Oscars: My Predictions vs. Winners

Last night, ABC aired the 84th Annual Academy Awards. And out of the 24 categories in which awards were handed out, I only missed six. So I got 75% correct predictions this time around (pretty much the same as the Golden Globes and only a few lower than last year's Oscars).

Below are the list of winners along with my predictions:

Best Picture:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Actor:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
My Prediction:
George Clooney, The Descendants (-)

Best Actress:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
My Prediction:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
My Prediction:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help
My Prediction:
Octavia Spencer, The Help (+)

Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
My Prediction:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist (+)

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation
My Prediction:
A Separation (+)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
My Prediction:
The Descendants (+)

Best Original Screenplay:
Midnight in Paris
My Prediction:
Midnight in Paris (+)

Best Animated Film:
Rango
My Prediction:
Rango (+)

Best Art Direction:
Hugo
My Prediction:
Hugo (+)

Best Cinematography:
Hugo
My Prediction:
The Tree of Life (-)

Best Sound Mixing:
Hugo
My Prediction:
Hugo (+)

Best Sound Editing:
Hugo
My Prediction:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (-)

Best Original Score:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Original Song:
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets
My Prediction:
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets (+)

Best Costume Design:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Documentary:
Undefeated
My Prediction:
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (-)

Best Documentary Short:
Saving Face
My Prediction:
Saving Face (+)

Best Editing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
My Prediction:
The Artist (-)

Best Makeup:
The Iron Lady
My Prediction:
The Iron Lady (+)

Best Animated Short:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
My Prediction:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (+)

Best Live Action Short:
The Shore
My Prediction:
The Shore (+)

Best Visual Effects:
Hugo
My Prediction:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (-)

You can view the full list of nominees, winners, and my predictions on T.W.O.'s Oscars page.

T.W.O: Oscars 2012 Predictions

Sunday night is the 84th Annual Academy Awards, beginning at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT on ABC. As usual, I have made my predictions on who will win in each of the 24 categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Oscars page for a full list of all the nominees. So, without further ado, here are T.W.O.'s 2012 Oscar predictions:

Source: gaelick.com

Best Picture:
The Artist

Best Actor:
George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants

Best Original Screenplay:
Midnight in Paris

Best Animated Film:
Rango

Best Art Direction:
Hugo

Best Cinematography:
The Tree of Life

Best Sound Mixing:
Hugo

Best Sound Editing:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Best Original Score:
The Artist

Best Original Song:
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets

Best Costume Design:
The Artist

Best Documentary:
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Best Documentary Short:
Saving Face

Best Editing:
The Artist

Best Makeup:
The Iron Lady

Best Animated Short:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Best Live Action Short:
The Shore

Best Visual Effects:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Golden Globes 2012: My Predictions vs. Winners

Last night, NBC aired the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Out of the 25 categories in which awards were handed out, I only missed six. So I got 76% correct predictions this time around. Hopefully that bodes well for my Oscar predictions next month.

Below are the list of winners along with my predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Drama:
The Descendants
My Prediction:
The Descendants (+)

Best Comedy/Musical:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Animated Film:
The Adventures of Tintin
My Prediction:
Rango (-)

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation
My Prediction:
In the Land of Blood and Honey (-)

Best Actor - Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants
My Prediction:
George Clooney, The Descendants (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
My Prediction:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (+)

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
My Prediction:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist (+)

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
My Prediction:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
My Prediction:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help
My Prediction:
Octavia Spencer, The Help (+)

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
My Prediction:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist (-)

Best Screenplay:
Midnight in Paris
My Prediction:
The Descendants (-)

Best Original Score:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Original Song:
"Masterpiece," W.E.
My Prediction:
"The Living Proof," The Help (-)

TELEVISION:
Best TV Drama:
Homeland
My Prediction:
Homeland (+)

Best TV Comedy/Musical:
Modern Family
My Prediction:
Modern Family (+)

Best Miniseries/TV Movie:
Downton Abbey
My Prediction:
Downton Abbey (+)

Best Actor - Drama:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
My Prediction:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland
My Prediction:
Claire Danes, Homeland (+)

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
My Prediction:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (+)

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Laura Dern, Enlightened
My Prediction:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (-)

Best Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther
My Prediction:
Idris Elba, Luther (+)

Best Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
My Prediction:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
My Prediction:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story (+)

You can view the full list of nominees, winner and my predictions on TV Watch Online's Golden Globe Awards page.

T.W.O: Golden Globes 2012 Predictions

Sunday night is the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing at 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC. As usual, I have made my predictions on who will win in each of the 25 movie and TV categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Golden Globes page for a list of all the nominations. So, without further ado, here are T.W.O.'s 2012 Golden Globe Award predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Drama:
The Descendants

Best Comedy/Musical:
The Artist

Best Animated Film:
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film:
In the Land of Blood and Honey

Best Actor - Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress - Drama:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Screenplay:
The Descendants

Best Original Score:
The Artist

Best Original Song:
"The Living Proof," The Help

TELEVISION:
Best TV Drama:
Homeland

Best TV Comedy/Musical:
Modern Family

Best Miniseries/TV Movie:
Downton Abbey

Best Actor - Drama:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Best Actress - Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Best Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther

Best Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actor:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

BuddyTV Writer

You may have noticed some of the article links I've posted on TV Watch Online have been preceded by a mention of BuddyTV. I want to say that I am now a freelance editor and writer for BuddyTV.com.

According to BuddyTV, "BuddyTV is every TV watcher's friend. With the website, users can read news about their favorite shows and actors and interact with other fans in our rabid community. Users can also play addictive games on the sites such as Trivia, Personality Quizzes, and Celeb Rater."

I am excited to have joined their team as a freelancer. Any articles that I write for them will be linked to on TV Watch Online. I already have six articles posted online for them (one is a slideshow).

To make it easier to find all of my articles, you can click HERE my articles page with a full list of and links to everything I write for them.

Emmys: My Predictions vs. Winners

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held last night. And to be honest, I didn't do too well. At the Golden Globes and Oscars earlier this year, I got 84% and 79% correct, respectively. But for this year's Emmys, I only got 46% correct, less than half! Oh my!

Here's the list of winners along with my predictions:

Outstanding Drama:
Mad Men
My Prediction:
Mad Men (+)

Outstanding Comedy:
Modern Family
My Prediction:
Modern Family (+)

Actor - Drama:
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
My Prediction:
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (-)
Nobody expected Kyle Chandler to win, but everyone is so excited and glad over his win, though. So good for him!

Actress - Drama:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
My Prediction:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (+)

Actor - Comedy:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
My Prediction:
Steve Carell, The Office (-)
Most people were hoping that Steve Carell would win, since it was his last year on The Office.

Actress - Comedy:
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
My Prediction:
Laura Linney, The Big C (-)
I loved this moment during the Emmys! When the presenters named the first nominee in this category, Amy Poehler, who's name that was, jumped out of her seat and went up to stand on stage. Then each time a nominee was named, each of the women went up and they all stood up in a line. And when Melissa's name was called as the winner, they gave her a bouquet of roses and tiara. Loved it! This was probably THE best moment of the entire show!

Supporting Actor - Drama:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
My Prediction:
John Slattery, Mad Men (-)

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Margo Martindale, Justified
My Prediction:
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire (-)

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
My Prediction:
Chris Colfer, Glee (-)
Well, Chris, let's hope you get it at the Golden Globes!

Supporting Actress - Comedy:
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
My Prediction:
Betty White, Hot In Cleveland (-)
I don't think anybody predicted Julie to win. Everyone was saying it would be either Jane Lynch or Betty White. I was so hoping that we would get an acceptance speech by Ms. White - that would have been great.

Guest Actor - Drama:
Paul McCrane, Harry's Law
My Prediction:
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife (-)

Guest Actress - Drama:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
My Prediction:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy (+)

Guest Actor - Comedy:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
My Prediction:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live (+)

Guest Actress - Comedy:
Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee
My Prediction:
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (-)

Reality Competition Program:
The Amazing Race
My Prediction:
The Amazing Race (+)
And this year showed that American Idol will never ever win the Emmy. And it has nothing to do with the new energy in season 10. It's because EP Nigel Lythgoe keeps submitting the same episode each year, which is the season finale. The season finale is basically just an episode where a bunch of guest singers perform. He needs to be choosing competition-type episodes, such as the episode when Casey Abrams was eliminated, then the judges saved him. Now that is drama at its finest!

Reality Program:
Deadliest Catch
My Prediction:
Antiques Roadshow (-)

Reality Host:
Jeff Probst, Survivor
My Prediction:
Jeff Probst, Survivor (+)
Good for you, Jeff! You're the greatest!

Variety, Musical or Comedy Series:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
My Prediction:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (+)

Variety, Music or Comedy Special:
The Kennedy Center Honors
My Prediction:
The Kennedy Center Honors (+)

Movie or Miniseries:
Downtown Abbey
My Prediction:
Mildred Pierce (-)

Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
My Prediction:
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos (-)

Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce (+)

Supporting Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
James Woods, Too Big to Fail (-)

Supporting Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey
My Prediction:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey (+)

Well, I guess better luck next time for me.

You can view the full list of nominees, winners, and my predictions on TV Watch Online's Emmy Awards page.

T.W.O: Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow are the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, airing at 8pm ET/5pm PT on FOX, hosted by Glee's Jane Lynch. On the eve of the show, I have now made my predictions on who will win in each of the categories. Below  are my predictions, and head on over to T.W.O.'s Emmy Awards page for a list of all the nominees. So, without further ado, here are TV Watch Online's predictions for the 2011 Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Drama:
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy:
Modern Family

Actor - Drama:
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Actress - Drama:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Actor - Comedy:
Steve Carell, The Office

Actress - Comedy:
Laura Linney, The Big C

Supporting Actor - Drama:
John Slattery, Mad Men

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Chris Colfer, Glee

Supporting Actress, Comedy:
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Guest Actor - Drama:
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife

Guest Actress - Drama:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy

Guest Actor - Comedy:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress - Comedy:
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live

Reality Competition Program:
The Amazing Race

Reality Program:
Antiques Roadshow

Reality Host:
Jeff Probst, Survivor

Variety, Musical or Comedy Series:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Variety, Music or Comedy Special:
The Kennedy Center Honors

Movie or Miniseries:
Mildred Pierce

Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos

Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Supporting Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
James Woods, Too Big to Fail

Supporting Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey

2011 Emmy Nominations: Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives, Glee, Survivor, American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, America's Got Talent

Today, the 2011 Emmy Award nominations were announced. Click HERE to read a list of the major categories, and HERE for the full and complete nominations (including behind-the-scenes noms).

For shows that are featured on TV Watch Online, I have compile all of their nominations below:

The Amazing Race:
*Outstanding Reality - Competition Program
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
     -Phil Keoghan
*Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming

Desperate Housewives:
*Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
     -Brenda Strong

Glee:
*Outstanding Comedy Series
*Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
     -Chris Colfer
*Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
     -Jane Lynch
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
     -Kristin Chenoweth
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
     -Dot-Marie Jones
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
     -Gwyneth Paltrow
*Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series
*Outstanding Costumes For A Series
*Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series
*Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
*Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

Survivor:
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
     -Jeff Probst
*Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming

American Idol:
*Outstanding Reality - Competition Program
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
     -Ryan Seacrest
*Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
*Outstanding Short-Form Picture Editing
*Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety, Music, Or Comedy Series
*Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series

Grey's Anatomy:
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
     -Loretta Devine
*Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media [ABC's Grey's Anatomy Sync]
*Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

America's Got Talent:
*Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special

The 2011 Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on FOX.

Combined American Idol & X Factor News Page

You may have noticed that whenever any major X Factor news articles come in, I have put them on the American Idol News page. And starting today, I have decided to make it official, and rename that page 'American Idol & X Factor News.' (It still retains the same URL). On that page, you can find all the latest news on both American Idol and The X Factor. I am doing this because I have not yet decided if I will give X Factor its own page to chronicle the competition over the course of each season (but I very well may). I also did this because it makes it easier for you all to clearly see that that page covers news on two shows, and not just on Idol.

OMGWire.com Writer

I mentioned on Twitter earlier today that I would have announcement regarding my blogging. As of today, I am now a writer for OMGWire.com. If you aren't familiar with that website, they cover the latest TV, movie, entertainment and pop culture news.

For those of you who read my posts here on the T.W.O. BLOG, you know that the majority of what I blog about is my commentary on American Idol and America's Got Talent. I will still be blogging about AGT, but this season I will be doing so from OMGWire. I am excited to be a part of this new team, and look forward to what's to come. This doesn't mean that the T.W.O. BLOG will cease to exist. I will still be blogging here, but I will be splitting duties between the two. And just to let you know, for every article I write for OMGWire, I will link to it on TV Watch Online and on Twitter, so you will never be far from my online writing.

Below is an excerpt from my debut article at OMGWire and a link to read in its entirety:

A year later, and we're back for season 6 of 'America's Got Talent,' with the return of host Nick Cannon and judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel.

At the start of the premiere, Howie says that he's going to torture Piers all season long, to which Mr. Morgan responds, "Bring it on, baldy." If Howie sticks by his word, I can't wait to see the sparring between them (and there was literal sparring in this episode).

Frank Olivier - 50-year-old who juggled fire while in a unicycle
He has Howie come up on stage to help him out. Frank tries to keep balanced on the unicycle and holds on to Howie's head. Howie freaks out (as we all know, he's a germaphobe). Piers was just having a ball watching Howie being tortured. Howie said that he was going to torture Piers, but Piers didn't even need to do anything to seek revenge. Piers and Sharon vote yes to send him through to Vegas, but Howie refuses to even talk, let alone vote. You can see how pissed off he is. Since Piers loved seeing Howie freak out, that's obviously the only reason he voted yes. Why would you send this guy through? The act wasn't all that cohesive, and you can't really build a full show with a juggler. He should have been send home.

To read the full article, click HERE. Feel free to leave comments at the end of that article.

And finally, here is a link to my Author Archive page at OMGWire, where you will can easily access all of my articles for them.

Oscars: My Predictions vs. Winners

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards were held this past Sunday, and I seem to be on a bit of a roll lately.  First, I only miss four categories at the Golden Globes last month (84% correct).  And surprisingly, that success rolled over to this week, when I only missed five, resulting in 79% correct.

Here's the list of winners along with my predictions:

Best Picture:
The King's Speech
My Prediction:
The Social Network (-)

Best Actor:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
My Prediction:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter
My Prediction:
Christian Bale, The Fighter (+)

Best Actress:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
My Prediction:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
My Prediction:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter (+)

Best Animated Film:
Toy Story 3
My Prediction:
Toy Story 3 (+)

Best Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland
My Prediction:
Alice in Wonderland (+)

Best Cinematography:
Inception
My Prediction:
True Grit (-)

Best Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland
My Prediction:
Alice in Wonderland (+)

Best Director:
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
My Prediction:
David Fincher, The Social Network (-)

Best Documentary:
Inside Job
My Prediction:
Inside Job (+)

Best Documentary Short:
Strangers No More
My Prediction:
Strangers No More (+)

Best Editing:
The Social Network
My Prediction:
The Social Network (+)

Best Foreign Language Film:
In a Better World (Denmark)
My Prediction:
In a Better World (Denmark) (+)

Best Makeup:
The Wolfman
My Prediction:
The Wolfman (+)

Best Score:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
My Prediction:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (+)

Best Song:
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3
My Prediction:
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3 (+)

Best Animated Short:
The Lost Thing
My Prediction:
Day & Night (-)

Best Live-Action Short:
God of Love
My Prediction:
Na Wewe (-)

Best Sound Editing:
Inception
My Prediction:
Inception (+)

Best Sound Mixing:
Inception
My Prediction:
Inception (+)

Best Visual Effects:
Inception
My Prediction:
Inception (+)

Best Original Screenplay:
The King's Speech, David Seidler
My Prediction:
The King's Speech, David Seidler (+)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
My Prediction:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin (+)

I got 19 of the 24 categories correct, missing only five (79% correct).

I was trying to think of why I'm doing better this year with my predictions.  And while I always have looked at what others are saying, I have done a lot more research this year, not only looking at what other websites are predicting, but thinking about what is in each film that could warrant a win, watching clips from some of the smaller categories (Best Animated Short, Best Live-Action Short), reading summaries of the documentaries, and listening to the nominated songs.  I usually do a lot of that already, but I focused more and analyzed the environment closer than I may usually have done. Next stop - the Emmy's!

You can view the full list of nominees, winners, and my predictions on T.W.O.'s Oscars page.

T.W.O: Oscar Predictions

Tonight ABC will air the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, beginning at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT. Last night, I finalized my Oscar predictions for all 24 categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Oscars page for a full list of all the nominees.

Source: gaelick.com

T.W.O.'s Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Social Network

Best Actor:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Actress:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Animated Film:
Toy Story 3

Best Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography:
True Grit

Best Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Documentary:
Inside Job

Best Documentary Short:
Strangers No More

Best Editing:
The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film:
In a Better World (Denmark)

Best Makeup:
The Wolfman

Best Score:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Best Song:
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3

Best Animated Short:
Day & Night

Best Live-Action Short:
Na Wewe

Best Sound Editing:
Inception

Best Sound Mixing:
Inception

Best Visual Effects:
Inception

Best Original Screenplay:
The King's Speech, David Seidler

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

I decided to do a little research into the Best Picture category and see which of this year's nominated films has the best chance to win. For this research, I looked at the Golden Globe Best Picture (Drama and Musical/Comedy) winners and Oscar Best Picture winners of the last ten years (2001-2010). Exactly half of the Oscar winners also won in the same category for the Golden Globes. The reason why I did this was because I wanted to see if The Social Network had a chance of winning, since it won the Globe last month. Even though momentum at the moment is with The King's Speech, based on recent history, Network has a 50% chance of winning.

Next, I focused exclusively on the Oscar winners; more specifically, I looked at the content and topics of these films; again, this was to see which could come out on top between The Social Network and The King's Speech. The Academy tends to prefer movies along the lines of Speech, which everyone is predicting will win (besides the fact that it also won some important awards recently).

For the most part, I do base my prediction decisions on who has the best chance at winning, though once in a while my personal picks override it. Last year, I chose Avatar over The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, even though it was pretty obvious that the Academy would prefer the Iraq war film over the mega blockbuster.

If I was being smart here, I would obviously choose Speech. However, my personal pick is once again overriding it. It's probably because, of the two, I've only seen Network. If this was a perfect world, the race would be between Network and Toy Story 3 (the two best movies of 2010), but that's not feasible when you look at what the voting members go for. So, while my Best Picture prediction isn't exactly logical, I'm going to be laughing (well, maybe not; I'll probably be in shock) if Network does indeed win. And if Speech wins, as it most likely will, I'll still be fine with the choice.

At last month's Golden Globe Awards, I got 84% of my predictions correct (only missing four), which I'm sure is the best I have ever done at the three major award shows (Emmys, Globes, Oscars); I usually never get above 50%. I hope my luck there will drag over to tonight's awards and be at least above 50%.

Once the winners have been announced, I will be writing up a follow-up entry comparing my predictions to the eventual winners.

In Defense of Skins: An Open Letter to the Parents Television Council (& Other Critics)

To Tim Winter, President of the Parents Television Council (PTC), and other critics:

On January 25, 2007, a brand-new show called Skins from the minds of father/son duo Brian Elsley and Jamie Brittain, debuted on E4 in the U.K., receiving positive reviews and high ratings. Right from that first episode, and continuing to today, this series has depicted the lives of a group of teenagers and all the outlandish, crazy situations that arise from their lives. The term 'Sex, Drugs & Rock N' Roll' times ten at first may seem like the perfect term to attach to this show. But attaching that phrase here shows that one has not actually watched the series (or rather, more than a few clips, trailers or promos). We need to dig deeper here, because the sex, drugs and rock n' roll is only the surface layer. Just take a moment and peel back the layers to look at the heart of the show. Skins is a much deeper show than the PTC and other critics have tried to make it out to be. The heart of this show is the characters themselves, because having strong and fully-developed characters are key to the success of a fictional story. We see their ups and downs, the emotions, the inner-truths, lies, deceit, hurt. Fans of the show, including myself, have become attached to Skins because of this. It truly is raw and revealing.

Five years later, Skins is still going strong in the U.K. And the creators now have developed and adapted the show for American audiences on MTV, which debuted on January 17, 2011. Immediately after that first episode aired, the Parents Television Council blasted the show as the most dangerous television show ever. "The episode included all manner of foul language, illegal drug use, illegal activity as well as thoroughly pervasive sexual content. Moreover, future episodes promise much more of the same," PTC President Tim Winter wrote. "It is clear that [MTV's parent company] Viacom has knowingly produced material that may well be in violation of [several child pornography laws]" (TV Guide). MTV is basic cable, which viewers have more access to than such pay cable networks as HBO or Showtime; if Skins had aired on any of the latter stations, would the PTC still have filed their complaints, for channels like HBO can get away with lot more than on a spot like MTV? Regardless, I can't honestly say if MTV is violating child pornography laws (though even that claim is a little ridiculous), but I can address the general criticisms of the show.

I would now like to briefly address the advertisers who pulled their sponsorship from the show, Taco Bell, GM, Subway and H&R Block, among others. I find it laughable that you would choose to pull your ads only after the PTC went after it. The original U.K. Skins was already known as a raunchy show. You decide to attach yourself as advertisers of the program, when that fact was completely and obviously well-known, and somehow feel taken aback once the show actually airs. That is just plain ridiculous. Wrigley says that "it was never our intent to endorse content that could offend consumers" (HR). Really? You're saying that after partnering with a network that is known to air controversial, crude, and inappropriate material (see: Jersey Shore), as well as other ridiculous and disturbing shows (like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant). You have to look at the network; you should not be taken aback that MTV is airing a show like Skins. Plus, Skins is a FICTIONAL show, unlike Jersey Shore (a REALITY show) where brainless airheads get together to drink, fight, have sex, and go on TV just for money and fame; now that's inappropriate! And don't get me started on The Hills. There's a difference between reality (or "reality," for those who believe not everything is impromptu) and fiction. Speaking of Jersey Shore, I don't even see that show listed on the PTC website; what's up with that?

The Parents Television Council, right at the top of their website claims that they are "A non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment." TV Watch Online is not a political website at all, so I won't dwell on the politics too long here, but the PTC is anything but non-partisan. It is a very conservative group who just don't get it. And Skins obviously isn't the only program this organization has gone after.

One such show they have criticized is one that T.W.O. covers on the main site: Glee. Glee has been criticized not only by the PTC but by other voices as well for sexually explicit scenes, showing two teenage girls making out, among other examples. You even compared Glee's GQ photo shoot to pedophilia. How outrageous of a claim. Since we're on the topic of singing: Adam Lambert. After his performance at the 2009 American Music Awards in which he kissed another male on stage, simulated oral sex, and walked dancers across the stage with chains. You called it "vulgar." If he had kissed a woman, I doubt you would have had a problem with it. Female performers, for the most part, have gotten away with being more sexually explicit on stage, but it's not okay when a male singer does it? Lambert's performance aired at almost 11pm; children should not even be up at that time anyways.

But back to Skins. I want to make something very clear. I would never condone the things happening on this show--the underage sex, drug use, etc-- if this was real life. I'm in my early 20's and in college, and I would never think to imitate what these fictional characters are doing. If we saw all of this happening on a reality show, I would be strictly against it, no matter if they were teens or adults.

And by the way, our American version of the show is a whole lot tamer and toned down than the original, British version. When Skins UK started airing on BBC America, where were you, PTC? Even in an edited form, the UK show has a lot more nudity, sex and explicit language than ours. Even if you did respond to BBC America airing the show, it most definitely was not to the outrageous level that you are dishing out with the tamer U.S. show.

Before I finish, I would like to briefly talk to MTV and the people behind Skins. Two episodes have aired so far. And in each, I have noticed some swear words were bleeped. If you knew words like those wouldn't be allowed on TV, why did you even put then in the script in the first place? Unless you're going to release an uncensored version of the DVD (if one should come out), I want to either see no censorship at all or leaving it out in the first place.

After the premiere aired and the PTC came after you, you (MTV) were backed up against a wall and didn't defend your own network or show. If you truly believe in this show, you need to step up and put yourself back on the offense instead of playing defense. You knew this show would create controversy, so back up your decisions with reasoning. I think the PTC should read show creator Brian Elsley's statement he made after the premiere aired.

In this war between the PTC and MTV, the Parents Television Council is winning right now. And you wanna know why? Because they are being louder, whereas MTV is whimpering. Look at politics, especially the political climate of the past year or so. The winning party was victorious because they were louder. Being louder means you will be heard in the media. And if you have the attention of the media, those who agree with you will come out in full force to support you. And when you are louder, have everyone's attention, and gain some support resulting from that, it puts you on the offense. Being on offense equals power. And the PTC has the power right now.

It's very unfortunate that it ended up the way it did, because the PTC, in theory, is a very irrelevant organization. Tim Winter (PTC President) - let parents and their families make their own decisions and don't butt into people's lives, telling us what we should think or do.

Sincerely,

Jeff D.
Webmaster, TV Watch Online

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Related Links:
Creator Bryan Elsley's Statement
Actor Sofia Black D'Elia Responds to Controversy

Webmaster Note: TV Watch Online will continue its coverage of Skins and the controversy, posting article links in the TV/Movie/Entertainment News section on the home page.

New T.W.O. Page Devoted to The Hunger Games!

This week, the release date was announced for the upcoming film adaptation of the first book in the hugely popular young-adult series, The Hunger Games: March 23, 2012! That's just over a year from now; how exciting is that! If you have listened to the T.W.O. Show podcast, you may know that I gave a spoiler-free review of the final book, Mockingjay, back in September (Episode 18) and mentioned that I am a huge fan of this series. After reading the first book, I felt like I was reading the best book I've read since Harry Potter.

With each big news item that has come out regarding the movie version (script, director, etc), I have become more and more excited to see this on the big screen, because I believe that this story was made to be seen on the big screen. And now what may be the biggest news item to date: the release date!

I had a poll on the main page of T.W.O. asking visitors if they thought I should have a page devoted to The Hunger Games; nobody voted against the idea. I got to a point where it wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when. And when the release date was announced, I thought this would be the perfect time to unveil it, because now, from this point on, each announcement will be upping the anticipation level even more, mainly with the casting (which we should hopefully hear about pretty soon).

Yesterday, I debuted T.W.O.'s brand-new page devoted to The Hunger Games. It is set up exactly like the other movie franchise pages (Harry Potter, Narnia, Twilight, Hobbit): logo, news article links, about the movie, poll, product links, and cover/poster images.

And The Hunger Games also now has its own page in the T.W.O. STORE.

Every time I add a new movie franchise, it may seem to you that I just put the new one below the one that came before that on the navigation bar, but there's a reasoning behind it. It all has to do with when the first movie in the franchise premiered. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2001, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005, Twilight in 2008. Since The Hunger Games will be coming out in early 2012, and The Hobbit will not arrive until December of that year, that is the reason why HG is above Hobbit on the navigation bar (the same order applies in the STORE).

Any related news articles before yesterday that had previously appeared in the TV/Movie/Entertainment News section on the home page has been copied over to the new film page, for convenience.

I am really looking forward to seeing the progression of filming with this movie, seeing any and all trailers, the film itself, and hopefully (fingers crossed!) two more movies as well.

Golden Globes: My Predictions vs. Winners

Last night NBC aired the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards. With the three main award shows (Emmys, Golden Globes, and Oscars), I always make predictions. And more often than not, I get about 50% or less right. But, I lucked out big time last night when I only got four wrong, meaning I received an 84% this time around. If I'm not mistaken, that's the highest percentage I have ever had. Hopefully, this will set up some positive results for my Oscar predictions.

Below are the list of winners alongside my predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Picture Drama:
The Social Network
My Prediction:
The Social Network (+)

Best Picture - Musical or Comedy:
The Kids Are All Right
My Prediction:
The Kids Are All Right (+)

Best Actor - Drama:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
My Prediction:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
My Prediction:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan (+)

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Paul Giamatti, Barney's Version
My Prediction:
Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland (-)

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
My Prediction:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter
My Prediction:
Christian Bale, The Fighter (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
My Prediction:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter (+)

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network
My Prediction:
David Fincher, The Social Network (+)

Best Screenplay:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
My Prediction:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin (+)

Best Original Song:
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me Yet," Burlesque
My Prediction:
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me Yet," Burlesque (+)

Best Original Score:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
My Prediction:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (+)

Best Foreign Language Film:
In a Better World
My Prediction:
Biutiful (-)

Best Animated Feature:
Toy Story 3
My Prediction:
Toy Story 3 (+)

TELEVISION:
Best TV Series - Drama:
Boardwalk Empire
My Prediction:
Boardwalk Empire (+)

Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy:
Glee
My Prediction:
Glee (+)

Best Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Carlos
My Prediction:
Temple Grandin (-)

Best Actor - Drama:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
My Prediction:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy
My Prediction:
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (-)

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
My Prediction:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (+)

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Laura Linney, The Big C
My Prediction:
Laura Linney, The Big C (+)

Best Actor - Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack
My Prediction:
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack (+)

Best Actress - Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
My Prediction:
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin (+)

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie:
Chris Colfer, Glee
My Prediction:
Chris Colfer, Glee (+)

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, Made-for-TV Movie:
Jane Lynch, Glee
My Prediction:
Jane Lynch, Glee (+)

On the film side, I got 12 out of 14 correct, and on the TV side, I got 9 out of 11 correct; only two incorrect on each side, resulting in this unbelievable 84% correct. You can also view the list of nominees, winners, and my predictions on T.W.O.'s Golden Globes page.

Whenever I'm making my predictions, I always look at what people are saying online about these various TV shows, movies and actors, what awards they've received so far in the award season,  and compare them with my personal choices and then made my predictions. As I said the other day, my predictions are not necessarily for those who I personally want to see win (who should win), but rather who has the best shot at winning; sometimes, though, I make exceptions.

Now that the first major award show of 2011 is behind us, we can now look forward to the morning of January 25, when the nominations will be announced for the Academy Awards. Stay tuned to TV Watch Online for all the latest award season news, including finalists, nominees, winners, and much more.

T.W.O.: Golden Globes Predictions

Tomorrow are the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing on NBC at 8pm ET/5pm PT. As usual, I have made my predictions on who will win in each of the 25 TV & Movie categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Golden Globes page for a list of all the nominees. So, without further ado, here are T.W.O.'s 2011 Golden Globe Awards predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Picture - Drama:
The Social Network

Best Picture - Musical or Comedy:
The Kids Are All Right

Best Actor - Drama:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Best Actress - Drama:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Screenplay:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

Best Original Song:
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me Yet," Burlesque

Best Original Score:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Best Foreign Language Film:
Biutiful

Best Animated Feature:
Toy Story 3

TELEVISION:
Best TV Series - Drama:
Boardwalk Empire

Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy:
Glee

Best Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Temple Grandin

Best Actor - Drama:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Best Actress - Drama:
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Laura Linney, The Big C

Best Actor - Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack

Best Actress - Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie:
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie:
Chris Colfer, Glee

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, Made-for-TV Movie:
Jane Lynch, Glee

In episode 27 of the T.W.O. Show podcast, due out this weekend, I will run through my predictions and explain where any personal picks of mine differ from my actual predictions.