For a TV series, snagging a Golden Globe nomination is a little like winning Miss Congeniality; it's not the award everybody cares about, but at least you got something for your trouble.

And even at a time when Enmmy is trying mightily to be hip, the Globes TV nominees remain the best high-profile barometer of the coolest programs on television, honoring standouts like Glee and True Blood before the august Academy of Television Arts and Sciences could get its act together.

So it's small wonder then, that the crop of nominees for TV awards announced today include some shows that blossomed just weeks ago; HBO's Boardwalk Empire, AMC's The Walking Dead and Showtime's The Big C scored major nods days after their first runs had concluded, allowing the Hollywood Foreign Press to take credit for first recognizing some of television's hottest new prospects. (the most-nominated TV show was arguably the network's most hip, Glee, with five nods)

Of course, TV stars with the biggest film pedigree do best with this crowd. So it doesn't hurt that Martin Scorsese and star Steve Buscemi come attached to Empire, Laura Linney stars in Big C and Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont developed Walking Dead.

Still, Buscemi earned his best actor nod for a magnetic turn as Atlantic City politician-turned-gangster Nucky Thompson (Kelly MacDonald, who plays Nucky's super-conflicted Irish single-mom girlfriend, also should have been in the best actress category instead of supporting). British actor Andrew Lincoln also got snubbed for his work as stalwart Georgia cop Rick Grimes in AMC's The Walking Dead, but at least the series was recognized.

(No, I have no idea why film critics from foreign countries feel the need to evaluate American TV shows, either. And when you see the winners they eventually pick -- larded mostly toward actors with quality film resumes -- you won't get it, either).

But for now, there's only a few such head-scratching moments (Piper Perabo nominated as best actress for USA's Covert Affairs over Fringe's Anna Torv, Damages' Glenn Close or Friday Night Lights' Connie Britton? She's not even the coolest action babe on TV; said honor is reserved for Nikita's Maggie Q).

Best of all, the Globes TV list is a good cheat sheet for this year's Top of 2010 lists.

So who would you have put on -- or left off?

1.    BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a.    BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions, HBO Entertainment

b.    DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company

c.    THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
CBS Television Studios

d.    MAD MEN (AMC)
Lionsgate Television

e.    THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
AMC

2.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a.    JULIANNA MARGULIES        THE GOOD WIFE

b.    ELISABETH MOSS            MAD MEN

c.    PIPER PERABO            COVERT AFFAIRS

d.    KATEY SAGAL            SONS OF ANARCHY

e.    KYRA SEDGWICK            THE CLOSER

3.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a.    STEVE BUSCEMI            BOARDWALK EMPIRE

b.    BRYAN CRANSTON         BREAKING BAD

c.    MICHAEL C. HALL         DEXTER

d.    JON HAMM                MAD MEN

e.    HUGH LAURIE            HOUSE

4.    BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a.    30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little
Stranger Inc.

b.    THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
Warner Bros. Television

c.    THE BIG C (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Sony Pictures Television, Perkins Street Productions, Farm Kid, Original Film

d.    GLEE (FOX)
Ryan Murphy Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television

e.    MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Twentieth Century Fox Television

f.    NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber, Caryn Mandabach Productions


5.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a.    TONI COLLETTE            UNITED STATES OF TARA

b.    EDIE FALCO            NURSE JACKIE

c.    TINA FEY                30 ROCK

d.    LAURA LINNEY            THE BIG C

e.    LEA MICHELE            GLEE

6.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a.    ALEC BALDWIN            30 ROCK

b.    STEVE CARELL            THE OFFICE

c.    THOMAS JANE            HUNG

d.    MATTHEW MORRISON        GLEE

e.    JIM PARSONS            THE BIG BANG THEORY


7.    BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a.    CARLOS (SUNDANCE CHANNEL)
Sundance Channel

b.    THE PACIFIC (HBO)
Playtone and DreamWorks in association with HBO Films

c.    PILLARS OF THE EARTH (STARZ)
Starz, Tandem Communications, Muse Entertainment Scott Free Films

d.    TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO)
A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production, HBO Films

e.    YOU DON’T KNOW JACK (HBO)
Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions, HBO Films

8.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a.    HAYLEY ATWELL            PILLARS OF THE EARTH

b.    CLAIRE DANES            TEMPLE GRANDIN

c.    JUDI DENCH            RETURN TO CRANFORD

d.    ROMOLA GARAI            EMMA

e.    JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT    THE CLIENT LIST

9.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a.    IDRIS ELBA                LUTHER

b.    IAN MCSHANE            PILLARS OF THE EARTH

c.    AL PACINO                YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

d.    DENNIS QUAID            THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

e.    EDGAR RAMIREZ            CARLOS

10.    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV

a.    HOPE DAVIS            THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

b.    JANE LYNCH            GLEE

c.    KELLY MACDONALD        BOARDWALK EMPIRE

d.    JULIA STILES            DEXTER

e.    SOFIA VERGARA            MODERN FAMILY

11.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR, TV

a.    SCOTT CAAN            HAWAII FIVE-O

b.    CHRIS COLFER            GLEE

c.    CHRIS NOTH            THE GOOD WIFE

d.    ERIC STONESTREET        MODERN FAMILY

e.    DAVID STRATHAIRN        TEMPLE GRANDIN