1983 American television programming awards
The 35th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 25, 1983. The ceremony was broadcast on NBC , from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium , Pasadena, California . It is remembered for the vulgar language during the ceremony, much of it from Joan Rivers who cohosted the ceremony with Eddie Murphy . Rivers also wore nine dresses throughout the ceremony.
Despite being one of the lowest-rated shows of the season, the critically acclaimed first season of Cheers won Outstanding Comedy Series as well as three other major awards. For the third straight year, Hill Street Blues won Outstanding Drama Series , it received at least 14 major nominations for the third straight year, unprecedented at the time, and also received every nomination in the Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series field. Second City Television also garnered every nomination in a category, for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program . NBC dominated the night, on the strength of the shows mentioned, it received 71 of the 128 major nominations, and won 19 of 25 major categories.
In its final ceremony, M*A*S*H was once again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. M*A*S*H was nominated every year it was on the air, 11/11, winning once in 1974 , this record would be tied by Cheers a decade later when it too went 11/11, finishing with four victories.
Winners and nominees [ edit ]
[ 1]
Acting
Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger in Taxi (NBC) (Episode: "Alex's Old Buddy")
Ed Flanders as Dr. Donald Westphall in St. Elsewhere (NBC)
Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "Burn Out")
Carol Kane as Simka Dahblitz-Gravas in Taxi (NBC) (Episode: "Scenkees From a Marriage")
James Coco as Arnie in St. Elsewhere (NBC) (Episode: "Cora and Arnie")
Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Victor Ehrlich in St. Elsewhere (NBC)
Michael Conrad as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Joe Spano as Det. Henry Goldblume in Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Bruce Weitz as Det. Mick Belker in Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Doris Roberts as Cora in St. Elsewhere (NBC) (Episode: "Cora and Arnie")
Richard Kiley as Paddy Cleary in The Thorn Birds (ABC) (Episode: "Part I")
Writing
Hill Street Blues (NBC): "Trial by Fury" – David Milch
Hill Street Blues (NBC): "Eugene's Comedy Empire Strikes Back" – Story by : Steven Bochco , Anthony Yerkovich and Jeffrey Lewis Teleplay by : Anthony Yerkovich, David Milch and Karen Hall
Hill Street Blues (NBC): "A Hair of the Dog" – Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Jeffrey Lewis
Hill Street Blues (NBC): "No Body's Perfect" – Story by : Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Jeffrey LewisTeleplay by : Michael Wagner and David Milch
Hill Street Blues (NBC): "Officer of the Year" – Karen Hall
Second City Television (NBC): "Sweeps Week"
Second City Television (NBC): "Christmas Show"
Second City Television (NBC): "Joe Walsh "
Second City Television (NBC): "Robin Williams "
Second City Television (NBC): "Towering Inferno"
Special Bulletin (NBC) – Story by : Edward ZwickTeleplay by : Marshall Herskovitz
The Executioner's Song (NBC) – Norman Mailer
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Syndicated): "Part IV" – David Edgar
Little Gloria... Happy at Last (NBC) – William Hanley
Who Will Love My Children? (ABC) – Michael Bortman
Most major nominations [ edit ]
Networks with multiple major nominations[ note 1]
Network
Number of Nominations
NBC
71
ABC
23
CBS
22
Programs with multiple major nominations
Program
Category
Network
Number of Nominations
Hill Street Blues
Drama
NBC
14
Cheers
Comedy
9
The Thorn Birds
Limited
ABC
Second City Television
Variety
NBC
7
St. Elsewhere
Drama
M*A*S*H
Comedy
CBS
6
Taxi
NBC
Buffalo Bill
5
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Limited
Syndicated
4
Little Gloria... Happy at Last
Special
NBC
Live from Lincoln Center
Variety
PBS
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
NBC
Who Will Love My Children?
Special
ABC
The Winds of War
Limited
Cagney & Lacey
Drama
CBS
3
The Executioner's Song
Special
NBC
Smiley's People
Limited
Syndicated
Special Bulletin
Special
NBC
Dynasty
Drama
ABC
2
The Jeffersons
Comedy
CBS
M.A.D.D.: Mother's Against Drunk Drivers
Special
NBC
Magnum, P.I.
Drama
CBS
Networks with multiple major awards[ note 1]
Network
Number of Awards
NBC
19
ABC
4
Programs with multiple major awards
Programs
Category
Network
Number of Awards
Cheers
Comedy
NBC
4
Hill Street Blues
Drama
3
St. Elsewhere
Taxi
Comedy
The Thorn Birds
Limited
ABC
Special Bulletin
Special
NBC
2
Notes
^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.