10th Annual Awards Psychic Television Award Winners

It is our 10th Anniversary! I can't believe we are over a decade doing these television awards! In honor of our anniversary, I have continued to expand the categories I will reward. Enjoy! Tomorrow we start my Emmy winner predictions! 

Best Drama Series
Winner - Succession

Runners Up - The Crown and The Good Fight

Commentary - The Crown had an excellent Season 3 and The Good Fight continues to be just an entertaining as hell show that is unjustly ignored by Emmy voters. But there is no doubt this year, that the most engaging, gripping, well-written show on television is Succession. Its breakthrough at the Emmy awards should not come as a surprise when its Season 2 dramatically improved on an already excellent Season 1, and just knocked it out of the park. Succession is high-stakes drama, brilliantly acted by a now well-rewarded cast. It manages to brilliantly combine its drama, with soap opera theatrics, and humor, and manages to make it smart, engaging, and binge-worthy. It is Succession's year to shine, and damn if it didn't deserve that spotlight. 

Best Comedy Series
Winner - (TIE) Better Things and Schitt's Creek
Runners Up - The Good Place, Insecure, and What We Do in the Shadows

Commentary - So, The Good Place ended on high note, Insecure continued to be excellent and finally got overdue recognition by Emmy voters, as did What We Do in the Shadows, which kept be laughing the entire season. Despite that heavy competition this year, I landed on two winners, because I couldn't pick just one. The first is Better Things, which unfortunately was ignored again by voters. This season continued to mesmerize me in its humor, its growth, its brilliant characters, and its quirky story line that was both linear at times, and stream of conscience at others. It is just such a brilliant show, mostly thanks to the acting, writing, and directing talents of the fantastic Pamela Adlon. She continues to breathe so much life into this little story about a family of women and their journey, and since the Emmys missed out on their chance, I wanted to make sure that it did not go unnoticed. The other is Schitt's Creek, which exploded at the Emmy nominations, and has a real shot of winning the Best Comedy Series prize. That would make me ecstatic. I joined the Schitt's Creek craze late in the game, and now if feels like it has gone too soon. It started as a quirky Canadian comedy about horrible people who are forced to deal with reality. They are shallow, vapid characters who are constantly mesmerized and flabbergasted by the simplicity of a rural community. While that is a funny premise, Schitt's Creek did not become a phenomenon overnight because of it. It is because beneath that shallow layer, Schitt's Creek subtly and brilliantly, over the course of six wonderful seasons, grew these characters, drew out this quirky and lovable town, and by the time the show ended, left you were in tears. Tears of joy for the characters, whose journey's ended up being so meaningful, and tears of sadness that this magnificent, funny, and heartfelt show had come to its end. 

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Winner - Jeremy Strong "Succession"

Runners Up - Jason Bateman "Ozark", Brian Cox "Succession", and Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul"

Commentary - For me, this was one of the easiest categories to pick. Jeremy Strong on Succession is just mind-blowing in this show's first two seasons. After the shocking, and brilliantly constructed character arc of Season 1, I wasn't sure what the writers were going to do with Kendall in Season 2. Let's just say they continued to find juicy material for Strong to portray, and his nuanced, and, yet at times, explosive performance nailed every single thing they threw at his character. Easily the best of the year. 

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Winner - (TIE) Jennifer Aniston "The Morning Show" and Olivia Colman "The Crown"
Runners Up - Christine Baranski "The Good Fight" and Laura Linney "Ozark"

Commentary - Baranski was fantastic, and Linney had a great season. My two favorites of the year were Jennifer Aniston and Olivia Colman. Colman had a lot to live up to. She was coming off of an Oscar win, and was taking over the reigns from Claire Foy, who was beloved in this role, and won an Emmy for it. At first, the sudden change in the entire cast was a bit jarring, but it didn't take long for Colman to get into her character, and when she did, she knocked it out of the park. The anxiety, the pain, of that time in British history can be felt by Olivia Colman's performance. She embodied all of those emotions, and yet despite the darkness, she showed the strength of leadership. It was a subtle, and amazingly wrought performance. My other winner is Jennifer Aniston. Since her Friends days, her Rachel character has haunted her career. Yes, she does a lot of crappy comedies (and gets paid a lot of money to do them), but when she wants to take a career turn (think The Good Girl and Cake), she nails it every time. It is time for people to stop doubting just how amazing of a talent she is, and The Morning Show is just more proof. She is magnetic, she commands every inch of the screen. She utilizes her star power to just mesmerize viewers into watching, then uses her dramatic talent to wow them. I hope she wins the Emmy this year, and continues to prove her doubters wrong. 

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner - Eugene Levy "Schitt's Creek"

Runner Up - Matt Berry "What We Do in the Shadows"

Commentary - Matt Berry's episode where he was Jackie Daytona, just had me rolling in the floor the entire time. But he loses a close race to the great Eugene Levy. Johnny has always been more of the straight character, the balanced character compared to the chaos of his family members. But that does not make Levy's performance any less funny, charming, and a pleasure to watch. He is the glue that holds Schitt's Creek together. That is because Eugene Levy is one of the best. In his almost fifty years on screens of all sizes, Levy has never won a major acting award. He did win two Emmys for writing, but never an Emmy, Oscar, etc for his acting ability. It is time that he get that recognition. I hope Emmy voters feel the same way. 

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner - Catherine O'Hara "Schitt's Creek"

Runners Up - Pamela Adlon "Better Things" and Issa Rae "Insecure"

Commentary -  Moira Rose is one of the most ridiculous characters to grace television screens in a long time. She is vain, has a ridiculous accent, wears ridiculous clothing, and is a fallen soap opera actor that thinks way to highly of her less-than-stellar talent. Despite that, she is also a character that you can't help but love. You can't wait to see what antics she is going to get into next. That is because of the talent of the great Catherine O'Hara. Like her co-star Levy, O'Hara is a legendary comedic talent who has never won a major acting award (again, she has won a writing Emmy). She and Levy have had such long career together, and their chemistry is unmatched. Moira will go down as one of those great comedy characters, and O'Hara deserves all the recognition she can get. 

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Winner - Josh O'Connor "The Crown" 

Runners Up - Kieran Culkin "Succession", Matthew Macfayden "Succession", and Billy Crudup "The Morning Show"

Commentary - I really thought about this category a lot. I love the Succession guys, and Crudup, who has long been an underrated favorite of mine, is great in The Morning Show. But when I looked at the nominees, the name I kept coming back to is Josh O'Connor. He doesn't have the biggest supporting role in the bunch, but his impact on screen is undeniable. I just love this actor. I think he is magnetic on screen, and his role as Prince Charles was one of the most potent and memorable in an all-star cast. He was just so damn good. He has this burgeoning film and television career, and keeps popping up in these amazing roles with such incredible variety. This guy is going to be a superstar one day, and The Crown proves that he is destined for greatness. 

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Winner - Tessa Thompson "Westworld"

Runners Up - Helena Bonham Carter "The Crown" and Sarah Snook "Succession"

Commentary - Say what you will about the third season of Westworld (I think the team deserve credit for trying something new and inventive, even if it didn't always work out), but anyone who tries to deny just how damn good Tessa Thompson was this season, is absolutely insane. Her character got a huge role this season, and she took every opportunity to knock it out of the park. She was devastating and fierce, and when I looked at this category, it was the only name I was willing to pick. 

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner - Dan Levy "Schitt's Creek"

Runners Up - Andre Braugher "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", William Jackson Harper "The Good Place", Harvey Guillen "What We Do in the Shadows"

Commentary - Dan Levy is a huge talent,including writing, directing, producing, and acting in Schitt's Creek. This show's success is on his shoulders. He is obviously fantastic in all of those roles, but it is his acting that probably gets the most attention. His creation of David, another ridiculous character, is just fascinating. It is also great to see his character grow (a theme as you shall see). His relationship with Patrick humanized an inhuman character, and gave Dan the emotional story line to showcase his range as an actor. I'm pretty sure Shalhoub will win the Emmy again for Maisel (which is fine with me, he is great in the show), but I would love to see a Dan Levy upset. Also I wanted to give a shout-out to William Jackson Harper and Andre Braugher, both who got surprising and deserved Emmy nominations this year, and Harvey Guillen, who was just the absolute best part of Season 2 of What We Do in the Shadows. 

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner - (TIE) Annie Murphy "Schitt's Creek" and Yvonne Orji "Insecure" 

Runners Up - Emily Hampshire "Schitt's Creek", D'Arcy Carden "The Good Place", and Ashley Nicole Black "A Black Lady Sketch Show"

Commentary - Like I said, there is a theme here. Annie Murphy, as Alexis, started out as such a ridiculous caricature. But in Schitt's Creek's final season, Murphy, like so many of the characters in this show, got to really show her range. Her finally realizing just how important Ted was to her, gave her the opportunity to showcase just how amazing Murphy is as an actress, and not just as a comedic genius, but as a deeply emotional performer. But, I also literally screamed with joy when I saw Yvonne Orji had gotten a nomination for Insecure. Molly is such a great character, and while this season was emotionally hard, it also showcased why Orji is an up and coming star, and could be the next great comedic icon. 

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Winner - Charles Dance "The Crown"

Runners Up - James Cromwell "Succession" and Ron Cephas Jones "This is Us" 

Commentary - Dance never got recognized for Game of Thrones, which was a shame. I'm glad to see that Emmy voters finally gave him some love for his excellent turn as Lord Mountbatten in The Crown. The aging hero facing extinction is an old tale, but Dance breathes life into it, and truly captures the greatness, and devastation of his real life muse. A great turn that deserves recognition. 

Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Winner - Cicely Tyson "How to Get Away with Murder"

Runners Up - Cherry Jones "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Succession"  and Harriet Walter "Succession" 

Commentary - Most people probably think that Cicely Tyson has been nominated so many times for How to Get Away With Murder, because she is Cicely Tyson, and her name on a ballot is enough for voters who recognize her as one of the best. That may be true, but I like to think it is because voters recognize just how damn good she has been every time she graces the screen. Some of the best moments of that show are her and Viola Davis sharing the screen, and even in her nineties, Tyson proves that she is still the best, and always will be. 

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Winners - (TIE) Leslie Jordan "Will & Grace" and Eddie Murphy "Saturday Night Live"

Runners Up - Mark Hamill "What We Do in the Shadows" and Dustin Milligan "Schitt's Creek"

Commentary - Eddie Murphy's return to SNL was triumphant, and proved why he will go down as one of the best comedic actors in the history of mankind. Seriously, he is just that damn good. But I also wanted to recognize one of my favorite actors and characters, from a show I have loved for 20 years. The revival of Will & Grace was great, but it never really got close to the show's best years. Despite that, there were some excellent turns, including the always great character of Beverly Leslie, played by Leslie Jordan. Maybe I am a bit drawn to him by his viral quarantine Instagram posts, but I also really looked forward to every time I heard those magical words on Will & Grace, "Well, well, well...". Jordan has been an excellent character actor for a long time, and I am glad that the rest of the world has finally fallen in love with him. Beverly Leslie will go down as one of those iconic sitcom characters, and as Jordan starts his journey on another sitcom (Mayim Bialik's Call Me Kat), I hope the rest of the world realizes what an icon Leslie Jordan is as well. 

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Winner - Angela Bassett "A Black Lady Sketch Show"

Runners Up - Wanda Sykes "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and Phoebe Waller-Bridge "Saturday Night Live" 

Commentary - One of my favorite Emmy nominations this year was Angela Bassett for A Black Lady Sketch Show. She, of course, is an amazing talent, often recognized for her dramatic roles. But, in her scene-stealing guest turn in A Black Lady Sketch Show, she also proved that she is so funny. She was so great in this role. Honestly, its my favorite role of hers in years, and I hope Emmy voters feel the same way. 

Best Directing in a Drama Series 

Winner - Lesli Linka Glatter "Homeland - Prisoners of War" 

Runners Up - Benjamin Caron "The Crown - Aberfan" and Mimi Leder "The Morning Show - The Interview"

Commentary - Homeland had its ups and downs, but its final season was superb. Over the years, a lot of credit is owed to the directing talent of Lesli Linka Glatter. She has been nominated for a bunch of Emmys, and managed to get a nomination this year for the series finale of Homeland, which was jaw-droppingly good. I know she probably won't win, most likely to Aberfan from the Crown or maybe Succession, which is fine, considering how good those episodes were. But she deserves recognition, because she is one of the best directors working in television today, and she continually knocks it out of the park. 

Best Directing in a Comedy Series

Winner - Pamela Adlon "Better Things - Listen to the Roosters" 

Runners Up - Andrew Cividino and Daniel Levy "Schitt's Creek - Happy Ending" and Michael Shur "The Good Place - Whenever You're Ready" 

Commentary - My favorite episode of Better Things this year was New Orleans, but alas it was not submitted (neither was Elizabeth Ashley for that episode, which is a crime). But like New Orleans, Listen to the Roosters is a brilliant representation of Adlon's beautifully wrought direction of this amazing show. It showcases the love that Adlon has for her family, her art, and her city of Los Angeles, and it is just absolutely brilliant. 

Best Writing in a Drama Series

Winner - Jesse Armstrong "Succession - This is Not for Tears"

Runners Up - Peter Morgan "The Crown - Aberfan" and Robert and Michelle King "The Good Fight - The Gang Deals With Alternate Reality"

Commentary - Oh my God, how freaking fantastic was This is Not for Tears? That episode was so brilliantly constructed, so well-drawn out by Jesse Armstrong. It even beat a bunch of British favorites to win the BAFTA for writing. That's how amazing it is, it is literally internationally recognized for its amazing writing. I can't imagine any other episode ever getting close to beating this one this year. 

Best Writing in a Comedy Series

Winner - (TIE) Dan Levy "Schitt's Creek - Happy Ending" and Michael Schur "The Good Place -Whenever You're Ready" 

Runners Up - Joe Hortua and Ira Parker "Better Things - Batceanera", Prentice Penny "Insecure - Lowkey Lost", and Stefani Robinson "What We Do in the Shadows - On the Run" 

Commentary - Schitt's Creek's finally was perfect. Period. But how do you walk away from The Good Place, and its final season, and not reward its writing? It is one of the most unique television experiences of all time, and credit is owed to its amazing writing team, who took an outrageous concept, and made it a lovable, funny, and endearing series. 

Best Limited Series
Winner - Watchmen

Runners Up - Mrs. America and The Plot Against America

Commentary - How can there not be a second season? There are so many story lines and characters to unpack. How can they leave it where it ended? That is how damn good Watchmen is. You get to the end of this brilliant limited series, and you are left frustrated, because all you really want is more. A brilliant combination of genre sensibility, impeccable ensemble acting, and cultural relevance, Watchmen was one of a kind. 

Best TV Movie
Winner - Bad Education

Runners Up - El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend

Commentary - El Camino and Kimmy vs. The Reverend proved that those beloved television series still had story lines meriting continuation. But Bad Education was my favorite of the bunch. A wicked mix of dark comedy and great acting, made it an entertaining and worthy endeavor. 

Best Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Mark Ruffalo "I Know This Much is True"

Runners Up - Hugh Jackman "Bad Education" and Jeremy Irons "Watchmen"

Commentary - I Know This Much is True was a heavy series, and often times it was simply too hard to watch. But no one can deny the greatness of Mark Ruffalo's dual performance. He was jaw-dropping good, and made this series worth the watch. 

Best Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Regina King "Watchmen" 

Runners Up - Cate Blanchett "Mrs. America" and Kathryn Hahn "Mrs. Fletcher"

Commentary - Regina King. Regina King. Regina King. Regina King. What else can I say? She was so damn good in Watchmen, as she is in everything. No actress is more deserving of an Emmy this year. 

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series

Winner - Jovan Adepo "Watchmen"

Runners Up - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II "Watchmen" and Tim Blake Nelson "Watchmen" 

Commentary - So Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Tim Blake Nelson are probably more high profile picks. But easily the best episode of Watchmen was This Extraordinary Being. That journey for Angela into her grandfather's memories, was deep, emotional, an revelatory one.  One of the reasons for its greatness is Jovan Adepo. He was not predicted to get an Emmy nomination, but he was one of the deserving surprises. His performance was the center of an great story line and episode, and he is incredibly worthy of recognition. 

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Jean Smart "Watchmen"

Runners Up - Rose Byrne "Mrs. America" and Toni Collette "Unbelievable"

Commentary - Jean Smart is a legend in the industry, and her role in Watchmen was fierce, formidable, emotional, and proof that she is still a force to be reckoned with. 

Best Directing in a Limited Series/TV Movie

Winner - Stephen Williams "Watchmen - This Extraordinary Being" 

Runners Up - Lynn Shelton "Little Fires Everywhere - Find a Way" and Nicole Holofcener "Mrs. Fletcher - Empty Best" 

Commentary - See Limited Series and Supporting Actor. 

Best Writing in a Limited Series/TV Movie

Winner - Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson "Watchmen - This Extraordinary Being" 

Runners Up - Dahvi Walker "Mrs. America - Houston" and David Simon and Ed Burns "The Plot Against America - Part 2" 

Commentary - See Limited Series and Supporting Actor. 

Best Variety Series

Winner - A Black Lady Sketch Show

Runner Up - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Commentary - The Daily Show had a great year, but no variety series this year got even close to the greatness that was A Black Lady Sketch Show. Of course, the representation of the cast and crew were groundbreaking. But honestly, I just thought it was the best-written, most hilarious, and best acted variety program of the year, that also happened to be a spotlight for women of color in the television industry. Thede and her team knocked it out of the park, and I can't wait to see what Season 2 has in store. 

Best Variety Special

Winner - (TIE) Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones and Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty

Runners Up - A Parks And Recreation Special and Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything

Commentary - Dave Chappelle knocked it out of the park again with Sticks & Stones, continuing his comeback streak. But I have to give a shout out to Fortune Feimster. She is from my hometown (fun fact, my mom taught her in high school!), and my friends and I have gone to see her live several times when she comes to NC. Her stand up special Sweet & Salty was filled with so many hometown reference and was so hilarious. It is so awesome to see her do so well, and I can't wait to see what she does next. 

Best Directing in a Variety Series or Special

Winner - Dime Davis "A Black Lady Sketch Show - Born at Night, But Not Last Night"

Runners Up - Don Roy King "Saturday Night Live - Host: Eddie Murphy" and David Paul Meyer "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Dr. Fauci Answers Trevor's Questions About Coronavirus"

Commentary -  A Black Lady Skech Showand  is brilliant, and its team of directors deserves a lot of credit for its brilliant mixing of the season, and its inventiveness. 

Best Writing in a Variety Series or Special

Winner - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Runner Up - A Black Lady Sketch Show and Dave Chappelle "Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones"

Commentary - The sharp commentary, even in quarantine, that Trevor Noah and his team come up with has been particularly meaningful and in the zeitgeist recently. I think we are finally starting to see Noah come into his own on the show, and he and his writers are doing a great job of keeping it unique and culturally relevant. 

Best Animated Series

Winner - Bob's Burgers

Runner Up - BoJack Horseman

Commentary - I particularly loved this season of Bob's Burgers, which proved it is still one of the best animated series on television.