Primetime Emmy Awards 1988
The 40th Primetime Emmy Awards · Held August 28, 1988 · 26 categories · everything in 1988
Outstanding Drama Series
- Winner Thirtysomething · Marshall Herskovitz, Paul Haggis, Scott Winant
- Nominee Beauty and the Beast · Tony Thomas, Paul Junger Witt, George R. R. Martin, David Peckinpah
- Nominee L.A. Law · Rick Wallace, David E. Kelley
- Nominee Rumpole of the Bailey
- Nominee St. Elsewhere · John Tinker, Channing Gibson
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Winner The Wonder Years · Carol Black, Neal Marlens
- Nominee Cheers
- Nominee Frank's Place · Tim Reid, Richard Dubin, Samm-Art Williams
- Nominee Night Court · Linwood Boomer
- Nominee The Golden Girls
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- Winner The Murder of Mary Phagan · George Stevens Jr.
- Nominee Baby M Case
- Nominee Billionaire Boys Club · Marvin J. Chomsky
- Nominee Lincoln · Bill Finnegan
- Nominee The Bourne Identity · Frederick Muller
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Winner Richard Kiley · A Year in the Life
- Nominee Ron Perlman · Beauty and the Beast
- Nominee Corbin Bernsen · L.A. Law
- Nominee Michael Tucker · L.A. Law
- Nominee Edward Woodward · The Equalizer
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Tyne Daly · Cagney & Lacey
- Nominee Sharon Gless · Cagney & Lacey
- Nominee Susan Dey · L.A. Law
- Nominee Jill Eikenberry · L.A. Law
- Nominee Angela Lansbury · Murder, She Wrote
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Winner Michael J. Fox · Family Ties
- Nominee Ted Danson · Cheers
- Nominee Tim Reid · Frank's Place
- Nominee John Ritter · Hooperman
- Nominee Dabney Coleman · The Slap Maxwell Story
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Bea Arthur · The Golden Girls
- Nominee Kirstie Alley · Cheers
- Nominee Blair Brown · The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
- Nominee Rue McClanahan · The Golden Girls
- Nominee Betty White · The Golden Girls
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Jason Robards · Inherit the Wind
- Nominee Hume Cronyn · Foxfire
- Nominee Stacy Keach · Hemingway
- Nominee Danny Glover · Mandela
- Nominee Jack Lemmon · The Murder of Mary Phagan
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Jessica Tandy · Foxfire
- Nominee JoBeth Williams · Baby M Case
- Nominee Mary Tyler Moore · Lincoln
- Nominee Ann Jillian · The Ann Jillian Story
- Nominee Mary Steenburgen · The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Winner Larry Drake · L.A. Law
- Nominee Alan Rachins · L.A. Law
- Nominee Jimmy Smits · L.A. Law
- Nominee Ed Begley Jr. · St. Elsewhere
- Nominee Timothy Busfield · Thirtysomething
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Patricia Wettig · Thirtysomething
- Nominee Susan Ruttan · L.A. Law
- Nominee Bonnie Bartlett · St. Elsewhere
- Nominee Christina Pickles · St. Elsewhere
- Nominee Polly Draper · Thirtysomething
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Winner John Larroquette · Night Court
- Nominee Kelsey Grammer · Cheers
- Nominee Woody Harrelson · Cheers
- Nominee George Wendt · Cheers
- Nominee Peter Scolari · Newhart
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Estelle Getty · The Golden Girls
- Nominee Jackée Harry · 227
- Nominee Rhea Perlman · Cheers
- Nominee Julia Duffy · Newhart
- Nominee Katherine Helmond · Who's the Boss?
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner John Shea · Baby M Case
- Nominee Baby M Case
- Nominee Ron Silver · Billionaire Boys Club
- Nominee Anthony Quinn · Onassis: The Richest Man in the World
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Jane Seymour · Onassis: The Richest Man in the World
- Nominee Ruby Dee · Lincoln
- Nominee Stockard Channing
- Nominee Lisa Jacobs · The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank
- Nominee Julie Harris · The Woman He Loved
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
- Winner Mark Tinker · Weigh In, Way Out from St. Elsewhere
- Nominee Sam Weisman · Beauty and Obese from L.A. Law
- Nominee Win Phelps · Full Marital Jacket from L.A. Law
- Nominee Kim Friedman · Handroll Express from L.A. Law
- Nominee Rod Holcomb · Pilot from China Beach
- Nominee Gregory Hoblit · The Wizard of Odds from L.A. Law
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
- Winner Gregory Hoblit · Pilot from Hooperman
- Nominee James Burrows · Backseat Becky, Up Front from Cheers
- Nominee Jay Tarses · Here Comes That Cold Wind Off the River from The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
- Nominee Alan Rafkin · No Baby, No Show from It's Garry Shandling's Show
- Nominee Terry Hughes · Old Friends from The Golden Girls
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
- Winner Lamont Johnson · Lincoln
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
- Winner Humphrey Burton, Patricia Birch · Great Performances
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
- Winner Paul Haggis, Marshall Herskovitz · Business as Usual from Thirtysomething
- Nominee Terry Louise Fisher, David E. Kelley · Beauty and Obese from L.A. Law
- Nominee Steven Bochco · Full Marital Jacket from L.A. Law
- Nominee Ron Koslow · Pilot from Beauty and the Beast
- Nominee John Sacret Young · Pilot from China Beach
- Nominee Tom Fontana, John Tinker, Channing Gibson, Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker · The Last One from St. Elsewhere
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
- Winner Hugh Wilson · The Bridge from Frank's Place
- Nominee Glen Charles, Les Charles · Home Is the Sailor from Cheers
- Nominee Sam Simon, Max Pross, Tom Gammill · It's Angelica's Show, Part 2 from It's Garry Shandling's Show
- Nominee Linda Bloodworth-Thomason · Killing All the Right People from Designing Women
- Nominee Alan Zweibel, Garry Shandling · No Baby, No Show from It's Garry Shandling's Show
- Nominee Neal Marlens, Carol Black · Pilot from The Wonder Years
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Beah Richards · Frank's Place
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Shirley Knight · Thirtysomething
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
- Winner Robin Williams
- Nominee Billy Crystal
- Nominee Mikhail Baryshnikov · Great Performances
- Nominee Ray Charles · Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
- Nominee Julie Kavner · The Tracey Ullman Show
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
- Winner Irving Berlin
- Nominee Late Night with David Letterman
- Nominee Late Night with David Letterman 6th Anniversary Special
- Nominee The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
- Nominee The Tracey Ullman Show
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
- Winner William Hanley · The Hiding of Anne Frank from The Attic
- Nominee Susan Cooper · Foxfire
- Nominee Gy Waldron · Part I from Billionaire Boys Club
- Nominee James Steven Sadwith · Part I from Baby M Case
- Nominee Larry McMurtry · The Murder of Mary Phagan