Did you know there was a Television Critics Association?  Why not, every other niche group has banded together.  But, I bet you didn’t know that they have an annual awards show, and that this year marks their 27th year presenting the awards.  Stick with me; I’ll give you tidbits of trivia to wow your friends, family and colleagues.  Unlike the Emmy’s or the Oscars, they don’t accept submissions.  The nominees are chosen by the members, an organization made up of more than 200 professional critics and journalists from the US and Canada.

I’ve listed the categories and nominations below.  The awards will be presented on August 6th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. You’ll notice toward the bottom of this list is a category titled “Heritage Award”, this trophy is awarded to one long-standing program that has culturally or socially impacted society.  So take a look, which one do you think should win?

Individual Achievement in Drama
1. Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire,” HBO)
2. Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones,” HBO)
3. Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” AMC)
4. Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
5. Margo Martindale (“Justified”, FX)
6. Timothy Olyphant (“Justified,” FX)

Individual Achievement in Comedy
1. Ty Burrell (“Modern Family,” ABC)
2. Louis C.K. (“Louis,” FX)
3. Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation,” NBC)
4. Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation,” NBC)
5. Danny Pudi (“Community,” NBC)
6. Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central)

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
1. “If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise” (HBO)
2. “Restrepo” (National Geographic Channel)
3. “60 Minutes” (CBS)
4. “The Rachel Maddow Show” (MSNBC)
5. “30 for 30” (ESPN)

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
1. “Amazing Race” (CBS)
2. “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” (Travel Channel)
3. “Survivor” (CBS)
4. “The Voice” (NBC)
5. “Top Chef: All Stars” (Bravo)

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
1. “A Children’s Garden of Poetry” (HBO)
2. “iCarly” (Nickelodeon)
3. “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee” (Nickelodeon)
4. “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour” (The Hub)
5. “Sesame Street” (PBS)
6. “Yo Gabba Gabba” (Nick Jr.)

Outstanding New Program
1. “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
2. “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
3. “Terriers” (FX)
4. “The Killing” (AMC)
5. “Walking Dead” (AMC)

Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials
1. “Cineme Verite” (HBO)
2. “Downton Abbey: Masterpiece” (PBS)
3. “Mildred Pierce” (HBO)
4. “Sherlock: Masterpiece” (PBS)
5. “Too Big to Fail” (HBO)

Outstanding Achievement in Drama
1. “Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV/NBC)
2. “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
3. “Justified” (FX)
4. “Mad Men” (AMC)
5. “The Good Wife” (CBS)

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
1. “Community” (NBC)
2. “Louie” (FX)
3. “Modern Family” (ABC)
4. “Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
5. “Raising Hope” (FOX)

Career Achievement Award
1. Steven Bochco
2. Dick Ebersol
3. Cloris Leachman
4. David Letterman
5. William Shatner
6. Oprah Winfrey

Heritage Award
1. “All in the Family”
2. “Freaks and Geeks”
3. “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
4. “Twin Peaks”

Program of the Year
1. “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
2. “Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV/NBC)
3. “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
4. “Justified” (FX)
5. “Parks and Recreation” (NBC)

IOTG’s mission is to democratize open writing assignment, open directing assignment, spec script and other film development information for the benefit of the entire entertainment community. In addition to the tools and information available within the site itself, the company also maintains a free section of the site where news about updates and additions to the database is posted on a regular basis.

And There’s A New Video Streaming Service:
It would be a sad day if we didn’t have entertainment choices.  And the opportunities to stream video to your various devices are increasing by the hour.  Vudu.com, a Walmart company offers a streaming video service they say rivals Netflix.  There’s no subscription fee and they offer films the same day they’re released on DVD.  You have your choice of quality at a cost; HDX $5.99, HD $4.00 and SD 3.99.  Whether you go with Vudu or Netflix it’s cheaper than the cost of a NYC movie ticket at $12.00.

“The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: An Evening with Archbishop Desmond Tutu” (CBS), Worldwide Pants, Inc.

“Noodle Road: Connecting Asia’s Kitchens” (KBS1 TV), Korean Broadcasting System

“A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains” (ABC), ABC News

SesameStreet.org, Sesame Workshop

“BBC World News America: Unique Broadcast, Unique Perspective” (BBC America), BBC World News America, BBC America

“The Cost of Dying” (CBS), CBS News 60 Minutes

“Independent Lens: Between the Folds” (PBS), Green Fuse Films, ITVS

“Glee” (FOX), Twentieth Century Fox Television

“The OxyContin Express” (Current TV), Vanguard on Current TV

npr.org, National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org)

Diane Rehm, Personal Award, talk show now available to National Public Radio listeners after decades on Washington’s WAMU-FM

“The Day that Lehman Died” (BBC World Service), a Goldhawk Essential Production/BBC World Service Production

“In Treatment” (HBO), Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions and Sheleg in association with HBO Entertainment

“Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times” (PBS), Peter Jones Productions

“No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” (HBO), Mirage Enterprises and Cinechicks in association with The Weinstein Company, BBC and HBO Entertainment

“Sabotaging the System” (CBS), CBS News 60 Minutes

“Brick City” (Sundance Channel), Sundance Channel, Brick City TV LLC

“Thrilla in Manila” (HBO), Darlow Smithson Production, HBO Sports, HBO Documentary Films

“FRONTLINE: The Madoff Affair” (PBS), FRONTLINE, RAINmedia

“I-Witness: Ambulansiyang de Paa” (GMA Network), GMA Network, Inc., Philippines

“Independent Lens: The Order of Myths” (PBS), Folly River, Inc., Netpoint Productions, Lucky Hat Entertainment, ITVS

“Hard Times” (OPB Radio), Oregon Public Broadcasting

“Iran & the West”, Brook Lapping Productions for the BBC in association with National Geographic Channel, France 3, NHK, VPRO, SVT, RTBF, VRT, NRK, SRC/CBC, DRTV SBS, YLE, TVP and Press TV

“Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson: Covering Afghanistan” (NPR), National Public Radio

“The Great Textbook War” (West Virginia Public Broadcasting), Trey Kay Productions

“Mind the Gap: Why Good Schools Are Failing Black Students” (KLCC Radio), Nancy Solomon

“Endgame” (PBS), Daybreak/Channel 4/Target Entertainment, Presented on PBS/MASTERPIECE by WGBH Boston

“Sichuan Earthquake: One Year On” (Now-Broadband TV News Channel), Now-TV News, Hong Kong

“BART Shooting” (KTVU-TV), KTVU, Oakland, Calif.

“American Masters: Jerome Robbins — Something to Dance About” (PBS), Thirteen/WNET

“Chronicle: Paul’s Gift” (WYFF-TV), WYFF 4, Greenville, S.C.

“Under Fire: Discrimination and Corruption in the Texas National Guard” (KHOU-TV), KHOU-TV, Houston, Tex., Belo, Inc.

“Derrion Albert Beating” (WFLD-TV), FOX Chicago News: WFLD-TV and myfoxchicago.com

“Where Giving Life Is a Death Sentence” (BBC America), BBC World News America, BBC America, BBC World News

“Up in Smoke” (KCET-TV), KCET, Los Angeles

Participants will learn skills like rigging and dolly operation. The city says they will also receive placement services for mid-level jobs.

Classes begin in the spring and will have about 24 participants at first.

The teachers are members of the International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees.

The city will hold a recruitment event this spring at the New York City College of Technology.

And for those LOST fans that haven’t yet discovered the “after LOST roundup”, do yourself a favor and check out Doc Jensen.  Each week he gives his interpretations, dissertations, and thoughts on the latest episode in his column TOTALLY LOST on EW.com.

By the way did you notice the faces in the poster?  Seems as though there are several”losties’ returning this season.  Hmmmm…

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)
DANIEL BRÜHL / Fredrick Zoller
AUGUST DIEHL / Major Hellstrom
JULIE DREYFUS / Francesca Mondino
MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Lt. Archie Hicox
SYLVESTER GROTH / Joseph Goebbels
JACKY IDO / Marcel
DIANE KRUGER / Bridget Von Hammersmark
MÉLANIE LAURENT / Shosanna
DENIS MENOCHET / Perrier LaPedite
MIKE MYERS / General Ed French
BRAD PITT / Lt. Aldo Raine
ELI ROTH / Sgt. Donny Donowitz
TIL SCHWEIGER / Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
ROD TAYLOR / Winston Churchill
CHRISTOPH WALTZ / Col. Hans Landa
MARTIN WUTTKE / Hitler

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
SANDRA BULLOCK / Leigh Anne Tuohy – THE BLIND SIDE (Warner Bros)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
JEFF BRIDGES / Bad Blake – CRAZY HEART (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
MO’NIQUE / Mary – PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
CHRISTOPH WALTZ / Col. Hans Landa – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Weinstein/Universal)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Television
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – DEXTER (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Television
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Television
MAD MEN (AMC)
ALEXA ALEMANNI / Allison
BRYAN BATT / Salvatore Romano
JARED S. GILMORE / Bobby Draper
MICHAEL GLADIS / Paul Linsey
JON HAMM / Don Draper
JARED HARRIS / Lane Pryce
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Holloway (Harris)
JANUARY JONES / Betty Draper
VINCENT KARTHEISER / Peter Campbell
ROBERT MORSE / Bertram Cooper
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson
KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane
CHRISTOPHER STANLEY / Henry Francis
AARON STATON / Ken Cosgrove

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Television
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – 30 ROCK (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for Television
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – 30 ROCK (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Television
GLEE (FOX)
DIANA AGRON / Quinn Fabray
CHRIS COLFER / Kurt Hummel
PATRICK GALLAGHER / Ken Tanaka
JESSALYN GILSIG / Terri Schuester
JANE LYNCH / Sue Sylvester
JAYMA MAYS / Emma Pillsbury
KEVIN McHALE / Arty Abrams
LEA MICHELE / Rachel Berry
CORY MONTEITH / Finn Hudson
HEATHER MORRIS / Brittany
MATTHEW MORRISON / Will Schuester
AMBER RILEY / Mercedes
NAYA RIVERA / Santana Lopez
MARK SALLING / Puck
HARRY SHUM JR. / Mike Chang
JOSH SUSSMAN / Jacob Ben Israel
DIJON TALTON / Matt Rutherford
IQBAL THEBA / Principal Figgins
JENNA USHKOWITZ / Tina

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KEVIN BACON / Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl – TAKING CHANCE (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DREW BARRYMORE / Little Edie – GREY GARDENS (HBO)

Former Miramax Films chief Daniel Battsek, as expected, landed a new gig: president of National Geographic Films. Battsek, who was ousted as head of Disney’s specialty label Miramax in October, will begin his new job on March 15, reporting to president David Beal.

He’ll remain based in New York — at least for the time being — and be charged with overseeing the development, production, acquisition and distribution of the boutique company’s movies.

Read full article by Claudia Eller in the LA Times here.