TV Critics Like 'Office,' '24'

Zap2It.com | May 31, 2006

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Steve Carell, The Office
Steve Carell, The Office
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'Sopranos,' 'Grey's,' 'Earl' also get multiple nominations

The 2005-06 TV season was one of big dramas and promising new comedies -- at least that's what the critics think.

The Television Critics Association (of which several Zap2it.com staffers are members) announced the nominees for its 2006 awards Wednesday, and four of the five shows up for program of the year are dramas: ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost," FOX's "24" and HBO's "The Sopranos." The only comedy in the group is NBC's cult favorite "The Office."

However, three of the five shows nominated for best new series -- "My Name Is Earl," "Everybody Hates Chris" and "The Colbert Report" -- are comedies, indicating that maybe TV comedy isn't quite dead after all. (The other nominees are HBO's "Big Love" and FOX's "Prison Break".)

It's worth noting, though, that none of the comedies nominated in the overall categories or for outstanding comedy -- "Earl," "Chris," "The Office," "The Daily Show" and "Scrubs" -- are traditional, multi-camera sitcoms.

Somewhat surprisingly given its fourth-place standing in the ratings, NBC led all networks with eight nominations for current shows ("The West Wing" and "Will & Grace" were also nominated for the Heritage Award, which honors lasting contributions to TV), led by "Earl" and "The Office" with three each. PBS, which dominates the news category, earned seven nominations. FOX is next with six, followed by HBO (five) and ABC (four).

Missing from this year's nominees is "Desperate Housewives," the ABC hit that won the program of the year award last year. It earned four nods last year but was shut out this time.

The TCA Awards will be handed out July 23. Here's the complete list of nominees:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

  • "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
  • "Lost" (ABC)
  • "The Office" (NBC)
  • "The Sopranos" (HBO)
  • "24" (Fox)

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

  • "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
  • "Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
  • "My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
  • "The Office" (NBC)
  • "Scrubs" (NBC)

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

  • "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
  • "House" (Fox)
  • "Lost" (ABC)
  • "The Sopranos" (HBO)
  • "24" (Fox)

    INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

  • Steve Carell ("The Office")
  • Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report")
  • Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
  • Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl")
  • Jon Stewart ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart")

    INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

  • Alan Alda ("The West Wing")
  • James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos")
  • Hugh Laurie ("House")
  • Kiefer Sutherland ("24")
  • Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

    OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

  • "Big Love" (HBO)
  • "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
  • "Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
  • "My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
  • "Prison Break" (Fox)

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION

  • "American Masters: Newhart" (PBS)
  • "Broadway: The Golden Age" (American Public Television/PBS)
  • "Frontline" (PBS)
  • "Frontline: Country Boys" (PBS)
  • "60 Minutes" (CBS)

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS

  • "American Masters: No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" (PBS)
  • "Elizabeth I" (HBO)
  • "Masterpiece Theatre: Bleak House" (PBS)
  • "Sleeper Cell" (Showtime)
  • "Viva Blackpool" (BBC America)

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING

  • "Dora the Explorer" (Nickelodeon)
  • "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" (Cartoon Network)
  • "High School Musical" (The Disney Channel)
  • "Nick News" (Nickelodeon)
  • "Sesame Street" (PBS)

    CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

  • Carol Burnett
  • Mary Tyler Moore
  • Bill Moyers
  • Aaron Spelling
  • Oprah Winfrey

    HERITAGE AWARD

  • "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (CBS)
  • "The West Wing" (NBC)
  • "Will & Grace" (NBC)
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