CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" a Big Winner at 25th Annual TCA Awards

It was a big night for CBS Saturday at the 25^th annual TCA Awards ceremony here at The Langham Huntington Hotel, home to this summer’s Television Critics Association tour. The network’s sophomore comedy series The Big Bang Theory was honored with two awards, one for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy (beating category competitors 30 Rock, The Daily Show, The Office and, notably, another CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother) and one for Individual Achievement in Comedy. The latter actually went to Bang star Jim Parsons, a guy so normal and down to earth in real life that he seems more like one of the critics than one of the people they write about.

 

Among the other winners were HBO’s True Blood for Outstanding New Program, HBO’s Grey Gardens for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials; AMC’s Mad Men for Outstanding Achievement in Drama; Bryan Cranston of AMC’s Breaking Bad for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama; HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information; Nickelodeon’s Yo Gabba Gabba for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming; and Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica for Program of the Year. NBC’s ER received the coveted Heritage Award and the tireless Betty White was honored with the Career Achievement Award.

 

White recalled crying for three days after receiving a scathing review from a high profile critic for one of her television performances way back in the ‘50s.

 

“If I didn’t love this award so much and want to take it home, I might be tempted to suggest what [the critic] could do with it,” Betty beamed.

 

Some people believe that actors and producers are uncomfortable around critics, but you wouldn’t have known it Saturday night. Cast members and show-runners from Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood and The Big Bang Theory arrived early and stayed late and were clearly in no hurry to depart even after they accepted their awards.