The Writers Guild of America East just finished its very uproarious, often off-colored evening at BB Kings. “Argo” won Best Adapted Screenplay and “Zero Dark Thirty” was Best Original Screenplay in films. “Modern Family” was Best Episodic Comedy, and “Breaking Bad” was Best TV Drama. However: scripts from “Girls” and “Mad Men” won individual awards. Comedian Lisa Lampanelli stole the show, which was expertly emceed by actor Richard Kind. “Bored to Death” creator and novelist Jonathan Ames did a kind of one man show that was hilarious and weird at the same time. Some guests included director Terry George, Gina Gershon, Bobby Cannavale, Talia Balsam, Lena Dunham, and Mike Birbiglia who was very funny.Fred Armisen won for “Portlandia,” much deserved.
Serious writer-journalist Michael Winship’s wife didn’t like Lampanelli’s crude jokes, all in fun. At the end of the night, while I was talking to Lisa, Mrs. Winship came up to her and whispered in her ear: “My husband is a wonderful, kind man. You have a dirty mouth.” Wow. The food at BB King’s was close to inedible, which was mentioned a lot on stage. In soap operas, “The Young and the Restless” beat “One Life to Live.” CBS and PBS won a lot of awards. Our PAULA SCHWARTZ will have a full report.
2013 WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS
MOTION PICTURES
Zero Dark Thirty (Sony/Columbia Pictures), Written by Mark Boal
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Argo (Warner Bros Pictures) – Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Searching for Sugar Man (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Malik Bendjelloul
TELEVISION
DRAMA Series
Breaking Bad (AMC), Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
COMEDY SERIES
Louie (FX), Written by Pamela Adlon, Vernon Chatman, Louis C.K.
NEW SERIES
Girls (HBO), Written by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, Lena Dunham, Sarah Heyward, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Jenni Konner, Deborah Schoeneman, Dan Sterling
EPISODIC DRAMA
Mad Men (AMC), Written by Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner – “The Other Woman”
LONG FORM – ORIGINAL
Hatfields & McCoys (History Channel), Teleplay by Ted Mann and Ronald Parker, Story by Bill Kerby and Ted Mann, Nights Two and Three
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Game Change (HBO), Written by Danny Strong, Based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann
EPISODIC COMEDY
Modern Family (ABC) – “Virgin Territory” – Written by Elaine Ko
COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES
Portlandia (IFC), Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Krisel, Bill Oakley
COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS
66th Annual Tony Awards (CBS), Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Paul Greenberg; Opening and Closing Songs by David Javerbaum, Adam Schlesinger
CHILDREN’S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS
Sesame Street (PBS) – “The Good Sport” – Written by Christine Ferraro
CHILDREN’S – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL
Girl vs. Monster, Teleplay by Annie DeYoung and Ron McGee, Story by Annie DeYoung (Disney Channel)
DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS
“Money, Power and Wall Street: Episode One” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smithand Marcela Gaviria (PBS)
DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time” (Nova), Telescript by Randall MacLowry, Story by Joseph McMasterand Randall MacLowry; PBS
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Tragedy In Colorado: The Movie Theatre Massacre,” Written by Lisa Ferri, Joel Siegel (ABC News)
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“The Ghost of Joe McCarthy” (Moyers & Company), Written by Bill Moyers, Michael Winship (Thirteen/WNET)
RADIO WINNERS
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING REPORT
“World News This Year 2011,” Written byDarren Reynolds (ABC News Radio)
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Dishin Digital,” Written by Robert Hawley (WCBS-AM)
NEW MEDIA
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING DERIVATIVE NEW MEDIA
The Walking Dead: Cold Storage, Written by John Esposito (amctv.com) – “Hide And Seek,” “Keys to the Kingdom,” “The Chosen Ones,” “Parting Shots”
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING ORIGINAL NEW MEDIA
Jack In A Box, Written by Michael Cyril Creighton (jackinaboxsite.com) – “The Compromises, Episode 1,” “The Pest, Episode 3,” The Snake, Episode 4,” “The Bonding, Episode 6,” “The Future, Episode 7/Series Finale”
VIDEOGAME
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING VIDEOGAME WRITING
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Scriptwriting by Richard Farrese, Jill Murray (Ubisoft)
