42nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 16, 1990. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. Two networks, The Family Channel and The Disney Channel received their first major nominations.
For its second season, Murphy Brown won Outstanding Comedy Series and two other major awards. Defending champion Cheers received the most major nominations for a comedy series with 11 and 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 and also won three major awards, receiving the most major nominations for a drama series with 11. This became the first year that every cast member of The Golden Girls wasn't nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
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 DVD boxset of the second season as a special feature.
Winners and nominees
[1]
Programs
Acting
Lead performances
Supporting performances
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series |
- Alex Rocco as Al Floss on The Famous Teddy Z (Episodes: "Pilot" + "Teddy Sells His House" + "Agent of the Year"), (CBS)
- Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers (Episodes: "The Stork Brings a Crane" + "Severe Crane Damage" + "The Ghost and Mrs. Lebec"), (NBC)
- Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd on Cheers (Episodes: "Woody or Won't He" + "50–50 Carla" + "Loverboyd"), (NBC)
- Charles Kimbrough as Jim Dial on Murphy Brown (Episodes: "Anchors Away" + "Roasted" + "On the Road Again"), (CBS)
- Jerry Van Dyke as Luther Van Dam on Coach (Episodes: "If a Coach Falls in the Woods" + "Coaches Conference" + "Homewreckers"), (ABC)
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- Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Crane on Cheers (Episodes: "The Stork Brings a Crane" + "Severe Crane Damage" + "The Ghost and Mrs. Lebec"), (NBC)
- Julia Duffy as Stephanie Vanderkellen on Newhart (Episodes: "Cupcake in a Cage" + "Lights, Camera, Contractions!" + "Seein' Double"), (CBS)
- Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown (Episodes: "And the Whiner Is..." + "Bad Girls" + "Going to the Chapel"), (CBS)
- Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (Episodes: "Sick and Tired" + "Not Another Monday" + "Clinton Avenue Memoirs"), (NBC)
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli on Cheers (Episodes: "Death Takes a Holiday on Ice" + "50–50 Carla" + "The Ghost and Mrs. Lebec"), (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 (Episodes: "The Unsterile Cuckoo" + "Blood, Sweat and Fears"), (NBC)
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- Marg Helgenberger as KC Koloski on China Beach (Episodes: "The Unquiet Earth" + "Skin Deep" + "Nightfall"), (ABC)
- Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne on Twin Peaks (Episodes: "Pilot" + "Episode 2" + "Episode 6"), (ABC)Strangers (thirtysomething)
- Melanie Mayron as Melissa Steadman on thirtysomething (Episodes: "Mr. Right" + "Strangers" + "Good Sex, Bad Sex, What Sex, No Sex"), (ABC)
- Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law (Episodes: "The Pay's Lousy, But the Tips Are Great" + "Whatever Happened to Hannah?" + "Watts a Matter?"), (NBC)
- Susan Ruttan as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law (Episodes: "The Good Human Bar" + "Bang... Zoom... Zap" + "Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sued"), (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)
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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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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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Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program |
Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special |
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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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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)
- Late Night with David Letterman (Episode: "8th Anniversary Special"), (NBC)
- Saturday Night Live, (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 2 "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.
References
External links