TVScreener.com is a very proud member of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), and today, we announce the nominees for our third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

It’s a fantastic list of shows and stars, with The Big Bang Theory and American Horror Story: Asylum leading series nominees with six each, and HBO (21) and FX (19) leading the networks.

“This year’s nominations reflect the expanding definition of television, with nominated programs and performances representing new platforms as well as broadcast and cable,” BTJA President Joey Berlin says.  “As evidenced by nominations for the 3rd annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards, television continues to be a rich and diverse source of high quality entertainment.”

The Critics’ Choice Television Awards ceremony will be held on June 10 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, hosted by Parks and Recreation star Retta. Fans can watch the celeb-packed event in a live webcast at UStream.

Here, the complete list of nominees: 

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Louie – FX
The Middle – ABC
New Girl – FOX
Parks and Recreation – NBC
Veep – HBO

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Don Cheadle (House of Lies) – Showtime
Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX
Jake Johnson (New Girl) – FOX
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) – ABC

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Laura Dern (Enlightened) – HBO
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) – FOX
Lena Dunham (Girls) – HBO
Sutton Foster (Bunheads) – ABC Family
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Max Greenfield (New Girl) – FOX
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Alex Karpovsky (Girls) – HBO
Adam Pally (Happy Endings) – ABC
Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Danny Pudi (Community) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) – ABC
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) – ABC
Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC
Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) – ABC

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Melissa Leo (Louie) – FX
David Lynch (Louie) – FX
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Molly Shannon (Enlightened) – HBO
Patrick Wilson (Girls) – HBO

BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Americans – FX
Breaking Bad – AMC
Downton Abbey – PBS
Game of Thrones – HBO
The Good Wife – CBS
Homeland – Showtime

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Damian Lewis (Homeland) – Showtime
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) – AMC
Timothy Olyphant (Justified) – FX
Matthew Rhys (The Americans) – FX
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) – Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes (Homeland) – Showtime
Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) – A&E
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – CBS
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) – BBC America
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) – AMC
Keri Russell (The Americans) – FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Michael Cudlitz (Southland) – TNT
Noah Emmerich (The Americans) – FX
Walton Goggins (Justified) – FX
Corey Stoll (House of Cards) – Netflix 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) – Showtime
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Regina King (Southland) – TNT
Monica Potter (Parenthood) – NBC
Abigail Spencer (Rectify) – Sundance

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jim Beaver (Justified) – FX
Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) – HBO
Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife) – CBS
Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) – CBS
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy) – FX 

BEST MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story: Asylum – FX
Behind the Candelabra – HBO
The Crimson Petal and the White – Encore
The Hour – BBC America
Political Animals – USA
Top of the Lake – Sundance

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade’s End) – HBO
Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
Toby Jones (The Girl) – HBO
Al Pacino (Phil Spector) – HBO
Dominic West (The Hour) – BBC America

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta) – Lifetime
Romola Garai (The Hour) – BBC America
Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End) – HBO
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals) – USA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Sebastian Stan (Political Animals) – USA
David Wenham (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Thomas M. Wright (Top of the Lake) – Sundance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals) – USA
Sienna Miller (The Girl) – HBO
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Lily Rabe (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Imelda Staunton (The Girl) – HBO
Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias) – Lifetime

BEST REALITY SERIES
Duck Dynasty – A&E
The Moment – USA
Pawn Stars – History Channel
Push Girls – Sundance
Small Town Security – AMC
Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan – BBC America

BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
Chopped – Food Network
Face Off – Syfy
Shark Tank – ABC
So You Think You Can Dance – FOX
Survivor – CBS
The Voice – NBC 

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) – ABC
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) – FOX
Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef) – FOX
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race) – Logo
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) – FOX
Kurt Warner (The Moment) – USA

BEST TALK SHOW
Conan – TBS
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Brothers Television Distribution
Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – NBC
Marie – Hallmark Channel

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Adventure Time – Cartoon Network
Archer – FX
Phineas and Ferb – Disney Channel
Regular Show – Cartoon Network
The Simpsons – FOX
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Cartoon Network

BTJA will also announce nominees for the Most Exciting New Series award on June 3.

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) is a partner organization to the Broadcast Film Critics Association. BTJA includes TV, radio and Internet journalists who cover television on a regular basis. For more information, visit: CriticsChoice.com.

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• Filed in Award shows, Breaking Bad, Cable TV, Comedy, Drama, Fall 2012-13 TV season, Reality, Walking Dead
• Tags: Behind the Candelabra, Big Bang Theory, BTJA, Critics Choice Television Awards, TV awards, Walking Dead

OK, OK, it’s been awhile since there was a new post … but TVScreener.com will be back with good stuff daily in 2012!

In the meantime, here’s my pick for funniest TV video of the year: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s trip to Occupy Wall Street. Warning: there are some spit-your-Coke Zero-at-the-monitor funny moments in the clip.

Enjoy the rest of 2011, and here’s hoping 2012 starts off to be your best year ever!

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• Filed in Comedy, Ya Gotta See This!

Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Stars: Matt Oberg, Natasha Leggero, Kurt Metzger and Randy Pearlstein

The Big Idea: Ugly Americans is back with an entertaining hat tip to cult classic flick Wet Hot American Summer (just in time for Summer‘s ten year anniversary). Here, the earnest, clueless Mark Lilly becomes a pawn in a chess game he’s unaware is in play, courtesy of his half-demon succubus supervisor/booty call Callie Maggotbone, her father (The Devil) and his plans for world domination, and the terminal sloth of coworker/wizard Leonard Powers.

Leonard is retiring, and has joined with his fellow wizards and their replacements at the “Magic Mountain” fortress for the succession ceremony. The Devil senses an opportunity for demons to strike hard at their mortal wizard enemies, providing they can get inside the mountain.  Their way in is Mark, who is initially resistant at a trip to see Leonard, until it’s bundled with an offer to be head counselor at the non-existent Camp Friendship.

Cue 1980s-style road trip – van, assembled losers (Lt. Grimes, Koala Man, Fish Man, Eric the Robot) and some deft comedy jabs. Sex obsessed zombie Randall is in the driver’s seat, figuratively and literally, because, as he says, “If ’80s cinema has taught us anything, it’s that summer camp counselors are horny teen girls up for anything.” The pace of the premiere quickens significantly here, with homage paid to the quintessential ’80s teen movie scene and Wet Hot American Summer‘s battle versus a rival camp, and then comes to a satisfying conclusion with Leonard earning the “eggnancy” wages of sloth.

To Watch or Not to Watch: A parody of a parody of a self-parodying genre is ambitious, and. it turns out here, too much fun to miss.

TV Screener Tidbit: Funny guys John Mulaney and Nick Kroll helped shepherd Ugly Americans through its hilarious first season … as producers, not writers or voice artists.

Ugly Americans, season two, premieres Thursday, June 30, at 10:30PM ET on Comedy Central

— JE Maher

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• Filed in Cartoons, Comedy, Review - TV
• Tags: Ugly Americans season 2

This spring, TVScreener.com was honored to become a member of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, an offshoot of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The BFCA hosts the annual Critics Choice Movie Awards that air on VH1, and our TV group will dole out our own set of accolades, via the first Critics Choice Television Awards.

The TV awards ceremony will be hosted by So You Think You Can Dance star Cat Deeley on June 20 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and VH1.com will stream them live (June 20, 3:30PM ET), while on June 22, the ceremony airs on TV  at the ReelzChannel (8PM ET).

And here, our first class of nominees. I think it’s a great mix of shows, including some truly fantastic series and actors and actresses who have been overlooked at other TV awards ceremonies. I am particularly thrilled that we have nominated It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day, one of the funniest guys on TV, and one who’s still flying a bit under the radar, for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, as well as shows and stars of shows like The Middle, Sons of Anarchy, Raising Hope, Archer and Justified, all so deserving of being called out as among the best TV has to offer.

Sound off in the comments about our nominees … do you like the mix? Who would you choose as the winner in each category? Are there shows and stars you think we missed?

And be sure to tune in for the first annual Critics Choice Television Awards on ReelzChannel on June 22!

Best Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Dexter – Showtime
Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Fringe – FOX
Game of Thrones – HBO
The Good Wife – CBS
Justified – FX
The Killing – AMC
Mad Men – AMC
The Walking Dead – AMC

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Michael C. Hall – Dexter – Showtime
Jon Hamm – Mad Men – AMC
William H. Macy – Shameless – Showtime
Timothy Olyphant – Justified – FX

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Mireille Enos – The Killing – AMC
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife – CBS
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men – AMC
Katey Sagal – Sons of Anarchy – FX
Anna Torv – Fringe – FOX

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife – CBS
Walton Goggins – Justified – FX
Shawn Hatosy – Southland – TNT
John Noble – Fringe – FOX
Michael Pitt – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
John Slattery – Mad Men – AMC

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Michelle Forbes – The Killing – AMC
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men – AMC
Margo Martindale – Justified – FX
Kelly Macdonald – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife – CBS
Chloë Sevigny – Big Love – HBO

Best Comedy Series
Archer – FX
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Community – NBC
Glee – FOX
Louie – FX
The Middle – ABC
Modern Family – ABC
The Office – NBC
Parks and Recreation – NBC
30 Rock – NBC

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock – NBC
Steve Carell – The Office – NBC
Louis C.K. – Louie – FX
Charlie Day – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – FX
Joel McHale – Community – NBC
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory – CBS

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Courteney Cox – Cougar Town – ABC
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie – Showtime
Tina Fey – 30 Rock – NBC
Patricia Heaton – The Middle – ABC
Martha Plimpton – Raising Hope – FOX
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation – NBC

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell – Modern Family – ABC
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother – CBS
Nick Offerman – Parks and Recreation – NBC
Ed O’Neill – Modern Family – ABC
Danny Pudi – Community – NBC
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family – ABC

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen – Modern Family – ABC
Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock – NBC
Jane Lynch – Glee – FOX
Busy Philipps – Cougar Town – ABC
Eden Sher – The Middle – ABC
Sofía Vergara – Modern Family – ABC

Best Reality Series
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – ABC
Hoarders – A&E
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – Bravo
Sister Wives – TLC
Undercover Boss – CBS

Best Reality Series – Competition
The Amazing Race – CBS
American Idol – FOX
Dancing with the Stars – ABC
Project Runway – Lifetime
RuPaul’s Drag Race – Logo
Top Chef – Bravo

Best Reality Show Host
Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars – ABC
Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance – FOX
Ty Pennington – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – ABC
Mike Rowe – Dirty Jobs – Discovery
Ryan Seacrest – American Idol – FOX

Best Talk Show
Chelsea Lately – E!
The Daily Show – Comedy Central
The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Bros.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC
The Oprah Winfrey Show – Harpo

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• Filed in Award shows, Boardwalk Empire, Comedy, Dexter, Drama, Fall 2010-11 TV season, Glee, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Justified, Mad Men, Project Runway, Real Housewives, Reality, Sons of Anarchy
• Tags: Critics Choice Television Awards, Critics Choice TV Awards

(ALL TIMES ET)

10:30PM | COMEDY CENTRAL – SERIES PREMIERE
Sports Show With Norm McDonald – Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds and the Masters tournament are among Norm‘s opening night topics in this new series in which, as the title suggests, the funny guy gives his unique take on the world of sports.

Check Local Listings for Time | PBS
Independent Lens – Graffiti artist-turned-toast of the art world Jean-Michel Basquiat is the topic of this Frontline edition, which follows the Brooklyn-born artist’s life from his early days of SAMO graffiti through his friendships with Vincent Gallo and Andy Warhol, his major successes in the art world and, tragically, his heroin overdose at age 27.

8PM | COOKING CHANNEL
Eat Street – The new series will spotlight street food throughout North America, beginning with a grilled cheese sandwich truck in Los Angeles and the yummy Schnitzel & Things truck in NYC.

8PM | CBS
NCIS – The murder, and the murderer, of a Navy lieutenant was caught on tape, but Gibbs and company still have to identify the face of the killer, who happens to be a petty officer.

9PM | WE – SERIES PREMIERE
Braxton Family Values – R&B diva Toni Braxton and her sister are the subjects of this new reality series, which, from the premiere, looks to include a looooot of sibling discord (read: catfighting).

9PM | NGC
Conspirator: The Plot to Kill Lincoln – Another NGC special marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Conspirator tells the story of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. government, after she was convicted of being involved in the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln. The story also unfolds on the big screen this week in The Conspirator, the Robert Redford-directed flick starring Robin Wright as Surratt.

9PM | DISCOVERY – 7TH SEASON PREMIERE
Deadliest Catch – New season, two new captains.

9:30PM | FOX
Traffic Light – Still feeling guilty about ruining Mike’s bachelor party years earlier, Adam throws him a do-over soiree, which gets predictably out of hand.

10PM | CBS
The Good Wife – The election results are in …

10PM | SYFY
Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen – On the menu for a luau-themed celebration: short ribs and tabletop volcanoes that dispense pineapple dipping sauce.

10PM | WE – SERIES PREMIERE
Sinbad: It’s Just Family – The comedian’s trying to spark a career, and marital, comeback in this reality show, which finds him moving back in with his wife, who he recently remarried.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– On Biggest Loser: Couples (8PM, NBC), the teams go to New Zealand, where they go skydiving and have to climb 51 flights of stairs;
– The British chef tries to makeover the food program in Los Angeles schools on the season two premiere of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (8PM, ABC);
– Will Kirstie Alley‘s shoe fumble cost her on tonight’s Dancing With the Stars results show (9PM, ABC)?;
– Frontline (9PM, PBS) takes a look at “Football High,” the very competitive – and lucrative – world of high school football;
– Techie Eric goes undercover for the first time on NCIS: Los Angeles (9PM, CBS);
– A med student gets makeover help on What Not to Wear (9PM, TLC);
– Lifetime’s new reality series Playdates (9:30PM) follows a group of NYC preschoolers in their first days at school;
– The team has to reassemble the victim when they find severed body parts on Body of Proof (10PM, ABC);
– On Fabulous Beekman Boys (10PM, Planet Green), Brent and Josh are launching new products and interacting with fans at a book signing;
– I (Almost) Got Away With It (10PM, ID) profiles a quirky thief who liked to steal things like Crystal Gayle‘s tour bus;
– Amber quits her job and heads down a bad path on Parenthood (10PM, NBC).

And the late-night line-up:
– Conan (11PM, TBS): Gordon Ramsay and Hayden Panettiere;
– The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (11PM, Comedy Central): Gov. Deval Patrick;
– The Colbert Report (11:30PM, Comedy Central): Ray Kurzweil;
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Foo Fighters and Ricky Gervais;
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Kristen Bell and Austin “Chumlee” Russell from Pawn Stars;
– Lopez Tonight (Midnight, TBS): Christian Slater;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Morgan Spurlock and Emma Roberts;
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Ted Danson and Kenny Rogers (REPEAT);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Wynonna Judd;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Amanda Palmer (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Comedy, Late Night, Sports, TV Picks
• Tags: Braxton Family Values, Deadliest Catch season 7, Eat Street food trucks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, NCIS, Sinbad: It's Just Family, Sports Show With Norm McDonald, The Conspirator, The Good Wife, Traffic Light