Writers Guild TV nominations 2021: Better Call Saul leads the list with new shows The Flight Attendant and The Great also in the mix

By HEIDI PARKER, US DEPUTY SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR

Published: | Updated:

The Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East announced their TV nominations on Wednesday just hours after the Golden Globe nominations were shared.

Better Call Saul and The Simpsons led the list with new shows Ted Lasso and The Great not far behind.

Winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21, 2021. 

The standout: The Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East announced their TV nominations on Wednesday just hours after the Golden Globe nominations were shared. Better Call Saul led the list

The standout: The Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East announced their TV nominations on Wednesday just hours after the Golden Globe nominations were shared. Better Call Saul led the list

The guild focuses on outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional writing during 2020. 

Better Call Saul is the top nominee for the awards show as it landed in the Best Drama Series category as well as three nominations in the Episodic Drama Category.

The Simpsons won four nominations in Best Animation.

The new shows Ted Lasso and The Great both had nominations in the Best Comedy, New Series and Episodic Comedy slots. 

This show sure has some long legs: The Simpsons won four nominations in Best Animation

This show sure has some long legs: The Simpsons won four nominations in Best Animation

In the Drama Series category were Better Call Saul, The Boys, The Crown, The Mandalorian, and Ozar.

The Comedy series nominated was the veteran show Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Great, PEN15, Ted Lasso and What We Do in the Shadow.

The new series that were recognized were Dave, The Flight Attendant, The Great, Lovecraft Country and Ted Lasso.

On top: The new series that were recognized were Dave, The Flight Attendant, The Great (pictured), Lovecraft Country and Ted Lasso

On top: The new series that were recognized were Dave, The Flight Attendant, The Great (pictured), Lovecraft Country and Ted Lasso

In the Original Long Form section were Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, Hollywood, Mrs. America, Safety and Uncle Frank.

Adapted Long Form went to Bad Education, Clouds, The Good Lord Bird, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Queen's Gambit.  

There were some very familiar named in the Comedy Variety Talk Series section: Desus & Mero, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Other standouts on the list was Tina Fey's writing for 30 Rock: A One-Time Special, Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 and At Home with Amy Sedaris.  

Hollywood Game Night, Jeopardy!, Weakest Link, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Celebrity Season, were singled out for the game show category. 

She is having a good day: This image released by HBO Max shows Kaley Cuoco, left, and Michiel Huisman in a scene from The Flight Attendant. Cuoco was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical for her role in the television series and was also nominated by the Writers Guild

She is having a good day: This image released by HBO Max shows Kaley Cuoco, left, and Michiel Huisman in a scene from The Flight Attendant. Cuoco was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical for her role in the television series and was also nominated by the Writers Guild

Writers Guild TV nominations 2021 


DRAMA SERIES

Better Call Saul

The Boys

The Crown, Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix

The Mandalorian

Ozark

 

COMEDY SERIES

Curb Your Enthusiasm

The Great

PEN15

Ted Lasso

What We Do in the Shadows

 

Baby Yoda in Mandalorian

Baby Yoda in Mandalorian

NEW SERIES

Dave

The Flight Attendan

The Great

Lovecraft Country

Ted Lasso

 

ORIGINAL LONG FORM

Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story

Hollywood

Mrs. America

Safety

Uncle Frank

 

ADAPTED LONG FORM

Bad Education

Clouds

The Good Lord Bird

Little Fires Everywhere

The Queen's Gambit

 

Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere

ORIGINAL & ADAPTED SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA

#FREERAYSHAWN, Written by Marc Maurino; Quibi

Better Call Saul Employee Training: Legal Ethics with Kim Wexler, Written by Ariel Levine; AMC Digital on YouTube

Most Dangerous Game, Written by Nick Santora, Story by Josh Harmon and Scott Elder; Quibi

* Per Writers Guild Awards submission rules, if there are insufficient entries in any category, those entries may be placed in another category.

 

ANIMATION

'A Springfield Summer Christmas For Christmas' (The Simpsons), Written by Jessica Conrad; Fox

'Bart The Bad Guy' (The Simpsons), Written by Dan Vebber; Fox

'I, Carumbus' (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox

'Prank You for Being A Friend' (Bob's Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox

'Three Dreams Denied' (The Simpsons), Written by Danielle Weisberg; Fox

'Xerox of a Xerox' (BoJack Horseman), Written by Nick Adams; Netflix

 

EPISODIC DRAMA

'Bad Choice Road' (Better Call Saul), Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC

'Fire Pink' (Ozark), Written by Miki Johnson; Netflix

'JMM' (Better Call Saul), Written by Alison Tatlock; AMC

'Raised by Wolves' (Raised by Wolves), Written by Aaron Guzikowski; HBO Max

'Something Unforgivable' (Better Call Saul), Written by Peter Gould & Ariel Levine; AMC

'Trouble Don't Last Always' (Euphoria), Written by Sam Levinson; HBO

 

EPISODIC COMEDY

'Grandma & Chill' (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Written by Kyle Lau; Comedy Central

'The Great' (The Great), Written by Tony McNamara; Hulu

'It's Not You, It's Me' (Dead to Me), Written by Liz Feldman & Kelly Hutchinson; Netflix

'Pilot' (Ted Lasso), Teleplay by Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence, Story by Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence & Brendan Hunt & Joe Kelly; Apple TV+

'The Tank' (Grace & Frankie), Written by Alex Kavallierou; Netflix

'Trick' (High Maintenance), Written by Isaac Oliver; HBO

 

COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES

Desus & Mero

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 

 

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with guest Zendaya

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with guest Zendaya

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS

30 Rock: A One-Time Special

Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)

Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020

Yearly Departed, Head Writer: Bess Kalb Writers: Karen Chee, Akilah Green, Franchesca Ramsey, Jocelyn Richard; Amazon Studios

 

COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

At Home with Amy Sedaris, Writers: Jeremy Beiler, Cole Escola, Peter Grosz, Amy Sedaris; truTV

How To with John Wilson, Writers: Michael Koman, John Wilson; HBO

The Amber Ruffin Show, Head Writer: Jenny Hagel Writers: Demi Adejuyigbe, Shantira Jackson, Dewayne Perkins, Amber Ruffin Additional Material by John Lutz; Peacock Originals

 

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Hollywood Game Night

Jeopardy!

Weakest Link

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Celebrity Season  

Better Call Saul

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