1991 American television programming awards
The 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 25, 1991. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California . The network TNT received its first major nomination at this ceremony.
For its ninth season , Cheers won Outstanding Comedy Series for the fourth time, tying All in the Family ' s record. Cheers ' spinoff Frasier would later break this record, ultimately winning five in a row. Cheers also received the most major nominations (9) and major awards (4) during the ceremony. The drama field also saw a four-time winner crowned as L.A. Law won Outstanding Drama Series for the fourth time in five years. This tied the record set by Hill Street Blues whose four wins came consecutively. James Earl Jones joined an exclusive club, as he won two acting Emmys for his work on two different series.
John Gielgud 's win made him the fourth person to become an EGOT .
Winners and nominees [ edit ] [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
Acting Patricia Wettig as Nancy Krieger Weston in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episode: "Guns and Roses")
Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Crane in Cheers (NBC) (Episodes: "Veggie-Boyd" + "Rat Girl") Elizabeth Ashley as Freida Evans in Evening Shade (CBS) (Episodes: "There Once Was a Boy Named Wood" + "Chip Off the Old Brick") Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood in Murphy Brown (CBS) (Episodes: "Trouble in Sherwood-Forrest" + "Corky's Place") Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in The Golden Girls (NBC) (Episodes: "Ebbtide's Revenge" + "There Goes the Bride: Part 1") Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli in Cheers (NBC) (Episodes: "Carla Loves Clavin" + "Pitch It Again, Sam") Timothy Busfield as Elliot Weston in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Sifting the Ashes" + "Second Look") David Clennon as Miles Drentell in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Out the Door" + "A Stop at Willoughby") Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie, Jr. in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "The Beverly Hills Hangers" + "Mutinies on the Banzai") Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman" + "The Gods Must Be Lawyers") Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci in Quantum Leap (NBC) (Episodes: "The Leap Home: Part 2 (Vietnam) – April 7, 1970" + "Shock Theater: October 3, 1954") Madge Sinclair as Empress Josephine in Gabriel's Fire (ABC) (Episodes: "Tis the Season" + "The Great Waldo") Marg Helgenberger as KC Kolowski in China Beach (ABC) (Episodes: "History, Part II – She Sells More Than Sea Shells" + "100 Klicks Out") Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks (ABC) (Episodes: "Episode 13" + "Episode 18") Melanie Mayron as Melissa Steadman in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Melissa and Men" + "Melissa in Wonderland") Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "He's a Crowd " + "The Beverly Hills Hangers") Ruby Dee as Rowena in Decoration Day (NBC)
Directing Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) – Hal Gurnee The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) – Jeff Margolis The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (CBS) – Dwight Hemion
Writing Murphy Brown (CBS): "Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All The Way" – Gary Dontzig and Steven Peterman The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (Lifetime): "Here's a Little Touch of Harry in the Night" – Jay Tarses Murphy Brown (CBS): "On Another Plane" – Diane English Seinfeld (NBC): "The Deal " – Larry David Seinfeld (NBC): "The Pony Remark" – Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) In Living Color (Fox) Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (CBS) Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Alixe Gordin – Separate but Equal (ABC)
Murphy Brown (CBS): "On Another Plane" – Tucker Wiard Cheers (NBC): "The Days of Wine and Neuroses" – Andy Ackerman Cheers (NBC): "Rat Girl" – Sheila Amos Coach (ABC): "The Break-Up" – Andrew Chulack
Most major nominations [ edit ] Networks with multiple major nominations[ note 2] Network No. of Nominations NBC 46 ABC 36 CBS 31
Programs with multiple major nominations Program Category Network No. of Nominations Cheers Comedy NBC 9 L.A. Law Drama 8 Murphy Brown Comedy CBS 7 Thirtysomething Drama ABC 6 Decoration Day Miniseries/Special NBC 5 The Josephine Baker Story HBO Sarah, Plain and Tall CBS Separate but Equal ABC The 63rd Annual Academy Awards Variety 4 China Beach Drama Evening Shade Comedy CBS In Living Color Variety Fox Paris Trout Miniseries/Special Showtime Coach Comedy ABC 3 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Lifetime The Golden Girls NBC Late Night with David Letterman Variety Quantum Leap Drama Seinfeld Comedy Designing Women CBS 2 Gabriel's Fire Drama ABC The Kennedy Center Honors Variety CBS Long Road Home Miniseries/Special NBC The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson Variety CBS Northern Exposure Drama Twin Peaks ABC The Wonder Years Comedy
Networks with multiple major awards[ note 2] Network No. of Awards ABC 10 NBC 8 CBS 5 HBO 2 PBS
Programs with multiple major awards Program Category Network No. of Awards Cheers Comedy NBC 4 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards Variety ABC 3 Gabriel's Fire Drama 2 The Josephine Baker Story Miniseries/Special HBO L.A. Law Drama NBC Murphy Brown Comedy CBS Separate but Equal Miniseries/Special ABC Thirtysomething Drama
Notes ^ For this year only, the Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Outstanding Miniseries were combined so that TV Movies and Miniseries competed in the same category. ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. The awards were presented by the following people:[ 6]
A stand-alone tribute was presented to actor Michael Landon by his fellow Little House on the Prairie co-stars Melissa Gilbert and Merlin Olsen . Before the tribute, Gilbert briefy eulogized Lee Remick , Bert Convy , Harry Reasoner and Colleen Dewhurst .