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Tatiana Maslany, Canadian star of sci-fi series Orphan Black, is getting Emmy buzz, an excitement no one missed at this week’s Banff World Media Festival.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail

How fickle and erratic were the TV nominations for the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards? Let us count the ways.

Big snubs

Last year, the Golden Globes bestowed top drama honours to the edgy Showtime drama Homeland, which also took home three other awards in major categories. This year, Homeland received zero nominations. Not one. Not even a supporting actor nomination for Mandy Patinkin, who gave the performance of his career in the show's well-received third season.

Similarly, the Hollywood Foreign Press gave no nominations to the AMC cable darling Mad Men, which has previously won the outstanding drama Emmy four times. Mad Men won the Globe for best drama in 2007, 2008 and 2009, but was snubbed in the category last year.

But perhaps the most glaring Golden Globes snub befell Game of Thrones. The HBO fantasy drama did not receive a single nomination last year and the same thing happened this year. The snub is almost certain to elicit social-media backlash from the show's fans.

Go Canada

Regina native Tatiana Maslany was highly deserving of a best actress nomination for her complex role in the BBC America/CTV series Orphan Black, and she got one. Maslany likely has no chance against fellow nominees Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Kerry Washington (Scandal), Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black) and Robin Wright (House of Cards), but she still deserves to be in their company.

And Edmonton-born Michael J. Fox probably didn't deserve a best actor nod for his new sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show, still midway through its first low-rated season, but he got one anyway.

Say what?

Even the people who produced the rookie Showtime drama Masters of Sex are probably surprised by getting a Globes nomination for best drama. The semi-biographical drama based on the lives of sex researchers was slick and well-acted, but there were no must-see TV moments in the first 11-episode season. Even more improbably, Masters star Michael Sheen received a nomination in the best actor category.

Conclusion: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association members love sexy shows about, um, sex.

No glee for Glee

As before, the Globes voters chose to not include the Fox series Glee among the nominated shows in the category of best musical or comedy (instead opting for The Big Bang Theory, Girls, Modern Family, Parks & Recreation and the rookie sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Even though Glee is the current show on television that is both a musical and a comedy. Go figure.

Say what? Part 2

Liev Schreiber received a best actor nod for Ray Donovan? The film and stage veteran brought gravitas to his portrayal of a sleazy law-firm "fixer," but there was nothing really riveting in his performance. In any of Schreiber's scenes opposite Jon Voight or Elliott Gould, he literally faded from sight.

Got it right

Rob Lowe truly deserved his best supporting actor nod for his portrayal of a creepy, cat-eyed plastic surgeon in the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra. Dude's come a long way from St. Elmo's Fire and Wayne's World.

Doubling up

Former Seinfeld mainstay Julia Louis-Dreyfus received a Golden Globes movie nod for her role as a brittle divorcee in the film Enough Said – her first live-action movie in 16 years. And then she got another nomination for playing the dizzy vice-president Selina Meyers on the HBO comedy Veep. Way to go, Elaine!

Say what? Part 3

Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn is snubbed, but Parenthood's Monica Potter is nominated for best actress in a drama? Get thee to her IMDB page to learn who she is.

The 71st annual Golden Globe awards air Jan. 12, 2014, on NBC and CTV.

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