Just last week, I praised the completely sane nominations of the first-ever Critics’ Choice Television Awards. Today, the nominees for the Television Critics Awards were released, and they are likewise full of refreshing sanity, as “Justified,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Parks and Recreation” led the field with four nominations apiece. For the record, I have no idea how or why the Critics’ Choice Television Awards are different from the Television Critics Awards — the important thing to know is that they’re both more grounded in taste and reality than the Emmys and Golden Globes.
I’ve got the full list of nominees (via THR) after the jump along with my ever-so-insightful analysis. And by “analysis” I mean “opinions.” Pretty much the same thing these days.
Individual Achievement in Drama
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, HBO)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)
Margo Martindale (Justified, FX)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified, FX)
I love the way that this doesn’t distinguish between sex or lead/supporting roles. Peter Dinklage and Margo Martindale’s performances in supporting roles are just as worthy and notable as Jon Hamm’s. I could probably nit-pick here — Walton Goggins might be better than any of the nominees listed — but all the candidates are worthy.
Individual Achievement in Comedy
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Louis C.K. (Louis, FX)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Danny Pudi (Community, NBC)
Jon Stewart (The Daily Show, Comedy Central)
Hell yes, I love seeing Danny Pudi (and Nick Offerman and Louis C.K.) getting recognized. Stewart’s nomination, though not unworthy, reflects the left-leaning tendencies of the TCAs (see the nominees in News and Information below).
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise (HBO)
Restrepo (National Geographic Channel)
60 Minutes (CBS)
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
30 for 30 (ESPN)Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
Amazing Race (CBS)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel)
Survivor (CBS)
The Voice (NBC)
Top Chef: All Stars (Bravo)Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
A Children’s Garden of Poetry (HBO)
iCarly (Nickelodeon)
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (Nickelodeon)
R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour (The Hub)
Sesame Street (PBS)
Yo Gabba Gabba (Nick Jr.)Outstanding New Program
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Terriers (FX)
The Killing (AMC)
Walking Dead (AMC)
I like all of those shows — and it’s nice that “Terriers” got a nomination — but c’mon: it’s gotta be “Game of Thrones.”
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials
Cineme Verite (HBO)
Downton Abbey: Masterpiece (PBS)
Mildred Pierce (HBO)
Sherlock: Masterpiece (PBS)
Too Big to Fail (HBO)Outstanding Achievement in Drama
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Justified (FX)
Mad Men (AMC)
The Good Wife (CBS)
With “Justified” getting so much critical acclaim, it might actually be properly recognized when the Emmys roll around.
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
Community (NBC)
Louie (FX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Raising Hope (Fox)
I’d put “Archer” (and several other shows) ahead of “Raising Hope,” but still, there’s not much to get worked up over here.
Career Achievement Award
Steven Bochco
Dick Ebersol
Cloris Leachman
David Letterman
William Shatner
Oprah Winfrey
LOL at Dick Ebersol.
Heritage Award
All in the Family
Freaks and Geeks
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Twin Peaks
“Twin Peaks” or GTFO. It changed the blueprint for serialized dramas on TV.
Program of the Year
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Justified (FX)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
All worthy choices. Good job, TV critics! Now go out there and sway some Emmy voters!
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FWIW, Critic Choice guys are mostly television journalists / tv hosts. With that dickhead Ausiello being one of them.
If Steven Bochco gets the Career Achievement nod, I hope they just play an extended clip from Cop Rock.
These guys are going to be pissed that “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” wasn’t nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming.
[www.wired.com]
Letterman should win that career achievement award, but you know it’ll go to Oprah. And then Dave will rant about it.
Still, any award show that respects Community and Parks & Rec is automatically better than the Emmys.
While Goggins deserves every bit of praise he receives for his work in “Justified”, I’d still have to back Martindale for her performance this season. She absolutely destroyed that role, and while Goggins’ work has been stellar too, it almost feels like his is continuing to improve, whereas hers was simply perfect.
Then again, it may just be that Goggins is so consistently great as Boyd that he’s set his own bar so high that our expectations of him are elevated.
No joke, a couple weekends ago I watched the first 25 episodes of Twin Peaks in two days. It is impossible not to get caught up in that show. Which is to say, I co-sign Matt’s pick there (and mostly elsewhere as well).
LOL at Dick Ebersol.
Come on, Matt. “Dick EbersLOL” was staring you right in the face.
I’d rebut that Maddow’s nomination reflects the “left leaning” aspect more than Stewart. The idea that Stewart is on the “left” died a cold, lonely death with how hard he’s hit Obama in the last few years, as well as with the Rally to Restore Sanity”.
I have no idea what’s actually happening below the fold of the banner image, but I’m going to choose my own adventure.
Also, not splitting awards by gender just makes sense.
(Women: They like sex *and* equality. Though not necessarily simultaneously.)
Freaks and Geeks or GTFO.
Twin Peaks DID change serialized dramas. But All In The Family challenged racial, social, and gender issues DECADES before it was “cool” to do it on TV. If there’s a show that helped change TV, All In The Family was it. Hell, before that, no one had even bothered to ACKNOWLEDGE (on TV) that women went through menopause. They did it to great dramatic effect, even though they were a “sitcom”.