39th Writers Guild of America Awards

39th WGA Awards
39th WGA Awards
Date	1987
Organized by	Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West

The 39th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best television, and film writers of 1986. Winners were announced in 1987.^[1]

Winners and nominees

Film

Winners are listed first highlighted in boldface.^[2]

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screenplay Hannah and Her Sisters, Written by Woody Allen Blue Velvet, Written by David Lynch Mona Lisa, Written by Neil Jordan, and David Leland Platoon, Written by Oliver Stone Salvador, Written by Oliver Stone, and Richard Boyle	Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium A Room with a View, Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala; based on the novel by E.M. Forster Children of a Lesser God, Screenplay by Hesper Anderson, and Mark Medoff; based on the stage play by Mark Medoff Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Screenplay by Paul Mazursky, and Leon Capetanos; based on the play by René Fauchois Little Shop of Horrors, Screenplay by Howard Ashman; based on his musical play, and the 1960 screenplay by Charles B. Griffith Stand by Me, Screenplay by Raynold Gideon, and Bruce A. Evans; based on the novel by Stephen King

Television

Episodic Comedy "Allie's Affair" – Kate & Allie (CBS) – Bob Randall "I Can't Say No" – All Is Forgiven (NBC) – Ian Praiser, and Howard Gewirtz "Best of Friends" – Night Court (NBC) – Howard Ostroff "Theo's Holiday" – The Cosby Show (NBC) – John Markus, Carmen Finestra, and Matt Williams "Blanche and the Younger Man" – The Golden Girls (NBC) – James Berg, and Stan Zimmerman	Episodic Drama "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" – Moonlighting (ABC) – Debra Frank, and Carl Sautter Remembrance of Things Past" – St. Elsewhere (NBC) – John Masius, Bruce Paltrow, and Tom Fontana "What Are Friends For?" – Hill Street Blues (NBC) – Dick Wolf "Remembrance of Hits Past" – Hill Street Blues (NBC) – Walon Green, Jeffrey Lewis, and David Milch "Every Daughter's Father Is a Virgin" – Moonlighting (ABC) – Bruce Franklin Singer
Daytime Serials Ryan's Hope (ABC) – Tom King, Millee Taggart, William Burritt, Mardee Kravit, Eleanor Mancusi, Maura Penders, B.K. Perlman, Dorothy Ann Purser, Erik Wiklund, Claire Labine One Life to Live (ABC) – Peggy O'Shea, S. Michael Schnessel, Craig Carlson, Lanie Bertram, Ethel Brez, Mel Brez, Lloyd 'Lucky' Gold, George Lefferts, Peter Swet, Don Wallace	Anthology Episode/Single Program "Teacher's Aide/Paladin of the Lost" – The Twilight Zone (CBS) – Harlan Ellison "The Doll" – Amazing Stories (NBC) – Richard Matheson "A Day in Beaumont/The Last Defender of Camelot" – The Twilight Zone (CBS) – George R.R. Martin "Her Pilgrim Soul/I of Newton – The Twilight Zone (CBS) – Alan Brennert
Long Form – Original Nobody's Child (CBS) – Mary Gallagher, and Ara Watson The Execution of Raymond Graham (ABC) – Mel Frohman Unnatural Causes (NBC) – John Sayles, Martin M. Goldstein, Stephen Doran, and Robert Jacobs Miles to Go... (CBS) – Beverly Levitt, and Stuart Fischoff The Return of Sherlock Holmes (CBS) – Bob Shayne	Long Form – Adapted Peter the Great (NBC) – Edward Anhalt Trapped in Silence – Vickie Patik
Children's Show "Maricela" – Wonderworks (PBS) – Nancy Audley, Christine Burrill, and Richard Soto "Babies Having Babies" – CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS) – Kathryn J. Montgomery, and Jeffrey Auerbach "Fuzz Bucket" – Wonderful World of Disney (ABC) – Mick Garris "Time Flyer" – Wonderful World of Disney (ABC) – Mark Rosman

Special awards

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
Woody Allen
Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement
Reginald Rose
Valentine Davies Award
William Froug
Morgan Cox Award
Jean Rouverol

References

^ "Writers Guild Awards Winners: 1995-1949". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 2025-12-04. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1987)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-07-07.

External links

WGA.org

[1] "Writers Guild Awards Winners: 1995-1949". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 2025-12-04. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

[2] "Writers Guild of America, USA (1987)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-07-07.

[1]

[2]

Writers Guild of America Awards
Film Awards	Best Adapted Screenplay Best Original Screenplay Best Documentary Screenplay
Television/ New Media Awards	Animation Comedy Series Comedy/Variety Talk Series Comedy/Variety Specials Comedy/Variety Sketch Series Daytime Serials Drama Series Episodic Comedy Episodic Drama Limited Series TV & New Media Pictures Short Form New Media New Series Children's Script
Special Awards	Paul Selvin Award Valentine Davies Award Animation Writers Caucus Animation Writing Award Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement Evelyn F. Burkey Award
Former Awards	Musical Western American Scene Drama Comedy Long Form – Adapted Long Form – Original Documentary Script – Current Events Documentary Script – Other Than Current Events
Ceremonies	1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Years are of film release; ceremonies are held the following year