Formed as a collective to protect the rights of Hollywood financiers who might otherwise fall victim to unfair labor practices stipulating that they actually do some work if they're going to take all the credit, the Producers Guild of America rallied 'round the union flag today by announcing the films and TV shows they liked most, completely due to the guys who made all the phone calls and "made it happen."
In previous years, the PGA Awards have served as a useful bellwether of what to expect with the Oscars—it's five for five with Best Picture winners since 2008, and its nominees list almost always mirrors the Academy's—so it's no surprise that Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, Argo, Life Of Pi, and Les Miserables are all present and accounted for here, as they have been on every other voting body's. As for dark horses, occasional contenders Beasts Of The Southern Wild and Moonrise Kingdom also made the cut, as did (in their first significant recognition this awards season), Django Unchained and Skyfall, suggesting any and all of these could now claim a Best Picture nomination, and that producers like movies that make a lot of money.
Appropriately chagrined after last year's declaration that Dexter was still one of the finest dramas on television, the PGA finally got around to checking out its best guild-friends' recommendations and watching Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, and Homeland, then placing them alongside returning nominees such as Mad Men and Game Of Thrones. Similarly, it's finally over the idea that Glee is a "comedy" and has moved on to Louie, though it was still forced to put Curb Your Enthusiasm in the slot occupied last year by Parks And Recreation, due to the fact that all ballots come pre-printed with nominations for 30 Rock, Modern Family, and The Big Bang Theory. This should, of course, be corrected sometime after 30 Rock ends, though it will likely take a few awards season cycles before it's accepted. In the meantime, here's the list of major nominees:
FILM
Outstanding Feature
Argo
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty
Outstanding Animated Feature
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
Rise Of The Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph
Outstanding Documentary
A People Uncounted
The Gatekeepers
The Island President
The Other Dream Team
Searching For Sugar Man
TELEVISION
Outstanding Drama
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men
Outstanding Comedy
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Louie
Modern Family
Outstanding Long-form Series
American Horror Story
The Dust Bowl
Game Change
Hatfields And McCoys
Sherlock
Outstanding Nonfiction Series
American Masters
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Deadliest Catch
Inside The Actors Studio
Shark Tank
Outstanding Live TV Or Talk Show
The Colbert Report
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding TV Competition
The Amazing Race
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef
The Voice