Writers Guild Nominates Eclectic List of TV, Radio Programs

The network TV series “Cheers,” “The Wonder Years” and “China Beach,” and the syndicated “Twilight Zone” received two nominations each Thursday from the Writers Guild of America in its annual nominations for outstanding achievement in television and radio writing during the 1988-89 season.

The eclectic list of 60 nominations in 15 categories included programs written for PBS, basic-cable TV, pay-TV and an unsold network pilot. Nominations covered the period between Sept. 1, 1988 and Aug. 31, 1989.

Winners will be announced March 18.

Here is the list of nominees:

Original Long Form: T. S. Cook, “Nightbreaker,” TNT; Bruce Hart, “Leap of Faith,” CBS; Cynthia Whitcomb and J. P. Miller, “I Know My First Name Is Steven (Part 1),” NBC; William Read Woodfield, “Columbo: The Guillotine,” ABC.

Adapted Long Form: Stephanie Liss, “David,” ABC; Jennifer Miller, “A Deadly Silence,” ABC; David W. Rintels, “Day One,” CBS; Bill Wittliff, “Lonesome Dove (Part 1),” CBS.

Anthology Episode/Single Program: Jeremy Bertrand Finch and Paul Chitlik, “Twilight Zone: Father and Son Game,” syn.; John Markus, Carmen Finestra and Gary Kott, “The Cosby Show: The Birth,” NBC; Michael Reeves, “Twilight Zone: Street of Shadows,” syn.; Ellen M. Violett, “Tales From the Hollywood Hills: The Closed Set,” PBS.

Episodic Drama: Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley, Michele Gallery, William M. Finkelstein, “L.A. Law: His Suit Is Hirsute,” NBC; Alan Brennert, “China Beach: Where the Boys Are,” ABC; Karl Schaefer, “TV 101: Rolling,” NBC; Melinda M. Snodgrass, “Star Trek--The Next Generation: Measure of a Man,” syn.; Joan Tewkesbury, “Elysian Fields” (pilot), CBS; John Wells, “China Beach: XMAS/CHNBCH VN ‘67,” ABC.

Episodic Comedy: Diane English, “Murphy Brown: Don’t Ask,” CBS; Matthew Carlson, “The Wonder Years: Pottery Will Get You Nowhere,” ABC; Todd W. Langen, “The Wonder Years: Coda,” ABC; Ken Levine and David Isaacs, “Cheers: Jumping Jerks,” NBC; Eric Overmeyer, “Days and Nights of Molly Dodd: Here’s Why You Order From the Spanish Side of the Menu,” Lifetime; Brian Pollack and Mert Rich, “Cheers: Please Mr. Postman,” NBC.

Variety--Musical: George Stevens Jr., Sara Lukinson, Bob Shrum, “The 11th Annual Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts,” CBS; Larry Arnstein and Steve Barker, “Fred Travalena’s Comedy in the Oval Office,” CBN; Bill Prady and Jim Lewis, “Miss Piggy’s Hollywood,” NBC; Matt Neuman, Larry Arnstein, Steve Barker, Joe Guppy, Nancy Harris, Scott McGibbon, Jon Ross, Lane Sarasohn, Steven Young, Merrill Markoe, Richard Rosen, Tom Kramer, Adam Barr, Peter Ocko, “Not Necessarily the News,” HBO.

Daytime Serials: Agnes Nixon, Margaret De Priest, Lorraine Broderick, Victor Miller, Peggy Sloane, Megan McTavish, Gillian Spencer, Mary K. Wells, Susan Kirshenbaum, Elizabeth Page, Karen Lewis, Elizabeth Wallace, Kathleen Klein, “All My Children,” ABC; Douglas Marland, John Kuntz, Stephanie Braxton, Juliet Packer, Meredith Post, Nancy Ford, Penelope Koechl, Richard Backus, Caroline Franz, Patti Di Zenzo, “As the World Turns,” CBS; Clair Labine, Matthew Labine, Eleanor Mancusi, Bill Burritt, Louise Shaffer, Paul Balido, “Ryan’s Hope,” ABC.

Children’s Script: Jeffrey Auerbach, “No Means No,” CBS; Paul W. Cooper, “A Matter of Conscience,” CBS; Alan L. Gansberg, “My Past Is My Own,” CBS; Bruce G. Harmon, “Taking a Stand,” ABC; Jon Stone, “Big Bird in Japan,” PBS.

Documentary--Other Than Current Events: Joseph Angler, Blaine Baggett, “Secret Intelligence--Intervention,” PBS; Irwin Rosten, “Elephant,” PBS; Susanne Simpson, “Can the Vatican Save the Sistine Chapel?” PBS.

Documentary--Current Events: Thomas F. Flynn, “China Rebellion,” CBS; Alex Gibney, “The Battle for Eastern Airlines,” PBS; Robert Thurber, “Babies at Risk,” PBS.

Television Spot News Script: Jerry Cipriano, “A Presidential Inauguration,” CBS; Thomas F. Flynn, “The Big Lie,” CBS; Tom Phillips, Paul Fischer, John Mosedale, Jerry Cipriano, Hugh Heckman, “CBS Evening News in Beijing,” CBS.

Television Graphic Art: Ned Steinberg, Bruce Jensen, “25 Years: JFK Remembered,” CBS; Lou Palisano, “Return to Space,” CBS; Stephen Vardy, Hal Aronow-Thiel, “Dawn of a New Era,” CBS.

On-Air Promotion: Regis Bennett, Phillip Seldis, “WNET-Thirteen Promotion,” PBS; Hope Kilcoyne, “WNET-Thirteen Promotion,” PBS; Susan Meredith Lay, “WNET-Thirteen Promotion,” PBS; Phillip Seldis, “WNET-Thirteen Promotion,” PBS; Phillip Seldis, Terence Taylor, “WNET-Thirteen Promotion,” PBS.

Radio Spot News: Les Blatt, “Peter Jennings Journal,” ABC; Stuart H. Chamberlain Jr., “World News This Week,” ABC; Bruce G. Kauffmann, “Panama & Earth,” CBS; David P. Ysals, “News of the Day: Sept. 20, 1988,” CBS.

Radio Documentary: Elizabeth L. Dribben, “Remembering 1939,” CBS; Carol Paull, “Dateline America: Migrant Workers of Spring,” CBS; Gregory Stec, “1988 News Encore,” United Stations Radio Networks.