8th Primetime Emmy Awards

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8th Primetime Emmy Awards
DateMarch 17, 1956
LocationPan Pacific Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byArt Linkletter
John Charles Daly
Highlights
Most awardsThe Phil Silvers Show
Producers' Showcase (4)
Most nominationsProducers' Showcase (12)
Best Comedy SeriesThe Phil Silvers Show
Best Dramatic SeriesProducers' Showcase
Best Variety SeriesThe Ed Sullivan Show
Television/radio coverage
NetworkNBC
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The 8th Emmy Awards, later referred to as the 8th Primetime Emmy Awards, were held on March 17, 1956, to honor the best in television of the year. The ceremony was held at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Hollywood, California and was hosted by Art Linkletter and John Charles Daly. All nominations are listed, with winners in bold and series' networks are in parentheses.

The top shows of the night were The Phil Silvers Show, and Producers' Showcase. Each show won a record four major awards. Producers' Showcase, with its twelve major nominations, became the first show to receive over ten major nominations. (Both of these records were subsequently passed by multiple shows).

Winners and nominees[]

[1]

Programs[]

Best Comedy Series Best Dramatic Series
  • The Phil Silvers Show, (CBS)
    • The Bob Cummings Show, (CBS)
    • Caesar's Hour, (NBC)
    • The George Gobel Show, (NBC)
    • The Jack Benny Program, (CBS)
    • Make Room for Daddy, (ABC)
  • Producers' Showcase, (NBC)
    • Climax!, (CBS)
    • Goodyear Television Playhouse, (NBC)
    • Studio One, (CBS)
    • The United States Steel Hour, (CBS)
Best Variety Series Best Audience Participation Series (Quiz, Panel, Etc.)
  • The Ed Sullivan Show, (CBS)
    • The Dinah Shore Show, (NBC)
    • Ford Star Jubilee, (CBS)
    • The Perry Como Show, (NBC)
    • Shower of Stars, (CBS)
Best Action or Adventure Series Best Children's Series
  • Disneyland, (ABC)
    • Alfred Hitchcock Presents, (CBS)
    • Dragnet, (NBC)
    • Gunsmoke, (CBS)
    • The Lineup, (CBS)
  • Lassie, (CBS)
    • Ding Dong School, (NBC)
    • Kukla, Fran and Ollie, (ABC)
    • Mickey Mouse Club, (ABC)
    • The Pinky Lee Show, (NBC)
    • Puppet Playhouse, (NBC)
Best Documentary Program Best Special Event or News Program
  • Omnibus, (CBS)
    • Meet the Press, (NBC)
    • Person to Person, (CBS)
    • See It Now, (CBS)
    • Wide Wide World, (NBC)
Best Music Series Best Contribution to Daytime Programming
  • Your Hit Parade, (NBC)
    • Coke Time with Eddie Fisher, (NBC)
    • The Dinah Shore Show, (NBC)
    • The Perry Como Show, (NBC)
    • The Voice of Firestone, (CBS)
  • Matinee Theatre, (NBC)
    • The Bob Crosby Show, (CBS)
    • The Garry Moore Show, (CBS)
    • Home, (NBC)
    • Today, (NBC)
Best Single Program of the Year
  • Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Peter Pan"), (NBC)
    • Disneyland, (Episode: "Davy Crocket and the River Pirates"), (ABC)
    • Ford Star Jubilee, (Episode: "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"), (CBS)
    • Make Room for Daddy, (Episode: "Peter Pan Meets Rusty Williams"), (ABC)
    • Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "The Sleeping Beauty"), (NBC)
    • The United States Steel Hour, (Episode: "No Time for Sergeants"), (CBS)
    • Wide Wide World (Episode: "The American West"), (NBC)

Acting[]

Lead performances[]

Best Actor in a Continuing Performance Best Actress in a Continuing Performance
  • Phil Silvers as MSgt. Ernest G. Bilko on The Phil Silvers Show, (CBS)
    • Robert Cummings as Bob Collins on The Bob Cummings Show, (CBS)
    • Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, (CBS)
    • Danny Thomas as Danny Williams on Make Room for Daddy, (ABC)
    • Robert Young as Jim Anderson on Father Knows Best, (CBS)
  • Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy, (CBS)
    • Gracie Allen as Gracie Allen on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, (CBS)
    • Eve Arden as Connie Brooks on Our Miss Brooks, (CBS)
    • Ann Sothern as Susie McNamara on Private Secretary, (CBS)

Supporting performances[]

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Art Carney as Ed Norton on The Honeymooners, (CBS)
    • Ed Begley as Andy Sloane on Kraft Television Theatre, (Episode: "Patterns"), (NBC)
    • William Frawley as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, (CBS)
    • Carl Reiner as Various characters on Caesar's Hour, (NBC)
    • Cyril Ritchard as Mr. Darling / Captain Hook on Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Peter Pan"), (NBC)
  • Nanette Fabray as Various characters on Caesar's Hour, (NBC)
    • Ann B. Davis as Charmaine Schultz on The Bob Cummings Show, (Episode: "Schultzy's Dream World"), (CBS)
    • Jean Hagen as Margaret Williams on Make Room for Daddy, (ABC)
    • Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners, (CBS)
    • Thelma Ritter as Aggie Hurley on Goodyear Television Playhouse, (Episode: "The Catered Affair"), (NBC)

Single performances[]

Best Actor in a Single Performance Best Actress in a Single Performance
  • Lloyd Nolan as Capt. Queeg on Ford Star Jubilee, (Episode: "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"), (CBS)
    • Ralph Bellamy as The Father on The United States Steel Hour, (Episode: "The Fearful Decision"), (CBS)
    • José Ferrer as Cyrano on Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Cyrano de Bergerac"), (NBC)
    • Everett Sloane as The President on Kraft Television Theatre, (Episode: "Patterns"), (NBC)
    • Barry Sullivan as Defense Attorney Greenwald on Ford Star Jubilee, (Episode: "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"), (CBS)
  • Mary Martin as Peter Pan on Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Peter Pan"), (NBC)
    • Julie Harris as Shevawn on The United States Steel Hour, (Episode: "A Wind from the South"), (CBS)
    • Eva Marie Saint as Emily on Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Our Town"), (NBC)
    • Jessica Tandy as The Wife on Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "The Fourposter"), (NBC)
    • Loretta Young as Sadie on The Loretta Young Show, (Episode: "Christmas Stopover"), (NBC)

Directing[]

Best Director for a Film Series Best Director for a Live Series
  • Nat Hiken for The Phil Silvers Show, (CBS)
    • Rod Amateau for The Bob Cummings Show, (CBS)
    • Bernard Girard for You Are There, (CBS)
    • Alfred Hitchcock for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, (Episode: "The Case of Mr. Pelham"), (CBS)
    • Sheldon Leonard for Make Room for Daddy, (ABC)
    • Jack Webb for Dragnet, (NBC)
  • Franklin Schaffner for Ford Star Jubilee, (Episode: "The Cain Mutiny Court Marshall"), (CBS)
    • John Frankenheimer for Climax!, (Episode: "Portrait in Celluloid"), (CBS)
    • Clark Jones for Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Peter Pan"), (NBC)
    • Delbert Mann for Producers' Showcase, (Episode: "Our Town"), (NBC)
    • Alex Segal for The United States Steel Hour, (Episode: "No Time for Sergeants"), (CBS)

Producing[]

Best Producer for a Film Series Best Producer for a Live Series
  • Walt Disney for Disneyland, (ABC)
    • James D. Fonda for You Are There, (CBS)
    • Paul Henning for The Bob Cummings Show, (CBS)
    • Nat Hiken for The Phil Silvers Show, (CBS)
    • Frank LaTourette for Medic, (NBC)
  • Fred Coe for Producers' Showcase, (NBC)
    • Herbert Brodkin for Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse, (NBC)
    • Hal Kanter for The George Gobel Show, (NBC)
    • Martin Manulis for Climax!, (CBS)
    • The Theatre Guild for The United States Steel Hour, (CBS)
    • Barry Wood for Wide Wide World, (NBC)

Writing[]

Best Comedy Writing Best Original Teleplay Writing
  • Arnold Auerbach, Barry Blitzer, Vincent Bogert, Nat Hiken, Coleman Jacoby, Harvey Orkin, Arnold Rosen, Terry Ryan, Tony Webster for The Phil Silvers Show, (CBS)
    • George Balzer, Hal Goldman, Al Gordon, Sam Perrin for The Jack Benny Show, (CBS)
    • Mel Brooks, Selma Diamond, Larry Gelbart, Sheldon Keller, Mel Tolkin for Caesar's Hour, (NBC)
    • Bob Carroll, Jr., Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh Davis, Robert Schiller, Robert Weiskopf, for I Love Lucy, (CBS)
    • Everett Greenbaum, Hal Kanter, Howard Leeds, Harry Winkler for The George Gobel Show, (NBC)
  • Rod Serling for Kraft Television Theatre, (Episode: "Patterns"), (NBC)
    • Robert Alan Aurthur for The Philco Television Playhouse, (Episode: "A Man is Ten Feet Tall"), (NBC)
    • Paddy Chayefsky for Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse, (Episode: "A Catered Affair"), (NBC)
    • David Davidson for Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse, (Episode: "Thunder over Washington"), (NBC)
    • Cyril Hume, Richard Maibaum for The United States Steel Hour, (Episode: "Fearful Decision"), (CBS)
Best Television Adaptation
  • Paul Gregory, Franklin Schaffner, for Ford Star Jubilee, (Episode: "The Cain Mutiny Court Martial"), (CBS)
    • David Dortort, for The 20th Century Fox Hour, (Episode: "The Ox-Bow Incident"), (CBS)
    • John Monks, for The 20th Century Fox Hour, (Episode: "Miracle on 34th Street"), (CBS)
    • Rod Serling, for Climax!, (Episode: "The Champion"), (CBS)
    • David Shaw for Producers' Showcase, (Episode: Our Town"), (NBC)

Best Specialty Act - Single or Group[]

Best Specialty Act - Single or Group[2][3]
  • Marcel Marceau

Most major nominations[]

By network [note 1]
  • CBS – 61
  • NBC – 54
  • ABC – 11
By program
  • Producers' Showcase (NBC) – 12
  • The United States Steel Hour (CBS) – 7
  • Ford Star Jubilee (CBS) / Make Room for Daddy (ABC) – 6
  • The Bob Cummings Show (CBS) / The Phil Silvers Show (CBS) – 5
  • Caesar's Hour (NBC) / Climax! (CBS) – 4
  • Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse (NBC) / Disneyland (ABC) / The George Gobel Show (NBC) / The Honeymooners (CBS) / I Love Lucy (CBS) / Kraft Television Theatre (NBC) – 3

Most major awards[]

By network [note 1]
  • CBS – 14
  • NBC – 8
  • ABC – 2
By program
  • The Phil Silvers Show (CBS) / Producers' Showcase (NBC) – 4
  • Ford Star Jubilee (CBS) – 3
  • Disneyland (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 1956 Nominees & Winners
  2. ^ Emmys.com Best Specialty Act - Single or Group
  3. ^ IMDb.com Best Specialty Act - Single or Group

External links[]

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