1985 American television programming awards
The 37th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 22, 1985. The ceremony was broadcast on ABC , from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium , Pasadena, California .
The Cosby Show defeated two-time reigning champion Cheers to win Outstanding Comedy Series , one of three major awards it won. Although it only took home one major award, Cheers did tie the then-record for most major nominations by a comedy series (11), set by The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977 . In the drama field Cagney & Lacey , en route to winning four major awards on the night, defeated presumed favorite Miami Vice to win Outstanding Drama Series , four-time defending champion Hill Street Blues still received nine major nominations, but only won one award. This was Hill Street Blues 18th and final major award, setting an Emmy record for a drama series that still stands and was later achieved by The Sopranos .
The ceremony also had a memorable unscripted moment involving the arrest of impersonator Barry Bremen for grand theft while attempting to accept the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award on behalf of Betty Thomas , who would show up on the auditorium stage a few minutes late.
Winners and nominees [ edit ] [ 1]
Programs Motown Returns to the Apollo (NBC)
Acting Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "Who Said It's Fair?")
John Larroquette as Dan Fielding in Night Court (NBC) (Episode: "Dan's Parents or Married Alive") Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates in Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Directing Great Performances : "Sweeney Todd" (PBS) – Terry Hughes Late Night with David Letterman 3rd Anniversary Special (NBC) – Hal Gurnee Motown Returns to the Apollo (PBS) – Don Mischer Night of 100 Stars II (ABC) – Clark Jones
Writing Cagney & Lacey (CBS): "Who Said It's Fair, Part II" – Patricia Green Cagney & Lacey (CBS): "Child Witness" – Deborah Arakelian Hill Street Blues (NBC): "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" – Story by : Michael Wagner Teleplay by : Jacob Epstein Miami Vice (NBC): "Pilot " – Anthony Yerkovich St. Elsewhere (NBC): "Murder, She Rote" – Tom Fontana , John Masius and Steve Bello St. Elsewhere (NBC): "Sweet Dreams" – John Masius and Tom Fontana Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "Christmas with the Lettermans" AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gene Kelly (CBS) Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "Late Night in Los Angeles" Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "The Late Night Morning Show" Motown Returns to the Apollo (NBC) Do You Remember Love (CBS) – Vickie Patik The Burning Bed (NBC) – Rose Leiman Goldemberg Fatal Vision (NBC) – John Gay The Jewel in the Crown (PBS): "Crossing the River" – Ken Taylor Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (NBC) – Gerald Green
Most major nominations [ edit ] Networks with multiple major nominations[ note 1] Network Number of Nominations NBC 66 CBS 37 PBS 10
Programs with multiple major nominations Program Category Network Number of Nominations Cheers Comedy NBC 11 Hill Street Blues Drama 9 Cagney & Lacey CBS 7 St. Elsewhere NBC Miami Vice 6 The Burning Bed Special 5 The Cosby Show Comedy Do You Remember Love Special CBS Late Night with David Letterman Variety NBC Motown Returns to the Apollo Fatal Vision Special 4 The Jewel in the Crown Limited PBS Kate & Allie Comedy CBS Night Court NBC Wallenberg: A Hero's Story Special Ellis Island Limited CBS 3 Great Performances : "Sweeney Todd" Variety PBS Heartsounds Special ABC AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gene Kelly Variety CBS 2 Benson Comedy ABC Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Special PBS Family Ties Comedy NBC The Jeffersons CBS Magnum, P.I. Drama Murder, She Wrote Newhart Comedy A Woman of Substance Limited Syndicated
Networks with multiple major awards[ note 1] Network Number of Awards NBC 12 CBS 8 PBS 3 ABC 2
Programs with multiple major awards Program Category Network Number of Awards Cagney & Lacey Drama CBS 4 The Cosby Show Comedy NBC 3 Do You Remember Love Special CBS Great Performances : "Sweeney Todd" Variety PBS 2
Notes ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.