Golden Globes Deliver Surprises In Television Categories

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

If you're looking for new TV shows to watch, the Golden Globes provides some interesting suggestions. The awards show often seems to highlight under-the-radar shows and performers, and last night's Globes were no exception. Take the show "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" on CW. It's one of the lowest-rated shows on network television. It's also an innovative musical comedy series. Actress Rachel Bloom won a Golden Globe last night for best actress in a TV comedy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RACHEL BLOOM: We almost didn't have a show. We made a pilot for another network, and they rejected it. And we sent the pilot to every other network in Hollywood, and they - we got six rejections in one day.

SHAPIRO: Well, here to talk more about TV and the Globes is NPR TV critic Eric Deggans, who joins us from our Culver City studios in Southern California. Eric, thanks for stopping by.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: Hi.

SHAPIRO: I confess. I had never heard of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" until last night. Should I be watching this show?

DEGGANS: (Laughter) A lot of people have not heard of it because it's so low-rated, but it is a really innovative show. There - it's very absurdist. There's a lot of musical numbers that kind of come out of nowhere. And it's about this very unique character, this woman who chases across the country after guy who dumped her when she was in high school. And it's very funny. It's very well done. I'd say it's worth checking out. It's very good. I don't know if it's amazing, but it's very good.

SHAPIRO: Well, another show that got great acclaim last night, winning best comedy series - "Mozart In The Jungle" on Amazon. If it's so good, why aren't more people watching it?

DEGGANS: Well, it's on Amazon, and it's an interesting show. This is a dramedy that's set in a classical orchestra in New York. And you know, Gael Garcia Bernal also won as best comedy actor. Again, this is a show that's very good. It's low profile. Because it's on Amazon, I think people haven't heard about it. I'm not sure I would've named it best comedy. It didn't land on my list of the best shows of the year. But it's a show that's worthy of being checked out, and I think now people will look at it because they've heard about it through the Globes.

SHAPIRO: Well, one show that did land on your list of best shows of the year, which, again - kind of under the radar. "Mr. Robot" on USA won as best TV drama. It airs on a pretty mainstream cable channel but, again, not one of the shows that was on the front of my radar for 2015. Why is this such a surprise?

DEGGANS: Well, I was going to say, you know, it wasn't a surprise to me because...

SHAPIRO: Right. You knew it was good.

DEGGANS: ...I named it...

SHAPIRO: You were telling people to watch it.

DEGGANS: I named it one of the best shows of the summer, and I also named it as my best show of 2015...

SHAPIRO: Applause for you over here.

DEGGANS: ...If you see my list on npr.org. But it - also, it's a dark drama. It's about this hacker who reluctantly winds up trying to work to bring down an evil corporation, and then he kind of discovers that his own mental issues are way more of an issue than he ever expected. I think the star, Rami Malek, got robbed on Sunday. "Mad Men's" Jon Hamm won, and that's wonderful. But he's a new talent, and he does a great job on the show. But now people can go back. They can binge-watch a show that rewards close viewing and breaks a lot of great rules on television on mainstream network like USA.

SHAPIRO: Well, I guess the moral of the story is, read Eric Deggan's best-of list if you want to know which TV shows are really good (laughter). That's...

DEGGANS: That's always the moral of...

SHAPIRO: ...NPR's TV critic...

DEGGANS: ...My story, my friend (laughter).

SHAPIRO: ...Eric Deggans. Good to talk to you, as always.

DEGGANS: Thanks a lot. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.