by The phrase “comedy nerd” gets thrown around online so much this decade that you wonder what meaning it still has, and yet, here are two assembled bodies of TV critics to remind us that the nerds have risen up and claimed the party for themselves.
What’s popular in America and what’s popular among critics is becoming much more similar these days.
Witness last night’s third annual Critics Choice Awards.
The CCAs bestowed three honors on TV’s most popular sitcom, The Big Bang Theory on CBS, a series that celebrates and/or mocks (make your case!) nerds, science, graduate degrees and comic books, named Louis CK television’s best comedy actor above all comers, loved Patton Oswalt’s Star Wars rant on Parks and Recreation so much they gave him an award, and picked The Daily Show‘s nightly takedown of television news as the best talk show on television. A woman playing a high-school nerd tied with a woman playing a model/actress type for best supporting actress. And they critics also presented Bob Newhart with a special icon award.
Here are the comedy winners from the 2013 Critics Choice Awards:
BEST TALK SHOW
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS – and Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC (TIE)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX
The TCAs (not Teen Choice Awards, but TV Critics Awards) also named nominees yesterday. If you’re expecting overlap considering these television critics also presumably voted in the Critics Choice Awards, then congratulations for making the logical leap. These TCAs, to be handed out later this summer, regularly mix comedic and dramatic efforts together so it’ll be interesting to see which way they vote in the end.
TV Critics Awards nominees for 2013
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory, CBS
Louie, FX
New Girl, Fox
Park 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
