BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" won best drama at the Golden Globes and picked up the directing honor for James Cameron yesterday, raising the "Titanic" filmmaker's prospects for another Academy Awards triumph.

It was a repeat of Cameron's Globes night 12 years ago, when "Titanic" won best drama and the directing prize on its way to dominating the Oscars.

Winning the dramatic-acting honors were Sandra Bullock for the football tale "The Blind Side" and Jeff Bridges for the country-music story "Crazy Heart." The acting prizes for musical and comedy went to Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia" and Robert Downey Jr. for the crime romp, "Sherlock Holmes."

The supporting-performance Globes were won by Mo'Nique as an abusive welfare mother in "Precious" and Christoph Waltz as a gleefully bloodthirsty Nazi in "Inglourious Basterds."

'MAD MEN' BEST IN TELEVISION DRAMA

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globes can't get enough of "Mad Men."

AMC's critically acclaimed series about a 1960s-era ad agency won its third straight award for best television drama, part of a big night for cable networks. The competitive pay cable networks Showtime and HBO both won three trophies.

"Television is amazing right now," said Matthew Weiner, the series' creator. "To be in the lineup with these shows — my TiVo is burned out."

But it was more than the nominated shows and actors that drew the Globes' attention last night. NBC drew a measure of abuse on its own airtime for the continuing Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien public drama.

"30 Rock" creator Tina Fey told pre-show host Billy Bush the evening rain was "God crying for NBC." Tom Hanks joked that NBC had scheduled the rain for 10, but moved it back to 11:30.

'AVATAR' TOPS BOX OFFICE CHARTS, TOO

LOS ANGELES — James Cameron's "Avatar" had a $41.3 million weekend to shoot past "Star Wars" as the No. 3 movie on the all-time domestic box office charts. Next stop, "The Dark Knight."

No. 1 for the fifth straight weekend, Cameron's sci-fi saga raised its domestic total to $491.8 million and should top $500 million after revenues are counted on Martin Luther King Day, according to studio estimates.

Worldwide, 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" lifted its total to $1.6 billion, second only to Cameron's last movie, 1997's "Titanic," at $1.8 billion.

Warner Bros.' action thriller "The Book of Eli" had a strong No. 2 debut of $31.6 million. Paramount's drama "The Lovely Bones," opening in wide release, came in at No. 3 with $17.1 million.

— Advertiser News Services