It’s shaping up to be a stellar week for the AMC dramedy Breaking Bad.

Not only was the Emmy-winning Bryan Cranston-led series honored with a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award yesterday, but not too long after that announcement, its home network announced the show has been renewed for a third season projected to begin in 2010. The second piece of good news comes just four episodes into the show’s sophomore run.

Said AMC executive Joel Stillerma: “Breaking Bad is one of the most unique and layered dramas on television today. The Peabody win, the critical acclaim and strong audience growth for the second season reinforce that this is the kind of exceptional original storytelling AMC intends to deliver to audiences.”

Woot! Both awards couldn’t have happened to a better and more entertaining basic-cable program. Glad to see so many viewers are giving the series the love it’s due.

Breaking Bad airs Sundays on AMC at 10pm EST.

30 Rock! 30 Rock! 30 Rock!

Honestly — if you haven’t yet heard, Tina Fey’s masterful NBC sitcom 30 Rock is on an awards-show roll, and January 25th’s 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was no different than all of the other ceremonies in recent memory.

The NBC sitcom positively swept the comedy television awards in all three categories: Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Series. I don’t even have to specify the names of the first two winners because savvy viewers already know.

The biggest loser among the nominees? Ugly Betty, which dropped out of two categories all together. Last year, Vanessa Williams was up for Best Comedy Actress, alongside her co-star America Ferrera, and the series was also nominated for Best Comedy Series then.

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Last night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association sponsored the television broadcast of the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, and the comedy television winners follow.

Unsurprisingly, 30 Rock made good on its name and rocked the competition with a total of three wins in the usual categories of Best Comedy, Best Lead Actress (Tina Fey), and Best Lead Actor (Alec Baldwin). I think from now on I’ll reserve my surprise for when those three don’t come up victors when they’re nominated.

NOTE: Comedy TV winners are at the top in bold.

Best Television Series: Comedy or Musical

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Californication (Showtime)
• Entourage (HBO)
• The Office (NBC)
• Weeds (Showtime)

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Is anyone surprised to learn that a recent survey of movie theater owners and film buyers revealed the “Duh!” news that super-talented Will Smith is the top moneymaking movie star of 2008? I mean, c’mon — tell me something I couldn’t figure out while asleep!

In 2008 alone, the former Fresh Prince of both Bel-Air and lollipop hip-hop starred in two big-deal flicks: the reluctant superhero saga Hancock and the touching let’s-feel-good drama Seven Pounds.

The recently announced achievement makes Smith just the second black actor to rank first in the Quigley Publishing Co. poll, which — in case, like me, you’ve never even heard of it before, at least by name — has been around for an impressive 76 years. As a result, Smith follows in the venerable footsteps of legendary Sidney Poitier, who claimed the honor in 1968, forty years ago.

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Following in the footsteps of last year’s politically savvy comedian winner Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey has been named the Associated Press Entertainer of the Year, and I couldn’t be happier.

The honor means that AP members believe Fey is the one performer who has had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008. Second runner-up was Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. and third runner-up was deceased Dark Knight star Heath Ledger, whose death was named the AP’s biggest entertainment story of 2008.

Says Lexington Herald-Leader assistant features editor Scott Shive: “[Fey] simultaneously entertained us with her wit and put a mirror up to the nation during the election and made us think about what was going on. She is the epitome of the smart kid coming out on top for once.”

It wasn’t just Fey’s downright eerie impression of Alaska governor and recent U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin that wowed the voters consisting of newspaper editors and broadcast producers nationwide, but also her noteworthy achievements on the big and small screens.

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It’s a nice gig if you can get it, and this year, two extremely talented and phenomenally popular entertainers with rhyming names (which I’d never noticed before) — Tyler Perry and Halle Berry — have.

Fox announced earlier this week that Perry and Oscar winner Berry will share hosting duties during the network’s broadcast of the 40th NAACP Image Awards next year. The ceremony annually honors individuals who champion and further diversity in the arts.

Berry has received an impressive four Image Awards in the past, while Perry has been nominated numerous times and has seen his TBS sitcom House of Payne and his feature film Why Did I Get Married? earn outstanding series and acting honors.

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Tina Fey and 30 Rock did good!

Mosey on after the jump to see who won what in the comedy categories during Sunday’s 60th Primetime Emmys ceremony. Hopefully, each and every TV comedy lover will find something to make them happy with the results.

Personally, I still wish either How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris or The Office’s Rainn Wilson had scored a statuette, but I guess there’s always next year.

At least former Malcolm in the Middle dad Bryan Cranston achieved a very deserved win in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his work on AMC’s fantastic dramedy Breaking Bad.

He was up against Boston Legal’s James Spader, Dexter’s Michael C. Hall, House M.D.’s Hugh Laurie, In Treatment’s Gabriel Byrne, and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, obviously pretty stiff competition, with the first two nominees also dramedy stars. Comedy was all over this year’s show.

Now for the winners, which follow in bold at the top of the categories…

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Remember way back in the day when mega movie star Will Smith was just the silly Fresh Prince from West Philly? I guess many don’t, but did he ever get payback on the hordes of people who used to put him and his music partner D.J. Jazzy Jeff down for not keeping it real.

Will attended the 2008 Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, August 3, and he had his two sons in tow to watch him pick up a total of three wins: Choice Movie Horror/Thriller for I Am Legend, Choice Summer Movie Action Adventure for Hancock, and Choice Movie Actor Horror/Thriller for I Am Legend.

Follow the jump for a few photos of Will with his oldest son Willard Christopher III, also known as Trey, and youngest son Jaden Christopher Syre. Will looks like a classic proud dad, as he should.

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Last night, the 10th Annual Teen Choice Awards show was held at Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California. Fox will air the Miley Cyrus-hosted Teen Choice 2008 special tonight from 8pm to 10pm EST, but if you want to know the winners in advance, they follow the jump.

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Earlier today, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the finalists for this year’s 60th Primetime Emmys ceremony, which is scheduled to air on Sunday, September 21. Just taking one swift look at the results of the long road to these ultimate contenders makes it obvious that 30 Rock rocks, at least to academy voters. Scroll down to the Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series categories if you really want to see what I mean.

On another note, I’m thrilled to see both Neil Patrick Harris and Rainn Wilson among the supporting actor nominees. I hope one of them is victorious on the big night.

Now on to the list…

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock, NBC
• Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO
• Entourage, HBO
• The Office, NBC
• Two and a Half Men, CBS

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk
• Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

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