I was a no-show at Saturday night's Television Critics Association Awards in Los Angeles, but I have the best of all possible excuses: I was further down the California coast, hosting the rehearsal dinner for my son Mark's Sunday wedding to Jessica Kozzi. But the TCA sent out news of the winners, which I'm glad to relay. Especially because it gets me out to the wedding festivities more quickly...

The 27th annual TCA Awards, covering programming from the 2010-11 TV season, honored the final season of DirecTV/NBC's Friday Night Lights as its Program of the Year. AMC's Mad Men won Outstanding Achievement in Drama for the third time, and ABC's Modern Family won its second consecutive award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.

In individual honors, Jon Hamm won for Achievement in Drama for his Mad Men character of Don Draper, while the Comedy award was split between Nick Offerman (who plays Ron Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation) and Ty Burrell (who plays Phil Dunphy on ABC's Modern Family). Offerman also hosted the TCA event.

Sherlock (right), from PBS Masterpiece Mystery!, won in the category of Movies, Miniseries and Specials; CBS's The Amazing Race won in the newly created category of Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming; and the National Geographic Channel's Restrepo won for News & Information. In the Youth Programming category, the award went to a much-honored veteran series, PBS's Sesame Street -- brought to you, that night, by the letters T, C and A.

Finally, for the awards noting programs and individuals whose achievements span far more than a single TV season, the TCA honored CBS's The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66) with its annually bestowed Heritage Award, in recognition of its cultural and social impact -- and Oprah Winfrey was given the TCA's Career Achievement Award, noting the end of a fabulously successful 25-year reign.