In his first speech to Congress this week, President Biden said Vice President Kamala Harris would lead the effort to get high-speed, job-creating internet access to 35% of rural America that lacks broadband.

Harris has been put in charge of President Joe Biden's push for universal broadband deployment at high speeds and affordable prices, but she is just the latest Democratic Vice President (and former senator) to draw the broadband spotlight.

As a senator, Al Gore backed legislation that expanded ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, but was mocked for suggesting, after he became Vice President, that he had created it. That came in a CNN interview in which he said that he had "taken the initiative in creating the internet," by which he meant, he later said, that he had pushed for legislation to open Department of Defense research to wider, and commercial, application.

Then Vice President Joe Biden took up the broadband mantle as part of his push for small businesses, promoting broadband's ability to help small businesses become more competitive with larger U.S. and international competitors.

But Biden's role was mostly as an encourager-in-chief, including such ceremonial functions as cutting the ribbon, as it were on $182 million in National Telecommunications & Information Administration broadband stimulus funds for middle mile projects. Today, of course, broadband is as much about staying in business as expanding it in a pandemic-circumscribed world and Harris will be promoting a $100 billion plus investment in broadband deployment and access, including the several billion dollars already allocated to remote learning and telehealth and help for low income residents in already-passed COVID-19 relief bills.

Harris faces that bigger task under pressure from Capitol Hill and elsewhere to close the digital divide ASAP, particularly in rural areas.

Harris arguably has more experience with the issues of broadband access and deployment, in part because she was in the Senate when the digital divide was drawing the most attention from both sides of the aisle. And she is in step with the Biden Administration's view that lack of speed or affordability or competition equate with a lack of broadband, as well as the Democrats; desire to treat internet access as a utility to more easily regulate it.

After the FCC under then chairman Ajit Pai, proposed eliminating net neutrality rules and the Title II (common carrier) definition of internet access, Harris backed a moveon.org petition to try and block the move--it failed--calling it "a grave threat to the idea that the internet should be free and accessible for all," and adding that it was a "a danger to our economy and free speech."

Harris was already stumping for broadband access before the Biden speech April 28, and echoing her predecessor's pitch about business broadband. Stumping for Biden's American Jobs Plan infrastructure package and its broadband bounty last week, Harris told a New Hampshire audience that small businesses need access to broadband to be able to do business, business that employs half of the country's workforce.

She said that broadband was also about giving children a chance to learn and taking care of seniors who, "if they don't have broadband, they don't have access to telemedicine. Harris said that before the pandemic "maybe we thought it was important, now we know it is a necessity."

And it is now her task, at least in the sense of political optics, to close the digital divide.

The 2010’s ushered in a new era of original scripted television series created and distributed by an unprecedented number of distribution outlets, all looking to attract viewers anxious to watch content at their leisure across numerous platforms. Heading into 2019 nearly 500 scripted series could be accessed on broadcast, cable and digital streaming platforms.

Here’s a look at five shows on cable and streaming services that helped define the decade though a mix of excellence via ratings, industry awards and cultural influence.

Game of Thrones -- HBO (2011-2019)

HBO’s titanic fantasy series arguably drew more combined viewership, media coverage and social media activity --both positive and negative -- than any other show during the decade. What is not in dispute is the record 59 Emmy Awards the show won over its eight-season run.

Related: HBO, Amazon Prime Rule Emmy Awards Telecast 

Atlanta -- FX (2016 to present) 

Comedian/rapper/musician/producer in Donald Glover created a show that presents a sometimes complex but most times comedic slice of African-American life that had never existed on TV before. The result is a groundbreaking show that has earned critical acclaim and several Emmy Awards, including Glover’s Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series statuette -- the first awarded to an African-American.

Stranger Things -- Netflix (2016 to Present) 

While streaming service Netflix’s ambitious run at producing original scripted series began in earnest with such critically-acclaimed hits as House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black, it was a 1980’s-based, sci-fi thriller full of monsters and young, teen protagonists that gave Netflix a pop culture hit perfectly suited for binge viewing. 

Power -- Starz (2014-2020) 

Starz’s provocative series from executive producers Courtney Kemp and 50 Cent about a drug dealer looking to escape the world of crime and go legit found a fervent and loyal audience early and helped to dismiss the myth that a show with a predominantly African-American cast couldn't draw solid ratings numbers on premium cable television.

American Horror Story -- FX (2011 to Present) 

The series became the poster child for the resurrection of the anthology series genre with its creative ability to scare up a new story each season. American Horror Story paved the way for the success of other anthology series including HBO’s True Detective, AMC’s The Terror, Nat Geo's Genius and FX’s own American Crime Story, Fargo and Feud.

Honorable Mention:

The Walking Dead -- AMC (2010 to Present) -- The most-watched show on cable during the first half of the decade, the zombie-themed series drew a basic cable record 17.3 million viewers for its season five premiere in 2014.

Veep -- HBO (2012-2019) -- Among the most celebrated TV comedies of the decade, the series won 11 Emmy awards, including a record six straight best comedy actress statuettes for series star Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 2012 to 2017.

The Handmaid’s Tale -- Hulu (2017 to Present) -- The dark drama series arguably put the nascent streaming services on equal footing with broadcast networks and cable services by winning the digital platform's first drama series Emmy in 2017. 

HBO’s Game of Thrones season eight premiere drew a record 17.4 million viewers in its Sunday debut, according to network officials.

The combined linear, HBO Go and HBO Now audience for the first of the series’ final six episodes beat out the 16.9 million viewers watched by the show's season seven finale to become the most watched episode in the show’s history, according to HBO.

The HBO Now streaming service also saw a jump of approximately 50% in viewing when compared to last season’s finale and nearly doubled (97%) when compared to the seventh season premiere, according to the network. Overall the streaming service reported its largest night of streaming activity ever, said HBO.

RELATED: 'GoT' and Masters Viewers Faced Usual Live Stream Challenges Sunday 

Other HBO shows benefited from the record Thrones ratings debut. The second season premiere of dramedy Barry at 10 pm drew 1.8 million viewers and 2.2 million viewers for the night — more than quadrupling its previous week's audience that did not benefit from the Game of Thrones lead-in. Sunday's episode of Veep at 10:30 drew 1 million viewers and 1.5 million viewers including repeats, its largest audience since June 2016, according to network officials.

Also, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver was watched by 1.7 million viewers for the night and 1.3 million viewers at 11:00 p.m., its most-watched telecast since August 2017, according to the network. 

The last season debut of HBO’s Emmy award-winning series Veep headlines a busy week of show premieres.

The sixth and final season of the multi-Emmy winning series Veep, which stars Julia Louise Dreyfus as politician Selina Meyer, debuts March 31 with seven episodes, according to HBO.

New series premiering this week include Fx’s vampire-themed mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows (March 27) and Prime Video’s Hanna (March 29).

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

March 25 -- Knightfall (drama series) -- History

March 25 -- One Nation Under Stress (documentary) -- HBO

March 25 -- Jesus: His Life (documentary series) -- History

March 27 -- Happy (comedy series) -- Syfy

March 28 -- Tacoma FD (comedy) -- truTV

March 29 -- Osmosis (sci-fi/drama) -- Netflix

March 31 -- Barry (comedy) -- HBO

HBO will say goodbye to its Emmy award-winning comedy series Veep beginning next month, the network said Friday.

The Julia Louis-Dreyfus starrer will return for a seven-episode, seventh season on March 31, the network announced during its Television Critics Association Tour panel session for the series. Dreyfus has won six Emmys in the best female comedy category for her role as politician Selina Meyer in Veep.

“I was so overcome with a joy and grief mashup as this show ended and caught me by surprise,’ she said via satellite during the Veep TCA session. “We’ve been through a lot as a group with illness and losing people — it's been an enormous journey. Saying goodbye to it is a very hard thing to do even though it was our decision to do it.”

The network also announced it will launch a new Spanish-language series, Los Espookys, from Saturday Night Live stars Fred Armisen and Lorne Michaels. The half-hour series follows a group of friends who turn their love for horror into a peculiar business, said network executives. 

Netflix garnered more Emmy Awards nominations than any other network or streaming service, topping perennial nominations leader HBO, the TV Academy announced Thursday morning in Los Angeles.

Netflix drew 112 Emmy Award nominations, topping HBO’s 108, according to the Academy.

Game of Thrones, which was not eligible for last year’s awards ceremony, led all shows with 22, according to the Academy. The fantasy series will look to wrestle back its Outstanding Drama Series Emmy from last year’s winner -- Hulu's The Handmaid’s Tale -- which was nominated in its second season. Netflix’s The Crown and Stranger Things, NBC’s This Is Us, FX’s The Americans and HBO’s Westworld will also compete for the coveted statuette.

Related: Netflix Investing 85% of New Spending in Originals

The Outstanding Comedy category is wide open this year with HBO’s Veep -- which has won the last three Emmys in the category -- ineligible for this year’s award. HBO will send a trio of shows in Barry, Silicon Valley and Curb Your Enthusiasm up against ABC’s Black-ish; Netflix’s GLOW and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; FX’s Atlanta; and Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Veep star Julia Louis Dreyfus will also end her record run of six consecutive wins in the lead comedy actress category due to the show's ineligibility. Contenders vying for the statuette include Pamela Adlon (FX’s Better Things); Tracee Ellis Ross (ABC’s Black-ish), Lily Tomlin (Netflix’s Grace and Frankie); Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure); Allison Janney (CBS’s Mom) and Rachel Brosnahan (Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).

In the limited series category, National Geographic’s Genius: Picasso will compete against Netflix’s Godless, Showtime’s Patrick Melrose, TNT’s The Alienist and FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

For all the 2018 Emmy nominations, visit emmys.com. 

Pictured, top: HBO's 'Game of Thrones' drew more 2018 Emmy Award nominations than any other show. 

HBO won the most Screen Actors Guild Awards during a ceremony that tipped its hat to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.

HBO won five SAG Awards, including two each for its limited series Big Little Lies and comedy series Veep, including best comedy ensemble.

NBC was the only other network or streaming service to win multiple awards – two for its series This Is Us, which won for outstanding ensemble for a drama series and outstanding performance by an actor in a drama series for Sterling K. Brown.

Brown, as well as Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard of Big Little Lies, all won recent Emmy, Golden Globe and now SAG Awards in their respective acting categories (see full list below).

Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale was shut out of the SAG Awards’ winners circle after winning both Emmy and Golden Globes Awards in the best drama category as well as the best actress in a drama series category for Elisabeth Moss.

Related: HBO, Showtime Dominate Comedy Category at SAG Awards

The 24th Annual SAG Awards, which TBS and TNT aired live, was highlighted by its first ever female host, Kristen Bell (The Good Place), as well as an ensemble of female presenters, including actress Rita Moreno, who presented SAG’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Morgan Freeman.

A full list of Screen Actor Guild Awards winners in the television category:

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Perry Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THIS IS US (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

VEEP (HBO)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

Game Of Thrones (HBO)

The Screen Actors Guild Awards kicked off Sunday night with cable pay TV services HBO and Showtime dominating the comedy series category.

HBO’s Veep won for outstanding performance by an ensamble in a comedy series, beating out ABC' Black-ish, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Netflix's Glow and Orange Is The New Black. Veep also won the statuette for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series for series star Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

William H. Macy won the SAG Award for outstanding male performance in a comedy for his role in Showtime’s Shameless.

HBO generated the most hardware during Sunday’s 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, but it was Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale that made the most noise during the live ceremony.

Read More: Complete coverage of the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards

The Handmaid’s Tale won five awards during the CBS telecast – tying HBO’s limited series Big Little Lies for the most primetime Emmy wins -- including best drama series honors and a best drama actress statuette for series star Elisabeth Moss. The Handmaid's Tale became the first series from a streaming service to win an Emmy for Best Drama Series.

Overall, HBO won 10 awards to lead all networks – including a historic win for Julie Louis-Dreyfus, who earned a record sixth straight Emmy statuette in the best actress in a comedy series category for her role as Selina Meyer in the network’s series Veep. The series also won its third consecutive Emmy in the best comedy series category.

NBC won six Primetime Emmy Awards – paced by four wins for Saturday Night Live -- followed by Hulu (five awards), Netflix (four awards) and FX Networks (two awards).

Shows winning two primetime Emmy Awards include FX’s Atlanta, which won two awards for series star Donald Glover (Outstanding Actor in A Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series). HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, which was a repeat winner in the Variety Talk Series category; and Netflix’s Black Mirror: San Junipero, which won for Outstanding Television Movie.

Three of the top five Emmy-nominated series – HBO’s Westworld, Fx’s FEUD: Bette And Joan, and Netflix’s Stranger Things – failed to win Primetime Emmy Awards.

List Of Primetime Emmy Awards Winners

Best Comedy:Veep (HBO)

Best Actor, Comedy: Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX)

Best Actress, Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep(HBO)

Supporting Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Supporting Actress, Comedy: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Directing for a Comedy Series: Donald Glover, Atlanta (“B.A.N.”) (FX)

Writing for a Comedy Series:Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe, Master of None (“Thanksgiving”) (Netflix) 

Best Drama:The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Best Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Best Actor, Drama: Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)

Supporting Actor, Drama: John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) 

Supporting Actress, Drama: Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Writing for a Drama Series: Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale (“Offred (Pilot)”) (Hulu)

Directing for a Drama Series: Reed Morano, The Handmaid’s Tale (“Offred (Pilot)”) (Hulu)

Best Limited Series: Big Little Lies (HBO)

Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie: Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies (HBO)

Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie: Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO)

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies (HBO)

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or a Movie: Laura Dern, Big Little Lies (HBO)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama: Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror: San Junipero (Netflix)

Directing For a Limited Series: Jean-Marc Vallée, Big Little Lies (HBO)

Reality Competition Program: The Voice (NBC)

Television Movie: Black Mirror: San Junipero (Netflix)

Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO) 

Variety Sketch Series: Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Directing for a Variety Series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live (“Host: Jimmy Fallon”) 

Writing for a Variety Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

 Source: New York Times

HBO's Veep won its third straight Emmy for Best Comedy Series during Sunday's Emmy Awards telecast.

Read More: Complete coverage of the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards

The series won in a very competitive category that featured FX’s freshman series Atlanta;ABC’s Blackish and Modern Family; Netflix’s Masters Of None and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and HBO’s Silicon Valley.

Veep's comedy series win followed series star Julia Louise-Dreyfus's record sixth straight Emmy award win for Best Actress in a Comedy.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus made Emmy history by winning her sixth straight Emmy Award in the Best Comedy actress category.

Read More: Complete coverage of the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards

Louis-Dreyfus’s six Emmy wins for her performance as Selina Meyer in HBO's Veep are the most Emmys ever for a performer playing the same role in the same series, as well as the most consecutive wins by an actress in the category.

The win is also Louis-Dreyfus’ eighth Emmy overall, tying Cloris Leachman for the most Emmys won by a female performer.

Louis-Dreyfus beat out Pamela Adlon (FX’s Better Things), Tracee Ellis Ross (ABC’s Black-ish), Jane Fonda (Netflix’s Grace and Frankie), Lily Tomlin (Netflix's  Grace and Frankie), Allison Janney (CBS’ Mom), and Ellie Kemper (Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).  

HBO’s comedy series Veep will end its run after its upcoming season, the network said Wednesday.

The series, which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as politician Selina Meyer, will air its seventh and final season most likely in 2018, although the network has not set a launch date.

The series has racked up 12 Emmy Awards over its run on HBO, including five straight wins in the Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for Dreyfus.

This year Veep is nominated for 17 primetime Emmy Awards.

"The decision to bring Veep to a close at the end of next season is bittersweet," said Casey Bloys, president, HBO Programming in a statement. "We love the show and everyone involved but respect the producers’ choice to bring Selina Meyer's journey to its conclusion after an extraordinary run of critical and award-winning acclaim.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus' comedic brilliance infused Selina with a dynamic presence and a vibrant wit which will ensure her a place in the history of television's most iconic comedic characters.  We look forward to producing the seventh and final season."

Two FX series, Atlanta and Better Things, are among the seven entertainment programs being honored with a 2017 Peabody Award, the organization announced Thursday.

Donald Glover’s Atlanta, produced by FX Productions, is about two young black men trying to make it in Atlanta’s rap scene. Better Things examines working motherhood. It is also an FX production.

Other entertainment award recipients are:

• HBO’s Veep, the political comedy starting Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• BBC One’s Happy Valley, the British crime drama available on Netflix
• Beyoncé’s Lemonade, the HBO Entertainment and Parkwood Entertainment-produced visual album that included a one-hour film
• Horace and Pete, the Louis C.K. series centered around the two owners of a Brooklyn bar launched on louisck.net
• Channel 4’s National Treasure, the British broadcaster’s drama around accusations of sexual misconduct around a public figure.

The seven programs are among a total of 30 2017 Peabody Award winners. Winners in news, radio/podcast, children’s, education, and public service will be announced April 25.

HBO will debut the sixth season of its comedy series Veep in April, the network said Tuesday.

The politically-themed series, which stars Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former vice president and president Selina Meyer, will return to HBO on April 16, said network officials.

The series this past Saturday won a DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series.

HBO dominated the scripted series portion of Saturday’s Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards with a clean sweep in the best drama, best comedy and mini-series categories.

The network’s Game Of Thrones scored its second straight DGA Award in the dramatic series category while Julia Louise-Dreyfus-starrer Veep repeated in the outstanding directorial achievement in a comedy series category, according to the organization. HBO's The Night Of won the DGA Award in the Movies For Television and Mini-Series category. 

Amazon won a DGA Award in the Children’s Programs category with its An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win original movie, while ESPN’s OJ: Made In America was the top choice for Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Documentary.

DGA Awards winners in the major television categories are as follows:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Dramatic Series

Miquel Sapochnik – Game Of Thrones – (HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Comedy Series

Becky Martin – Veep  -- (HBO)

Movies For Television and Mini-Series

Steven Zaillian – The Night Of – (HBO)

Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming

Don Roy King – Saturday Night Live – (NBC)

Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials

Glenn Weiss – The 70th Annual Tony Awards – (CBS)

Reality Programs

J. Rupert Thompson – American Grit – (Fox)

Children’s Programs

Tina Mabry -- An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win – (Amazon)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Documentary

Ezra Edleman -- OJ: Made In America – (ESPN)

HBO once again flexed its creative muscles in winning the most 2016 Emmys Awards of any network, but FX gave the reigning champion a run for its money.

FX, on the strength of its freshman limited series The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, won six Emmy Awards during last night’s primetime Emmys telecast, tying HBO for the most wins among all networks and streaming services.

The People V. O.J. Simpson drew the most hardware of the night with five Emmy Awards, including best limited series.

FX kept HBO from once again winning the Emmys triple crown as Game of Thrones won the Emmy for best drama for the second year in a row while Veep repeated as best comedy series.

HBO won 22 Emmys, including 16 Creative Arts Emmys announced last week, to best all cable and broadcast networks. The network was  led by Game Of Thrones, which matched its record 12 Emmys wins set last year.

FX was second with 18 Emmys followed by streaming service Netflix with nine Emmys, including three during last night’s telecast.

Among the surprise winners of the night were Rami Malek, who won best actor in a drama series for his portrayal of computer hacker Elliot Alderson in USA Network’s freshman series Mr. Robot, and Tatiana Maslany, who in her last year of eligibility won the best drama actress Emmy for playing multiple characters in BBC’s science fiction-themed series Orphan Black.

Orphan Black will end its run on BBC America in 2017 after five seasons.

Also pulling off a surprise win was veteran actor Louie Anderson, who won best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as a woman in FX's freshman series Baskets. 

Not so surprising was Jeffrey Tambor’s repeat as best comedy actor for his transgender role in Transparent, and Julia Louise-Dreyfus, whose lead role on Veep won her best comedy actress honors for the fifth straight year.

The List of 2016 Emmy Winners:

Outstanding Drama Series —Game of Thrones (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series — Miguel Sapochnik, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series — David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Outstanding Comedy Series —Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series — Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — Louie Anderson, Baskets (FX)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series — Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, Master of None (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series — Jill Soloway, Transparent (Amazon)

Outstanding Limited Series — The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Outstanding Television Movie —Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie — Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a  Limited Series or Movie — Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie — Regina King, American Crime (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie — Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Movie — Susanne Bier, The Night Manager (AMC)

Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or Movie — D.V. DeVincentis, The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Outstanding Reality Competition Program —The Voice (NBC)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series —Key and Peele (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series —Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus Sunday continued her consecutive Emmy award run as the best actress in a comedy series for her role as fictional vice president Selina Meyer in HBO’s Veep.

Louis-Dreyfuswonher fifth consecutive award in the category during Sunday's Emmys Awards presentation, besting competitors Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Laurie Metcalf (Getting On), Tracee Ellis Ross, (black-ish); Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer) and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)

Veep will look to win the best comedy series award for the second consecutive year later this evening during the Emmys Awards telecast.

Update: 'Veep' Wins Best Comedy

HBO gave Game Of Thrones fans an early gift by greenlighting a seventh season of the fantasy series days before its sixth season premiere on Sunday.

Game Of Thrones, which is coming off a record-setting 2015 Emmy Awards performance in which the series won 12 statuettes including best drama series, will return in 2017, but network officials would not say how many episodes will be developed for its seventh season.

The tech-based dramedy series Silicon Valley will return for a fourth season in 2017, while the sixth season of the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-starrer Veep will also return next year, according to HBO. Both series will return for new sesaons this Sunday. 

HBO won a clean sweep of the top television categories during last night’s Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards ceremony. 

Game Of Thrones’ David Nutter won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement In A Dramatic Series for the fantasy series' “Mother’s Mercy” episode while Veep’s Chris Addison took home the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for the series’ Election Night episode.

Also for HBO, Bessie’s Dee Rees was victorious in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Movies for Television and Miniseries category, according to the Director’s Guild.

In addition on the cable front, Adam Vetri won for best reality series for CMT’s Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Gods Of War” episode and Kenny Ortega was triumphant in the children’s programs category for his direction of Disney Channel’s original movie Descendants.

The list of DGA Awards winners in the television category are as follows:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in A Movie for Television and Miniseries

DEE REES
Bessie (HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in A Dramatic Series

DAVID NUTTER
Game of Thrones, “Mother’s Mercy” (HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in A Comedy Series

CHRIS ADDISON
Veep, “Election Night” (HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming

DAVE DIOMEDI
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Episode #325” (NBC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials

DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special (NBC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs

ADAM VETRI
Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Gods of War” (CMT)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs

KENNY ORTEGA
Descendants (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials

ANDREAS NILSSON
Biscuit Filmworks

Emily’s Oz, Comcast – Goodby, Silverstein & Partners NY
Time Upon A Once, General Electric – BBDO
Dad Song, Old Spice – Wieden + Kennedy

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

MATTHEW HEINEMAN
Cartel Land

Get more news from #TCA16 here.

Pasadena, Calif. -- The wait will soon be over for Game of Thrones fans.

HBO announced Thursday that season six of the hit show will premiere on April 24 followed by the season three debut of Silicon Valley and season five bow of Veep.

The cabler has been teasing Game of Thronesfans since last year, releasing a cryptic trailer in December and a poster in November.

Better Call Saul,Mr. Robot,Veep and Mad Men are among a bevy of new and veteran shows nominated for 2016 Writers Guild Awards, the Writers Guild of America announced Thursday.

AMC’s Saul and USA’s Mr. Robot will battle Mad Men-- in its last year of eligibility -- along with HBO’s Game Of Thrones and FX’s The Americans in the best drama category, according to the Guild.

In the best comedy series category, Comedy Central’s Broad City will face off against HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep; Amazon’s Transparent and Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

The Writer’s Guild Awards winners will be announced Feb. 13, according to the organization.  

A list of Writers Guild Award nominees appears below:

DRAMA SERIES

 The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Stephen Schiff, Lara Shapiro, Joe Weisberg, Tracy Scott Wilson, Stuart Zicherman; FX

 Better Call Saul, Written by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Bradley Paul, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC

 Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D.B. Weiss; HBO

Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Semi Chellas, Jonathan Igla, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Tom Smuts, Robert Towne, Matthew Weiner, Carly Wray; AMC

Mr. Robot, Written by Kyle Bradstreet, Kate Erickson, Sam Esmail, David Iserson, Randolph Leon, Adam Penn, Matt Pyken; USA

COMEDY SERIES

 Broad City, Written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Naomi Ekperigin, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Chris Kelly, Anthony King, Jen Statsky; Comedy Central

Silicon Valley, Written by Amy Aniobi, Alec Berg, Carrie Kemper, Sonny Lee, Dan Lyons, Carson Mell, Dan O’Keefe, Clay Tarver, Ron Weiner; HBO

 Transparent, Written by Arabella Anderson, Bridget Bedard, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, Ethan Kuperberg, Ali Liebegott, Our Lady J, Faith Soloway, Jill Soloway; Amazon Studios

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Written by Emily Altman, Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Azie Mira Dungey, Tina Fey, Lauren Gurganous, Charla Lauriston, Sam Means, Dan Rubin, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Lon Zimmet; Netflix

Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Kevin Cecil, Roger Drew, Peter Fellows, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, Sean Gray, Callie Hersheway, Armando Iannucci, Sean Love, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Andy Riley, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO

NEW SERIES

 Better Call Saul, Written by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Bradley Paul, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC

Bloodline, Written by Jonathan Glatzer, Carter Harris, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, Addison McQuigg, Arthur Phillips, Jeff Shakoor, Daniel Zelman; Netflix

The Last Man On Earth, Written by Andy Bobrow, Liz Cackowski, Erik Durbin, Will Forte, Kira Kalush, Matt Marshall, Tim McAuliffe, David Noel, Erica Rivinoja, John Solomon, Emily Spivey; Fox

Mr. Robot, Written by Kyle Bradstreet, Kate Erickson, Sam Esmail, David Iserson, Randolph Leon, Adam Penn, Matt Pyken; USA

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Written by Emily Altman, Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Azie Mira Dungey, Tina Fey, Lauren Gurganous, Charla Lauriston, Sam Means, Dan Rubin, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Lon Zimmet; Netflix

LONG FORM ORIGINAL

 American Horror Story: Hotel, Written by Brad Falchuk, John J. Gray, Todd Kubrak, Crystal Liu, Ned Martel, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, James Wong; FX

 Flesh and Bone, Written by Bronwyn Garrity, Jami O’Brien, Adam Rapp, Moira Walley-Beckett, David Wiener; Starz

 Saints & Strangers, Written by Seth Fisher, Walon Green, Chip Johannessen, Eric Overmyer; National Geographic Channel

Sons of Liberty, Written by Stephen David, Kirk Ellis, David C. White; History Channel

LONG FORM ADAPTED

 Fargo, Written by Steve Blackman, Bob DeLaurentis, Noah Hawley, Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, Based on the film Fargo; FX

 The Red Tent, Written by Elizabeth Chandler, Anne Meredith, Based on the book The Red Tent by Anita Diamant; Lifetime

 Show Me A Hero, Written by David Simon, William F. Zorzi, Based on the book by Lisa Belkin; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL

 “Back to Reality” (Weight), Written by Daryn Strauss; weighttheseries.com

 “Born This Way” (Anyone But Me), Written by Susan Miller; hulu.com

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ADAPTED

“Chapter Two: Phoebe” (Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters), Written by Zach Craley; nbc.com

 “Part 8” (Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462), Written by L. Signorino & Mike Zunic; amc.com

 “The Summer of Love, Part 1: Meet Charlie” (Aquarius), Written by Mike Moore & David Reed; nbc.com

ANIMATION

“Gayle Makin’ Bob Sled” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox

 “Halloween of Horror” (The Simpsons), Written by Carolyn Omine; Fox

 “Hank After Dark” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Kelly Galuska; Netflix

 “Housetrap” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Dan Fybel; Fox

 “Sky Police” (The Simpsons), Written by Matt Selman; Fox

 “Walking Big & Tall” (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Price; Fox

EPISODIC DRAMA

 “Explosivos” (Narcos), Written by Andy Black; Netflix

 “International Assassin” (The Leftovers), Written by Damon Lindelof & Nick Cuse; HBO

 “Mind’s Eye” (The Good Wife), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS

 “Mother’s Mercy” (Game of Thrones), Written for Television by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; HBO

 “Person to Person” (Mad Men), Written by Matthew Weiner; AMC

 “Uno” (Better Call Saul), Written by Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY

 “Alive in Tucson” (The Last Man On Earth), Written by Will Forte; Fox

 “Connection Lost” (Modern Family), Written by Megan Ganz & Steven Levitan; ABC

“Joint Session” (Veep), Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett, Story by Armando Iannucci & Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett; HBO

 “Racegate” (Maron), Written by Dave Anthony; IFC

 “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Gun” (black-ish), Written by Peter Saji; ABC

 “Sand Hill Shuffle” (Silicon Valley), Written by Clay Tarver; HBO

COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES

 Conan, Writers: Jose Arroyo, Josh Comers, Andres du Bouchet, Jessie Gaskell, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Rob Kutner, Todd Levin, Levi MacDougall, Conan O'Brien, Matt O’Brien, Andy Richter, Frank Smiley, Brian Stack, Mike Sweeney; TBS

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Writers: Dan Amira, Steve Bodow, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, Elliott Kalan, Matt Koff, Adam Lowitt, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, Zhubin Parang, Owen Parsons, Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver, Jon Stewart, Delaney Yeager; Comedy Central

 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Writers; Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Gabriel Gronli, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack; CBS

 Real Time with Bill Maher, Writers: Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Danny Vermont; HBO

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Writers: Jonathan Adler, Patrick Borelli, Gerard Bradford, Luke Cunningham, Mike DiCenzo, Mike Drucker, Jess Dweck, Dicky Eagan, Caroline Eppright, John Haskell, JR Havlan, Arthur Meyer, A.D. Miles, Chase Mitchell, Dan Opsal, Gavin Purcell, Jon Rineman, Albertina Rizzo, David Young; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – SKETCH SERIES

 Inside Amy Schumer, Head Writer: Jessi Klein Writers: Hallie Cantor, Kim Caramele, Kyle Dunnigan, Jon Glaser, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, Dan Powell, Tami Sagher, Amy Schumer; Comedy Central

Key & Peele, Written by Colton Dunn, Rebecca Drysdale, Keegan-Michael Key, Phil Augusta Jackson, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, Rich Talarico; Comedy Central

Saturday Night Live, Head Writer: Colin Jost, Rob Klein, Bryan Tucker Writers: James Anderson, Jeremy Beiler, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Steve Higgins, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Dave McCary, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Claire Mulaney, Mike O’Brien, Josh Patten, Alison Rich, Katie Rich, Tim Robinson, Natasha Rothwell, Nick Rutherford, Meredith Scardino, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, John Solomon, Kent Sublette; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

 The 69th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Adam Goldman, Carol Leifer; CBS

 2014 Kennedy Center Honors, Written by Lewis Friedman, Sara Lukinson, Nell Scovell, George Stevens, Jr., Michael Stevens; CBS

 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Written by Benji Aflalo, Wayne Federman, Marika Sawyer, Frank Sebastiano, Erik Weiner; IFC

 Amy Schumer: Live at The Apollo, Written by Amy Schumer; HBO

 Jimmy Kimmel Live: 10th Annual After The Oscars Special, Written by Jack Allison, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Greg Dorris, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jimmy Kimmel, Bess Kalb, Jeff Loveness, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo, Bridger Winegar; ABC

 Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, Written by James Anderson, Fred Armisen, Tina Fey, Steve Higgins, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Jeff Richmond, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Tom Schiller, Sarah Schneider, Marc Shaiman, Michael Shoemaker, Robert Smigel, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker; NBC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

 Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter, Dwight D. Smith; NBC

Jeopardy!, Written by John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

DAYTIME DRAMA

 The Bold and the Beautiful, Head Writers: Bradley P. Bell, Michael Minnis Writers: Rex M. Best, Shannon Bradley, Adam Dusevoir, Tracey Ann Kelly, Patrick Mulcahey, Mark Pinciotti, Michele Val Jean; CBS

General Hospital, Writers: Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O'Connor, Elizabeth Page, Jean Passanante, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten; ABC

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – EPISODIC AND SPECIALS

 “Endless Night” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Gretchen Enders & Aminta Goyel; Amazon Studios

 “Girl Meets I am Farkle” (Girl Meets World), Written by Mark Blutman; Disney Channel

“Gortimer and the Surprise Signature” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Garrett Frawley & Brian Turner; Amazon Studios

 “Gortimer vs The Relentless Rainbow of Joy” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by David Anaxagoras and Luke Matheny; Amazon Studios

 “Ranger vs. The Fabled Flower of Normal Street” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Laurie Parres; Amazon Studios

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL

 “Descendants,” Written by Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott; Disney Channel

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS

 “American Terrorist” (Frontline), Written by Thomas Jennings; PBS

 “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

 “Firestone and the Warlord” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS

 “The Forgotten Plague” (American Experience), Written by Chana Gazit; PBS

 “The Great Math Mystery” (Nova), Written by Daniel McCabe; PBS

 “Secrets, Politics and Torture” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

TV NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

 “Cuba” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Oriana Zill de Granados, Andy Court and Robert Anderson; CBS News

 “Yogi Berra Tribute,” Written by Gerald Mazza; CBS Newspath

TV NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

 “The Storm After the Storm” (60 Minutes), Written by Sharyn Alfonsi, Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News

Click here for more Emmys coverage.

Cable networks in general and HBO in particular were the big winners at the 67th annual Primetime Emmys Awards Sunday night as cable shows took home the lion’s share of awards in the major categories.

HBO series took home both the Best Drama series and Best Comedy series in Game Of Thrones and Veep respectively during the primetime awards telecast aired live on Fox.

Overall HBO won 14 primetime Emmy Awards, while Comedy Central won four. Amazon and Cartoon Network also won multiple awards with two each.

Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus also won the best actress in a comedy series for the fourth consecutive year, while Peter Dinklage won best supporting actor for his role in the Game Of Thrones fantasy series.

 HBO miniseries Olive Kitterage nearly ran the table in the newly-revamped Limited Series category, winning for best limited series, best actress in a limited series (Frances McDormand) best actor in a limited series (Richard Jenkins ) and best supporting actor in a limited series (Bill Murray).

The biggest non-cable award went to How To Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis, who became the first African-American woman to win the Best Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her role in the ABC series.

Two cable personalities won Emmy awards after ending their respective shows. John Hamm won his first Best Drama Actor Emmy for his role as advertising executive Don Draper in AMC’s Mad Men, while Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show won Emmys for best variety talk series and best director for a variety series for Chuck O’Neill.

Amazon’s Transparent won several awards, including The Best Actor In A Comedy award for Jeffrey Tambor, as well as Best Director for a Comedy Series for Jill Soloway.

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In a surprise, HBO's Veep beat out five-time winner Modern Family for the Best Comedy Emmy Category.

The Julia Louise-Dreyfus-starrer ended Modern Family's five-year run as the top comedy series on television. Veep also beat out HBO’s Silicon Valley, NBC’s Park & Recreation, Amazon’s Transparent, FX Network’s Louie, and Netflix’ Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus remains queen of the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series category, winning the award for the fourth straight time.

Dreyfus, who plays a fictional vice president on the HBO series, beat out a tough lineup of nominees including Lily Tomlin in Netfilx’ Grace & Frankie, Lisa Kudrow of Showtime’s Comeback; Edie Falco of Showtime’s Nurse Jackie; Amy Schumer of Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer  and Amy Poehler of NBC’s Park & Recreation.

Pasadena--HBO will return its hit drama series Game Of Thrones for a fifth season April 12, the network announced during its Television Critics Association press tour presentation Thursday.

Game Of Thrones will be joined by season two of dramedy Silicon Valley, and the fourth  season of the Emmy-winning comedy Veep, said network officials.

The network also announced it will return talk show Real Time With Bill Maher for a 14th and 15th season. HBO will also premiere on Feb. 8 Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst and on May 4 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, said network officials. Other projects include Night Will Fall (Jan. 26); Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up (Feb. 14); It's Me. Hilary: The man Who Drew Eloise (March 23); Living with Lincoln (April 13); Tales Of The Grim Sleeper (April 27); Southern Rites (May 18); and The Lion's Mouth Opens (May 25).

On the original movie front, the network has tapped actress/performer Queen Latifah to star in Bessie, which chronicles the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith. The film, director by Dee Rees (Pariah) will debut this Spring, according to HBO. The network will also air the Edward Snowden documentary film CitizenFour on Feb. 23.

Finally, HBO will produce a special featuring comedian Tig Notaro.