Lost Nominated for WGA

Awards heavyweights "Mad Men," "30 Rock" and "The Office" and buzzed-about newcomer "Modern Family" led the TV field for the 2010 Writers Guild Awards with three nominations each.

AMC's "Mad Men" and NBC's "30 Rock" and "The Office" are in the running for best drama/comedy series, and each received two nominations for episodic writing. "Family" made the cut for best comedy series, best new series and best episodic writing for a comedy series.

ABC's "Family" was one of two new shows to break into the best series categories along with Fox's quirky high-school dramedy "Glee," which faces "Family" in the best comedy series and best new series fields.

While the WGA Awards are still in its nomination phase, Fox's "The Simpsons" can already uncork the champagne. The veteran series is assured to win the animation category after landing all five nomination slots.

The biggest surprise among the series nominees was HBO's low-key baseball comedy "Eastbound & Down," which landed a best episodic comedy nomination for the pilot.

In the drama series category, Emmy nominees "Mad Men," AMC's "Breaking Bad," Showtime's "Dexter" -- whose fourth season exploded in the ratings -- and ABC's "Lost" will face DirecTV/NBC's cult favorite "Friday Night Lights."

On the comedy side, "30 Rock," "The Office" and newbies "Family" and "Glee" are joined by HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which is coming off a strong "Seinfeld"-themed season.

In the new series field, "Family" and "Glee" will square off with the CBS drama "The Good Wife" and two off-beat pay cable comedies, HBO's "Hung" and Showtime's "Nurse Jackie."

In addition to the two episodes of "Mad Men," including the penultimate episode tackling the John F. Kennedy assassination, the episodic drama noms went to the two-hour season opener of "House," as well as one episode each of HBO's "Big Love" and "True Blood" and "Breaking Bad."

Among half-hours, pair of episodes from "30 Rock" and "Office" will face the pilots of "Family" and "Eastbound" in a field that has been expanded to six nominees.

"The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" earned its first major nomination, for best writing on a variety show. It will compete with Comedy Central's duo of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report," HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

HBO and Lifetime scored multiple nominations -- two each -- in the longform categories.

HBO's "Grey Gardens" and Lifetime's "Georgia O'Keefe" were nominated in the original screenplay category alongside MTV"s "Pedro," while HBO's "Taking Chance" and "Lifetime's "America" will compete in the adaptation category.

CBS' recently canceled "As the World Turns" is up for a daytime drama writing award alongside ABC's "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" and CBS" "The Young and the Restless."

Source: Hollywood Reporter