Never before have I seen the Television Critics Association (TCA) line up with the common consensus on Emmy predictions, but this year, the TCAs and the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards could be in perfect sync. Today, the TCAs bestowed four trophies on HBO’s Watchmen, the odds-on front runner for several awards in the limited series race. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that Regina King took home the Individual Achievement in Drama award, beating out Jeremy Strong (Succession) and Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True). Watchmen also received Outstanding New Program, Outstanding Achievement in Movie, Miniseries, or Special, and Program of the Year.
If you don’t have Watchmen in your Emmy predictions, then maybe you should rethink that.
But other Emmy frontrunners also received recognition at the TCAs, including HBO’s Succession (Outstanding Drama Series) and Pop TV’s Schitt’s Creek (Outstanding Comedy Series). Catherine O’Hara took home the Individual Achievement in Comedy award, further solidifying her lead in the Lead Actress Emmy race. Granted, the Television Academy loves The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel much more than critics groups, so it’s not impossible that Maisel pulls out a series win on Sunday night. Less likely, in my opinion, is another lead actress win for Rachel Brosnahan. O’Hara’s touching and hilarious performance will go down in some quarters as something of a lifetime achievement award here, although I would argue it’s luridly well deserved recognition.
Which brings us back to the original statement: why are the TCA Awards so closely aligning with the predicted Emmy favorites? Of course, there could be massive surprises at Sunday’s Emmy ceremony, so the TCAs – with the exception of Watchmen which simply cannot lose – could be out of sync with the Television Academy. My gut tells me that they’re not. Is this a quarantine thing? Are Succession and Schitt’s Creek really that overdue for wins? What do you think readers?
Here is the full list of winners for the 2020 TCA Awards:
- Individual Achievement In Drama: Regina King (WATCHMEN, HBO)
- Individual Achievement In Comedy: Catherine O’Hara (SCHITT’S CREEK, Pop TV)
- Outstanding Achievement In News and Information: THE LAST DANCE (ESPN)
- Outstanding Achievement In Reality Programming: CHEER (Netflix)
- Outstanding Achievement In Youth Programming: MOLLY OF DENALI (PBS Kids)
- Outstanding Achievement In Sketch/Variety Shows: A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (HBO)
- Outstanding New Program: WATCHMEN (HBO)
- Outstanding Achievement In Movie, Miniseries, Or Special: WATCHMEN (HBO)
- Outstanding Achievement In Drama: SUCCESSION (HBO)
- Outstanding Achievement In Comedy: SCHITT’S CREEK (Pop TV)
- Program of the Year: WATCHMEN (HBO)
- Career Achievement Honoree:Alex Trebek
- Heritage Award: STAR TREK (CBS)
