42nd Primetime Emmy Awards

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42nd Primetime Emmy Awards
Date
  • September 16, 1990
    (Ceremony)
  • September 15, 1990
    (Creative Arts Awards)
LocationPasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byCandice Bergen
Jay Leno
Jane Pauley
Highlights
Most awardsL.A. Law
Murphy Brown (3)
Most nominationsCheers
L.A. Law (11)
Outstanding Comedy SeriesMurphy Brown
Outstanding Drama SeriesL.A. Law
Outstanding MiniseriesDrug Wars: The Camarena Story
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesIn Living Color
Television/radio coverage
NetworkFox
  • ← 41st
  • Primetime Emmy Awards
  • 43rd →

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[]

Outstanding Comedy Series Outstanding Drama Series
  • Murphy Brown, (CBS)
    • Cheers, (NBC)
    • Designing Women, (CBS)
    • The Golden Girls, (NBC)
    • The Wonder Years, (ABC)
  • L.A. Law, (NBC)
    • China Beach, (ABC)
    • Quantum Leap, (NBC)
    • thirtysomething, (ABC)
    • Twin Peaks, (ABC)
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
  • In Living Color, (Fox)
    • The Arsenio Hall Show, (Syndicated)
    • Late Night with David Letterman, (NBC)
    • Saturday Night Live, (NBC)
    • The Tracey Ullman Show, (Fox)
  • Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration, (ABC)
    • The 62nd Annual Academy Awards, (ABC)
    • Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow, (HBO)
    • The 43rd Annual Tony Awards, (CBS)
    • The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show, (Fox)
Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special Outstanding Miniseries
  • Caroline?, (CBS)
  • The Incident, (CBS)
    • The Final Days, (ABC)
    • A Killing in a Small Town, (CBS)
    • Murder in Mississippi, (NBC)
  • Drug Wars: The Camarena Story, (NBC)
    • Blind Faith, (NBC)
    • Family of Spies, (CBS)
    • The Kennedys of Massachusetts, (ABC)
    • Small Sacrifices, (ABC)

Acting[]

Lead performances[]

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
  • Ted Danson as Sam Malone on Cheers (Episode: "Cry Harder", Part II), (NBC)
    • John Goodman as Dan Conner on Roseanne (Episode: "Born to Be Wild"), (ABC)
    • Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston on Empty Nest (Episode: "Still Growing After All These Years"), (NBC)
    • Craig T. Nelson as Coach Hayden Fox on Coach (Episode: "If Keith Jackson Calls, I'll Be At My Therapist's"), (ABC)
    • Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years (Episode: "Good-bye"), (ABC)
  • Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown on Murphy Brown (Episode: "Brown Like Me"), (CBS)
    • Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe on Cheers (Episode: "The Improbable Dream, Part I"), (NBC)
    • Blair Brown as Molly Dodd on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, (Lifetime)
    • Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker on Designing Women (Episode: "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?"), (CBS)
    • Betty White as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (Episode: "Rose Fights Back"), (NBC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
  • Peter Falk as Columbo on Columbo (Episode: "Agenda for Murder"), (ABC)
    • Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap, (NBC)
    • Robert Loggia as Nick Mancuso on Mancuso, FBI, (NBC)
    • Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks, (ABC)
    • Edward Woodward as Robert McCall on The Equalizer, (CBS)
  • Patricia Wettig as Nancy Krieger Weston on thirtysomething (Episode: "The Other Shoe"), (ABC)
    • Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy on China Beach, (ABC)
    • Jill Eikenberry as Ann Kelsey on L.A. Law, (NBC)
    • Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, (CBS)
    • Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell on Twin Peaks, (ABC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
  • Hume Cronyn as John Cooper on Age-Old Friends, (HBO)
    • Michael Caine as Dr. Henry Jekyll & Mr. Edward Hyde on Jekyll & Hyde, (ABC)
    • Art Carney as The Father on Where Pigeons Go to Die (NBC)
    • Albert Finney as Jason Cromwell on The Image, (HBO)
    • Tom Hulce as Mickey Schwerner on Murder in Mississippi, (NBC)
  • Barbara Hershey as Candy Morrison on A Killing in a Small Town, (CBS)
    • Farrah Fawcett as Diane Downs on Small Sacrifices, (ABC)
    • Christine Lahti as Zan Cooper on No Place Like Home, (CBS)
    • Annette O'Toole as Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, (ABC)
    • Lesley Ann Warren as Barbara Walker on Family of Spies, (CBS)
    • Alfre Woodard as Mary Thomas on A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story, (ABC)

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)
  • 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)
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)
    • Timothy Busfield as Elliot Weston on thirtysomething, (ABC)
    • Larry Drake as Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law, (NBC)
    • Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie, Jr. on L.A. Law, (NBC)
    • Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap, (NBC)
  • Marg Helgenberger as 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)
    • 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)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
  • Vincent Gardenia as Michael Aylott on Age-Old Friends, (HBO)
    • Ned Beatty as Cornelius van Horne on Last Train Home, (Family Channel)
    • Brian Dennehy as Ed Reivers on A Killing in a Small Town, (CBS)
    • Anthony Hopkins as Abel Magwitch on Great Expectations, (Disney)
    • James Earl Jones as Alice on By Dawn's Early Light, (HBO)
    • Max von Sydow as Szaz on Red King, White Knight, (HBO)
  • Eva Marie Saint as Lil Van Degan Altemus on People Like Us, (NBC)
    • Stockard Channing as Liz Sapperstein on Perfect Witness, (HBO)
    • Colleen Dewhurst as Hepzibah on Lantern Hill, (Disney)
    • Swoosie Kurtz as Joanne Winstow-Darvish on The Image, (HBO)
    • Irene Worth as Dolly Keeling on The Shell Seekers, (ABC)

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 Grandpa Arnold on The Wonder Years (Episode: "The Powers That Be"), (ABC)
    • Darren McGavin as Bill Brown on Murphy Brown (Episode: "Brown Like Me"), (CBS)
    • Jerry Orbach as Glenn O'Brien on The Golden Girls (Episode: "Cheaters"), (NBC)
    • Dick Van Dyke as Ken Whittingham on The Golden Girls (Episode: "Love Under The Big Top"), (NBC)
  • 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)
    • Peter Frechette as Peter Montefiore on thirtysomething (Episode: "Strangers"), (ABC)
    • Harold Gould as The Old Man on The Ray Bradbury Theater (Episode: "To the Chicago Abyss"), (USA)
    • William Hickey as Carlton Webster on Tales from the Crypt (Episode: "The Switch"), (HBO)
    • Bruce Weitz as Sgt. Ed Adderly on Midnight Caller (Episode: "Mercy Me"), (NBC)
  • 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)
  • 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)
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)
  • Joseph Sargent for Caroline?, (CBS)
    • Gilbert Cates for Do You Know the Muffin Man?, (CBS)
    • Stephen Gyllenhaal for A Killing in a Small Town, (CBS)
    • Lamont Johnson for The Kennedys of Massachusetts, (ABC)
    • Richard Pearce for The Final Days, (ABC)

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)
  • David E. Kelley for L.A. Law (Episode: "Blood, Sweat and 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)
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)
  • Terrence McNally for Andre's Mother, (PBS)
    • Michael De Guzman for Caroline?, (CBS)
    • William Hanley for The Kennedys of Massachusetts, (ABC)
    • James Norell, Michael Norell for The Incident, (CBS)
    • Hugh Whitemore for The Final Days, (ABC)

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 (HBO) / Caroline? (CBS) / Cheers (NBC) / Columbo (ABC) / thirtysomething (ABC) / The Wonder Years (ABC) – 2
Notes
  1. ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

References[]

  1. ^ Emmys.com list of 1990 Nominees & Winners

External links[]

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