Pick Of The Picks

The Writers Guild TV nominations for 2009 are out. I often disagree with the Guild on movies, but they've got pretty good taste when it comes to the small screen.

For best drama, they picked my three favorites shows (plus two others), Lost, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. No Big Bang for comedy, and what's Glee doing there, but no one could be surprised by 30 Rock, The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm (even if the last is a scenario-led show). The final slot is filled by Modern Family, which I question, but they could have done a lot worse.

As for particular episode nominations, I have a few quibbles.

For best drama, they picked two from Mad Men, "Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency" and "The Grown Ups." The first, definitely. The second, taking place with a backdrop of the JFK assassination wasn't so great--I think the Guild is giving them extra points for mistaken seriousness. Better would be "Shut The Door, Have A Seat."

I'll give them credit for "Phoenix," one of the better episodes of Breaking Bad, though it was a season of good episodes.

For House, they picked the worst of a weak season--the two-hour opener where he's stuck in a mental hospital. I thought it stood out as bad, but the kind of badness that seems significant and regularly impresses the WGA (though more often in movie nominations).

Worst of all, nothing from Lost.

For comedy, two Offices, two 30 Rocks, one Eastbound & Down (huh?) and Modern Family's pilot. Not especially inspired picks, but worse, where's the Seinfeld reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm?