38th Primetime Emmy Awards explained

38th Primetime Emmy Awards
Location:Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Presenter:Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosts:David Letterman
Shelley Long
Network:NBC
Most Awards:Cagney & Lacey (4)
Most Nominations:The Cosby Show (13)
Award1 Type:Outstanding Comedy Series
Award1 Winner:The Golden Girls
Award2 Type:Outstanding Drama Series
Award2 Winner:Cagney & Lacey
Award3 Type:Outstanding Miniseries
Award3 Winner:Peter the Great
Award4 Type:Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program
Award4 Winner:The Kennedy Center Honors
Previous:37th
Next:39th

The 38th Primetime Emmy Awards were presented on September 21, 1986, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The Emmy ceremony was cohosted by David Letterman and Shelley Long. During the ceremony, Letterman saluted Grant Tinker, who had stepped down as chairman of NBC due to its parent company, RCA, having been acquired by General Electric. The ceremony was also memorable for the presentation of the Governors' Award to Red Skelton, presented by comedy legend Lucille Ball, who in his acceptance speech said he had missed being on TV for the previous 16 years.

This year's ceremony saw the return of the guest acting category. The top shows of the night were The Golden Girls which won Outstanding Comedy Series and two other major awards. The Golden Girls became the first series to gain three nominations in a lead acting category, they would repeat this feat multiple times. For the second straight year Cagney & Lacey won for Outstanding Drama Series, and led all shows with four major wins. With help from the guest acting category, The Cosby Show with 13 nominations broke the record for most major nominations by a comedy series of 11 set by The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977. This record has since been surpassed.

Winners and nominees

[1]

Programs

Acting

Lead performances

Supporting performances

  • John Karlen as Harvey Lacey in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "Mothers and Sons")

Guest performances

  • Roscoe Lee Browne as Prof. Barnabus Foster in The Cosby Show (NBC) (Episode: "The Card Game")
    • Earle Hyman as Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show (NBC) (Episode: "Happy Anniversary")
    • Danny Kaye as Dr. Burns in The Cosby Show (NBC) (Episode: "The Dentist")
    • Clarice Taylor as Anna Huxtable in The Cosby Show (NBC) (Episode: "Happy Anniversary")
    • Stevie Wonder as himself in The Cosby Show (NBC) (Episode: "A Touch of Wonder")
  • John Lithgow as John Walters in Amazing Stories (NBC) (Episode: "The Doll")
    • Whoopi Goldberg as Camille in Moonlighting (ABC) (Episode: "Camille")
    • Edward Herrmann as Father McCabe in St. Elsewhere (NBC) (Episode: "Time Heals, Part 2")
    • Peggy McCay as Mrs. Carruthers in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "Mothers and Sons")
    • James Stacy as Ted Peters in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "The Gimp")

Individual performances

  • Whitney Houston – The 28th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
    • Debbie AllenAn All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (NBC)
    • Patti LaBelle – Great Performances: "Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III" (PBS)
    • Jon Lovitz – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
    • Sarah VaughanThe 28th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
    • Stevie Wonder – An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (NBC)

Directing

Writing

  • Late Night with David Letterman Fourth Anniversary Special (NBC)
    • The 40th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
    • AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Billy Wilder (NBC)
    • Great Performances: "Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III" (PBS)
    • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC)
  • An Early Frost (NBC) –
  • Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy (PBS) – David Butler
    • (ABC) – Carol Evan McKeand and Nigel McKeand
    • Anne of Green Gables (PBS): "Part I" – Kevin Sullivan and Joe Wiesenfeld
    • Dress Gray (NBC): "Part I" – Gore Vidal
    • Love Is Never Silent (NBC) – Darlene Craviotto

Most major nominations

Networks with multiple major nominations[2]
Network Number of
Nominations
NBC 79
CBS 39
ABC 13
+! Program !! Category !! Network !! Number of
Nominations
The Cosby Show Comedy NBC 13
St. Elsewhere Drama 9
The Golden GirlsComedy 9
Moonlighting Drama ABC
Cheers Comedy NBC 8
An Early Frost Special
Cagney & Lacey Drama CBS 7
Death of a Salesman Special 5
Hill Street Blues Drama NBC
Love Is Never Silent Special
Amos CBS 4
Family TiesComedy NBC
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry Special CBS 3
Newhart Comedy
The 28th Annual Grammy Awards Variety 2
The 40th Annual Tony Awards
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Billy Wilder NBC
An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazing Stories Drama
Dress Gray Miniseries
Great Performances: "Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III" Variety PBS
Kate & Allie Comedy CBS
Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy Miniseries PBS
Magnum, P.I. Drama CBS
Murder, She Wrote
Night Court Comedy NBC
Peter the Great Miniseries
Resting Place Special CBS
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Variety NBC

Most major awards

Networks with multiple major awards[3]
Network Number of
Awards
NBC 17
CBS 9
Programs with multiple major awards
Program Category Network Number of
Awards
Cagney & Lacey Drama CBS 4
The Golden Girls Comedy NBC 3
St. Elsewhere Drama
The Cosby Show Comedy 2
Death of a Salesman Special CBS
Love Is Never Silent NBC
Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1986 Emmys.com list of 1986 Nominees & Winners
  2. "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.
  3. "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.