Brilliant, insightful, handsome television critics honor "Friday Night Lights," "Dexter," "Kyle XY," "Heroes"

Who gave their top acting prize to Ian McShane when he couldn't get arrested? Who honored Hugh Laurie and James Gandolfini long before they took home Goldens or Emmys? Who led the parades for both "The West Wing" (32 Emmys and Globes) and "Gilmore Girls" (zero Emmys and Globes)?

The Television Critics Association, that's who. The 23rd annual TCA Awards were held tonight in the same ballroom where the Globes are given out. But while the Hollywood Foreign Press Association likes to kid itself that it "predicts the Oscars," the nation's TV critics couldn't care less who follows our lead — other than, of course, our readers. In fact, I think a lot of my fellow crix are secretly pleased when their choices go unduplicated by other awards, as it confirms the suspicion that their voters are more easily swayed by publicity and Nielsen ratings.

This year's TCA Awards featured numerous declarations of independence:

• The award for Outstanding New Program went to "Friday Night Lights," a show that was completely and shockingly denied even a single Emmy Award nomination largely and surprisingly overlooked by Emmy voters last week.
• The Individual Achievement in Drama award went to Michael C. Hall (right) for Showtime's "Dexter," who was also overlooked by the Emmy voters.
• The TCA Award for Program of the Year went to "Heroes," which did get a best-drama nod from the Emmy voters. (Ever the contrarians, we gave "The Sopranos" the drama award, as well as the coveted Heritage Award in a field that included "M*A*S*H" and "Roots.")
• The TCA Award for children's programming went to "Kyle XY." This show will likely never contend for an Emmy Award because it's a "tweener" — its genre falls between kids and grown-up TV. Funny how the TCA gives out a fraction of the trophies the Emmys do, yet we figured out a way to honor a great family show.

Some of the other winners at the 23rd annual TCA Awards were more accustomed to collecting prizes, like "The Office,"  "The Sopranos," Alec Baldwin and our career achievement winner, Mary Tyler Moore. What all the winners had in common was that they all earned their prizes from the toughest judges of all — the people who watch TV for a living, rather than those who make it for a living.

The 2007 TCA Award recipients are as follows:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Heroes” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “Friday Night Lights” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “The Sopranos” (HBO)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “The Office” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: “Planet Earth” (Discovery) 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING: “Kyle XY” (ABC Family)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINI-SERIES & SPECIALS: “Planet Earth” (Discovery)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime)

HERITAGE AWARD: “The Sopranos” (HBO)

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Mary Tyler Moore