“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” has been pulled from Critics Choice Awards consideration as a talk show following a recent change in eligibility rules, TheWrap has learned.
The organization’s TV nominating committee changed the rule so that only shows that “involve conversation” can be nominated for Best Talk Series going forward. The move followed the TV Academy’s 2023 decision to split its Best Variety Talk Series category into Best Talk Series and Best Scripted Variety Series.
Notably, the HBO program had won Best Talk Series at the CCAs at each of the last four ceremonies. Now, Best Talk Series will include shows like “The Daily Show,” while Best Scripted Variety Series includes shows such as “Saturday Night Live.”
The changes at CCA are not an exact mirror of those at the TV Academy. CCA changed the eligibility rules for talk shows, but did not create a new category for shows that are newly ineligible.
The Hollywood Reporter, who was first to report the news, noted that the eligibility change was not shared with “people close to the situation” who have been left “frustrated” by the new rule. The only solution offered by CCA is that the leftover shows can submit for Best Comedy Series, a category that doesn’t entirely sit right as it includes scripted series like “Abbott Elementary.”
