Critics Choice TV Nominations 2015

The BFCA's sibling, the BTJA (Broadcast Television Journalist Association) has released their nominations for the 2014/2015 television season. Let it serve as your annual reminder that for as much as the world likes to complain about official industry-insider nominations each year, sometimes critics don't improve it a whole lot. I mean this is a whole separate organization and they still can't bother to nomination RuPaul for reality television categories? The Shade of It All. They're still nominating Jessica Lange for American Horror Story even though she looked fairly bored to be there this year doing the same ole thing (faded has been beauty desperate to hold on to her glory) in a show that's meant to give its actors new characters to play each year. They also skipped on Mad Men's final season which is pretty unforgiveable if you ask me given how excellent it's been. But perhaps with the nominations hitting this early, they voted before they had seen much of it. 

The best thing I can say for them is that they don't seem to be trying to predict the Emmys at all (witness the low showing for Game of Thrones and Modern Family for example) which we can only hope will happen one of these years with the BFCAs in relation to the Oscars. Their nominations, which you've already guessed horrify me beyond a surprise nod for horrified Eva Green are after the jump...

BEST COMEDY SERIES

• Broad City (Comedy Central)
• Jane the Virgin (The CW)
• Mom (CBS)
• Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Transparent (Amazon)
• Veep (HBO)
• You’re the Worst (FX)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Anthony Anderson, Blackish (ABC)
• Chris Messina, The Mindy Project (FOX)
• Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)
• Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (FOX)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
• Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)
• Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (The CW)
• Ilana Glazer, Broad City (Comedy Central)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
• Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Shameless... still a "comedy" (sigh)

• Adam Driver, Girls (HBO)
• Cameron Monaghan, Shameless (Showtime)
• Jaime Camil, Jane the Virgin (The CW)
• T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
• Tony Hale, Veep (HBO)

Yay, Titus Burgess. But not nominating Kimmy Schmidt herself is whack. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
• Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia (IFC)
• Eden Sher, The Middle (ABC)
• Judith Light, Transparent (Amazon)
• Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Melanie Lynskey, Togetherness (HBO)

How is Carrie Brownstein supporting in Portlandia? Isn't she one of only two leads or did the show drastically reconfigure itself this season? (I haven't seen it recently)

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Becky Ann Baker, Girls (HBO)
• Bradley Whitford, Transparent (Amazon)
• Josh Charles, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
• Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Peter Gallagher, Togetherness (HBO)
• Susie Essman, Broad City (Comedy Central)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Bessie (HBO)
• Killing Jesus (National Geographic Channel)
• Nightingale (HBO)
• A Poet in New York (BBC America)
• Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

• 24: Live Another Day (FOX)
• American Crime (ABC)
• The Book of Negroes (BET)
• The Honorable Woman (Sundance)
• Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
• Wolf Hall (PBS)

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

• David Oyelowo – Nightingale (HBO)
• James Nesbitt – The Missing (Starz)
• Kiefer Sutherland – 24: Live Another Day (FOX)
• Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall (PBS)
• Michael Gambon – The Casual Vacancy (HBO)
• Richard Jenkins – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

• Aunjanue Ellis – The Book of Negroes (BET)
• Felicity Huffman – American Crime (ABC)
• Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
• Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman (Sundance)
• Queen Latifah – Bessie (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

• Bill Murray – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
• Cory Michael Smith – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
• Elvis Nolasco – American Crime (ABC)
• Finn Wittrock – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
• Jason Isaacs – Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)
• Jonathan Pryce – Wolf Hall (PBS)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

• Claire Foy – Wolf Hall (PBS)
• Cynthia Nixon – Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)
• Janet McTeer – The Honorable Woman (Sundance)
• Khandi Alexander – Bessie (HBO)
• Mo’Nique – Bessie (HBO)
• Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)

BEST DRAMA SERIES

• The Americans (FX)
• Empire (Fox)
• Game of Thrones (HBO)
• The Good Wife (CBS)
• Homeland (Showtime)
• Justified (FX)
• Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Eva Green – Penny Dreadful (Showtime)
• Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Keri Russell – The Americans (FX)
• Taraji P. Henson – Empire (FOX)
• Vera Farmiga – Bates Motel (A&E)
• Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Aden Young – Rectify (Sundance)
• Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Charlie Hunnam – Sons of Anarchy (FX)
• Freddie Highmore – Bates Motel (A&E)
• Matthew Rhys – The Americans (FX)
• Timothy Olyphant – Justified (FX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

billy magnussen & carrie coon in The Leftovers

• Carrie Coon – The Leftovers (HBO)
• Christine Baranski – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Joelle Carter – Justified (FX)
• Katheryn Winnick – Vikings (History)
• Lorraine Toussaint – Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
• Mae Whitman – Parenthood (NBC)

This would be such a tough call for me. Carrie Coon or Lorraine Toussaint? Ouch, my heart. Both so deserving.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Ben Mendelsohn – Bloodline (Netflix)
• Christopher Eccleston – The Leftovers (HBO)
• Craig T. Nelson – Parenthood (NBC)
• Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Mandy Patinkin – Homeland (Showtime)
• Walton Goggins – Justified (FX)

I may be the only person who doesn't love Ben Mendelsohn on Bloodline. He was just too unpleasant for me without the entertainment value that allows truly unlikeable characters to be intensely watchable. 

GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Cicely Tyson – How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
• Julianne Nicholson – Masters of Sex (Showtime)
• Linda Lavin – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Lois Smith – The Americans (FX)
• Sam Elliott – Justified (FX)
• Walton Goggins – Sons of Anarchy (FX)

I can't get behind them ignoring Masters of Sex in most categories but thankfully Julianne Nicholson's wondrous work was cited. 

BEST REALITY SERIES

• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)
• Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)
• Married at First Sight (A&E)
• MythBusters (Discovery Channel)
• Shark Tank (ABC)
• Undercover Boss (CBS)

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• America’s Got Talent (NBC)
• Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
• Face Off (Syfy)
• Master Chef Junior (FOX)
• The Voice (NBC)

BEST REALITY SERIES HOST

• Anthony Bourdain – Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)
• Betty White – Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Lifetime)
• Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
• James Lipton – Inside the Actors Studio (Bravo)
• Phil Keoghan – The Amazing Race (CBS)
• Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

No RuPaul? Sashay Away. Aint nobody got time for that. 

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

• Archer (FX)
• Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
• Gravity Falls (Disney Channel)
• The Simpsons (FOX)
• South Park (Comedy Central)
• Star Wars (Disney XD)

Can Archer & Bob's Burgers just have all the prizes retroactively and in perpetuity?

BEST TALK SHOW

• The Daily Show with JonStewart (Comedy Central)
• The Graham Norton Show (BBC America)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
• The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Are there any talk shows not hosted by middle aged white dudes? 

Comments

[Hayden W.]

Gotta say, Uzo Aduba's omission pleases me. Especially for Lorraine Touissant. So many other things are happening on that show besides Crazy Eyes.

[Jose]

"Carrie Coon or Lorraine Toussaint?"

The right answer is always Christine Baranski in "The Good Wife"! ;-)

[Joseph]

Any group that acknowledges 'The Americans' and 'Jane the Virgin,' the two most consistently excellent shows on TV right now, is fine by me.

[denny]

We can only hope that the Emmy lineup for Best Actress in a Drama is HALF as good as this one. If only they could have found room for Lizzy Caplan... Is Masters of Sex doomed to never get the recognition it deserves ANYWHERE?!?

Lack of Hannibal and its central duo, the outstanding Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, is unforgivable.

I was going to go on a whole rant about how Emmy Rossum is destined to never be recognized for her stellar work on Shameless since it's now bizarrely classified as a comedy... and then they go and nominate Cameron Monaghan for his similarly dramatic work. WTF.

LOVE the nomination for Jamie Camil on Jane the Virgin. He is HILARIOUS on that incredible show. Gina Rodriguez better be an awards sweeper. She's giving hands-down the best performance on TV right now.

You're right Nathaniel - the choice between Carrie Coon on The Leftovers and Lorraine Toussaint on Orange is the New Black is next to impossible. Can we PLEASE have a tie?

I also love the nomination for Face Off in the Reality Competition category. I LOVE that show and it's a pretty cool, unique look at one part of making films. The final makeup creations almost always look incredible, and I love that the show is almost exclusively focused on the artistic process and creation of the final piece; no time for stupid interpersonal drama!

[Paul Outlaw]

Why do they horrify you, Nathaniel? These are excellent nominations (aside from Lange), at least from the shows I'm familiar with. I miss Mad Men too, but I can't gripe about any of the choices in Drama. If I've never watched a show - like Bates Motel, Bloodline or Homeland - I have no reason to question its inclusion. Ditto for for the other categories.

[Sean Diego]

The lineup for Best Actress in a Comedy Series are INCREDIBLE sans the omission of Ellie Kemper. Hoping that Emmy skews more in this direction instead of playing it safe with Taylor Schilling, Lena Dunham, etc.

Where is Jane Krakowski, though?!?

[Ryan]

I think these are some pretty great nominees as well. At least over the Emmys. So glad Broad City, You're the Worst, Burgess, and Schumer were highlighted.

Interesting that Bessie hasn't premiered yet, and still gets nominations.

As for Brownstein, I know some award bodies only let sketch shows submit their performers in supporting (but that doesn't explain Schumer in lead, so who knows!)

Who voted for Tom Bergeron over RuPaul? Who willingly checked off Tom Bergeron on a ballot and thought, yes, he is among the best.

[Tom M]

I don't know, that Best Actress in a Drama Series line-up is about as great as one could hope for (give or take a Gillian Anderson or Lizzie Caplan).

[Mike M.]

Mo'Nique is back!

Also happy for Constance Wu, Cicely Tyson, Laurie Metcalf, Viola Davis, Janet McTeer, and especially Lorraine Toussaint. I fear that the new Emmy rules will screw her out of a nomination altogether, so I hope she can win here.

[princesskaraoke]

What all THE AMERICANS fans said. I'm just happy to see it nominated for any awards, considering the Emmys and Golden Globes don't seem to know it exists.

And ditto for recognizing Constance Wu's inspired comic work on FRESH OFF THE BOAT. The show itself is uneven and too sitcommy-broad for my taste, but *she* is a frickin' revelation.

[svg]

Yay for The Americans and Justified. Re the lack of Mad Men, I kinda prefer that it was totally ignored- I'm going to kindly assume they just haven't gotten around to it yet. I mean, how can anyone keep up with all the tv? There's so much of it. I can only keep up with 3 or 4 shows at a time.

Has anyone else watched Wolf Hall? I get what Mark Rylance was going for but I'm not sure that it worked for a central performance, I don't know. I've never seen him on stage. It could have been more, I think. I mean my main takeaway from the whole thing was that loooved how everything was lit, window-light and candles, but that seems paltry praise for such a big production.

[Mike in Canada]

Ilana, but no Abbi?!
(Otherwise skimmed over to confirm no Mad Men, and lost interest, because obviously those drama lists are meaningless.)

[Adam]

Would've been swell as shit to see Looking recognized, especially Lauren Weedman.

[NATHANIEL R]

The BTJA seems very beholden to FX. FX must have done a lot of courting!

[Deborah Lipp]

I'm happy about Odenkirk.

Fuck anyone who isn't nominating Mad Men. Honestly, you're telling me Season 4 of Homeland deserves a nod and Mad Men doesn't?

[Ivonne]

So happy about the Justified nominations.
And Jaime Camil from Jane the Virgin, he is so great. Just wish they could also give an award to the narrator.

[Eoin Daly]

These awards are far to early compared to last year when they announced the nominees May 28th and if it had been the same this year I'm sure Mad Men would not have been shutout. It's a really strong list of nominees especially the actress categories which shows tv is were the strong and varied female roles are being written. The Carrie Coon/Lorraine Toussaint battle has me for once wanting a tie so bad because both women are spectacular. The drama categories outside the Mad Men shutout are very agreeable to me.

denny: just wanted to let you know there was no Hannibal this tv season and the third season coming back in june will be eligible for next year's critics awards.

In comedy it's a mixed batch because I really wish Orange was still in comedy as it should be but outside that it's a strong list of nominees with Modern Family and Big Bang snubbing in series especially bring a big grin to my face.

In miniseries/tv movie again good nominees even though trash like freak show, American crime and many more can get in because of names.

Other categories are same ole same old but no RuPaul in host is not right (series I'm sort of fine on a snub because this current season is down from previous years). Legend of Korra ends it's four seasons with the reconition it deserves in animation yet again never happening.

Again I wish they waited till the end of may because an actress like Sophie Turner could have been reconized for her incredible work but still the list shows how much great television there is and the fact the emmys will never go for anything different then before is very upsetting.

[Suzanne]

Yay, The Americans! Although Alison Wright should have been nominated as well. She was tremendous this season. Nathaniel, I agree with you on Mad Men, and I'd like to see some of the cast win Emmys, but it really doesn't need Critics' Choice nominations the way a series like The Americans does (not even you are watching The Americans...).

I have to admit, I'm glad Better Call Saul didn't get nominated for Best Drama Series. I thought it was very overpraised. I don't watch Game of Thrones or Justified, but every other nominee (yes, including Homeland, which had its second most compelling season this year) is far superior.

[Blinking Cursor]

What, no mention of Orphan Black and Tatiana Maslany? She does outstanding work, and deserves a nom. I guess genre bias is showing and a sci-fi show won't get any nominations, despite the stellar acting on it.

[Henry]

I give this group some slack. They were the first to notice Maslany. They are not afraid to strike out on their own.

[NATHANIEL R]

Suzanne -- i did start watching THE AMERICANS recently and really liked it but the boyfriend didn't like it and it's hard for me to watch shows on my own because my alone time I always spend writing or with various The Film Experience business.

[Peggy Sue]

I miss Mad Men too, but there are some great super inspired choices here: Touissant, Coon, Wittrock

and

Jaime Camil, Jane the Virgin
Linda Lavin, The Good Wife !!!
Julianne Nicholson, Masters of Sex
Cory Michael Smith – Olive Kitteridge

[Rahul]

Aren't people sick of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss winning? I don't get the need to constantly root for your same faves winning the same awards year in and year out ad nauseum. It makes me kind of...not like her because she wins so much.

[caroline]

@AVG. I know what you mean. It was a solid performance but I didn't get much out of it. It didn't help that I'm a huge fan of the Wolf Hall books and thought that the character in the book was far more mercurial and darkly charismatic than Rylance's portrayal turned out to be.

Man, what an embarrassment of riches in the Actress categories. For every category I was nodding happily and still coming up with a couple names off the top of my head of other performers who could have been equally worthy. Women are kiiiiilling it on TV.

[Anonny]

Mad Men's final season has NOT been great. Should have still been nominated probably but should not be any threat to the win IMO. The nostalgia associated with final seasons often get the fans all hot and bothered even when earlier seasons are far better.

[caroline]

*svg, not avg, whoops!

Also forgot to mention in my last comment--so sad that they nominated Ilana Glazer without Abbi Jacobson. I love the crap out of Broad City and this is my fear coming true, that Glazer's more hyper performance would be recognized over Jacobson's, even though the latter turns in astounding work that is equally hysterically funny and in my opinion. more layered and nuanced. Also, there's just no Ilana without Abbi! No Abbi without Ilana! Ugh.

[Richter Scale]

Well, I could complain about a lot of omissions, but there's a lot of really cool stuff here that I can't complain too much. For example, I love that Craig T. Nelson and Mae Whitman are getting recognized here for the final season of Parenthood. The final season wasn't great, but these two have been solid players throughout the show's run and scenes where they apppeared were definite highlights.

Also, really happy to see Mom get a Comedy Series nomination. The second season of that show did things no other network sitcom has dared to do in the last ten years, which is take advantage of the multi-camera format to deal with some pretty dark stuff. Mom is a show that takes its characters seriously and I know most people here won't see it because it has a laugh track (and Chuck Lorre's name attached to it), but this second season is definitely worth it.

It's also awesome that they singled out Jaime Camill from Jane the Virgin (apart from Gina and the show itself of course, all very deserving). Great to see T.J. Miller recognized, and I'll be forever grateful to the BTJA for being the only organization to constantly recognize the brilliance that is Eden Sher in The Middle (Sue Heck is one of my favorite characters on any comedy series). Of course, they always recognize ABC shows, which is especially rewarding when they deserve it (Anthony Anderson is not my favorite thing about Black-ish, but I really enjoy that show).

Nat, go back to watching The Americans, ASAP!!! It's one of those shows that only gets better as it goes along, and this third season packs the biggest wallop the show has seen up to now. I really hope this is the year the Emmys finally recognize the show for something outside of Margo Martindale.

[Broooooke]

Sad no Maslany, I know she won the last two years but she stillgets so little recognision for such ana amazing performance.

Rest of the noms aren't half bad though.

[Henry]

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss=Meryl Streep? Purely from a talent angle, I could agree. But as a nomination hog,,,,,,,,,not so sure.

[Henry]

svg: I"m watching Wolf Hall. I know the period well so it is keeping my interest but I'm finding it a bit of a chore. I get Rylance, but not Lewis. I get the lighting, but sometimes it is so dark that I have trouble following the story. Costuming is terrific as is casting. I need to read the books.

[Louise]

Stick with Wolf Hall, the last two episodes are easily the best. IMO Claire Foy should win every award going for her final scene, it's still getting to me even now.

[Brittani]

I didn't realize Stockholm, Pennsylvania ended up on Lifetime. Wtf?

I'm bummed Melissa McBride didn't get a nomination for The Walking Dead. Yes, the show is weak, but she's excellent in every episode.

[Evan]

I haven't seen many of the nominees, but I have a hard time believing that some of those comedies-- particularly Mom-- are better than The Comeback.

Maybe I'm just bitter because these nominations make me realize that Kudrow has no chance of actually winning.