1981 American television programming awards
- September 13, 1981
(Ceremony) - September 12, 1981
(Creative Arts Awards)
Location | Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California |
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Presented by | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences |
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Hosted by | Shirley MacLaine Edward Asner |
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Highlights |
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Most awards | Hill Street Blues (6) |
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Most nominations | Hill Street Blues (14) |
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Outstanding Comedy Series | Taxi |
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Outstanding Drama Series | Hill Street Blues |
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Outstanding Limited Series | Shōgun |
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Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program | Lily: Sold Out |
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Television/radio coverage |
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Network | CBS |
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The 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 13, 1981. The ceremony was broadcast on CBS. It was hosted by Shirley MacLaine and Edward Asner.
For the third consecutive year, the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series went to Taxi. The top show on the drama side was Hill Street Blues which, in its first season, tied the record for most major nominations (14) and wins (6) by a non-miniseries. NBC's ratings juggernaut Shōgun received eight major nominations, but only won one, for Outstanding Limited Series.
Winners and nominees
[1]
Programs
Programs | |
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Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program |
Acting
Lead performances
Acting - Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger in Taxi (ABC) (Episode: "Elaine's Strange Triangle")
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| - Barbara Babcock as Grace Gardner in Hill Street Blues (NBC) (Episode: "Fecund Hand Rose")
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Supporting performances
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| - Nancy Marchand as Margaret Pynchon in Lou Grant (CBS) (Episode: "Stroke")
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- David Warner as Falco in Masada (ABC)
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Directing
Writing
Writing | |
- The Muppet Show (Syndicated): "Carol Burnett"
- AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Fred Astaire (CBS)
- Lily: Sold Out (CBS)
- Musical Comedy Tonight II (PBS)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC): "18th Anniversary Show"
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Most major nominations
Networks with multiple major nominations[note 1] Network | Number of Nominations |
CBS | 52 |
ABC | 40 |
NBC | 32 |
Programs with multiple major nominations Program | Category | Network | Number of Nominations |
Hill Street Blues | Drama | NBC | 14 |
Lou Grant | CBS | 10 |
M*A*S*H | Comedy | 8 |
Shōgun | Miniseries | NBC |
Taxi | Comedy | ABC |
Masada | Miniseries | 7 |
Dallas | Drama | CBS | 5 |
Playing for Time | Special |
Barney Miller | Comedy | ABC | 4 |
Soap |
WKRP in Cincinnati | CBS |
The Shadow Box | Special | ABC | 3 |
The Women's Room |
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Fred Astaire | Variety | CBS | 2 |
American Dream | Drama | ABC |
Archie Bunker's Place | Comedy | CBS |
Bitter Harvest | Special | NBC |
The Bunker | CBS |
The Jeffersons | Comedy |
Lily: Sold Out | Variety |
The Muppet Show | Syndicated |
Musical Comedy Tonight II | PBS |
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | NBC |
Most major awards
Networks with multiple major awards[note 1] Network | Number of Awards |
CBS | 10 |
NBC | 8 |
ABC | 6 |
Programs with multiple major awards Program | Category | Network | Number of Awards |
Hill Street Blues | Drama | NBC | 6 |
Taxi | Comedy | ABC | 5 |
Playing for Time | Special | CBS | 4 |
- Notes
- ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.
References
- ^ Emmys.com list of 1981 Nominees & Winners
External links
- Emmys.com list of 1981 Nominees & Winners
- 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards at IMDb