'Fleabag,' 'Better Call Saul,' Michelle Williams among top winners of TV critics' awards

Gary Levin

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – "Fleabag" and its star/creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge took three top honors at the Television Critics Association Awards on Saturday. Amazon's quirky British romantic comedy won the program of the year, outstanding achievement in comedy and individual achievement in comedy awards.

AMC's "Breaking Bad" prequel "Better Call Saul" won the top drama award. Michelle Williams won individual achievement in drama for her role as actress and dancer Gwen Verdon in FX's limited series "Fosse/Verdon." Netflix's twisty "Russian Doll" took the TCA trophy for outstanding new program. And HBO won three awards, for movie or miniseries ("Chernobyl"); news and information program ("Leaving Neverland," detailing sexual abuse claims against singer Michael Jackson) and – in a repeat win – sketch/variety program ("Last Week Tonight with John Oliver").

The 35th annual awards were presented Saturday night during the TCA's semi-annual press tour. Desus and Mero, hosts of a Showtime talk show, emceed the ceremony, where Waller-Bridge, Williams and "Russian Doll" star Natasha Lyonne and producer Amy Poehler were among the celebrities on hand to pick up their prizes. (In an impassioned speech, Williams recounted her love of television as a child actor trying to break into showbiz, and she thanked FX for supporting "and paying us equally" in a pointed reference to her unequal pay for reshoots on "All the Money in the World.")

In 2018: TV critics' annual awards honor 'The Americans,' 'The Good Place' and 'Versace'

Other winners included Netflix's reboot of makeover series "Queer Eye" for outstanding achievement in reality programming (as it did in 2018) and PBS children's series "Arthur" for youth programming.

Ian McShane, left, David Milch and Timothy Olyphant arrive for the premiere of HBO's
Ian McShane, left, David Milch and Timothy Olyphant arrive for the premiere of HBO's

Veteran writer/producer David Milch ("NYPD Blue"), who last spring revealed he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, was honored with the TCA's Lifetime Achievement Award, and "Deadwood," one of his signature achievements, won the Heritage Award for "redefining the Western genre for a modern audience." (HBO in May aired a long-planned finale of the series, which aired from 2004 to 2006.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TCA Awards: 'Fleabag,' 'Better Call Saul' take top honors