HBO, 'Nip’ Pace Cable at Globes

Led by FX’s Nip/Tuck and a quartet of trophies from Home Box Office, cable won six of the 11 statues in the TV categories at the 62nd Golden Globe Awards.

The plastic-surgeon series was named TV’s top drama by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the Jan. 16 ceremony, topping last year’s winner, Fox’s 24, as well as Home Box Office’s Emmy-winning The Sopranos. HBO’s rookie western Deadwood and ABC’s Lost were also nominated.

“It’s thrilling to us that the show is getting recognition at the highest levels. This is an extraordinary series that [creator] Ryan [Murphy] has a truly original and singular vision for,” FX president of entertainment John Landgraf said in an interview.

“It’s a show that has worked for us on every criterion: originality, critical acclaim, ratings and ad sales.”

He also said the show underlines FX’s choice to showcase “original and specific” programming: “Some people could think, 'Anybody could get lucky once.’ But with The Shield [in 2003] and now Nip/Tuck winning Golden Globes it truly validates this network’s vision.”

HBO scored with Deadwood as Ian McShane, who plays the town’s lecherous bordello proprietor, won as best actor in a drama series. He beat out a trio of FX nominees: The Shield’s Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon of Nip/Tuck and Denis Leary for firehouse drama Rescue Me. Boston Legal’s James Spader was also in the hunt here.

McShane’s victory was one of four for HBO, the most of any network, which had 20 overall nominations. Globes went to The Life and Death of Peter Sellers for miniseries or TV movie; Geoffrey Rush for actor for his portrayal of the late comedian and Angelica Huston as supporting actress in the telefilm Iron Jawed Angels.

Cable’s victory was assured in the actor, movie category as Mos Def (HBO’s Something the Lord Made) Jamie Foxx (FX’s Redemption), William H. Macy (Turner Network Television’s The Wool Cap) and Patrick Stewart (Showtime’s The Lion in Winter) were also considered.

Showtime scored cable’s only other Globe for the Lion remake as Glenn Close, who’s joining the fourth-season cast of The Shield, was the winner in actress, miniseries or TV movie category.

ABC’s Desperate Housewives was the only other project to gain two statues: best comedy and Teri Hatcher as best actress.

The other TV winners: Fox’s Arrested Development as best comedy series; Mariska Hargitay as best actress drama for NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; and William Shatner for supporting actor, series, miniseries or movie for his portrayal of Denny Crane in ABC’s Boston Legal.