Fleabag-- a handmade British show, filled with charm and regret – is the big winner in this year's Television Critics Association awards.
The TCA gave it the top award for comedy and also named it program of the year. In addition, Phoebe Waller-Bridge – its creator and star -- won the individual comedy award.
The drama awards went to Better Call Saul and to Fosse/Verdon star Michelle Williams, with Russian Doll named best new show and Chernobyl winning for best movie or mini-series.
In the two historical categories, it was a Deadwood sweep. It won the Heritage Award; its creator, David Milch – who also worked on Steven Bochco’s NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues – won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
But the big winner was Waller-Bridge, who originally did a 10-minute storytelling piece about her frazzled life. That became a theater piece and then a series in which she often talks to he camera.
There have only been two six-episode seasons and Waller-Bridge – writing and producing the acclaimed Killing Eve series -- says there won't be a third; Amazon, the show's American network, says it's trying to change her mind.
The winners, announced a 8 p.m. PT Saturday, are:
Program of the year: Fleabag, Amazon.
New program: Russian Doll, Netflix.
Comedy: Program, Fleabag; individual, Waller-Bridge.
Drama: Program, Better Call Saul, AMC; individual, Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon, FX.
Movie or mini-series: Chernobyl, HBO.
News and information: Leaving Neverland, HBO.
Youth programming: Arthur,PBS.
Also: This year was the second straight win for HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (sketch/variety) and Netflix's Queer Eye (reality). HBO's Deadwood won the Heritage Award, with its creator, David Milch, winning for Lifetime Achievement.