Speculative fiction on television at the People's Choice Awards 2017, part 1

I closed yesterday's 'Shop Small' on Small Business Saturday 2016 by telling my readers "Stay tuned for Entertainment Sunday, which will be about the People's Choice Awards nominees.  Sorry, no vote this week."*

Normally, I pay much more attention to the Critics' Choice Movie and Television Awards than I do the People's Choice Awards, but this year I decided to give the honors decided by popular vote first priority, despite stunts like the Mannequin Challenge at the People's Choice Awards 2017 Nominations Announcement.**

Celebs wreak havoc at the People's Choice Awards 2017 Nominations Announcement on November 15 in Los Angeles.

Special thanks to our celebrity presenters:

Boris Kodjoe
Jamie Chung
Jordana Brewster
Ken Jeong
Molly Shannon
Piper Perabo
Wilmer Valderrama

The People's Choice Awards don't take themselves very seriously.  In that regard, they're a lot like the Teen Choice Awards.  Since I cover those, I'll cover these.

Enough introduction -- it's time for the nominees.

FAVORITE NETWORK SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW
Arrow
The Flash
Once Upon a Time
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

Last year's winner, "Beauty and the Beast," was not renominated, so the contest is wide open.  All the rest of last year's nominees returned, so I expect one of them to prevail.  However, I have to go back four years to a field that did not include "Beauty and the Beast."  That year's winner was "Supernatural."  Based on that, I'd consider it to be the favorite.  However, it lost to "Once Upon a Time" at the Teen Choice Awards this year.  Since I prefer "Once Upon a Time" to "Supernatural," even though I watch both shows, that outcome would be fine with me.

FAVORITE CABLE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW
American Horror Story
Orphan Black
Shadowhunters
Teen Wolf
The Walking Dead

Picking my favorite is easy for me--"The Walking Dead."  It helps its chances that the defending winner, "Outlander"  has been moved to the "Premium" category, along with "Game of Thrones".  The zombie show's win is not a lock, as both "American Horror Story" and "Teen Wolf" are returning nominees, "Orphan Black" earned an Emmy for its lead actress, Tatiana Maslany, and "Shadowhunters" won Choice TV Breakout Show at the Teen Choice Awards.  The competition is stiffer than the zombies!

FAVORITE PREMIUM SCI-FI/FANTASY SERIES
Game of Thrones
Marvel’s Luke Cage
Outlander
Stranger Things
Westworld

Now, that's a field!  "Outlander" is a defending winner in last year's cable category, beating "Game of Thrones," a feat I expect it to repeat.  However, I think both "Westworld" and "Stranger Things" are better shows with "Stranger Things" being the more popular of the two.  While I'd vote for "Westworld" as the higher quality show, I think it's the year of "Stranger Things."  If any show can knock off "Outlander," the Netflix show will do it.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominated television programs in the relevant categories.

As did for the Teen Choice Awards, I'm going to cover the TV shows first, the actors next, and the movies last.  Unlike those summer awards, I plan on posting them on consecutive days, not successive Sundays.  It's awards season and I have a lot to cover between now and the end of the year.

Now for the more mainstream categories with speculative fiction, crime and injustice, or political thriller nominees.

FAVORITE TV SHOW
The Big Bang Theory
Grey’s Anatomy
Outlander
Stranger Things
The Walking Dead

Last year's winner in this category was "The Big Bang Theory," so I wouldn't be surprised if it wins again.  That written, all of the rest except "Grey's Anatomy" are speculative fiction, one each from fantasy, horror, and science fiction.  The shows I'd be rooting for would be "The Walking Dead," "Stranger Things," and "Outlander," in that order.  "The Walking Dead" has been nominated ten times at the People's Choice Awards, winning twice in 2014.  At least the fans appreciate the show.  As I wrote above, I think that this is the year of "Stranger Things," which is the show I'd expect to win if "The Big Bang Theory" doesn't repeat.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory
Black-ish
Jane the Virgin
Modern Family
New Girl

Both "The Big Bang Theory" and "Jane the Virgin" barely qualify as speculative fiction.  Of the two, I much prefer "Jane the Virgin," which I'm considering for its magical reality elements.  Still, "The Big Bang Theory" is the defending winner and favorite.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA
Chicago Fire
Empire
Grey’s Anatomy
How to Get Away with Murder
Quantico

"Grey's Anatomy" is the defending winner and favorite.  I stopped watching it regularly a couple of seasons ago; ten seasons was enough plus the male lead was killed off.  On the other hand, I'm still watching both "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Quantico," both of which fall under crime and injustice with the latter being a "science fiction is now" political thriller.  Between the two, I'm hoping for the other Shonda Rhimes show to win.

I'm skipping (Basic) Cable TV Comedy, as there are no relevant nominated shows and moving directly to:

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA
The Americans
Bates Motel
Mr. Robot
Pretty Little Liars
Queen Sugar

This is an interesting field.  "Pretty Little Liars" is the defending champion and a favorite of young people, as it also won the equivalent category in the Teen Choice Awards, but it looks like it has better competition this year than last.  "Bates Motel" is the one repeat, and it's a horror show, so speculative fiction.  There are also two critically acclaimed political thrillers, "The Americans" and "Mr. Robot," the latter of which also has elements of "science fiction is now," new to the field.  I'm glad both of them are nominated; it shows high quality television can also be popular.

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA
The Blacklist
Criminal Minds
Law & Order: SVU
Lucifer
NCIS

The speculative fiction entry here is "Lucifer," a fantasy based on the Neil Gaiman comic.  It's also the only one my wife and I are watching regularly now, although I expect we'll return to binge-watching "NCIS" either over the holidays or the summer, when the rest of our shows are on hiatus.  "Lucifer" is an absolute hoot, both because of its cast, especially Tom Ellis in the title role, and its writing, which relentlessly sends up its setting of Los Angeles along with the city's celebrity culture.  As an ex-Angelino, I appreciate that.***  Given a choice of any of our regular Monday night shows, it's the first one we'll watch.  It also has a chance, as the defending winner, "Person of Interest," was not re-nominated.  As for who I'd pick to be the favorite, I'd say "NCIS" over "Criminal Minds" among the two returnees and "Law and Order: SVU" among the new shows.  I'm still rooting for "Lucifer."

FAVORITE PREMIUM DRAMA SERIES
Homeland
House of Cards
Narcos
Orange is the New Black
Power

This category has been redefined since last year, with the dramas from "Favorite Streaming Series" being combined with the dramas from "Favorite Premium Cable TV Show."  As a result, there are two favorites here, "Homeland," the winner of the Premium Cable category, and "Orange is the new Black."  I'm rooting for "Orange is the new Black."  Yes, I prefer crime and punishment with a touch of politics (privatized prisons) over a political thriller with "science fiction is now" overtones.

FAVORITE PREMIUM COMEDY SERIES
Fuller House
The Mindy Project
Shameless
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

"Veep" is the only reason I'm bothering with this category, as it's a parody of a political drama.  It even has a chance at winning, since this is a new category and none of these shows were nominated for the cable category.  However, two of these, "The Mindy Project" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," were nominated for Favorite Streaming Series last year.  Alas, I suspect none of them will win.  Instead, I fear it will be that popular piece of crap, "Fuller House."

FAVORITE ANIMATED TV SHOW
American Dad!
Bob’s Burgers
Family Guy
The Simpsons
South Park

These are the same nominees as last year, so I expect the same winner, "The Simpsons."

I'm skipping the reality TV and talk show nominees and moving to:

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
American Housewife
The Good Place
The Great Indoors
Kevin Can Wait
Man with a Plan
Son of Zorn
Speechless

Only "Son of Zorn" is speculative fiction, and that just barely.  As for who will win, I don't know; I don't watch any of these shows.

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Bull
Conviction
Designated Survivor
The Exorcist
Frequency
Lethal Weapon
MacGyver
No Tomorrow
Notorious
Pitch
Pure Genius
This Is Us
Timeless

At least three of these "The Exorcist," "No Tomorrow," and "Timeless," are speculative fiction.  Of all of them, I'm watching only "Timeless."  I don't think it will win.  I expect it will be "Lethal Weapon," the pilot of which my wife and I saw and enjoyed, but not enough to DVR.

That's it for the nominated shows.  Actors tomorrow!

*Yes, I knew earlier this week exactly what I'd write about today, so I didn't need to ask my readers' opinions.  I might make up for it with two votes during a future week.

**It didn't help that the Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominees haven't been announced yet.  That happens Thursday, December 1st.  I'll have reports on them and the TV nominees next week.

***One of the things that strikes me about how popular media portrays Los Angeles is that the script writers deep-down don't like the place.  Why is a subject for another entry.