The Golden Globe Awards are never exactly the most streamlined and predictable affair. Not only are the best from both cinema and television living it up in the same room, but a lot of alcohol is flowing and bumbling does occur. Sometimes it seems like the voting body for the Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, was also tapping the bottle, as every single year's ceremony brings a handful of eye-widening shocks. Here are the biggest surprises of the bunch.
Billy Bob Thornton's Big Win
Okay, so the Golden Globes have taught us in the past that niche can be king when it comes to recent years' winners in TV, and this year proved no different. The Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama went to Billy Bob Thornton for his certainly excellent performance as washed-up lawyer Billy McBride in Amazon's freshman drama Goliath, created by TV veteran David E. Kelley and frequent collaborator Jonathan Shapiro. Thornton is indeed the best part of Goliath, but he was up against favored nominees like Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk or Mr. Robot's Rami Malek, so our jaws definitely dropped when his name was called. The Globes love them some Amazon shows.
Tracee Ellis Ross Got Network TV's Lone Award
We know that awards ceremonies just aren't that into network TV shows anymore, even though that's where audiences tune in the most. Of all the television trophies that went out during tonight's Golden Globes, Tracee Ellis Ross took home the only award for any broadcast networks, for her stellar work as Dr. Bow Johnson on ABC's Black-ish. (The show itself lost to Atlanta.) And not only is she the sole standout from the Big 5, but she beat out the brilliant Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who never seems likely to lose, as well as other extremely talented actresses in the Best TV Actress for Comedy or Musical. Well-earned, ma'am.
Both The Night Manager's Leads Won
Hot damn. Adapted from John Le Carré's celebrated novel, The Night Manager was a spectacular six hours of television, and it was certainly worthy of awards praise. However, TV has never been more full of awards-worthy TV series, and both Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie were up against a face-slappingly good group of actors in their respective categories, from Bryan Cranston as a former President to John Lithgow as a former Prime Minster to the major players from The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which won elsewhere. Apparently it was better to be a fictional character this year. (Sorry, The Night Of.)
A Netflix Series Won Its First Best TV Series
I am certain that The Crown's most diehard fans are looking at this header and scoffing, since they are dead certain that the royal drama is the best thing that TV had going for it in 2016. But its win definitely wasn't certain, since no Netflix TV series has won the Golden Globe for top honors before, and The Crown's Best TV Drama win is huge for the streaming service, which hasn't always been so lucky with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in any category. And not only can The Crown boast winning out over Westworld and Game of Thrones, but star Claire Foy also won for Best Actress in a TV Drama. Expect a 15-season order from Netflix soon.
To see everybody that won (and lost) tonight on the Golden Globes, head to our lists for both television and film. And to see everything that is coming to the small screen soon, head to our midseason premiere schedule.
