Game on

Louie, Louie

Saturday night, as it does each summer, the Television Critics Association (a group comprised of over 200 professional TV critics and journalists who cover the industry) named the winners of the 28th Annual TCA Awards in an invitation-only ceremony hosted by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad, itself a winner in the best drama category.

Awards were once again handed out in a dozen categories, including one for career achievement and another for a classic series from the past. Last year's program of the year winner Friday Night Lights obviously could not repeat this year, which cleared the way for HBO's fan-favorite Game of Thrones to take the organization's top award this year. There were a pair of shows recognized twice: Showtime's first-year drama Homeland (winning for best newcomer and for Claire Danes' performance), and FX comedy Louie (for best comedy and for Louis C.K. as an individual).

While these awards aren't typically a good predictor of the eventual Emmy winners, they do seem a bit more satisfying, rewarding shows and performances that, for the most part, deserve recognition. (And So You Think You Can Dance.)

Program of the Year

Winner		Other Nominees
		Breaking Bad (AMC) Homeland (Showtime) Mad Men (AMC) Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones		Previous Year's Winner:
		Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy

Winner		Other Nominees
		The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Community (NBC) Modern Family (ABC) Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Louie		Previous Year's Winner:
		Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Achievement in Drama

Winner			Other Nominees
			Game of Thrones (HBO) Homeland (Showtime) Justified (FX) Mad Men (AMC)
Breaking Bad			Previous Year's Winner:
			Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding New Program

Winner		Other Nominees
		Girls (HBO) New Girl (Fox) Revenge (ABC) Smash (NBC)
Homeland		Previous Year's Winner:
		Game of Thrones (HBO)

Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials

Winner		Other Nominees
		Game Change (HBO) Hatfields & McCoys (History) Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO) Sherlock: Masterpiece (PBS)
Downton Abbey		Previous Year's Winner:
		Sherlock (PBS)

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information

Winner		Other Nominees
		Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN) The Daily Show (Comedy Central) Frontline (PBS) The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
60 Minutes		Previous Year's Winner:
		Restrepo (Nat Geo)

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming

Winner		Other Nominees
		The Amazing Race (CBS) Dancing with the Stars (ABC) The Glee Project (Oxygen) The Voice (NBC)
So You Think You Can Dance		Previous Year's Winner:
		The Amazing Race (CBS)

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming

Winner		Other Nominees
		iCarly (Nickelodeon) Phineas and Ferb (Disney) Sesame Street (PBS) Yo Gabba Gabba (Nick Jr.)
Switched at Birth		Previous Year's Winner:
		Sesame Street (PBS)

Individual Achievement in Drama

Winner		Other Nominees
		Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC) Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, HBO) Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC) Jessica Lange (American Horror Story, FX)
Claire Danes Homeland		Previous Year's Winner:
		Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC)

Individual Achievement in Comedy

Winner		Other Nominees
		Lena Dunham (Girls, HBO) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep, HBO) Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS) Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Louis C.K. Louie		Previous Year's Winner:
		(tie) Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC) / Nick Offerman (Parks & Rec, NBC)

Career Achievement Award

Winner		Other Nominees
		Dick Clark Andy Griffith Regis Philbin William Shatner
David Letterman		Previous Year's Winner:
		Oprah Winfrey

Heritage Award

Winner		Other Nominees
		Lost (ABC) Saturday Night Live (NBC) Star Trek (NBC) Twin Peaks (ABC)
Cheers (NBC)		Previous Year's Winner:
		The Dick Van Dyke Show

What do you think?

Do you agree or disagree with the critics' choices this year? Let us know in the discussion section below, and don't forget to make your picks for the upcoming Emmy Awards.