The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced that five new shows will be honored as Most Exciting New Series at the 2nd annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

The Most Exciting New Series winners are shows premiering after June 1, 2012 and have been chosen based on viewing of pilots and early episodes. The 2nd annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards will take place on the evening of Monday, June 18th, at a gala awards dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The Most Exciting New Series honorees are:
The Following (Fox/Warner Bros.)
The Mindy Project (Fox/Universal)
Nashville (ABC/Lionsgate)
The Newsroom (HBO)
Political Animals (USA/Warner Bros.)

“We were once again blown away by the quality and diversity of our Most Exciting New Series honorees,” noted BTJA president Joey Berlin. “This group of freshman series has already captured our attention and we can’t wait to see how they evolve over the course of the television season.”

Several of the Most Exciting New Series chosen last year, including New Girl, Smash and Falling Skies, went on to become audience favorites.

In addition to recognizing the Most Exciting New Series honorees, the Critics’ Choice Television Awards will present awards for outstanding programs and performances in Drama, Comedy, Movies/Mini-Series, Reality, Talk Show and Animated series categories.

About BTJA
The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) is a partner organization to the Broadcast Film Critics Association. BTJA includes TV, radio and Internet journalists who cover television on a regular basis. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com