WGA TV nominations: Cable series, NBC comedies lead the way

The Writers Guild of America has announced the television nominations for its 2009 awards (Feb. 9), and again, it pays to be a cable show, an NBC comedy, or The Simpsons. The highlights:

DRAMATIC SERIES
Dexter, Showtime
Friday Night Lights, NBC
Lost, ABC
Mad Men, AMC
The Wire, HBO

COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock, NBC
Entourage, HBO
The Office, NBC
The Simpsons, Fox
Weeds, Showtime

NEW SERIES
Breaking Bad, AMC
Fringe, Fox
In Treatment, HBO
Life on Mars, ABC
True Blood, HBO

EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time
“Don’t Ever Change” (House), Written by Doris Egan & Leonard Dick; USA
“Double Booked” (Burn Notice), Written by Craig O’Neill & Jason Tracey; USA
“Gray Matter” (Breaking Bad), Written by Patty Lin; AMC
“Pilot” (Breaking Bad), Written by Vince Gilligan; AMC
“Pilot” (Eli Stone), Written by Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim; ABC
“There’s Something About Harry” (Dexter), Written by Scott Reynolds; Showtime

EPISODIC COMEDY – any length – one airing time
“Believe in the Stars” (30 Rock), Written by Robert Carlock; NBC
“Cooter” (30 Rock), Written by Tina Fey; NBC
“Crime Aid” (The Office), Written by Charlie Grandy; NBC
“Crush’d” (Ugly Betty), Written by Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally; ABC
“Succession” (30 Rock), Written by Andrew Guest & John Riggi; NBC
“Vote for This and I Promise to Do Something Crazy at the Emmys” (My Name is Earl), Written by Greg Garcia; NBC

LONG FORM – ORIGINAL – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times
An American Crime, Written by Tommy O’Haver & Irene Turner; Showtime
“Pilot” (Fringe), Written by JJ Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci; Fox
Recount, Written by Danny Strong; HBO

LONG FORM – ADAPTATION – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times
Generation Kill, “Episode 6,” Teleplay by Ed Burns, Story by
David Simon & Ed Burns, Based on the book by Evan Wright; “Episode
7,” Teleplay by David Simon, Story by David Simon & Ed Burns, Based
on the book by Evan Wright; HBO
John Adams, “Episode 1, Join or Die,” Teleplay by Kirk Ellis,
Based on the book by David McCullough; “Episode 2, Independence,”
Teleplay by Kirk Ellis, Based on the book by David McCullough; HBO
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Teleplay by John Pielmeier, Based on the book by Kim Edwards; Lifetime

ANIMATION – any length – one airing time
“Apocalypse Cow” (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook; Fox
“The Debarted” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
“E Pluribus Wiggum” (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Price; Fox
“Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words” (The Simpsons), Written by Tim Long; Fox
“Life: A Loser’s Manual” (King of the Hill), Written by Dan McGrath; Fox
“Strangeness on a Train” (King of the Hill), Written by Jim Dauterive; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES
Late Night with Conan O’Brien, NBC
Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO
Saturday Night Live, NBC
The Colbert Report, Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Comedy Central

DAYTIME SERIALS
As the World Turns, CBS
One Life to Live, ABC