The 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 25, 1991. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, presenting 27 awards. The network TNT received its first major nomination at this ceremony.

For its ninth season, Cheers won Outstanding Comedy Series for the fourth time, tying All in the Familys record. Cheers spinoff Frasier would later break this record, ultimately winning five in a row. Cheers also received the most major nominations (9) and major awards (4) during the ceremony. The drama field also saw a four-time winner crowned as L.A. Law won Outstanding Drama Series for the fourth time in five years. This tied the record set by Hill Street Blues whose four wins came consecutively. James Earl Jones joined an exclusive club, as he won two acting Emmys for his work on two different series.

John Gielgud's win for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special made him the fourth person to become an EGOT.

Winners and nominees Emmys.com list of 1991 Nominees & Winners

Programs

+ Cheers (NBC) Designing Women (CBS) The Golden Girls (NBC) Murphy Brown (CBS) The Wonder Years (ABC) L.A. Law (NBC) China Beach (ABC) Northern Exposure (CBS) Quantum Leap (NBC) Thirtysomething (ABC) The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) In Living Color (Fox) The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (CBS) Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (CBS) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC) Separate but Equal (ABC) Decoration Day (NBC) The Josephine Baker Story (HBO) Paris Trout (Showtime) Sarah, Plain and Tall (CBS) Switched at Birth (NBC)

Acting

Lead performances + Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton in Evening Shade (CBS) (Episode: "A Day in the Life of Wood Newton") Ted Danson as Sam Malone in Cheers (NBC) (Episode: "Bad Neighbor Sam") John Goodman as Dan Conner in Roseanne (ABC) (Episode: "Her Boyfriends Back") Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston in Empty Nest (NBC) (Episode: "The Mentor") Craig T. Nelson as Coach Hayden Fox in Coach (ABC) (Episode: "The Break-Up") Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe in Cheers (NBC) (Episode: "The Days of Wine and Neuroses") Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown in Murphy Brown (CBS) (Episode: "On Another Plane") Blair Brown as Molly Dodd in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (Lifetime) (Episode: "Here's a Pregnant Pause") Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker in Designing Women (CBS) (Episode: "The Bachelor Auction") Betty White as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls (NBC) (Episode: "Once, in St. Olaf") James Earl Jones as Gabriel Bird in Gabriel's Fire (ABC) (Episode: "Pilot") Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap (NBC) (Episode: "Shock Theater: October 3, 1954") Peter Falk as Columbo in Columbo (ABC) (Episode: "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star") Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks (ABC) (Episode: "Episode 16") Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone in Law & Order (NBC) (Episode: "Indifference") Patricia Wettig as Nancy Krieger Weston in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episode: "Guns and Roses") Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy in China Beach (ABC) (Episode: "Fever") Sharon Gless as Rosie O'Neill in The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (CBS) (Episode: "When I'm 44") Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote (CBS) (Episode: "Thursday's Child") John Gielgud as Haverford Downs in Summer's Lease (PBS) James Garner as Albert Sidney Finch in Decoration Day (NBC) Dennis Hopper as Paris Trout in Paris Trout (Showtime) Sidney Poitier as Thurgood Marshall in Separate but Equal (ABC) Christopher Walken as Jacob Witting in Sarah, Plain and Tall (CBS) Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker in The Josephine Baker Story (HBO) Glenn Close as Sarah Wheaton in Sarah, Plain and Tall (CBS) Barbara Hershey as Hanna Trout in Paris Trout (Showtime) Suzanne Pleshette as Leona Helmsley in Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean (CBS) Lee Purcell as Bessie Robertson in Long Road Home (NBC)

Supporting performances

Jonathan Winters as Gunny Davis in Davis Rules (ABC) (Episodes: "Rules of the Game" + "Mission: Improbable") Charles Durning as Dr. Harlan Elldridge in Evening Shade (CBS) (Episodes: "Whatever Happened to Clutch Newton?" + "The Baby Show") Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd in Cheers (NBC) (Episodes: "Veggie-Boyd" + "Woody Interruptus") Michael Jeter as Herman Stiles in Evening Shade (CBS) (Episodes: "Chip Off the Old Brick" + "Sex Education") Jerry Van Dyke as Luther Van Dam in Coach (ABC) (Episodes: "Cabin Fever" + "A Father and Son Reunion") Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Crane in Cheers (NBC) (Episodes: "Veggie-Boyd" + "Rat Girl") Elizabeth Ashley as Freida Evans in Evening Shade (CBS) (Episodes: "There Once Was a Boy Named Wood" + "Chip Off the Old Brick") Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood in Murphy Brown (CBS) (Episodes: "Trouble in Sherwood-Forrest" + "Corky's Place") Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in The Golden Girls (NBC) (Episodes: "Ebbtide's Revenge" + "There Goes the Bride: Part 1") Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli in Cheers (NBC) (Episodes: "Carla Loves Clavin" + "Pitch It Again, Sam") Timothy Busfield as Elliot Weston in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Sifting the Ashes" + "Second Look") David Clennon as Miles Drentell in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Out the Door" + "A Stop at Willoughby") Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie Jr. in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "The Beverly Hills Hangers" + "Mutinies on the Banzai") Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman" + "The Gods Must Be Lawyers") Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci in Quantum Leap (NBC) (Episodes: "The Leap Home: Part 2 (Vietnam) – April 7, 1970" + "Shock Theater: October 3, 1954") Madge Sinclair as Empress Josephine in Gabriel's Fire (ABC) (Episodes: "Tis the Season" + "The Great Waldo") Marg Helgenberger as KC Kolowski in China Beach (ABC) (Episodes: "History, Part II – She Sells More Than Sea Shells" + "100 Klicks Out") Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks (ABC) (Episodes: "Episode 13" + "Episode 18") Melanie Mayron as Melissa Steadman in Thirtysomething (ABC) (Episodes: "Melissa and Men" + "Melissa in Wonderland") Diana Muldaur as Rosalind Shays in L.A. Law (NBC) (Episodes: "He's a Crowd" + "The Beverly Hills Hangers") James Earl Jones as Junius Johnson in Heat Wave (TNT) Rubén Blades as Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino in The Josephine Baker Story (HBO) David Dukes as Jo Bouillon in The Josephine Baker Story (HBO) Richard Kiley as Chief Justice Earl Warren in Separate but Equal (ABC) Leon Russom as Titus Wardlow in Long Road Home (NBC) Ruby Dee as Rowena in Decoration Day (NBC) Olympia Dukakis as Katherine Campbell in Lucky Day (ABC) Vanessa Redgrave as Empress Elizabeth in Young Catherine (TNT) Doris Roberts as Mimi Finkelstein in The Sunset Gang (PBS) Elaine Stritch as Rose in An Inconvenient Woman (PBS)

Individual performances

Billy Crystal – The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Dana Carvey – Saturday Night Live (NBC) Harry Connick Jr. – Swinging Out with Harry (PBS) Damon Wayans – In Living Color (Fox) Keenan Ivory Wayans – In Living Color (Fox)

Directing + Cheers (NBC): "Woody Interruptus" – James Burrows The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (Lifetime): "Here's a Little Touch of Harry in the Night" – Jay Tarses Murphy Brown (CBS): "On Another Plane" – Barnet Kellman Seinfeld (NBC): "The Pony Remark" – Tom Cherones The Wonder Years (ABC): "The Ties That Bind" – Peter Baldwin Equal Justice (ABC): "In Confidence" – Thomas Carter China Beach (ABC): "You, Babe" – Mimi Leder Cop Rock (ABC): "Pilot" – Gregory Hoblit L.A. Law (NBC): "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman" – Tom Moore Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "Show 1425" – Hal Gurnee The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) – Jeff Margolis The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (CBS) – Dwight Hemion The Josephine Baker Story (HBO) – Brian Gibson Absolute Strangers (CBS) – Gilbert Cates Decoration Day (NBC) – Robert Markowitz Sarah, Plain and Tall (CBS) – Glenn Jordan

Writing + Murphy Brown (CBS): "Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All The Way" – Gary Dontzig and Steven Peterman The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (Lifetime): "Here's a Little Touch of Harry in the Night" – Jay Tarses Murphy Brown (CBS): "On Another Plane" – Diane English Seinfeld (NBC): "The Deal" – Larry David Seinfeld (NBC): "The Pony Remark" – Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld L.A. Law (NBC): "On the Toad Again" – David E. Kelley L.A. Law (NBC): "Lie Harder" – Judith Feldman and Sarah Woodside Gallagher L.A. Law (NBC): "Mutinies on the Banzai" – David E. Kelley, Patricia Green and Alan Brennert Northern Exposure (CBS): "Pilot" – Joshua Brand and John Falsey Thirtysomething (ABC): "Second Look" – Ann Lewis Hamilton The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) In Living Color (Fox) Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (CBS) Saturday Night Live (NBC) House of Cards (PBS) – Andrew Davies Decoration Day (NBC) – Robert W. Lenski Paris Trout (Showtime) – Peter Dexter Sarah, Plain and Tall (CBS) – Patricia MacLachlan Separate but Equal (ABC) – George Stevens Jr.

Miscellaneous

Alixe Gordin – Separate but Equal (ABC) Murphy Brown (CBS): "On Another Plane" – Tucker Wiard Cheers (NBC): "The Days of Wine and Neuroses" – Andy Ackerman Cheers (NBC): "Rat Girl" – Sheila Amos Coach (ABC): "The Break-Up" – Andrew Chulack

Most major nominations + Networks with multiple major nominations"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Network No. ofNominations NBC 46 ABC 36 CBS 31

+Programs with multiple major nominations Program Category Network No. ofNominations Cheers ComedyNBC 9 L.A. Law Drama 8 Murphy Brown Comedy CBS 7 Thirtysomething Drama ABC 6 Decoration DayMiniseries/Special NBC5 The Josephine Baker Story HBO Sarah, Plain and Tall CBS Separate but EqualABC The 63rd Annual Academy Awards Variety4 China Beach Drama Evening Shade Comedy CBS In Living Color Variety Fox Paris Trout Miniseries/Special Showtime CoachComedy ABC3 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Lifetime The Golden GirlsNBC Late Night with David Letterman Variety Quantum Leap Drama SeinfeldComedy Designing Women CBS2 Gabriel's Fire Drama ABC The Kennedy Center Honors Variety CBS Long Road Home Miniseries/Special NBC The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson VarietyCBS Northern ExposureDrama Twin PeaksABC The Wonder Years Comedy

Most major awards +Networks with multiple major awards"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Network No. ofAwards ABC 11 NBC 8 CBS 3 HBO2 PBS

+Programs with multiple major awards Program Category Network No. ofAwards Cheers Comedy NBC 4 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards VarietyABC 3 Gabriel's Fire Drama2 The Josephine Baker Story Miniseries/Special HBO L.A. Law Drama NBC Murphy Brown Comedy CBS Separate but Equal Miniseries/SpecialABC Thirtysomething Drama

Notes

Presenters The awards were presented by the following people: