ER, Christine Writers Among Humanitas Winners
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/27/2007 6:27:00 AM
A dozen TV and film writers received Humanitas prizes and a share of $145,000 in prize money.
The awards, which were given out Tuesday in L.A., are for writing that "honestly explores the complexities of the human experience and sheds light on the positive values of life."
Doing that honest exploring on the TV side were Peter Morgan who won $25,000 for for Longford (HBO Films), about the forgiving relationship between a British Earl and a child killer; R. Scott Gemmill and David Zabel, who won $15,000 in the hour category for their ER script "There Are No Angels Here" about a road trip by some of the doctors to Darfur; Jennifer Crittenden ($10,000) for The New Adventures of Old Christine's "Oh God, Yes," about the faith of a child; Sandy McKay, Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown for "The Gift" on PBS' Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, about real family values; and Anna Sandor for Disney Channel's Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront about the toll of war on the ones left behind.
The awards were started by Father Ellwood (Bud) Keiser to accentuate the positive and uplifting.
Larry Gelbart received the 2007 Kieser award for a career of thoughtful and important TV writing. The David & Lynn Angell Fellowship in Comedy Writing went to Jonny Mais, University of Southern California, for his spec script for Weeds, "Pot Chocolate."
