44th Primetime Emmy Awards


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. It was hosted by Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley and Dennis Miller, and directed by Walter C. Miller. Presenters included Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold, Scott Bakula, Candice Bergen, Corbin Bernsen, Beau Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, and Cindy Crawford. The program was written by Buddy Sheffield and Bruce Vilanch. Over 300 million people watched the ceremony in 30 countries. 27 awards were presented.
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. 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 Primetime [Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series|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. Laws 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

Programs

Acting

Lead performances

Supporting performances

Individual performances

Directing

Writing

Most major nominations

ProgramCategoryNetworkNo. of
Nominations
Northern ExposureDramaCBS9
Murphy BrownComedyCBS8
SeinfeldComedyNBC8
Miss Rose WhiteMovieNBC7
CheersComedyNBC6
I'll Fly AwayDramaNBC6
Broadway BoundMovieABC5
L.A. LawDramaNBC5
China BeachDramaABC4
Law & OrderDramaNBC4
Quantum LeapDramaNBC4
RoseanneComedyABC4
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonVarietyNBC4
The 64th Annual Academy AwardsVarietyABC3
Brooklyn BridgeComedyCBS3
Doing Time on Maple DriveMovieFox3
Evening ShadeComedyCBS3
I'll Fly Away: PilotMovieNBC3
Late Night with David LettermanVarietyNBC3
The Trials of Rosie O'NeillDramaCBS3
Unforgettable, with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King ColeVarietyPBS3
Without Warning: The James Brady StoryMovieHBO3
The Burden of ProofMiniseriesABC2
CoachComedyABC2
The Golden GirlsComedyNBC2
Homefront: "Pilot"MovieABC2
In Living ColorVarietyFox2
Mrs. CageMoviePBS2
Road to AvonleaDramaDisney2
Saturday Night LiveVarietyNBC2
WingsComedyNBC2

Most major awards

ProgramCategoryNetworkNo. of
Awards
Miss Rose WhiteMovieNBC3
Murphy BrownComedyCBS3
Northern ExposureDramaCBS3
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonVarietyNBC2

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