48th Primetime Emmy Awards


The 48th Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The awards were presented over two ceremonies, one untelevised on September 7, 1996, and other televised on September 8, 1996. It was hosted by Michael J. Fox, Paul Reiser, and Oprah Winfrey. Two networks, A&E and AMC, received their first major nominations this year. The televised ceremony presented 27 awards.
Frasier took home Outstanding Comedy Series for the third straight year, and won two major awards overall. In the drama field, ER came into the ceremony as the most nominated drama for the second straight year with ten major nominations; it defeated defending champion NYPD Blue to win Outstanding Drama Series. This turned out to be the only major award ER won. No show won more than two major awards.
The HBO comedy The Larry Sanders Show made Emmy history when it became the first show outside the Big Three television networks to receive the most major nominations. Furthermore, Rip Torn won the Supporting Comedy actor award, the first for HBO.
Another first came with Amanda Plummer for Showtime's The Outer Limits. Not only was it the first time a cable network won in her category but was Showtime's first ever Acting Emmy win.
For the twelfth and final season of Murder, She Wrote, Angela Lansbury was once again nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, she had been nominated for every season of the show, but she was defeated once again. In the process she set records for being the most nominated actress in the category, as well as the most nominated actress without winning. Both of these records still stand.

Winners and nominees

Programs


  • Frasier
  • * Friends
  • * The Larry Sanders Show
  • * Mad About You
  • * Seinfeld
  • ER
  • * Chicago Hope
  • * Law & Order
  • * NYPD Blue
  • * The X-Files
  • Dennis Miller Live
  • * Late Show with David Letterman
  • * Muppets Tonight
  • * Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher
  • * The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
  • The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
  • * The 68th Annual Academy Awards
  • * The Best of Tracey Takes On...
  • * Dennis Miller: Citizen Arcane
  • * Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
  • Truman
  • * Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story
  • * The Heidi Chronicles
  • * The Late Shift
  • * The Tuskegee Airmen
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • * Andersonville
  • * Hiroshima
  • * Moses
  • * Pride and Prejudice

    • Acting

    Lead performances

    Supporting performances

    Directing

    Writing

    Most major nominations

    ProgramCategoryNetworkNo. of
    Nominations
    ERDramaNBC10
    The Larry Sanders ShowComedyHBO10
    NYPD BlueDramaABC8
    SeinfeldComedyNBC7
    The Late ShiftMovieHBO5
    Chicago HopeDramaCBS4
    FrasierComedyNBC4
    Gulliver's TravelsMiniseriesNBC4
    Murder OneDramaABC4
    TrumanMovieHBO4
    The Tuskegee AirmenMovieHBO4
    The 68th Annual Academy AwardsVarietyABC3
    Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch StoryMovieLifetime3
    The Heidi ChroniclesMovieTNT3
    Mad About YouComedyNBC3
    Rasputin: Dark Servant of DestinyMovieHBO3
    A Streetcar Named DesireMovieCBS3
    The X-FilesDramaFox3
    3rd Rock from the SunComedyNBC2
    AndersonvilleMiniseriesTNT2
    The Best of Tracey Takes On...VarietyHBO2
    CybillComedyCBS2
    Dennis Miller LiveVarietyHBO2
    FriendsComedyNBC2
    The Kennedy Center HonorsVarietyCBS2
    Late Show with David LettermanVarietyCBS2
    The NannyComedyCBS2
    Norma Jean & MarilynMovieHBO2
    Picket FencesDramaCBS2
    Politically Incorrect with Bill MaherVarietyComedy Central2
    Pride and PrejudiceMiniseriesA&E2
    The Tonight Show with Jay LenoVarietyNBC2

    Most major awards

    ProgramCategoryNetworkNo. of
    Awards
    Dennis Miller LiveVarietyHBO2
    FrasierComedyNBC2
    Gulliver's TravelsMiniseriesNBC2
    The Kennedy Center HonorsVarietyCBS2
    Picket FencesDramaCBS2
    Rasputin: Dark Servant of DestinyMovieHBO2

    ;Notes

    In Memoriam