Why ‘Pose,’ ‘Sharp Objects’ Have Heat in Golden Globes Race (Column)
By Caroline Framke
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – With new series popping up across platforms seemingly every other day, at least one thing is certain: the traditional TV “season” as we once knew it is no longer the industry’s go-to standard. Broadcast shows that run from September through May, once the norm, now make up a vanishingly small portion of what comes out every year as more and more networks across cable and streaming turn to smaller episode counts and higher-profile creative teams that can donate their time in shorter bursts. This new wave of TV isn’t nearly as beholden to traditional schedules as the old guard, and as such, come out when their providers see fit, not when they might otherwise be expected.
So when it comes to handing out TV accolades, the Golden Globes have accidentally on purpose found themselves with an advantage. While the Emmys tend to operate more toward the traditional schedule by cutting submissions off in June and handing out the awards in September, the Globes operate by the calendar year. They can award shows that feel more immediately relevant, and as such, just might be in a more timely position in these wild, boundaryless TV times.
Take “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Its second season technically comes out just a day before the Globes’ Dec. 6 nominations announcement, but HFPA members will no doubt get advance access to season two, especially since they were the first to recognize it and star Rachel Brosnahan, who won the highly competitive comedy actress trophy back in January. Even if the show doesn’t get quite as much attention this second time around, its chances for recognition are still good, pending a total collapse of the show, which seems unlikely.
Still, the most obvious beneficiaries of the Globes’ schedule are the shows that, for whatever reason, JUST missed the Emmys’ midsummer deadline. And this year, there are some big — and extremely worthy — contenders in exactly that position. “Better Call Saul,” for instance, seemed like an unforgivable Emmys omission that had actually just skated around the eligibility window. But it has another shot to assert itself with the Globes, or, more cynically, another shot to get snubbed and stir outrage among its passionate fans, should it get overlooked.
Another obvious Globes contender that couldn’t compete at the Emmys is “Sharp Objects,” HBO’s slow-burn drama boasting talent including Amy Adams, Chris Messina and Patricia Clarkson — not to mention director Jean-Marc Vallée, fresh off helming Globes favorite “Big Little Lies.” The Emmys’ limited series category this year was weaker than usual, and the Globes has the opportunity to pick up the slack by recognizing the sly smarts of “.”
Plus: if HFPA voters see fit to award Adams with a trophy, they’ll be beating the Oscars to it, and that HAS to be appealing in a petty sort of way whether they acknowledge it or not.
And then, of course, the Globes can recognize the shows that will feel like the “oh right, THAT came out” contenders for next year’s Emmys. Such series as Netflix’s “Maniac,” Amazon’s “Homecoming” and Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora” all boast the all-star casts that the HFPA tend to love, and are all airing within a few months of the nominations deadline.
But even if the HFPA loves Julia Roberts or Emma Stone, the best thing about the is that they are known to anoint newcomers in a way that the Emmys, more traditionally beholden to repeat nominees, are not. In that respect, there is one show that was JUST ineligible for the Emmys that should by all rights find itself at the top of the HFPA’s shortlist.
Enter “Pose,” FX’s drama about the lives of the queer and/or trans people who made New York City’s 1980s ballroom scene so revolutionary and vibrant. Given the caliber of new talent involved, especially among its relatively inexperienced trans cast, it was initially a disappointment when FX chose to release “” in June, just past the Emmys deadline. But that makes it prime pickings for the Globes, which have a storied history of gravitating toward rising stars — not to mention Ryan Murphy, a Globe favorite and “Pose” co-creator, director and writer. If the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. rewards “Pose” now, perhaps that will help Emmy voters keep the show at top of mind for next year’s nominations where stars including Mj Rodriguez, Billy Porter and Indya Moore — underrecognized standouts who poured their hearts and souls into their material to beautiful effect — rightfully belong.
