The seemingly long-gone “Breaking Bad” was the most nominated show in the nominations for the 30th TV Critics Association Awards, with nods for show of the year, outstanding achievement in drama and for individual achievement in drama for Bryan Cranston. It won program of the year last year.
In competition for program of the year are “Game of Thrones” (last year’s winner for outstanding drama), “The Good Wife” and two newcomers, “Orange is the New Black” and “True Detective.” “The Good Wife” is also up for outstanding drama, alongside “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Americans” and “House of Cards.”
Interestingly, a lot of the action is in the category for “Movies, Miniseries and Specials,” which features no movies and no specials, but entirely shorter-run, but widely acclaimed work such as “Fargo,” “True Detective,” the British “Broadchurch” and the French-made “The Returned,” as well as “American Horror Story: Coven,” which has had some Emmy success in the miniseries category.
In comedy, last year’s co-winner “The Big Bang Theory” is nominated again, alongside “Louie,” “The Mindy Project,” Veep” and newcomer “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Last year’s co-winner, “Parks and Recreation” received no nominations, though its Amy Poehler is up for individual achievement in comedy alongside Louis C.K., Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jim Parsons.
The TCA Awards is a fickle place, where new shows can get a lot of awards, only to be ignored in later years. In addition to “Parks,” that has also happened to “Mad Men.”
And in the “outstanding new program” category is “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Fargo,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “True Detective.”
Jay Leno, William Shatner, Valerie Harper, James Burrows and Mark Burnett are up for career achievement awards. The shows up for “heritage award” are “Lost,” “Saturday Night Live,” “South Park,” “Star Trek” and “Twin Peaks.”
The awards will be given in an event July 19 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills as part of the TCA summer press tour.