In the situation borne from the coronavirus pandemic is making you feel like a professional TV watcher, you're not alone.But the people who actually
are paid to watch television for a living have come together to announce the 36
th annual Television Critic Awards nominations and, given the critical acclaim for shows like HBO’s
Watchmen and Netflix’s
Unbelievable, it’s no surprise those shows led the pack of nominees.In
a press release announcing this year’s official selections, the TCA revealed that both series have landed four nominations each, including competing nods in the Individual Achievement in Drama category (the show does not separate male and female winners).
Watchmen’s Regina King and
Unbelievable’s Merritt Wever and Kaitlyn Dever each received a nomination, while Cate Blanchett (
Mrs. America), Mark Ruffalo (
I Know This Much is True), Rhea Seehorn (
Better Call Saul) and Jeremy Strong (
Succession) rounding out the list.Both series were also nominated in the Outstanding Achievement in Movie or Miniseries category alongside
Little Fires Everywhere,
Mrs. America,
Normal People and
The Plot Against America.
Unbelievable, a based-on-true-events series that examines rape culture and victim shaming, was always meant to be a limited-series, but fans have been clamoring for more
Watchmen since it ended. Although the show is based on the graphic novels by Alan Moore, Damon Lindelof’s take delved
deep into race relations and introduced many viewers to the horrors behind the Tulsa Massacre, sparking important conversations about Black history and systemic racism.[video_embed id='-1']RELATED: Regina King shares why she's turned down offers for big roles[/video_embed]“Honestly, I feel like I think HBO would want it back in a heartbeat, but if [showrunner] Damon Lindelof doesn’t see an entry point for Season 2, I think that the possibilities are infinite," King recently
said during a discussion with Variety. "But I feel that if Damon doesn’t see it, then it’s going to be a no for me.”Other series that hit big with critics this year included
Better Call Saul,
Mrs. America,
Succession and
Schitt’s Creek, which all landed three awards a piece. Meanwhile Issa Rae’s
Insecure, Pamela Adlon’s
Better Things,
Dead to Me and
The Great each got two nods. Zendaya, who was
controversially left off of this year’s Golden Globes ballot, wasn’t among the individual nominees, however
Euphoria was named alongside
Better Call Saul,
The Crown,
The Good Fight,
Pose and
Succession as Outstanding Drama. And in the coveted Program of the Year category, critics split their nominations between
Better Call Saul,
Mrs. America,
Succession,
Schitt’s Creek,
Unbelievable, and
Watchmen.[video_embed id='1992786']RELATED: Javicia Leslie makes history as the new 'Batwoman'[/video_embed]The nominations were announced two weeks after
Variety published a column in which the publication called out the TCA Awards for the “overwhelming” list of white winners that underline systemic racism in TV coverage. “As far as the history of the organization and its priorities goes, scrolling through the 35-year record of shows, creators and actors that TCA has historically considered the most worthy of recognition, the undeniable truth is that they have been consistently, overwhelmingly white,” noted writer Caroline Framke, who points out that the organization’s current President and Vice-President are Black women.“Recent years have seen more concerted efforts to diversify the TCA body by ushering in a new generation of journalists, and strengthen the press tour’s ability to hold power players accountable,” she added. “These are encouraging signs of progress and commitment to change the tenor of TV coverage moving forward.”The July 9 nominations came after the 2020 Summer TCA Press Tour in Pasadena was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The organization, which is comprised of 200 TV critics and reporters from across the U.S. and Canada, decided to move forward with the awards, which will be announced at a later date.“This was an incredible year for television, offering a variety of groundbreaking new series with fresh perspectives and renewed vigor for some veteran favourites,” said Sarah Rodman, TCA President and executive editor at
Entertainment Weekly. “Although we sadly will not have the opportunity to gather to honour these creative achievements in person, we look forward to sharing our selections for the season’s top programs when the winners are unveilled later this summer.”To read the full list of nominees,
head here.[video_embed id='1992184']RELATED: Zendaya shot a movie in secret during the pandemic[/video_embed]
