Best Screenplay

The first season finale of *The Wire* offers a complex portrayal of Baltimore’s drug trade and its impact on law enforcement and communities. Written by David Simon, it highlights systemic corruption within institutions—including the police department—and reveals how these failures contribute to ong...

David Chase’s “The Sopranos” pilot screenplay established a groundbreaking approach to television drama. It portrays Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss navigating family and criminal life. The series, initially broadcast in 1999, is notable for its complex characters, realistic portrayal of organiz...

The Breaking Bad pilot screenplay details the transformation of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Recognizing his impending death and financial insecurity, he partners with a former student to manufacture methamphetamine. This original television dram...

The Deadwood pilot screenplay, created by David Milch, depicts the chaotic founding of Deadwood, South Dakota in the 1870s. This period piece offers a detailed look at a burgeoning gold rush town and its inhabitants, primarily for viewers interested in historical Western dramas and those fascinated...

The Fleabag pilot screenplay, created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, introduces a complex and darkly humorous character navigating profound grief through an innovative use of direct address to the audience. This original television script is notable for its raw emotional honesty and distinctive comedic st...

The Mad Men pilot, written by Matthew Weiner and premiered on AMC in 2007, introduces ad executive Don Draper in 1960s New York; the series won four consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama.

The Bear pilot, written by Christopher Storer and premiered on FX in 2022, follows a fine-dining chef who returns to Chicago to run his late brother's chaotic sandwich shop.

The Severance pilot, written by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller for Apple TV+ in 2022, introduces a company where employees surgically separate their work and personal memories.

The Atlanta pilot, written by Donald Glover and premiered on FX in 2016, follows a Princeton dropout managing his cousin's rap career in Atlanta; Glover won Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for the show.

The Wire pilot, written by David Simon and aired on HBO in 2002, launches a Baltimore drug investigation told from both police and dealer perspectives across institutional systems.

The Game of Thrones pilot, adapted by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from George R.R. Martin's novels for HBO in 2011, establishes the dynastic power struggle across the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Happy Hour is a 2015 Japanese drama directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, running over five hours and following four women in Kobe; its non-professional cast won Best Actress collectively at Locarno.

The Barry pilot, written by Bill Hader and Alec Berg for HBO in 2018, introduces a Midwestern hitman who stumbles into an acting class in Los Angeles and discovers an unexpected ambition.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is a 2021 Japanese anthology film by Ryusuke Hamaguchi comprising three short stories about chance and coincidence; it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlin.

The Crown pilot, written by Peter Morgan and premiered on Netflix in 2016, opens with Queen Elizabeth II's early reign and was among the most expensive television productions at the time of its release.

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