44th Primetime Emmy Awards

44th Primetime Emmy Awards
Date	August 30, 1992
Location	Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Presented by	Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted by	Tim Allen Kirstie Alley Dennis Miller
Highlights
Most awards	Miss Rose White Murphy Brown Northern Exposure (3)
Most nominations	I'll Fly Away Northern Exposure (9)
Outstanding Comedy Series	Murphy Brown
Outstanding Drama Series	Northern Exposure
Outstanding Miniseries	A Woman Named Jackie
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Television/radio coverage
Network	Fox
← 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards 45th →

The 44th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 30, 1992. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.^[1] It was hosted by Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley and Dennis Miller, and directed by Walter C. Miller.^[2] Presenters included Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold, Scott Bakula, Candice Bergen, Corbin Bernsen, Beau Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, and Cindy Crawford.^[2] The program was written by Buddy Sheffield and Bruce Vilanch.^[3] Over 300 million people watched the ceremony in 30 countries.

A rule change, instituted for this year only, stated that regular and guest performers would compete in the same category. There could be lead guest or supporting guest. This rule allowed Hollywood stalwarts such as Kirk Douglas, who appeared in one episode of the anthology series Tales from the Crypt, and Christopher Lloyd, who guest-starred on Road to Avonlea, to be nominated for the leading actor award (and, in Lloyd's case, to win). However, the rule also meant that, for instance, Harrison Page got nominated as a lead on Quantum Leap alongside Scott Bakula, even though Page appeared in a supporting role in one episode while Bakula starred in every installment, and Shirley Knight got nominated for one episode of Law & Order while the regular cast didn't receive any nominations. The rule was reverted the following year.

On the comedy side, Murphy Brown won Outstanding Comedy Series for the second time, winning three major awards on the night, the most for a comedy series. On the drama side, L.A. Law's strangle hold on Outstanding Drama Series came to an end, as Northern Exposure took home the award. Northern Exposure also won three major awards and received nine major nominations, which tied for the most in each category. For the first time in its run, The Golden Girls, then in its seventh and final season, was not nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.

For the first time, the Lead Actor, Drama award went outside the Big Four television networks to a cable network show: Christopher Lloyd in Road to Avonlea, from the Disney Channel.

After being on the air for thirty years, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson finally heard its name called when its final season won for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Program. The show was first nominated for the category in 1964 and was 0/13 before this ceremony.

As of the 2021 Emmy ceremony, this was the last year where the Big Four broadcast networks received all the nominations in both the Comedy and Drama Series categories.

Winners and nominees[]

^[4]

Programs[]

Outstanding Comedy Series	Outstanding Drama Series
Murphy Brown, (CBS) Brooklyn Bridge,(CBS) Cheers, (NBC) Home Improvement, (ABC) Seinfeld, (NBC)	Northern Exposure, (CBS) I'll Fly Away, (NBC) L.A. Law, (NBC) Law & Order, (NBC) Quantum Leap, (NBC)
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Series)	Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Special)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC) In Living Color, (Fox) Late Night with David Letterman (Episode: "10th Anniversary Special"), (NBC)	Cirque du Soleil II: Nouvelle Expérience,(HBO) Comic Relief V, (HBO) Great Performances (Episode: "Unforgettable, with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole") (PBS)
Outstanding Made for Television Movie	Outstanding Miniseries
Miss Rose White (NBC) Doing Time on Maple Drive, (Fox) Homefront (Episode: "Pilot"), (ABC) I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Pilot"), (NBC) Without Warning: The James Brady Story, (HBO)	A Woman Named Jackie,(NBC) The Burden of Proof, (ABC) Cruel Doubt, (NBC) In a Child's Name , (CBS) Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel, (NBC)

Acting[]

Lead performances[]

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Craig T. Nelson as Coach Hayden Fox on Coach (Episode: "A Real Guy's Guy"), (ABC) Ted Danson as Sam Malone on Cheers (Episode: "Go Make"), (NBC) John Goodman as Dan Conner on Roseanne (Episode: "The Back Story"), (ABC) Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane on Wings (Episode: "Planes, Trains, and Visiting Cranes"), (NBC) Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton on Evening Shade (Episode: "Callous Hearts of Rage"), (CBS) Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld (Episode: "The Boyfriend"), (NBC)	Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown on Murphy Brown (Episode: "Birth 101"), (CBS) Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe on Cheers (Episode: "An Old Fashioned Wedding"), (NBC) Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner on Roseanne (Episode: "A Bitter Pill to Swallow"), (ABC) Tyne Daly as Mimsy Borogroves on Wings (Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"), (NBC) Marion Ross as Sophie Berger on Brooklyn Bridge (Episode: "Brave New World"), (CBS) Betty White as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (Episode: "Dateline: Miami"), (NBC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Christopher Lloyd as Alistair Dimple on Road to Avonlea (Episode: "Another Point of View"), (Disney) Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap (Episode: "Dreams: February 28, 1979"), (NBC) Kirk Douglas as General Kalthrob on Tales from the Crypt (Episode: "Yellow"), (HBO) Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone on Law & Order (Episode: "The Wages of Love"), (NBC) Rob Morrow as Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure (Episode: "Jules et Joel"), (ABC) Harrison Page as Reverend Walters on Quantum Leap (Episode: "Song for the Soul: April 7, 1963") (ABC) Sam Waterston as Forrest Bedford on I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Hard Lessons Master Magician"), (NBC)	Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy on China Beach (Episode: "Through and Through"), (ABC) Sharon Gless as Rosie O'Neill on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (Episode: "Heartbreak Hotel"), (CBS) Shirley Knight as Melanie Cullen on Law & Order (Episode: "The Wages of Love"), (NBC) Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote (Episode: "Night Fears"), (CBS) Kate Nelligan as Sydney Carver on Road to Avonlea (Episode: "After the Honeymoon"), (Disney) Regina Taylor as Lilly on I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Coming Home"), (NBC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
Beau Bridges as James Brady on Without Warning: The James Brady Story, (HBO) Rubén Blades as Ernesto Ontiveros on Crazy from the Heart, (TNT) Hume Cronyn as Cleveland Meriwether on Christmas on Division Street (CBS) Brian Dennehy as John Wayne Gacy on To Catch a Killer, (Syndicated) Maximilian Schell as Mordecai Weiss on Miss Rose White, (NBC)	Gena Rowlands as Pat Foster on Face of a Stranger, (CBS) Anne Bancroft as Lillian Cage on Mrs. Cage, (PBS) Meredith Baxter as Betty Broderick on A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story, (CBS) Judy Davis as Countess Mary Lindell on One Against the Wind, (CBS) Laura Dern as Janet Harduvel on Afterburn, (HBO)

Supporting performances[]

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Michael Jeter as Herman Stiles on Evening Shade (Episodes: "Herman in Charge" + "Hasta la Vista"), (CBS) Jason Alexander as George Costanza on Seinfeld (Episodes: "The Note" + "The Tape"), (NBC) Charles Durning as Dr. Harlan Elldridge on Evening Shade (Episode: "Three Naked Men"), (CBS) Harvey Fierstein as Mark Newberger on Cheers (Episode: "Rebecca's Lover... Not"), (NBC) Jay Thomas as Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown (Episodes: "Uh-Oh", Parts 2 & 3 + "Lovesick"), (CBS) Jerry Van Dyke as Luther Van Dam on Coach (Episodes: "I Think I Can't, I Think I Can't" + "Last of the Red-Hot Luthers"), (ABC)	Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris on Roseanne (Episodes: "Why Jackie Becomes a Trucker" + "Kansas City, Here We Come"), (ABC) Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown (Episodes: "Love is Blonde" + "A Chance of Showers"), (CBS) Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (Episode: "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest"), (NBC) Alice Ghostley as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women (Episodes: "The Strange Case of Clarence and Anita" + "Just Say Doe"), (CBS) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld (Episodes: "The Pen" + "The Tape"), (NBC) Frances Sternhagen as Esther Clavin on Cheers (Episode: "Heeeeeere's... Cliffy!"), (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie, Jr. on L.A. Law (Episodes: "Monkey on My Back Lot" + "P.S. Your Shrink Is Dead"), (NBC) Edward Asner as Walter Kovacs on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (Episodes: "Knock, Knock" + "Happy Birthday or Else"), (CBS) John Corbett as Chris Stevens on Northern Exposure (Episodes: "Only You" + "Burning Down the House"), (CBS) Richard Kiley as Doug in The Ray Bradbury Theater (Episode: "The Utterly Perfect Murder"), (USA) Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes on L.A. Law (Episodes: "Steal It Again, Sam" + "Say Goodnight, Gracie"), (NBC) Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap (Episodes: "The Leap Back: June 15, 1945" + "Dreams: February 28, 1979"), (NBC)	Valerie Mahaffey as Eve on Northern Exposure (Episodes: "The Bumpy Road to Love" + "Lost and Found" + "Our Wedding"), (CBS) Mary Alice as Marguerite Peck on I'll Fly Away (Episodes: "Hard Lessons" + "A Dangerous Comfort"), (NBC) Barbara Barrie as Mrs. Bream on Law & Order (Episode: "Vengeance"), (NBC) Conchata Ferrell as Susan Bloom on L.A. Law (Episodes: "Spleen It to Me, Lucy" + "P.S. Your Shrink Is Dead"), (NBC) Cynthia Geary as Shelly Tambo on Northern Exposure (Episodes: "Oy, Wilderness" + "Get Real"), (CBS) Marg Helgenberger as on China Beach (Episodes: "100 Klicks Out" + "The Always Goodbye"), (ABC) Kay Lenz as Maggie Zombro on Reasonable Doubts (Episodes: "One Woman's Word" + "Maggie Finds Her Soul"), (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
Hume Cronyn as Ben on Broadway Bound, (ABC) Brian Dennehy as Dixon Hartnell on The Burden of Proof, (ABC) Hector Elizondo as Lt. Angel on Mrs. Cage, (PBS) Jerry Orbach as Jack Jerome on Broadway Bound, (ABC) Ben Vereen as Gene Randall on Intruders, (CBS)	Amanda Plummer as Lusia Weiss on Miss Rose White, (NBC) Anne Bancroft as Kate Jerome on Broadway Bound, (ABC) Bibi Besch as Lisa Carter on Doing Time on Maple Drive, (Fox) Penny Fuller as Kate Ryan on Miss Rose White, (NBC) Maureen Stapleton as Tanta Perla on Miss Rose White, (NBC)

Directing[]

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series
Barnet Kellman, for Murphy Brown (Episode: "Birth 101"), (CBS) James Burrows for Cheers (Episode: "An Old Fashioned Wedding"), (NBC) Lee Shallat Chemel, for Murphy Brown (Episode: "Send in the Clowns"), (CBS) David Steinberg for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Tape"), (NBC) Sam Weisman for Brooklyn Bridge (Episode: "When Irish Eyes are Smiling"), (CBS)	Eric Laneuville for I'll Fly Away (Episode: "All God's Children"), (NBC) Jack Bender for Northern Exposure (Episode: "Seoul Mates"), (CBS) Mimi Leder for China Beach (Episode: "Rewind"), (ABC) Nancy Malone for The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (Episode: "Heartbreak Hotel"), (CBS) Rick Wallace for L.A. Law (Episode: "Say Goodnight, Gracie"), (NBC)
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Variety or Music Program	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or a Special
Patricia Birch for Great Performances (Episode: "Unforgettable, with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole"), (PBS) Hal Gurnee for Late Night with David Letterman (Episode: "10th Anniversary Special"), (NBC) Jeff Margolis for The 64th Annual Academy Awards, (ABC) Walter C. Miller for The 45th Annual Tony Awards, (CBS) Bobby Quinn for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, (NBC)	Joseph Sargent for Miss Rose White, (NBC) Paul Bogart for Broadway Bound, (ABC) Joshua Brand for I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Pilot"), (NBC) Lamont Johnson for Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232, (ABC) Ron Lagomarsino for Homefront (Episode: "Pilot"), (ABC) Daniel Petrie for Mark Twain and Me, (Disney)

Writing[]

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Drama Series
Elaine Pope, Larry Charles for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Fix-Up"), (NBC) Larry David for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Parking Garage"), (NBC) Larry David, Bob Shaw, Don McEnery for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Tape"), (NBC) Gary Dontzig, Steven Peterman for Murphy Brown (Episode: "Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are"), (CBS) Diane English, Korby Siamis for Murphy Brown (Episode: "Uh Oh", Part 2"), (CBS) Jennifer Heath, Amy Sherman for Roseanne (Episode: "A Bitter Pill To Swallow"), (ABC)	Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov for Northern Exposure (Episode: "Seoul Mates"), (CBS) David Chase for I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Master Magician"), (NBC) Robin Green for Northern Exposure (Episode: "Burning Down the House"), (CBS) Jeff Melvoin for Northern Exposure (Episode: "Democracy in America"), (CBS) John Wells, John Sacret Young, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward for China Beach (Episode: "Hello-Goodbye"), (ABC)
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or a Special
The 64th Annual Academy Awards, (ABC) Saturday Night Live, (NBC) Late Night with David Letterman, (NBC) In Living Color, (Fox) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, (NBC)	John Falsey, Joshua Brand for I'll Fly Away (Episode: "Pilot"), (NBC) Robert Bolt for Without Warning: The James Brady Story, (HBO) James Duff for Doing Time on Maple Drive, (Fox) Anna Sandor for Miss Rose White, (NBC) Neil Simon for Broadway Bound, (ABC)

Most major nominations[]

By network ^{[note 1]}

• NBC – 57
• CBS – 33
• ABC – 25

By program

• I'll Fly Away (NBC) / Northern Exposure (CBS) – 9
• Seinfeld (NBC) – 8
• Miss Rose White (NBC) / Murphy Brown (CBS) – 7
• Cheers (NBC) – 6

Most major awards[]

By network ^{[note 1]}

• NBC – 9
• CBS – 8
• ABC – 5
• HBO – 2

By program

• Miss Rose White (NBC) / Murphy Brown (CBS) / Northern Exposure (CBS) – 3
• I'll Fly Away (NBC) – 2

Notes

References[]

External links[]

• Emmys.com list of 1992 Nominees & Winners
• 44th Primetime Emmy Awards at IMDb