AFT Awards: Best Writing for a Comedy Series

This is the sixteenth category of the 8th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2013-2014 seasons. Finalists and semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Writing for a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: It’s a Shame About Ray (Girls), Quick Hardening Caulk (New Girl), Finale (The Office), Cascading Failures (Shameless), Governor Dunston (30 Rock)

Emmy nominees: Episode 305 (Episodes), So Did the Fat Lady (Louie), I Wasn’t Ready (Orange is the New Black), Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency (Silicon Valley), Special Relationship (Veep)

Semi-finalists: Flu Season 2 (Parks and Recreation), Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency (Silicon Valley), Special Relationship (Veep)

Finalists: The Cones of Dunshire (Parks and Recreation), Episode 306 (Episodes), Double Date (New Girl), Lesbian Request Denied (Orange is the New Black), The Dinner (Hello Ladies), The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip-Off Classic (Parks and Recreation)

The nominees:

Crate (Veep)
Civil War (Family Tree)
Pilot (Transparent)
Fucksgiving (Orange is the New Black)

A hilarious concept takes center stage, literally, in HBO’s political satire, while the network’s short-lived genealogy comedy was at its best in its most complex and ridiculous half-hour. Amazon hit it out of the park with its new and inventive family drama, while Netflix hit its high note with its Thanksgiving-centric episode of prison life.

The winner:

Moving Up (Parks and Recreation) was the hourlong sixth season finale of a show that’s still committed to being funny nonstop and to writing its characters as magnificently entertaining people.

Next up: Best Ensemble in a Drama Series