It is that special time of year, when normally taciturn television critics grudgingly agree to share their opinions on TV shows, rather than adopting their usual policy of live-and-let-live silence. And this year the Television Critics Association said it particularly enjoyed FX shows like The Americans—probably while making an open-handed shrugging gesture to communicate that it’s okay if you didn’t see it yet. “Hey, you’ve been busy,” television critics said, noting that it’s similarly cool if you still haven’t gotten into Breaking Bad, which tied The Americans at three nominations, including Program Of The Year. “We’re certainly not going to tell you which shows to watch in your limited free time,” critics added, before praising everyone in the whole entertainment industry for just “showing some real hustle this year.”


Anyway, in the sense that one can measure such things, The Americans led the way for FX to score the highest number of nominations of any network, with additional recognition for Louie and American Horror Story: Asylum across multiple categories. It was also just one of several freshmen shows to make the list—including its Program Of The Year competitor House Of Cards, whose nomination officially ushers in the age of Netflix being considered in the same category as regular TV networks, and other newcomers The Mindy Project, Rectify, Top Of The Lake, and Orphan Black.

Along with livening up expected holdovers like Homeland, Mad Men, Parks And Recreation, and Veep, and creating a hilarious situation where Adventure Time must somehow be judged by the same criteria as Bunheads, this new blood is most evident in the acting categories: New Girl’s Jake Johnson got some well-earned notice, while Parenthood’s Monica Potter, Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany, The Americans’ Matthew Rhys, and Bates Motel’s Vera Farmiga will all enjoy this first opportunity to probably lose to Bryan Cranston.


Elsewhere, some will likely quibble with the exclusion of Enlightened and 30 Rock for their swan songs, or the acting snubs for Homeland and New Program snub for Hannibal, and there’s possibly even someone who will take issue with The Walking Dead being up for Program Of The Year, should a negative person decide to use the Internet for “criticizing television” today. “Can’t we instead just marvel at the wealth of available entertainment options for everyone?” the TCA would surely argue.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

The Americans, FX

Breaking Bad, AMC

Game of Thrones, HBO

House of Cards, Netflix

The Walking Dead, AMC


OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

The Americans, FX

Breaking Bad, AMC

Game Of Thrones, HBO

Homeland, Showtime

Mad Men, AMC

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)

Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel (A&E)

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)

Monica Potter, Parenthood (NBC)

Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)


OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

The Big Bang Theory, CBS

Louie, FX

New Girl, Fox

Parks And Recreation, NBC

Veep, HBO

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

Louis C.K., Louie (FX)

Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO)

Jake Johnson, New Girl (Fox)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)

Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation (NBC)


NEW PROGRAM

The Americans, FX

Elementary, CBS

House Of Cards, Netflix

The Mindy Project, Fox

Orphan Black, BBC America

OUTSTANDING MOVIE, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL

American Horror Story: Asylum, FX

Behind the Candelabra, HBO

Downton Abbey, PBS

Rectify, Sundance Channel

Top Of The Lake, Sundance Channel


OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING

The Amazing Race, CBS

The Glee Project, Oxygen

Shark Tank, ABC

Survivor, CBS

The Voice, NBC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING

Adventure Time, Cartoon Network

Bunheads, ABC Family

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, PBS

Sesame Street, PBS

Switched at Birth, ABC Family


NEWS AND INFORMATION

60 Minutes, CBS

Anderson Cooper 360, CNN

Central Park Five, PBS

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central

Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC

HERITAGE AWARD

All In the Family, CBS

Lost, ABC

Saturday Night Live, NBC

Star Trek, NBC

Twin Peaks, ABC


CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

James L. Brooks

James Burrows

Jay Leno

William Shatner

Barbara Walters