Either I think like a producer, or producers think like me. The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced their television nominations for the 30^th Annual Producers Guild Awards presented by Cadillac, and I couldn’t agree more with their choices.

Find out who wins on Saturday, January 19, when the awards will be handed out at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

In the meantime, here are some highlights from their official list of nominees. See the rest here.

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama:

“The Americans” (Season 6)

Producers: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Chris Long, Graham Yost, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stephen Schiff, Mary Rae Thewlis, Tracey Scott Wilson, Peter Ackerman, Joshua Brand 

“Better Call Saul” (Season 4)

Producers: Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Thomas Schnauz, Gennifer Hutchison, Nina Jack, Diane Mercer, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Ann Cherkis, Bob Odenkirk, Robin Sweet

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Season 2)

Producers: Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Mike Barker, Sheila Hockin, Eric Tuchman, Kira Snyder, Yahlin Chang, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Joseph Boccia, Dorothy Fortenberry, Margaret Atwood, Ron Milbauer

“Ozark” (Season 2)

Producers: Jason Bateman, Chris Mundy, Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams, David Manson, Alyson Feltes, Ryan Farley, Patrick Markey, Matthew Spiegel, Erin Mitchell

“This Is Us” (Season 3)

Producers: Dan Fogelman, Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Ken Olin, Charles Gogolak, Jess Rosenthal, Steve Beers, KJ Steinberg, Kevin Falls, Julia Brownell, Vera Herbert, Bekah Brunstetter, Shukree Hassan Tilghman, Cathy Mickel Gibson, Nick Pavonetti

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy:

“Atlanta” (Season 2)

Producers: *Eligibility Determination Pending*

“Barry” (Season 1)

Producers: Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Aida Rodgers, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff

“GLOW” (Season 2)

Producers: Jenji Kohan, Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch, Tara Herrmann, Mark A. Burley, Nick Jones, Kim Rosenstock, Sascha Rothchild, Leanne Moore

“The Good Place” (Season 3)

Producers: Michael Schur, David Miner, Morgan Sackett, Drew Goddard, Josh Siegal, Dylan Morgan, Joe Mande, Megan Amram, David Hyman, Jen Statsky

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Season 2)

Producers: Amy Sherman‐Palladino, Daniel Palladino, Dhana Rivera Gilbert, Sheila Lawrence

See the rest of the TV nominees here.

If you’ve been waiting with bated breath to find out when the third season of Stranger Things premiers, at long last your respiration can return to normal. July 4, 2019 is the magical date. Knock yourself out.

I’m thinking I’m the only viewer in the world who is not a fan. I find it overrated, under-produced, and derivative of most of the otherworldly coming of age movies of the ’80’s. I know that’s intentional, but it doesn’t work for me. At least season three appears to be original. Season 2 was a mirror image of season 1. And yes, I realize that was intentional too. Again, doesn’t work for me.

Realizing I’m in the microscopic minority, for all the more avid Stranger Things fans, here’s a sneak peek:

I watch a lot of home improvement TV, and often get paid to do it. So when I see something that grabs me by the throat and sends me galloping into my bedroom to sort out my jeans drawer, it really means something.

Such is the case with the new Netflix reality show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, in which the mild mannered Japanese organization expert uses her cleaning super powers to fix up the homes and lives of our fellow Americans.

I’m telling you, it was all I could do to sit through the first episode without wanting to rip everything out of my kitchen drawers and throw all the little used items in the trash (or at least in the garage sale box).

Sure, she encourages people to do odd things like thanking that old ripped t-shirt before you throw it out. But when you think about it, what’s wrong with showing a little gratitude? She also encourages us to thank our houses for providing shelter and a safe environment.

So thank you house, and thank you Netflix for airing this one. Unburdening myself and getting more organized are a couple of resolutions I can handle, with Marie Kondo showing me the way.

Okay, I admit, with with 495 scripted TV shows airing over the last 12 months (and that doesn’t even include reality) it’s impossible to see everything. But I do my best to watch as many series as I can, and my membership in the Broadcast Television Journalists Association facilitates that.

So in no particular order, here are my faves of the year—the ones I felt were worth my invaluable time, and perhaps worth yours as well. Believe me, every one of them is Worth. Watching.

The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

The First (Hulu)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

The Romanoffs (Amazon)

Detectorists (Acorn — you can watch it on Netflix)

Barry (HBO)

Billions (Showtime)

Big Bang Theory (CBS)

I’m so happy to let you know that iconic TV producer Chuck Lorre will receive very special honor at the 24^th annual Critics’ Choice Awards gala. The creator of such acclaimed TV comedies as The Big Bang Theory, Mom, Young Sheldon and The Kominsky Method (as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song) will receive the Critics’ Choice Creative Achievement Award.

The award recognizes a body of work that stands out for its sustained excellence over a period of decades on programs that have delighted huge audiences with tremendous laughter and clever insights into the human condition. Lorre’s creative achievements rank with greatest television producers of all time with an incredible string of hit sitcoms dating back to Grace Under Fire, Roseanne, Dharma & Greg, Mike & Molly, and Two and a Half Men that shows no sign of letting up.

As you know, I’ll be attending the star-studded Critics’ Choice Awards, to be broadcast live on The CW Network on Sunday, January 13^th, from 7 – 10 p.m. ET (delayed PT). I’ll be in a mermaid hemmed, cutaway shouldered Calvin Klein. Look for me!

I SO love me some Karen Walker on Will & Grace, so when I heard that Megan Mullally is going to host the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, I immediately smacked my forehead and thought “Why didn’t we think of her for the Critics Choice Awards?” We haven’t announced our host yet, and she would have been perfect.

There are rumors that one of her castmates might be approached for the job, and I heard straight from the horse’s mouth that said offer would be graciously accepted, were it made.

SAG Awards nominations were announced yesterday, with Netflix garnering the most nods for the third consecutive year raking in 15. That’s about  twice as many as its nearest competitor,  Amazon’s Prime Video, which scored 8. It was followed by HBO with 6 and FX with 4. In the series category, Netflix’s Ozark and Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel scored the most. Alan Alda will receive the guild’s Life Achievement Award during the ceremony.

The SAG Awards ceremony will be held January 27 in LA and simulcast live on TNT and TBS.

When I’m in my car for a long road trip, there’s nothing I’d rather listen to than NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me in which a panel of intellectual wits tries to stump each other and an intellectual celebrity, on subjects involving current events.

Now, at long last, the radio game show/podcast is being developed for TV by Wilshire Studios with Storied Media. The adaptation will feature three celebrity panelists competing for cash for the charity of their choice. “The series, radio show and podcast, working in tandem, will allow us to expand the audience across multiple platforms,” said Dawn Olmstead, President, Wilshire Studios.

The game show universe just got brighter. Can’t wait for this one!

Originally, “The plan was to end it at 10,” said Modern Family co-creator Steven Levitan. Yet, the ABC comedy hit is is toying with the idea of a Season 11, with the six adult leads in negotiations to return for a Season 11 next year.

What’s changed? Well, for one thing, Modern Family is produced by 20th Century Fox TV, which was recently purchased by Disney, which owns ABC. Modern Family was one of Fox’s most popular assets, and it stands to reason that ABC wouldn’t want to retire it right after they paid all those billions for it.

Read all about it on HollywoodReporter.com.

Those who know me well are aware that I’m extremely flustered and intense this time of year, because I’m feverishly considering the Critics Choice Awards. As a member of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) and The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), I nominate and vote for both film and television Critics Choice Awards.

Final winners of the Critics Choice Awards will be announced at a fabulous gala broadcast live on The CW on Sunday, January 13, at 7pm. And yes, I already have my dress. It’s a red, floor length Calvin Klein, in case you’re wondering, with cutaway sleeves specifically intended to show off the tone I’ve developed while working out in the gym and watching the countless hours of content I’m required to review.

And since this is TV News Flash, I’m going to give you a brief account of the top television contenders. The rest you’ll have to read in my full article here.

HBO and Netflix led the pack with 20 nominations each, followed by FX with 17, Amazon with 12 and NBC with 11. Topping the list of nominated series were The Americans (FX), The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX) and Escape at Dannemora (Showtime) with five each; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) and Sharp Objects (HBO) each had four.

Again, check out the rest of the nominees here.

Season 1 of Amazon’s Goliath, starring Billy Bob Thornton, was great. Season 2 got a little uncomfortably creepy, but it looks like Season 3 could be the best one yet, with the additions of Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow), Amy Brenneman (The Leftovers), Beau Bridges (Homeland), Griffin Dunne (House of Lies), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks: The Return) and Shamier Anderson (Destroyer).

The plot revolves around Billy McBride (Thornton) taking a case in the drought-stricken Central Valley, where he comes face-to-face with a new Goliath: a billionaire rancher (Quaid) and his sister (Brenneman). Sounds a bit like the “final” season of House of Cards, doesn’t it?

Get more details at HollywoodReporter.com.

Amy Sherman-Palladino, she who is responsible for the timeless Gilmore Girls and the outrageously enjoyable The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has been selected to receive the Producers Guild’s 2019 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.

Nobody does female-centric TV series (That men enjoy watching as well) better. “Amy Sherman-Palladino is everything you want a TV producer to be,” said PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “She’s smart, she’s tenacious, she knows the story she wants to tell and how to put together the right team to tell it.”

PGA Awards ceremony will take place  on January 19.