, in film and TV.)

But people like to care about things, and if you’re going to anyway, one regular pleasure of the Globes is its receptiveness to new names. (In that way, it’s almost the anti-Emmys.) It may even acknowledge new shows to a fault; I like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but don’t think it was the top TV comedy last fall after half a season. But that means the Globes can be a good marker of shows and stars that are building buzz.

All of which is to say: yay, Gina Rodriguez and Jane the Virgin! The season’s best new broadcast show and its most appealing new star were recognized in both the best comedy and comedy-actress categories. Yay, Jeffrey Tambor and Transparent, which also made the comedy lists! And the Globes also opened the books for Silicon Valley, which made my top 10 TV series list for 2014, so I can’t complain.

On the drama side, the Globes recognized Viola Davis in newcomer How to Get Away With Murder–though that’s less of a surprise as the Globes always enjoys a movie star. (Hence Liev Schreiber, yet again, for Ray freakin’ Donovan.) In general, there were fewer surprises and debuts on the actor and drama sides–though there was quite an impressive freshman showing for The Affair. (The foreign press, it would seem, is very fond of l’amour fou, or tomato chutney.)

If there’s one interesting overall conflict to watch out for at the Globes, it will be the head-to-head showdown between Fargo and True Detective, both of which the Globes placed in the miniseries category. (So give them points over the Emmys for consistency.) The Globes air Jan. 11 on NBC. Stock up your liquor cabinet, enjoy hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and above all, enjoy the low, low stakes.