By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --There is hope for broadcast TV comedy and for smart, tough women of a certain age, according to Tuesday’s Golden Globes nominations.
After a fallow period in network comedy, this season’s lineup is so strong that four of the five nods for best comedy or musical went to broadcast shows, including ABC freshman “Modern Family.”
NBC’s “30 Rock” and “The Office” also received nominations in the category, as did Fox’s “Glee,” a sassy, clever take on the high school musical. The one cable contender is HBO’s “Entourage.”
Veteran actresses also proved hot, with Glenn Close of “Damages,” Kyra Sedgwick of “The Closer,” Courteney Cox of “Cougar Town” and Edie Falco, star of “Nurse Jackie,” receiving best actress in a comedy or drama series bids.
“I’m thrilled to be in such great company and it underlines my conviction that the best writing for women today is on television,” Close said in an e-mailed comment. “I know I wouldn’t h ave received this great nomination if it weren’t for our writers on ‘Damages.'”
Youth was not ignored, with Lea Michele of “Glee” earning a bid for best actress in a musical or comedy.
“I got up right after 5 this morning and figured I’d turn on the TV to see if our show got nominated, and literally the first thing I heard was, ‘Glee’ got two nominations – for Jane Lynch and Lea Michele. And I thought, ‘Did THAT just happen?!'” Michele said.
“I have not moved from that same spot on the couch yet. I’m in shock,” she said.
The show also earned a nod for Matthew Morrison, who plays a high school teacher and glee club adviser.
But if comedy is making a comeback on network TV, it’s still cable that prevails in drama, according to the Globes. The best drama contenders are HBO’s “Big Love” and “True Blood,” Showtime’s “Dexter” and AMC’s “Mad Men.” On the network side, Fox’s “House” got a best drama bid.
HBO, as is its habit, claimed most of the g lory in the miniseries or movie category, with contenders including its “Grey Gardens,” Into the Storm” and “Taking Chance.” Bids also went to “Little Dorrit,” PBS, and “Georgia O’Keeffe,” Lifetime Television.
Lifetime made a splash with three nominations for “Georgia O’Keeffe,” its probing portrait of the famed artist. With its fourth nomination, for Sigourney Weaver in the movie “Prayers for Bobby,” Lifetime has the most of any basic cable network, and edges out ABC and PBS.
AP Television Writer Frazier Moore in New York contributed to this report.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More