NBC fought to keep the Golden Globe Awards [1] on TV, but it looks like the network shouldn't have bothered: This morning's preliminary ratings [2] show that just about 5.8 million people tuned into the network's news magazine broadcast hosted by Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell. That's about on par with the ratings-challenged Friday Night Lights [3], or slightly better than your average installment of America's Next Top Model. [4]

I can't say I'm surprised. Here on the West Coast, there was no point in watching NBC's broadcast, which aired three hours after the TV Guide Network and CNN's Larry King Live had already showed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's press conference announcing the winners. [5] Even on the East Coast, NBC stretched out the broadcast to a full hour while other channels were carrying the 30-minute announcement live. Was NBC banking on people not checking the other channels— or, for that matter, the Internet? Or did they really think Bush and O'Dell would be a big draw for people even if the news was already available everywhere else?

Not that the press conference itself was great TV. For more on that, just .

The TV hosts from Extra, Showbiz Tonight, and other Hollywood shows who read the winners' names seemed uncomfortable; some attempted to talk about the writers' strike [6], while others joked weakly about how much Entertainment Tonight hates Extra and so forth. On CNN, Larry King kept trying to break in with his thoughts, while one commentator on the TV Guide Network summed the whole affair up perfectly: "They did their best, and it came up awkward."

Where did you watch the announcement (if you watched it at all)? What did you think of the stripped-down Globes?

Meanwhile, here are some of my other thoughts on the awards themselves:

• I was surprised — pleased and surprised — to see Atonement [7] take the top honors in the dramatic movie category, though I still think No Country for Old Men [8] will take the cake come Oscar time.
• I'm glad to see Mad Men [9] win both of the categories it was nominated for. Now, let's get the first season out on DVD so everyone who missed it can check it out!
• None of the songs from Once [10] was nominated for a Golden Globe, which I found surprising to begin with. If this happens at the Oscars, I will be shocked. Having said all this, I'm glad Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" [11] from Into the Wild [12] won the Globe.
• Out of all the TV categories, only a single award went to a network show: Tina Fey's acting award for 30 Rock. [13] Cable networks and premium channels — HBO, Showtime, FX, and AMC — ruled all the rest.
• The Oscar race is going to be extremely close when it comes to the top acting categories, as they're not divided into Dramatic Picture and Comedy or Musical. On the other hand, the screenplay awards are divided into original works versus those based on material for another medium. This will be a very interesting year for adaptations.
• Don't forget to weigh in on the movie winners [14], TV winners [15], and big surprises [16]!