'Breaking Bad' wins top honors at TCA Awards

Gary Levin | USA TODAY

BEVERLY HILLS — Breaking Bad, the acclaimed AMC drama that begins its final season next week, won top honors as program of the year at the Television Critics Association Awards Saturday night.

The awards, selected by the 220 members of the critics' organization, honors the best in television, including shows and performances not always recognized by Emmy voters.

HBO's Game of Thrones was named best drama, while the best-comedy award was split in a tie between CBS' The Big Bang Theory and NBC's Parks and Recreation. FX's spy drama The Americans won outstanding new program.

In the acting categories, Louis C.K. of FX's Louie won outstanding achievement in comedy, while Tatiana Maslany, the young actress who played multiple roles in BBC America's Orphan Black, won for outstanding achievement in drama.

In other awards, HBO's Behind the Candelabra, which chronicled Liberace's relationship with a younger man and starred Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, won for best movie, miniseries or special.

Barbara Walters won the career achievement award, while CBS' groundbreaking All in the Family received the association's Heritage Award, accepted by its creator, TV legend Norman Lear.

ABC's Shark Tank won the TCA award for best reality program; PBS' Ken Burns film The Central Park Five won for news and information programming; and ABC Family's Bunheads, recently canceled, won for youth programming.

The awards were presented in a non-televised ceremony hosted by Comedy Central's Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.