Here it is – the first big television weekend of the year. You'll be dizzy making choices. There's the kick-start to awards season; there are funny and dyspeptic women; there's mystery and, well, there is life itself.
The Golden Globe Awards (Sunday, NBC, CTV, 8 p.m.) is the surefire pick for many people. It's a Sunday in January and here's a bunch of comely people all dolled up for a party in sunny L.A. That's the lure. It ain't really about what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association deems worthy of honouring for outstanding work in film and television.
This week, Entertainment Weekly called the Golden Globes "the awards-show equivalent of a frat party," because the champagne flows in the Beverly Hilton ballroom and some stars get way-tipsy. There's that.
And there's the possibility that comedy duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, presenting the awards for the last time, will unleash the wit to bruise a few egos and burst a few balloons of pretension. There's that. There is also the strong possibility of an outbreak of fake actor-sincerity. There's that. And a guarantee of lots of fabulous frocks on display. The red-carpet fandango starts on E! Canada on Sunday at 6 p.m.
As far as this column is concerned, it's the TV portion of the Globes that matters.
For the TV prizes, Fargo tops the list, appearing in five categories, while True Detective is close behind with four. In the Best Series, Drama, category the list is odd – The Affair, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife and House of Cards. The Affair turned into a disastrously silly series and Downton Abbey, while fun, is nowhere near the level of the best of U.S. cable drama. It's only terrific tosh. Like the Golden Globes, really.
Life Story (Sunday, CBC, 8 p.m.) is the perfect alternative to the trashy tosh that is the Golden Globes. Here comes David Attenborough, age 88, and as excited as ever about explaining nature to us.
Show him a critter and he's like a child. This series is, he says, "The greatest of all adventures, the journey through life."
Then we see him supine in the dirt somewhere in South Africa having a chat with some very cute baby meerkats. No, seriously, he's talking to them: "Hello, my darling" – that kind of thing.
From there it is a fabulous extravaganza of baby critters, mating rituals and, alas, death and renewal. There is a segment about goslings in Greenland that will, guaranteed, make you weep.
When Life Story aired last fall in Britain, The Guardian got a bit snippy and referred to Attenborough, sarcastically, as "the embodiment of all that is righteous and good." Which is their prerogative. But here's the gist – Life Story is delightful, awe-inspiring programming that is lavishly filmed and blissfully captivating. You will have more profound memory of the critters than of the Hollywood stars, and see the origin of the stars' plumage, for a start.
Also airing this weekend
British crime drama Broadchurch (Sunday, Showcase, 10 p.m.) returns for a second season. Same main location, same main cast. What unfolds has been kept under wraps, totally.
Girls (Sunday, HBO Canada, 9 p.m.) also returns for a new season. (There's a report on it elsewhere in this section.) After an iffy first episode, with Hannah and Adam being all passive-aggressive about their relationship as Hannah heads to the Iowa Writers' Workshop to become an important chronicler of her age group, the series settles into some delicious comedy.
Togetherness (Sunday, HBO Canada, 9:30 p.m.) is new and advertised as a comedy, but it is a sour one. A sort-of middle-aged guy (Mark Duplass, who is also the series co-creator with his brother Jay) and his fatigued wife (Melanie Lynskey) end up with two other people in their home and life – his screwed-up best friend (Steve Zissis) and her daffy sister (Amanda Peet). It ain't no pleasant party. The first two episodes are drenched in ennui, but in a forced way that makes them more drenched in ho-hums.
My Husband's Not Gay (Sunday, TLC, 10 p.m.) is about Mormon men in Utah who are attracted to men but don't consider themselves gay. It is what it is. Told you you'd be dizzy. All times ET. Check local listings.