Posts with tag television critics association
Posted Jul 19th 2008 11:01PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: 30 Rock, TCA Press Tour, Awards, Reality-Free, Mad Men

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.
Continue reading TCA Awards: Mad Men, 30 Rock and The Wire are big winners - TCA Report
Posted Dec 11th 2007 11:02AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, TCA Press Tour, WGA Strike
What do you do when it's Fall Pilot season but there isn't anyone available to write pilots? Things are getting a little scary for next season's slate of new shows that don't exist yet. And last night, as our own Joel Keller reports, the networks and Television Critics Association (TCA) agreed to cancel the winter tour. It makes sense considering the TCA Tour generally involves the networks touting their upcoming programming to the 200 or so members of the association so as to get good press (hopefully) to build buzz. With the way things are going, had the event occurred, it would have been a very dry affair.
"So, we've got some reality shows coming up, and we're looking at doing some reruns."
"Really. Wow, that's interesting, which network were you again ... Oh that's right. It doesn't matter."
Continue reading What happens to television if the strike lingers?
Posted Dec 11th 2007 9:19AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, Cancellations, TCA Press Tour, WGA Strike

Last night, Television Critics Association president Dave Walker announced that, because of the ongoing writers' strike looks like it won't be settled any time soon, the association's winter press tour
will be canceled. The tour was scheduled for January 8 - 19 at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles.
Even though the winter tour is less extensive than the summer tour, it is a good time for the networks to give critics a mid-season "state of the network" statement and introduce the stars of their midseason shows. None of the broadcast networks could commit to presenting at the tour, and when the cable nets and PBS started pulling out, the association felt it was best to cancel outright.
Continue reading TCA cancels winter press tour due to writers' strike
Posted Jul 15th 2007 3:05PM by Michael Maloney
Filed under: Cable, Programming, TCA Press Tour
TCA parties are known for loud music, tons of actors, executives and producers, and lots and lots of reporters.
Friday night's bash thrown by Garth Ancier, the new president of US Operations BBC Worldwide America, had none of those things. As a result, it's become the party of the tour. Who talked the exec into opening up his private home to members of the TCA ? "Nobody," he tells TV Squad. "This way my idea. I've had many great parties here over the years."
Ancier entertained TCA members with stories of working with the late great Aaron Spelling and how the ex-head of The WB arranged a meeting with the series-making mogul. "He might have thought we were going to cancel Charmed," Ancier theorized.
Continue reading Party on, Garth - TCA Report
Posted Jul 13th 2007 9:22AM by Michael Maloney
Filed under: Nip/Tuck, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Interviews, The Sopranos, TCA Press Tour
Will Nip/Tuck have a season six? Why is James Gandolfini going back to HBO and will Larry David end Curb Your Enthusiasm?
These tidbits -- and a tons of swag -- came out at today's TCA press sessions at the Beverly Hilton hotel. I had to remind myself that today was a cable day because the roster of talent read like a major network.
Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills 90210) led the cast of Side Order of Life, a Lifetime series in which star Marisa Coughlan has second thoughts about marrying Priestly. But, hey, if Big dumped Natasha on Sex in the City then I suppose anything's possible.
Continue reading Hold the onion rings: James Gandolfini speaks - TCA Report
Posted Jul 12th 2007 1:41PM by Michael Maloney
Filed under: Nip/Tuck, Curb Your Enthusiasm, TCA Press Tour
TCA - Day 1 (or 4, if you count PBS)
TCA -- aka the TV Critics' press tour -- is a convention for journalists where the major networks and cable outlets unveil their fall programs to the press for review. The tour, which is held at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, began on Monday (with PBS) and runs until July 26th with ABC.
About 200 plus members of the press from across the country are inundated with reality, comedy, drama and other types of programs. Interview opportunities are non-stop. We're fed constantly and given tons of free gifts -- trinkets, pens, paperweights, DVDs and press materials.
Continue reading Lifetime, F/X, HBO and more - TCA Report
Posted Jul 24th 2006 8:59AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, Industry, OpEd, Celebrities

At the TCA Awards presentation last night, TV legend Carol Burnett was given the critics' award for career achievement. The award is in honor of almost fifty years of entertaining audiences, mainly via her weekly variety series
The Carol Burnett Show, which ran from 1967-78.
Burnett deserves any award she gets; I only remember watching her show in the syndicated reruns (I think the first-run show was on too late for me to watch it), but even a young kid like me appreciated the slapsticky, physical humor that was performed by Burnett and her cast. Of course, Carol is multi-talented; she is a heck of a singer and has done pretty well in dramatic roles, too.
The TCA also gave awards to Steve Carell and Hugh Laurie for their performances in
The Office and
House, respectively, and cited
Grey's Anatomy as the program of the year. Other award winners are listed at the bottom of
this article.
Posted Jul 14th 2006 11:34AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Talent, Industry, Programming, Web, Celebrities
Lots of TV critics are keeping blogs of their adventures at the Television Critics Association press tour, including Tim Goodman, Aaron Barnhart, Zap2it, Ellen Gray, Alan Sepinwall, Melanie McFarland, Lisa de Moraes, and Hal Boedeker.
- The folks over at TeeVee talk about The Amazing Screw-On Head. By the way, if you haven't already, check out their TeeVeePedia. Funny stuff.
- TV Newser has more info about The Katie Couric Loves Her Fans Tour.
- TV Party is 11 years old? Wow. Some great stuff there.
- Over at the Boston Globe's TV blog, Matthew Gilbert wonders what Rod Serling would be writing today, and points us to the Twilight Zone Convention, August 12 and 13 in NJ.