TVSquad

Tonight, the members of the Television Critics Association (including me) gathered at the Beverly Hilton to give out its annual awards. The membership voted on the awards in the month leading up to the press tour; we were given a number of candidates to choose from in various categories. The membership was also asked to choose recipients for an individual Career Achievement award and the Heritage Award, which recognizes a past show that had a big impact artistically and on the industry.

The members didn't reach back too far for the Heritage Award: it was given to The Wire. As for current shows, the members gave Mad Men a bushel of awards: Program of the Year, Outstanding New Program, and Outstanding Achievement in Drama. 30 Rock won for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, and Tina Fey won the Individual Achievement in Comedy award for her performance. John Adams won the mini-series award; its star, Paul Giamatti, won the Individual Achievement in Drama award. Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live received the Career Achievement award.

A complete list of winners is after the jump.

Earlier today I did a first take on the Primetime Emmy nominations, sharing with you my first impressions and noting a few surprises. Now, I'm going to finish what I started. Please, share your comments and your opinions about the nominations.

Hey, they're not the TV Squad Awards, but the TCAs are pretty cool too, and the nominees have been announced.

There are a lot of the usual suspects on the list, of course (though that doesn't mean they're not worthy - they are), including 30 Rock, The Office, Friday Night Lights, and The Wire. It's also great to see Mad Men get so many nominations, including Program of the Year, Best Drama, Best New Show, and a Best Individual Achievement nom for star Jon Hamm. It's interesting to see that Mad Men will go up against another AMC show, Breaking Bad, in the Best New Show category.

Lost is well represented, as are John Adams, Flight of the Conchords, and PBS' The War miniseries. As for The Wire, it's not only up for drama and acting awards, it has also been nominated for the Heritage Award, along with M*A*S*H, Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, and Roots. Interesting to see such a recent show up for a lifetime award next to classics. The awards will be presented on July 19.

Anything missing from these nominations?

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by a new Big Brother and the new movie Sweet Nothing In My Ear.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, then episodes of Monk and Psych.
• At 8, ABC has the finale of Oprah's Big Give, then new episodes of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.
• The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris at 8.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece.
• VH-1 has a new Celebrity Fit Club at 8, then a new Rock of Love with Bret Michaels reunion show.
• Also at 8: TCM has The Naked City, followed by Topkapi.
• At 9, The CW has a new episodes of The Game.
• There's a new Iron Chef America on Food Network at 9.
• HBO has the series finale of John Adams at 9.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors, then a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• At 10, Comedy Central has standup special John Oliver: Terrifying Times.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Squidbillies.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Big Brother and Cold Case, then an episode of Dexter.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Oprah's Big Give, Desperate Housewives, and Eli Stone.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, then episodes of Monk and Psych.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, followed by a new King of the Hill.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW at 8.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, then a new Masterpiece.
• Comedy Central has the live Night of Too Many Stars charity event at 8.
• Also at 8: ESPN has the Red Sox/Yankees game.
• At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a new Dance on Sunset.
• At 9, The CW has a new episode of The Game.
• HBO has a new John Adams at 9.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors at 9, then a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• National Geographic has the special Human Footprint at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new Dirt.
• Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 10.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Squidbillies.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• TV Land continues its Andy Griffith Show marathon all night.
• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Oprah's Big Give, and Here Come The Newlyweds.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 7.
• At 8, The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris, then a new Aliens in America.
• TCM has All About Eve at 8.
• Also at 8: HBO has the premiere of John Adams.
• At 8:30, FOX has a new King of the Hill.
• At 9, HGTV announces the winner of the Dream House Giveaway 2008.
• Showtime has a new L Word at 9.
• At 9:30, FOX has a new Unhitched.
• At 10, FX has a new Dirt.
• CBS has an episode of Dexter at 10.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Frisky Dingo.

Check your local TV listings for more.

If you were casting a miniseries about the American Revolution, concentrating on John Adams, who would be the first person you would think of to play the second president? That's right, the name Paul Giamatti doesn't come to mind right away, does it? Well, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman did; they're producting a seven-hour HBO miniseries based on the David McCullough book John Adams, and they cast Giamatti in the title role. He'll play Adams during the revolutionary years, when he stoked the revolt behind-the-scenes. The series is set to start shooting in January and will begin airing in March 2008.

I've got to say, resemblance-wise, it doesn't seem to be a match. Even tempermant-wise, I'm not sure. Adams was more of a low-key guy, while almost every role Giamatti's played has been on the high-strung or emotional side. If anyone's got the acting chops to pull this off, though, it's Giamatti. And he'll be the only actor that can say he played both a Founding Father and Pig Vomit.

(UPDATE: I have been taken to task by the readers for calling Adams "low-key." Apparently, my knowledge of American history needs an update, because Adams was supposedly a big pain in the ass. So Giamatti might be perfect for the role.)