Breaking Bad, the TV drama, which is just heading into its final 8-episode run, won top honors at this Saturday’s TV Critics Association Awards. The show won for program of the year among a number of highly acclaimed and successful TV productions, some of which don’t typically get recognized by the Emmys.

Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Emmy Lot
Breaking Bad emerged as the topic of the night.

Game of Thrones was another one of the night’s biggest winners, taking the honor in the category of best drama, while Big Bang Theory and Parks and Recreation had to split the title of best comedy. Tatiana Maslany of BBC America’s Orphan Black and Louis CK of FX’s Louis were both recognised as outstanding achievement in the drama and comedy categories, respectively, while Barbara Walters received the career achievement award. For Walters, the award comes right on the heels of her announcement that she will be retiring from broadcast journalism in a years time. This was probably why the TV Critics Association chose his particular time to honor Walters with the distinction.

Barbara Walters, Times 100 Gala
Barbara Walters' career was paid tribute with a career achievement award.

There were a few other highlights of the night, including a heritage award for CBS’s All in the Family and a news and programming distinction for Ken Burns’ documentary The Central Park Five. The full list of honorees was made available in a press release on the TCA website.

Ken Burns, Paley Center
Ken Burns won for news and programming.