Golden Globes nominations: Big on the new, like ‘Brooklyn,’ ‘Cards’

This old dog is still open to new tricks, witness this year’s Golden Globes nominations.

Fresh blood was the theme of this year’s TV portion when nods for the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards were announced Thursday.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has long been open to embracing new TV shows, and that’s no different this year. After getting passed over when SAG nominations were announced Wednesday, “Orange is the New Black” finally seems to be somewhat in season.

The Netflix prison dramedy, based on the Piper Kerman memoir of the same name, scored nominations for its star Taylor Schilling, who plays Piper, a WASP-y artisan soap maker who is busted for smuggling drug money years after the fact. She’s joined by fellow new faces familiar with generating buzz -- Kerry Washington (ABC’s “Scandal”) and Tatiana Maslany (BBC’s “Orphan Black”). The latter had some critics crying foul when she was passed over for an Emmy nomination for her chameleon-like role.

FULL COVERAGE: Golden Globe nominations 2014

Making a somewhat bolder entrance was Fox’s cop comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The freshman series, which is tapped by Fox to receive the plum post-Super Bowl spot alongside Tuesday sister “New Girl,” scored a nomination in the comedy or musical category, with its lead Andy Samberg (“SNL”) breaking through in the actor in a comedy or musical category.

The Fox comedy beat out more likely contendors such as “Veep,” “30 Rock” and “Enlightened.” It joins “Parks and Recreation” and last year’s returning nominees “The Big Bang Theory,” “Girls” and “Modern Family.” Samberg, meanwhile, isn’t the only newbie in his category; he’s joined by Michael J. Fox and, depending on definitions of new, Jason Bateman, who is up for his role in “Arrested Developement,” for which he took home a Globe in 2005 when it aired on Fox. (Its revival rolled out earlier this year--seven years after it went off the air--on Netflix.)

On the drama front, the likes of James Spader (“The Blacklist”), and Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”) got in the game, as did supporting players Monica Potter (“Parenthood”) and Jon Voight (“Ray Donovan”).

But an old favorite was noticeably absent from its posts. Showtime’s “Homeland,” which just last year had a lock in the major drama categories with four nods, has seemed to have lost its awards steam, getting shut out this year. Perhaps filling in its shoes is the new Showtime drama “Masters of Sex.” The drama about the pioneers of the science of human sexuality, which drew critical praise with its roll-out earlier this year, broke through in the drama category; its co-lead Michael Sheen, who stars as William Masters, scored a nomination in the actor in a TV drama category.

PHOTOS: Golden Globe 2014 top nominees

Or perhaps “House of Cards” is filling out the shoes more completely. The Netlix political drama scored in four top categories, with the show breaking through, as well as its stars Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Corey Stoll.

Meanwhile, another critical darling seems to have lost its edge. After leaving empty handed when SAG nominations were announced Wednesday, “Mad Men’s” absence has carried over to the Golden Globes, with the AMC drama nowhere in sight on the list of nominees. It’s a surprising exclusion when considering the drama is gearing up for its final bow.

And while HBO continues to be the network to beat, nominations-wise (with nine total), it’s got some healthy competition in Showtime, Starz and Netflix this year--each with six apiece. Pay cable network Starz has been in the running before when its Kelsey Grammer drama “Boss” was on the air. But its showing this year has amplified to a network record with its period offerings “Dancing On the Edge” and “White Queen” scoring big in the miniseries categories.

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