The Peabody Awards have a long history of recognizing the best in television, whatever and wherever it is -- from pioneer '50s comedy Mister Peepers and early TV opera Amahl and the Night Visitors, to current overachievers like South Park and Battlestar Galactica.
The latest honorees, announced Wednesday, run their own gamut, encompassing CNN's election coverage, Saturday Night Live's political satire, the serious history of HBO's John Adams, and the harrowing humor of AMC's Breaking Bad.
TV's Peabody Award winners for 2008 include:
Presidential campaign/debate coverage (CNN)
Saturday Night Live political satire (NBC)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Entourage (HBO)
Lost (ABC)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
John Adams (HBO drama)
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill (PBS)
Beijing Olympics opening ceremony (NBC)
Hear and Now (HBO documentary)
Independent Lens: King Corn (PBS)
Depression: Out of the Shadows (PBS)
Black Magic (ESPN documentary)
Hopkins (ABC News series)
The Gates (HBO documentary)
NOVA: "Ape Genius" (PBS)
Avatar: The Last Air Bender (Nickelodeon animation)
You can find more winners, including those in radio and online -- plus the reasoning behind the selections -- at the Peabody site.
While you're there, download the PDF of the Peabody Winners Book, listing honorees back to the awards' 1940 start saluting the best in radio. It's a quick history of broadcasting at its finest.