43rd Primetime Emmy Awards
DateAugust 25, 1991
LocationPasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byDennis Miller
Highlights
Most awardsCheers (4)
Most nominationsCheers (10)
Outstanding Comedy SeriesCheers
Outstanding Drama SeriesL.A. Law
Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and MiniseriesSeparate but Equal
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program63rd Academy Awards
Television/radio coverage
NetworkFox

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 (10) 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

[1][2][3][4]

Programs

Outstanding Comedy Series Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Miniseries[note 1][5]

Acting

Lead performances

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special

Supporting performances

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
  • Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Crane on Cheers (Episodes: "Veggie-Boyd" + "Rat Girl"), (NBC)
    • Elizabeth Ashley as Freida Evans on Evening Shade (Episodes: "There Once Was a Boy Named Wood" + "Chip Off the Old Brick"), (CBS)
    • Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown (Episodes: "Trouble in Sherwood-Forrest" + "Corky's Place"), (CBS)
    • Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (Episodes: "Ebbtide's Revenge" + "There Goes the Bride: Part 1"), (NBC)
    • Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli on Cheers (Episodes: "Carla Loves Clavin" + "Pitch It Again, Sam"), (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
  • Timothy Busfield as Elliot Weston on thirtysomething (Episodes: "Sifting the Ashes" + "Second Look"), (ABC)
    • David Clennon as Miles Drentell on thirtysomething (Episodes: "Out the Door" + "A Stop at Willoughby"), (ABC)
    • Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie, Jr. on L.A. Law (Episodes: "The Beverly Hills Hangers" + "Mutinies on the Banzai"), (NBC)
    • Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes on L.A. Law (Episodes: "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman" + "The Gods Must Be Lawyers"), (NBC)
    • Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap (Episodes: "The Leap Home: Part 2 (Vietnam) – April 7, 1970" + "Shock Theater: October 3, 1954"), (NBC)
  • Madge Sinclair as Empress Josephine on Gabriel's Fire (Episodes: "Tis the Season" + "The Great Waldo"), (ABC)
    • Marg Helgenberger as KC Kolowski on China Beach (Episodes: "History, Part II – She Sells More Than Sea Shells" + "100 Klicks Out"), (ABC)
    • Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell on Twin Peaks (Episodes: "Episode 13" + "Episode 18"), (ABC)
    • Melanie Mayron as Melissa Steadman on thirtysomething (Episodes: "Melissa and Men" + "Melissa in Wonderland"), (ABC)
    • Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law (Episodes: "He's a Crowd" + "The Beverly Hills Hangers"), (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special

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: "Gold Rush"), (CBS)
    • Sheldon Leonard as Sid Nelson on Cheers (Episode: "Grease"), (NBC)
    • Alan Oppenheimer as Eugene Kinsella on Murphy Brown (Episode: "Strike Two"), (CBS)
    • Tom Poston as Art Hibke on Coach (Episode: "Diamond's Are a Dentist's Best Friend"), (ABC)
    • Danny Thomas as Dr. Leo Brewster on Empty Nest (Episode: "The Mentor"), (NBC)
  • Colleen Dewhurst as Avery Brown on Murphy Brown (Episode: "Bob And Murphy And Ted And Avery"), (CBS)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  • David Opatoshu as Max Goldstein on Gabriel's Fire (Episode: "A Prayer for the Goldsteins"), (ABC)
    • Dabney Coleman as Hugh Creighton on Columbo (Episode: "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star"), (ABC)
    • Peter Coyote as Romney Penhallow on Road to Avonlea (Episode: "Old Quarrels, Old Love"), (Disney)
    • John Glover as Dr. Paul Kohler on L.A. Law (Episode: "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman"), (NBC)
  • Peggy McCay as Irene Hayes on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (Episode: "State of Mind"), (CBS)
    • Eileen Brennan as Margaret Weston on thirtysomething (Episode: "Sifting The Ashes"), (ABC)
    • Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert on Road to Avonlea (Episode: "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish"), (Disney)
    • Penny Fuller as Mary Margaret McMurphy on China Beach (Episode: "Fever"), (ABC)

Directing

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special
  • Hal Gurnee for Late Night with David Letterman, (NBC)
    • Dwight Hemion for The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, (CBS)
    • Jeff Margolis for The 63rd Annual Academy Awards, (ABC)

Writing

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
  • Gary Dontzig, Steven Peterman for Murphy Brown (Episode: "Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All The Way"), (CBS)
    • Larry David for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Deal"), (NBC)
    • Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld for Seinfeld (Episode: "The Pony Remark"), (NBC)
    • Diane English for Murphy Brown (Episode: "On Another Plane"), (CBS)
    • Jay Tarses for The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (Episode: "Here's a Little Touch of Harry in the Night"), (Lifetime)
Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special
  • The 63rd Annual Academy Awards, (ABC)
    • In Living Color, (Fox)
    • Saturday Night Live, (NBC)
    • The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, (CBS)
    • Late Night with David Letterman, (NBC)

Most major nominations

By network [note 2]
By program

Most major awards

By network [note 2]
By program
Notes
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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 1991 Nominees & Winners
  2. ^ "Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for 1991". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  3. ^ "1990–1991 Emmy Awards". infoplease.com. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  4. ^ King, Susan (2021-09-17). "1991 Emmys flashback: Black performers make history, 'Cheers' and 'L.A. Law' each win #4". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  5. ^ "43rd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2014-12-01.

External links

Emmy Awards
Categories