Coffee Party USA announces the winners of the 2017-2018 Golden Coffee Cups for television

The volunteers of Coffee Party USA have voted on the nominees for the Golden Coffee Cups for the 2017-2018 television season, so it's time to announce the winners.  "Mindhunter" won Best Drama Series about Politics and Government, "Veep" won Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government, "Black Mirror" won Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." won Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government, and Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman in "Designated Survivor" won Best Television President.  Congratulations to all the winners for depicting what the volunteers of Coffee Party USA considered to be the best of politics and government on television during the 2017-2018 season!

The volunteers of Coffee Party USA are not done recognizing the best of politics and government on television.  Watch for an announcement of the nominees from the 2018-2019 television season next month.

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Follow over the jump for the nominees plus my commentary about the winners.

Best Drama Series about Politics and Government.

Babylon Berlin
Billions
Bosch
Designated Survivor
Homeland
House of Cards
Madam Secretary
Mindhunter
Ozark
The Americans
The Crown
The Good Fight

If the entertainment professionals had voted, I would have expected a showdown between "The Americans" and "The Crown."  However, electorates matter, and the volunteers of Coffee Party USA wanted to reward a gripping show about U.S. law enforcement instead of ones about foreign governments, particularly our adversaries in the Cold War and the British monarchy.  I can't say I blame them.

For what it's worth, "Mindhunter" will not be defending its award later this year, as the second season did not debut on Netflix until this month, well after the cutoff for eligibility.  Look for a new winner for the 2018-2019 season in the fall and for "Mindhunter" to return as a nominee for the third annual Golden Coffee Cups for Television.  My favorite right now would be the final season of "House of Cards" or the just completed season of "Billions."

Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government.

Atlanta
Black-ish
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Ghosted
Orange is the New Black
Our Cartoon President
Veep

In this category, both the professionals and the Coffee Party's volunteers agreed; "Veep" was the best political comedy of 2017.  It will be around to defend its award in the next round, as the show's final season is eligible for 2018-2019, just as it is for this year's Emmy Awards.  Its toughest competition will probably be "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" — all of our volunteers have NBC, but not all watch HBO.

Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government.

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
American Horror Story: Cult
Black Mirror
Genius
The Alienist
The Looming Tower
Waco

This category ended up setting up the winner of Outstanding Television Movie against the winner of Outstanding Limited Series at last year's Emmy Awards.  According to the Coffee Party's volunteers, the movie, or at least the anthology series to which it belongs, won.  Watch for "Black Mirror" to return as a nominee for next season.  My pick for its toughest competition is "Chernobyl."

Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government

Black Mirror
Game of Thrones
Lucifer
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Outlander
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Wars Rebels
Stranger Things
The Expanse
The Handmaid's Tale
The Orville

I listed all of the Emmy nominees among the field earlier this month.  Black Mirror, Game of Thrones, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Wars Rebels, Stranger Things, and The Handmaid's Tale earned Emmy nominations for this season.  Black Mirror "USS Callister" won Outstanding Television Movie plus three other Emmy Awards.  The HandMaid's Tale won Creative Arts Emmy Awards.  I even threw in The Expanse earning a nomination at the People's Choice Awards.  None of them won, at least in this category, although "Black Mirror" won the TV Movie and miniseries category.  Instead, it was "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", which earned one nomination for Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series at the Saturn Awards, but did not win.  The volunteers surprised me!

The next season of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." should return as a nominee next month.  Its likely competition should include "Lucifer," "The Orville," and possibly "Black Mirror."

Best Television President.

Beau Bridges as Ralph Warner (Homeland)
Tony Goldwyn as Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III (Scandal)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Veep)
Elizabeth Marvel as Elizabeth Keane (Homeland)
Andrea Savage as Laura Montez (Veep)
Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman (Designated Survivor)
Bellamy Young as Mellie Grant (Scandal)

Even though Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a multiple Emmy Award winner, Selina Meyer is a terrible president.  Instead, the volunteers picked probably the most noble of the lot, Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman.  Just like "Mindhunter," "Designated Survivor" will not be eligible for next season's awards, so Sutherland will not defend his award.  Look for Coffee Party USA to elect a new Best Television President in the fall.

*I just paid my $10.00 monthly dues on top of donating $5.00 for for National Nonprofit Day 2019, so I'm asking my readers to match my monthly dues payment.