I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that what I’ll remember most vividly about this pandemic will probably be the hours I’ve spent binge watching TV series and films during lockdown. And I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
The time I couldn’t spend travelling or seeing friends in 2020, I devoted to having my heart broken by Marianne and Connell in Normal People, holding my breath during Margaret Thatcher’s audiences with Elizabeth II in The Crown, following the adventures of a ridiculously unrealistic Emily in Paris, or obsessing over chess with Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit – to name just a few of my weekend escapades.
The intimate relationship I built with these and other stories partly explains why I couldn’t contain my excitement at this year’s nominees to the Golden Globes awards, which have been delayed and will be broadcast from New York and Los Angeles on 28 February.
Two Netflix productions dominate the nominations: the film Mank (six nominations), a black-and-white ode to Hollywood starring Gary Oldman as an alcoholic screenwriter; and series four of The Crown (also six nominations), with Olivia Colman as the Queen.
The prominence of streaming services aside, the 78th edition of the Golden Globes will go down in history for featuring its first female majority in the best film director category with Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) and Regina King (One Night in Miami) competing with multiple award-winning male directors David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin.
This year’s nominations are also great news for British talent. Carey Mulligan, Vanessa Kirby, Dev Patel, Riz Ahmed, and Sir Anthony Hopkins are among the British acting nominees in the film categories, while Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jodie Comer, John Boyega, Hugh Grant, Emma Corrin, and Josh O’Connor join Colman in the television categories.
Of course, there is no nominations announcement without controversy. Despite critical acclaim, groundbreaking BBC series I May Destroy You, directed by Michaela Coel, has received zero nominations. A staff writer of Emily in Paris – which is itself nominated for best television series (musical or comedy) – Deborah Copaken, spoke out on Coel’s snub, thanking the director on Twitter personally “for giving us your heart, your mind, your resilience, and your humour.”
Be that as it may, the Globes’ reputation as an awards season indicator has been diminishing in recent years. This year is no different, especially since the eligibility period for the Oscars has been extended by two months, with the awards now scheduled to take place on 25 April.
So while we may have missed out on many experiences we used to share with family, friends, and colleagues, there’s still ample room for experiencing common adventures via the telly – although I’m sure you probably, definitely know that by now.
