42nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 16, 1990. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California. Two networks, The Family Channel and The Disney Channel received their first major nominations.
In its second season Murphy Brown won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and two other major awards on the night. Defending champion Cheers received the most major nominations for a comedy series with 11. Newhart finished its series run with 21 major nominations, but not a single win. On the drama side L.A. Law won Outstanding Drama Series for the third time in four years. It also won three major awards on the night, and received the most major nominations for a drama with 11.
This ceremony was remembered for an anomaly that took place, as three major categories resulted in ties, the most ever for one ceremony.
A clip of The Simpsons presenting the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series can be seen on the second season DVD boxset as a special feature.
Winners and Nominees
[3]
Programs
Acting
Lead performances
Supporting performances
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series |
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- Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Crane on Cheers, (Episode: "Severe Crane Damage"), (NBC)
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| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
- Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes on L.A. Law, (Episode: "Blood, Sweat and Fears"), (NBC)
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- Marg Helgenberger as K.C. on China Beach, (Episode: "Skin Deep"), (ABC)
- Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne on Twin Peaks, (Episode: "Episode 6"), (ABC)
- Melanie Mayron as Melissa Steadman on thirtysomething, (Episode: "Good Sex, Bad Sex, What Sex, No Sex"), (ABC)
- Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law, (Episode: "Whatever Happened to Hannah?"), (NBC)
- Susan Ruttan as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law, (Episode: "The Good Human Bar"), (NBC)
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| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special |
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Guest performances
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series |
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
|---|
- Jay Thomas as Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown, (Episode: "Heart of Gold"), (CBS)
- David Huddleston as Granpa Arnold on The Wonder Years, (Episode: "The Powers That Be"), (ABC)
- Darren McGavin as Max Weinstock on Murphy Brown, (Episode: "Brown Like Me"), (CBS)
- Jerry Orbach as Glen on The Golden Girls, (Episode: "Cheaters"), (NBC)
- Dick Van Dyke as Ken on The Golden Girls, (Episode: "Love Under The Big Top"), (NBC)
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- Swoosie Kurtz as Laurie on Carol & Company, (Episode: "Reunion"), (NBC)
- Georgia Brown as Madame Lazora on Cheers, (Episode: "The Ghost and Mrs. LeBec"), (NBC)
- Morgan Fairchild as Julia St. Martin on Murphy Brown, (Episode: "TV or Not TV"), (CBS)
- Alexis Smith as Alice Anne Volkman on Cheers, (Episode: "Sammy and the Professor"), (NBC)
- Liz Torres as Angie on The Famous Teddy Z, (Episode: "A Day At The Beach"), (CBS)
|
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series |
- Patrick McGoohan as Oscar Finch on Columbo, (Episode: "Agenda for Murder"), (ABC)
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- Viveca Lindfors as Mrs. Doubcha on Life Goes On, (Episode: "Save The Last Dance For Me"), (ABC)
- Ruby Dee as Ruby on China Beach, (Episode: "Skylark"), (ABC)
- Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert on Road to Avonlea, (Episode: "The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's"), (Disney)
- Shirley Knight as Ruth Murdoch on thirtysomething, (Episode: "Arizona"), (ABC)
- Kay Lenz as Tina Cassidy on Midnight Caller, (Episode: "Someone to Love"), (NBC)
|
Directing
| Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series |
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series |
- Michael Dinner, for The Wonder Years, (Episode: "Good-Bye"), (ABC)
- James Burrows for Cheers, (Episode: "The Improbable Dream, Part I"), (NBC)
- Terry Hughes, for The Golden Girls, (Episode: "Triple Play"), (NBC)
- Barnet Kellman for Murphy Brown, (Episode: "Brown Like Me"), (CBS)
- Harry Thomason for Designing Women, (Episode: "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?"), (CBS)
- Hugh Wilson for The Famous Teddy Z, (Episode: "Pilot"), (CBS)
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- Thomas Carter for Equal Justice, (Episode: "Promises To Keep"), (ABC)
- Scott Winant for thirtysomething, (Episode: "The Go-Between"), (ABC)
- David Lynch for Twin Peaks, (Episode: "Pilot"), (ABC)
- Win Phelps for L.A. Law, (Episode: "Noah's Bark"), (NBC)
- Rick Wallace for L.A. Law, (Episode: "The Last Gasp"), (NBC)
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| Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program |
Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special |
- Dwight Hemion for The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, (CBS)
- Paul Flaherty for Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow, (HBO)
- Jim Henson for The Jim Henson Hour, (Episode: "The Song of the Cloud Forest"), (NBC)
- Jeff Margolis for Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration, (ABC)
- Chuck Workman for The 62nd Annual Academy Awards, (ABC)
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Writing
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series |
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series |
- Bob Brush for The Wonder Years, (Episode: "Good-Bye"), (ABC)
- Mark Egan, Mark Solomon, Bob Bendetson for Newhart, (Episode: "The Last Newhart"), (CBS)
- Diane English for Murphy Brown, (Episode: "Brown Like Me"), (CBS)
- Ken Levine, David Isaacs for Cheers, (Episode: "Death Takes a Holiday on Ice"), (NBC)
- Hugh Wilson for The Famous Teddy Z, (Episode: "Pilot"), (CBS)
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- David E. Kelley for L.A. Law, (Episode: "Blood, Sweat & Fears"), (NBC)
- Joseph Dougherty for thirtysomething, (Episode: "The Go-Between"), (ABC)
- Mark Frost, David Lynch for Twin Peaks, (Episode: "Pilot"), (ABC)
- David E. Kelley, William M. Finkelstein for L.A. Law, (Episode: "Bang... Zoom... Zap"), (NBC)
- Harley Peyton for Twin Peaks, (Episode: "Episode 3"), (ABC)
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| Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program |
Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special |
- The Tracey Ullman Show, (Episode: "I Hate Paris"), (Fox)
- Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow, (HBO)
- In Living Color, (Episode: "Pilot"), (Fox)
- Saturday Night Live, (NBC)
- Late Night with David Letterman, (Episode: "8th Anniversary Special"), (NBC)
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Most major nominations
- By network [note 1]
- NBC / ABC – 47
- CBS – 35
- HBO – 11
- By program
- Cheers (NBC) / L.A. Law (NBC) – 11
- Murphy Brown (CBS) – 9
- thirtysomething (ABC) – 8
- Twin Peaks (ABC) – 7
- The Golden Girls (NBC) – 6
Most major awards
- By network [note 1]
- ABC – 10
- CBS – 9
- NBC – 8
- HBO – 3
- Fox – 2
- By program
- L.A. Law (NBC) / Murphy Brown (CBS) – 3
- Age-Old Friends (ABC) / Caroline? (CBS) / Cheers (NBC) / Columbo (ABC) / thirtysomething (ABC) / The Wonder Years (ABC) – 2
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.
References
External links