The Huffington Post revealed the 2011 Peabody Awards winners, honoring excellence in all electronic media. Among the 38 recipients, a few TV programs were regarded, and some of those were given to scripted comedy or drama series.
Parks and Rec, Homeland, Game of Thrones, Portlandia, Tremé and The Colbert Report are these winning shows !
One of the voters, Mo, commented on The Huffington Post about why these shows won :
— Parks and Recreation season 3 (NBC) :
Peabody writeup : This shrewd, good-natured comedy about parks department staff in Pawnee, Indiana, never condescends or caricatures. Instead it confronts the characters with problems from the trivial to the serious.
Mo comments : This sterling comedy isn't just funny and tremendously well-acted, it's got a point to make : people who don't necessarily agree with each other (and may not even like each other) can work together to do good things for their friends and their community. In an age in which cynicism about politics is fashionable and the political discourse is often toxic, Parks and Recreation is a smart, entertaining and ultimately hopeful story about believing in something and, despite one's personal flaws and foibles, attempting to do something positive with those beliefs.
— Portlandia season 1 (IFC) :
Peabody writeup : A funhouse mirror reflection of Portland, Oregon, a city that takes its progressivism – and its diet – very seriously. The satire is fresh, organic and, yes, cage-free.
Mo comments : A knowing satire of everything hipsters and urbanites cherish, Portlandia manages to retain some affection for the things it sends up, whether they are organically raised food purveyors, hypersensitive bookstore owners, put-a-bird-on-it craft enthusiasts or goofily enthusiastic public officials.
— Homeland season 1 (Showtime) :
Peabody writeup : This acclaimed serial drama is a game of cat and mouse, a psychological thriller and a Rorschach test of post-9/11 doubts, fears and suspicions rolled into one.
Mo comments : Homeland made a lasting impression by being both a tense espionage thriller and a surprisingly complex and compassionate psychological drama.
— Game of Thrones season 1 (HBO) :
Peabody writeup : Adapted from dark-age fantasy books by George R.R. Martin, the series immerses viewers in a multilayered, distinctly imagined world of mysticism and earthiness, fidelity and deceit, wonder and mayhem.
Mo comments : A dense, compelling saga of intrigue and survival in an unsettled kingdom, Game of Thrones examines themes of loyalty, family and ambition against an epic backdrop. Game of Thrones is more than just a fantasy drama, it's a deeply relatable story about flawed, complex people trying to figure out the right course of action in a world that is crumbling around them.
— Tremé season 2 (HBO) :
Peabody writeup : The storylines snake and swoop like an unhurried jazz jam in this rich drama in which everyday people get on with life in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Mo comments : A tapestry of life in New Orleans, Tremé draws viewers to not just the lives of the residents but to the city's vibrant musical and culinary culture.
— The Colbert Report season 7 (Comedy Central) :
Peabody writeup : Launching his own SuperPAC as a satirical protest against megabucks politics, Stephen Colbert mixed cerebral comedy with inspired sight gags, interviews and preposterously funny monologues.
Mo comments : The Colbert Report wins a Peabody Award for several 2011 episodes that focus on the creation of his SuperPAC, a vehicle he has used to wittily and yet thoroughly expose the darker and scarier corners of campaign finance. If nothing else, winning a 2nd Peabody will allow Colbert to once again celebrate the "Turducken of awards".
Here's the video of Stephen Colbert revealing he won a Peabody Award, on April 2, 2008 :
Source : The Huffington Post.
