Last Updated Mon, 25 Jul 2005 09:02:10 EDT
CBC Arts

ABC’s two freshman hits Desperate Housewives and Lost were among the shows honoured by the Television Critics Association this weekend at its 21st annual awards.

The U.S. and Canadian association named the dark suburban satire Desperate Housewives its program of the year. Lost, which tells the story of plane crash survivors stuck on a mysterious island, was named outstanding new program and also won a prize for outstanding achievement in drama.

Acclaimed Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, broadcast in Canada on CTV, took the children’s programming prize.

Arrested Development, Fox’s critical darling about a dysfunctional family, took its second consecutive trophy for outstanding achievement in comedy, while PBS news show Frontline won for outstanding achievement in news and information.

U.S. network ABC also took a prize for its news program Nightline, which received the critics group’s Heritage Award. The honour is presented to a long-running show that has “a lasting or cultural or social impact.”

Other winners included:

Actor Hugh Laurie of TV medical drama House, for individual achievement in drama.
Comedy host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for individual achievement in comedy (his second win).
BBC America’s British comedy The Office Special, for outstanding achievement in movies, miniseries and specials.
Veteran comedian Bob Newhart, for career achievement.

Founded in 1978, the Television Critics Association is a collection of more than 200 U.S. and Canadian TV reporters and columnists.