Why let the movie biz hog all the glory?
Smack in the middle of the self-congratulatory lovefest that is awards season, Hollywood's word-processing set has released its own would-be honorees, announcing the TV nominees for the 2010 Writers Guild of America Awards.
While the usual suspect contenders—Lost, House, 30 Rock, Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dexter and The Office—all once again scored nominations, the networks that risked taking their programming in some New Directions (yeah, we said it) did not go unrewarded.
ABC's Modern Family and Fox's Glee both scored multiple nods in their freshman year, not only as Best New Series but with a pair of nominations for top Comedy Series—which, lest we forget, is no vanity, thanks-for-playing nod.
The shows vie for the honor against prime-time's old guard, better known as 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office.
As for their less laughable brethren, couch potatoes will be unsurprised to learn that Breaking Bad, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Lost and Mad Men will battle it out for Drama Series honors.
And as for those recently revitalized late-night guys…
Conan O'Brien may be losing to David Letterman in the ratings, but the Writers Guild did their part to redress the balance by giving O'Brien, and not his scandal-plagued competition, a nomination for Comedy/Variety Series. Instead, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is up against Real Time With Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.
Meanwhile, in its swan song year, As the World Turns managed to nab a no doubt bittersweet nod for Daytime Serial. The show'll do its best to outevil twin the competition, coming this year from All My Children, One Life to Live and The Young and the Restless.
The winners will be announced Feb. 20. Here are the nominees:
DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Lost
Mad Men
COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
NEW SERIES
Glee
The Good Wife
Hung
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
EPISODIC DRAMA
"Broken, Part 1 and Part 2," House
"Come, Ye Saints," Big Love
"The Grown Ups," Mad Men
"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," Mad Men
"I Will Rise Up," True Blood
"Phoenix," Breaking Bad
EPISODIC COMEDY
"Apollo, Apollo," 30 Rock
"Broke," The Office
"Chapter 1," Eastbound & Down
"Gossip," The Office
"Pilot," Modern Family
"Reunion," 30 Rock
COMEDY/VARIETY
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien
LONG FORM—ORIGINAL
Georgia O’Keefe
Grey Gardens
Pedro
LONG FORM—ADAPTATION
America
Taking Chance
ANIMATION
"The Burns and the Bees," The Simpsons
"Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe," The Simpsons
"Gone Maggie Gone," The Simpsons
"Take My Life, Please," The Simpsons
"Wedding for Disaster," The Simpsons
COMEDY/VARIETY—MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES
Film Independent's 2009 Spirit Awards
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
DAYTIME SERIAL
All My Children
As the World Turns
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless
Click here for the complete list of nominees.
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