# 41st Writers Guild of America Awards

The 41st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best television, and film writers of 1988. Winners were announced in 1989.

## Winners and nominees
### Film

Winners are listed first highlighted in boldface.
| Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screenplay Bull Durham, Written by Ron Shelton A Fish Called Wanda, Written by John Cleese, and Charles Crichton Big, Written by Gary Ross, and Anne Spielberg Rain Man, Written by Ronald Bass, and Barry Morrow; story by Barry Morrow Working Girl, Written by Kevin Wade | Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Dangerous Liaisons, Screenplay by Christopher Hampton; based on the novel by Choderlos de Laclos Gorillas in the Mist, Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan, and Tan Murphy; based on the work by Dian Fossey, and the article of Harold T.P. Hayes The Accidental Tourist, Screenplay by Frank Galati, and Lawrence Kasdan; based on the book by Anne Tyler The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Screenplay by Jean-Claude Carrière, and Philip Kaufman; based on the novel by Milan Kundera Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Screenplay by Jeffrey Price, and Peter S. Seaman; based on the novel by Gary K. Wolf |

### Television

| Episodic Comedy "My Father's Office" – The Wonder Years (ABC) – Carol Black, and Neal Marlens "The Way We Were" – Family Ties (NBC) – Gary David Goldberg "No Hard Feelings" – Night Court (NBC) – Tom Straw "Old Friends" – The Golden Girls (NBC) – Kathy Speer, and Terry Grossman "Episode #1.1." – The Slap Maxwell Story (ABC) – Jay Tarses "Pilot" – The Wonder Years (ABC) – Neal Marlens, and Carol Black | Episodic Drama "Therapy" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Susan Shilliday "Thirtysomething" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Marshall Herskovitz, and Edward Zwick "Home" – China Beach (ABC) – William Broyles Jr. "Full Marital Jacket" – L.A. Law (NBC) – Terry Louise Fisher, David E. Kelley, and Steven Bochco "A Moon for the Misbegotten" – St. Elsewhere (NBC) – Tom Fontana, John Tinker, and Channing Gibson "Nice Work If You Can Get It" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Paul Haggis, and Jean Vallely |
| Daytime Serials Ryan's Hope (ABC) – Claire Labine, Eleanor Mancusi, William Burritt, Madeline B. David, Dave Appell, Rocco Bufano, Matt Labine Guiding Light (CBS) – Pamela K. Long, Nancy Williams Watt, Stephen Demorest, Trent Jones, Melissa Salmons, Pete T. Rich, Nancy Curlee, N. Gail Lawrence, Richard Culliton, Nancy Franklin | Anthology Episode/Single Program "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson" – Great Performances – Andy Wolk "There Was a Little Girl (Daddy's Girl) – Alfred Hitchcock Presents (NBC) – Charles Grant Craig "Mad Avenue" – CBS Summer Playhouse (CBS) – Christopher Knopf, and David A. Simons |
| Original Long Form God Bless the Child (ABC) – Dennis Nemec My Father, My Son (CBS) – Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story (NBC) – Norman Morrill | Adapted Long Form "Foxfire" – Hallmark Hall of Fame (CBS) – Susan Cooper "Part 1" – Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (ABC) – Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler A Friendship of Vienna (NBC) – Richard Alfieri |
| Children's Show "The Secret Garden" – Hallmark Hall of Fame (CBS) – Blanche Hanalis "Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story" – ABC Afterschool Special (ABC) – Victoria Hochberg "The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman Story" – ABC Afterschool Special (ABC) – Joanna Lee "Gangs" – CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS) – Paul W. Cooper "Home Sweet Homeless" – CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS) – Kathryn J. Montgomery A Mouse, A Mystery and Me (NBC) – Everett Greenbaum, Harvey Bullock, Jim Shorts and Chris Solada | Variety – Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event A Muppet Family Christmas – Jerry Juhl Family Comedy Hour – Jack Elinson, Jay Leno, Marvin Silbermintz, Jay Teitzell, Ted Herrmann, Wayne Kline |

#### Documentary

| Documentary – Current Events "Apartheid Part 5: 1987" – Frontline (PBS) – Irv Drasnin | Documentary – Other than Current Events George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (ABC) – George Stevens Jr. |

### Special awards

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement :
* Ring Lardner Jr. |
* Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement |
* Hal Kanter |
* Valentine Davies Award |
* Garson Kanin, and Michael Kanin |
* Morgan Cox Award |
* Robert I. Holt |