In a scattershot year of honorees, with no one show dominating, “Breaking Bad” was named program of the year at the TV Critics Association Awards Show Saturday; with “Game of Thrones” best drama and a tie for comedy between two network shows, “Big Bang Theory” and “Parks and Recreation.”
Still, the outstanding achievement for comedy went to Louis C.K. for the second year in a row for his “Louie.” This time, he was present to receive what he considered a less than an impressive plexiglass slab. “When I own a diner, I can put the drink specials on it,” he kidded. He didn’t blame the night’s first award winner, Tatiana Maslany of “Orphan Black” for individual achievement in drama, from coming to the event.
More seriously, he spoke of how he had been inspired as a younger man by two other honorees in the audience, Norman Lear and Rob Reiner, whose “All in the Family” won the heritage award. For their time, those two read from a White House transcript from the Nixon administration in which the president decried what he saw as the show’s support of homosexuality.
Reiner also commented on the acceptance speech from another recipient who sent in a video instead of being present, Barbara Walter, who was given a career achievement award and said “I’m smiling all over.” (Said Reiner: “The only part not smiling was her face”).
Kaitlyn Jenkins may have been the only TCA Award recipient to cry during her acceptance speech. The 21-year-old actress was accepting the award for outstanding achievement in youth programming for “Bunheads,” the comedy on ABC Family (whose shows are frequently mistaken for youth programming). Part of the tears from the actress who played Boo Jordan was because her show had been canceled.
It may have been a touching moment, but her entrance to the stage, dancing and twirling was gently mocked by Amy Poehler, who did a similar move as “Parks and Recreation” came up to win the comedy award.
No choreography as required of Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, accepting on behalf of “Game of Thrones,” drama winner.
A huge group came from “Shark Tank” to accept the reality award, while producer Mark Burnett noted that he had also been producer of three of the other nominees in the category.
Ken Burns may have had the best excuse for not showing up for his award for news and information: He was celebrating his 60th birthday with his family back in New Hampshire. The other producers from the winning “Central Park Five” could not attend; Sarah Burns and David McMahon, are his daughter and son in law, they were also going to the family gathering.
With the most nominations of any show this year, “The Americans,” generally snubbed in the Emmy nominations, snared outstanding new program. More surprisingly, its producers admitted that they not only read all the reviews of their show, they also read every single online recap they can find, every week.
That admission surprised Chuck Lorre, producer of “Big Bang Theory,” the show that shared the best comedy award. Critics may boost you, he admitted “but they also can sneak into the nursery and kill the baby.”
Hollywood legend Jerry Weintraub came over to pick up the movie award for “Behind the Candelabra,” the Liberace tale he said he spent 12 years trying to make until HBO got involved. “I never heard of TCA,” Weintraub said. “I’m in the movie business.”