The Television Critics Association has announced its nominees for the season and they make an interesting parallel kudo-party with the Emmys both in their sameness and where they diverge. I'm told voting closed before the Emmy nominations were announced so these are simple disagreements as opposed to statement making...
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You – HBO
Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird – Showtime
Thuso Mbedu, The Underground Railroad – Amazon
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision – Disney+
Mj Rodriguez, Pose – FX
Omar Sy, Lupin – Netflix
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix
Kate Winslet, Mare Of Easttown – HBO
Far fewer nominees than the Emmys of course since they don't differentiate by gender or lead or supporting (so naturally supporting performances are almost never honored. sigh). Interesting that despite so many fewer nominations they still ended up honoring three people that Emmys ignored: Mbedu, Sy (was he Emmy eligible or was that too "foreign" for the Emmys), and Hawke who has not been all that lucky with industry honors given a rather enduring and excitingly varied career and numerous fine performances.
Bo Burnham, Bo Burnham: Inside – Netflix
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant – HBO Max
Maya Erskine, Pen15 – Hulu
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Girls5eva – Peacock
Charlotte Nicdao, Mythic Quest – Apple TV+
Jean Smart, Hacks – HBO Max
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso – Apple TV+
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso – Apple TV+
Wonderful list for comedy. Especially love seeing Nicdao here who gives the best performance in a show full of fine performances, none of which were honored at the Emmys.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
Allen V. Farrow – HBO
City So Real – NatGeo
Framing Britney Spears – FX/FX On Hulu
Frontline – PBS
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark – HBO
Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special – CBS
The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC
60 Minutes – CBS
Frontline and 60 Minutes have won this award in the past. Seems odd to honor Allen V Farrow which is so obviously one-sided (which even some of its supporters admit). But we've always known that critics often vote for things they politically agree with just as Oscar and Emmy voters do, regardless of individual merit.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY
Couples Therapy – Showtime
Deaf U – Netflix
The Great Pottery Throw Down – HBO Max
Legendary – HBO Max
Nailed It! Double Trouble – Netflix
The Real World Homecoming: New York – Paramount+
Taste The Nation – Hulu
Top Chef: Portland – Bravo
I have seen exactly one episode of one of these and did not enjoy it -- reality TV isn't my jam I freely admit -- so you tell me: Good list or lacking something important?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
The Baby-Sitters Club – Netflix
Bluey – Disney Jr.
Donkey Hodie – PBS Kids
Emily’s Wonder Lab – Netflix
Odd Squad – PBS Kids
Sesame Street – HBO
Waffles + Mochi – Netflix
Xavier Riddle And The Secret Museum – PBS Kids
OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
Bridgerton – Netflix
The Flight Attendant – HBO Max
Hacks – HBO Max
I May Destroy You – HBO
Mare Of Easttown – HBO
P-Valley – Starz
Ted Lasso – Apple TV+
WandaVision – Disney+
It's so funny to me to hear people complain about Bridgerton all the time when it pops up in awards but then critics themselves also honor it so who is it that's mad about its honors? Is it just the knee-jerk common reaction to "fluff" being honored in anyway anywhere? You can be quality or bad "fluff" just as you can be quality or bad drama. Bridgerton is quality fluff (but, yes, it's fluff).
In other words: End honors by genre and "importance" of subject matter/theme and instead celebrate quality of execution in whatever genre or form or subject matter/theme it appears and serves!
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES OR SPECIALS
Bo Burnham: Inside – Netflix
The Good Lord Bird – Showtime
I May Destroy You – HBO
It’s A Sin – HBO Max
Mare Of Easttown – HBO
The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix
The Underground Railroad – Amazon
WandaVision – Disney+
Small Axe was ignored here. Interesting but strange given the fervent religiosity of the critical raves. Nice to see It's a Sin though since it, too, was absent at the Emmys.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Bridgerton – Netflix
The Crown – Netflix
For All Mankind – Apple TV+
The Handmaid’s Tale – Hulu
Lovecraft Country – HBO
The Mandalorian – Disney+
Pose – FX
P-Valley – Starz
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
The Flight Attendant – HBO Max
Girls5eva – Peacock
Hacks – HBO Max
Mythic Quest – Apple TV+
Pen15 – Hulu
Superstore – NBC
Ted Lasso – Apple TV+
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – NBC
This is the list that veers most from the Emmy players with only half of their lineup matching.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY, TALK OR SKETCH
The Amber Ruffin Show – Peacock
A Black Lady Sketch Show – HBO
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah – Comedy Central
Desus & Mero – Showtime
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver – HBO
Late Night With Seth Meyers – NBC
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – CBS
Saturday Night Live – NBC
Ziwe – Showtime
A Black Lady Sketch Show and Last Week Tonight have both won this prize in the past.
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
Bridgerton – Netflix
Hacks – HBO Max
I May Destroy You – HBO
Mare of Easttown – HBO
The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix
Ted Lasso – Apple TV+
The Underground Railroad – Amazon
WandaVision – Disney+
"Program of the Year" is an odd category as it implies something zeitgeisty above and beyond whether a show is quality drama or quality comedy or quality whatever. So if it's meant to be about the zeitgeist shouldn't, oh, Framing Britney Spears have made the list given how much that's been discussed and that it's still being discussed daily?