This has been a transitional year for the Television Critics Associiation. It was finally acknowledged that the semi-annual press tour, or “the Bataan death march with cocktails” as veteran scribes called it, was, like late night television, viewed by the networks as no longer financially supportable. To paraphrase Tina Fey at one of our award nights, the press tour had become “like vaudeville in the sixties.”
The TCA board under president Andy Dehnart, however, has focused on pivoting towards the future. A good start is with the 41st Annual TCA Awards. Historically a low-key but well attended private event (held for most of this century at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles), The 2025 version is an on-line only salute. Trophys with the new TCA logo were sent to recipients and all but one of the winners replied with videos of them giving sincere thanks. The whole thing can be streamed in less than half an hour. The original TCA board members, a modest bunch who were never going to allow things to go all Hollywood Foreign Press-like, would be pleased.
As a long-time member, I have found myself to be a bit out of step when TCA awards were named over the past decade. Part of this is due to me watching less television. I have still not lowered myself, for example, into The Pitt. The Noah Wiley hospital drama captured three new TCA awards, including Program of the Year. See the cast and producer accept the award here. Having watched and covered, starting way back as a TV Guide Canada journalist, the young Wiley in NBC’s landmark medical drama ER (1994-2009), I’ve been in no hurry to get back to the emergency room. TV critics don’t get old, they just lose the remote.
I heartily endorse, however, all the other 2025 winners. For me, the Netflix drama Adolescence was the standout TV show of the past season, stunning in writing, performance, direction and technical storytelling. I’m thrilled my colleagues recognized it as the Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials.
You can watch the award presentation by Lacy Baugher Milas, Paste Magazine TV editor, and the truly heartfelt acceptance by series co-creator and writer Jack Thorne, here:
The Studio, the AppleTV+ series created by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, won the TCA award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. The award is presented by TCA Board director Liz Shannon Miller. You can watch Rogan and others complain about getting done out of an open bar at this year’s awards here.
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The winner for Individual Achievement in Comedy is Bridget Everett for HBO’s Somebody Somewhere. What a magically little show which stayed heartfelt and unique throughout its three seasons; I miss those characters already. Everett could not be more gracious in her acceptance which can be viewed here along with the breast-in-show presentation by TCA Board director Kevin Fallon, editor of The Daily Beast’s Obsessed.
The winner for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information is HBO’s Pee-wee as Himself. See TCA president Andy Dehnart (reality blurred) present and Pee-wee as Himself executive producer, director and off-screen interogator Matt Wolf accept here. My one complaint: this should instead be our outstanding choice for Documentary of the Year. The secret word is “Mis-labelled.” Having said that, if you haven’t already, watch this riveting documentary. Pee-wee’s Playhouse should eventually be recognized with the TCA’s Heritage award, it is one of the great television shows, period.
You may have read in what survives as legacy media or on social media that the White House has clawed back funding for the Corproation for Public Broadcasting. This has had an immediate impact on the operation of such cherished American broadcasting institutions as NPR and PBS.
Kudos, therefore, to the TCA for awarding their Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming award to Sesame Street, the long-running series fourth such TCA honour. See the award being presented by TCA Board director Alex Reif, LaughingPlace.com senior writer, and accepted by Elmo — who says T, C and A are three of his favourite letters — here. P.S.: F U, White House.
Sesame Street also was awarded this year’s Heritage Award (awarded by Amy Amatangelo and accepted by Elmo here). Surprised it took this long. The rest of the TCA award presentations and acceptances can be viewed here (cocktails optional):
Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch — “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” — NBC Presented by freelance journalist Liam Mathews here.
Outstanding Achievement in Reality — “The Traitors” — Peacock (2024 Winner). Presented by Hanh Nguyen, Salon.com executive editor. Accepted by “The Traitors” Host and Executive Producer Alan Cumming. Watch his wonderful reply here: https://youtube.com/shorts/iBnBTasQINc
Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming — “Doctor Who” — Disney+ (2024 Winner). Presented by TCA Board director Matt Mitovich, TVLine founding editor. Accepted by “Doctor Who” star Varada Sethu here.
Career Achievement Award – Kathy Bates. Presented by past TCA President Jacqueline Cutler. Accepted by Kathy Bates here.
