Sunday night sees this year's Golden Globes take place. Ahead of the show, John Byrne sifts through the TV categories for some likely winners.
Awards shows - you gotta love them. It's not like you have a choice at this time of the year. Here comes the first of many...
The Golden Globe Awards are voted by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to recognise excellence in film and television. What follows here is a list of TV-related categories, last year's winners, this year's nominees - and likely winners.
In terms of any possible Irish success, we're restricted to Caitriona Balfe, who's nominated for her lead role in Starz's time travel fantasy Outlander.
Best Television Series: Drama
2015 winner: The Affair
Nominations: Empire, Game of Thrones, Mr Robot, Narcos, Outlander
Game of Thrones must be odds-on after missing out last year, but it faces very tough opposition from hip-hop sensation Empire, as well as Netflix drug drama Narcos. But the cyber-thriller Mr Robot has so far proved to be a huge critical success, which gives it every chance of winning. Outlander is this year's WTF? nomination.
TEN Tip: Game of Thrones
Best Television Series: Musical or Comedy
2015 winner: Transparent
Nominations: Casual, Mozart in the Jungle, Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Veep
Despite being a very competitive category, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if transgender sitcom Transparent won again, but Veep should give it a very good run after an excellent season of the political satire. Pity Silicon Valley is up against such strong opposition.
TEN Tip: Veep
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television
2015 winner: Fargo
Nominations: American Crime, American Horror Story: Hotel, Fargo, Flesh & Bone, Wolf Hall
If Fargo was good enough to win last year's award, it should stroll home this year. But this time around American Crime could steal it after a stunning first season that had the critics lapping up a raw and superbly-acted drama that touched quite a few nerves.
TEN Tip: Fargo
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Drama
2015 Winner: Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)
Nominations: Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Rami Malek (Mr Robot), Wagner Moura (Narcos), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)
Probably the toughest one to call as any one of these impressive performers could win out. Jon Hamm might swing it as a fitting farewell to Mad Men (as happened at the Emmys), while Liev Schreiber was in outstanding form in a very impressive third season of Ray Donovan. But so was Bob Odenkirk in the opening run of Better Call Saul. This could be a Hamm sandwich.
TEN Tip: John Hamm
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Drama
2015 Winner: Ruth Wilson (The Affair)
Nominations: Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Eva Green (Penny Dreadful), Taraji P Henson (Empire), Robin Wright (House of Cards)
How Ruth Wilson won last year is beyond me. This time around, the marvellous Viola Davis is there again for her role as the central character in Shonda Rhimes' wilfully confusing How to Get Away with Murder and should be a shoo-in. Well, if Taraji P Henson hadn't nailed it as Cookie Lyon in Empire. Could Ireland's Caitriona Balfe swing it? Fingers crossed!
TEN Tip: Viola Davis
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Musical or Comedy
2015 Winner: Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Nominations: Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus should be the safest best of the TV nominees after an outstanding season on Veep, but the smart money's on veteran Lily Tomlin taking the crown from Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez if she fails to win the film award for Grandma. The rest? No chance.
TEN Tip: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Musical or Comedy
2015 Winner: Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
Nominations: Aziz Ansari (Master of None), Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), Rob Lowe (The Grinder), Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk), Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
As well as being a great actor, Jeffrey Tambor is hugely popular amongst the foreign press in Hollywood, so don't be surprised if he repeats last year's success. The opposition's not great, although Aziz Ansari or Rob Lowe could spring a surprise.
TEN Tip: Jeffrey Tambor
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television
2015 Winner: Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honourable Woman)
Nominations: Kirsten Dunst (Fargo), Lady Gaga (American Horror Story: Hotel), Sarah Hay (Flesh & Bone), Felicity Huffman (American Crime), Queen Latifah (Bessie)
No one's anywhere near to the level Maggie Gyllenhaal was at when she won last year, but both Kirsten Dunst and Felicity Huffman - the latter playing a very unsympathetic character - must fancy their chances after superb respective runs on Fargo and American Crime.
TEN Tip: Felicity Huffman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television
2015 Winner: Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)
Idris Elba (Luther), Oscar Isaac (Show Me a Hero), David Oyelowo (Nightingale), Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall), Patrick Wilson (Fargo)
As with the girls in this category, so with the guys: Billy Bob was a no-brainer last year, while this time around it's pretty much an open field. Show Me a Hero was so dull it may stifle Oscar Isaac's chances, while the fact that Nightingale was a one-off might do likewise for David Oyelowo. Toss a coin.
TEN Tip: Patrick Wilson
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television
2015 Winner: Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Nominations: Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Regina King (American Crime), Judith Light (Transparent), Maura Tierney (The Affair)
Joanne Froggatt might manage to retain her title, otherwise it could be a two-horse between Regina King, outstanding as an Islamic convert in American Crime, and Maura Tierney's emotionally-draining role in The Affair. But Uzo Aduba can't be ruled out.
TEN Tip: Maura Tierney
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television
2015 Winner: Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart)
Nominations: Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall, Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), Tobias Mendes (Outlander), Christian Slater (Mr Robot)
Alan Cumming always puts in a great turn on The Good Wife, but he's up against it here with Damian Lewis likely to get the Anglo votes, while Ben Mendelsohn - outstanding in Bloodline - can rely on the Antipodean influence. What chance a Scottish actor?
TEN Tip: Ben Mendelsohn
John Byrne
