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"Fleabag", "Killing Eve" & More: Our "Can't Miss" Golden Globes 2020 Television Picks & Thoughts

Returning to prowl the stage – pint in hand – for the 77th Annual Golden Globes is none other than the (in)famous Ricky Gervais (Humanity, The Office), so mark your calendars for Sunday, January 5, 2020 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.) and aim those rabbit ears towards NBC. To get you in the mood before we get to our picks, here's a look at some of Gervais' more wonderfully cringe-worthy monologue moments:

Of course, as much as we're fans of Mr. Gervais, we also tune in for that other reason: the awards of merit given out to the best, brightest, and most creative in television in the past year. Granted, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) didn't exactly do itself any service by pretty much ignoring women and creators of color – and don't even get me started on on how genre shows like Watchmen got screwed.

Putting our righteous indignation aside for a moment, here are our picks for this year's Golden Globes (in bold) – with occasional "Devil's Advocate" commentary, as needed. With this being the HFPA, there any a number of mindsets that could be going into each category so all bets are off this year:

Best Television Series – Drama

"Big Little Lies" (HBO
"The Crown" (Netflix)
"Killing Eve" (BBC America)
"The Morning Show" (Apple TV+)
"Succession" (HBO)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Never underestimate the HFPA's love for Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies) and they love "star-fu**ing" to shows with big-name casts (The Morning Show).

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

"Barry" (HBO)
"Fleabag" (BBC/Amazon Prime Video)
"The Kominsky Method" (Netflix)
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
"The Politician" (Netflix)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Speaking of "'star-fu**ing' to shows with big-name casts"… there's Kominsky, and the HFPA never likes to forget Ryan Murphy (The Politician).

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama

Jennifer Aniston ("The Morning Show")
Olivia Colman ("The Crown")
Jodie Comer ("Killing Eve")
Nicole Kidman ("Big Little Lies")
Reese Witherspoon ("The Morning Show")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Aniston, Kidman, and Witherspoon cancel each other out. We see Comer walking away with it, but Colman is riding a growing wave of broad-based appreciation so wouldn't be surprised.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama

Brian Cox ("Succession")
Kit Harington ("Game of Thrones")
Tobias Menzies ("The Crown")
Billy Porter ("Pose")
Rami Malek ("Mr. Robot")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Possibly Malek, since the HFPA likes sucking up to TV/film crossovers. Our personal pick? Porter, who could make an ad for toe fungus cream feel smooth and funky.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Christina Applegate ("Dead to Me")
Rachel Brosnahan ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel")
Kirsten Dunst ("On Becoming a God in Central Florida")
Natasha Lyonne ("Russian Doll")
Phoebe Waller-Bridge ("Fleabag")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Dunst has been quietly garnering praise for a series that's flown under the radar, so keep an eye there. Other than that, this should be all about Fleabag – but a side question. Am I the only one who feels like Lyonne is making a living playing herself?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Michael Douglas ("The Kominsky Method")
Bill Hader ("Barry")
Ben Platt ("The Politician")
Paul Rudd ("Living With Yourself")
Rami Youssef ("Ramy")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: You got an "aging Hollywood" option at play in Douglas, and Platt not only hits on the "Ryan Murphy Scorecard" but also feeds into the HFPA's need to recognize those who flow between live theater and television.

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Catch-22″ (Hulu)
"Chernobyl" (HBO)
"Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
"The Loudest Voice" (Showtime)
"Unbelievable" (Netflix)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: I would say The Loudest Voice, but the HFPA doesn't seem in a "rocking the boat" mode this year, with safe picks that seem aimed more at ratings and less at legit recognition.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Christopher Abbott ("Catch-22")
Sacha Baron Cohen ("The Spy")
Russell Crowe ("The Loudest Voice")
Jared Harris ("Chernobyl")
Sam Rockwell ("Fosse/Verdon")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: Apply my reasoning above to Crowe, though Harris could ride a Chernobyl wave to a well-deserved win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Patricia Arquette ("The Act")
Helena Bonham Carter ("The Crown")
Toni Collette ("Unbelievable")
Meryl Streep ("Big Little Lies")
Emily Watson ("Chernobyl")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: That Chernobyl wave will need to be pretty big to knock off Streep. You did see "The Scream" scene, right?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Kaitlyn Dever ("Unbelievable")
Joey King ("The Act")
Helen Mirren ("Catherine the Great")
Merritt Wever ("Unbelievable")
Michelle Williams ("Fosse/Verdon")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: The World loves Mirren – but this year, not as much as they love Williams and her turn in the FX series.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alan Arkin ("The Kominsky Method")
Kieran Culkin ("Succession")
Andrew Scott ("Fleabag")
Stellan Skarsgård ("Chernobyl")
Henry Winkler ("Barry")

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: This is a tough one. You got "star-fu**ing" nominees in Arkin and Winkler, but they could cancel each other out. Is Fleabag strong enough to stop a potential Chernobyl wave? We think so: Scott's name continues to grow – and with Ripley coming up, his international name presence will only get stronger.

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