Primetime Emmy Awards 1990
The 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards · Held September 16, 1990 · 30 categories · everything in 1990
Outstanding Drama Series
- Winner L.A. Law · David E. Kelley, Rick Wallace, William M. Finkelstein, Elodie Keene, Michael M. Robin
- Nominee China Beach · John Sacret Young, John Wells, Fred Gerber, Mimi Leder
- Nominee Quantum Leap · Donald P. Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, Michael Zinberg, Scott Shepherd, Jeff Gourson, Chris Ruppenthal
- Nominee Thirtysomething · Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick, Scott Winant, Richard Kramer, Ellen S. Pressman, Lindsley Parsons III
- Nominee Twin Peaks · Mark Frost, David Lynch, Gregg Fienberg
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Winner Murphy Brown · Diane English, Russ Woody, Gary Dontzig, Steven Peterman, Barnet Kellman
- Nominee Cheers · James Burrows, Phoef Sutton, Andy Ackerman, Glen Charles, Les Charles
- Nominee Designing Women · Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Harry Thomason, Pamela Norris, David Trainer
- Nominee The Golden Girls · Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Susan Harris, Tom Whedon, Gail Parent
- Nominee The Wonder Years · Bob Brush, Matthew Carlson, Michael Dinner, Ken Topolsky, Kerry Ehrin
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- Winner Drug Wars: The Camarena Story · Michael Mann, Branko Lustig
- Nominee Blind Faith
- Nominee Family of Spies · Gerald W. Abrams
- Nominee Small Sacrifices · Suzanne de Passe
- Nominee The Kennedys of Massachusetts · Edgar J. Scherick, Michael Barnathan
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Winner Peter Falk · Columbo
- Nominee Robert Loggia · Mancuso, F.B.I.
- Nominee Scott Bakula · Quantum Leap
- Nominee Edward Woodward · The Equalizer
- Nominee Kyle MacLachlan · Twin Peaks
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Patricia Wettig · Thirtysomething
- Nominee Dana Delany · China Beach
- Nominee Jill Eikenberry · L.A. Law
- Nominee Angela Lansbury · Murder, She Wrote
- Nominee Piper Laurie · Twin Peaks
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Winner Ted Danson · Cheers
- Nominee Craig T. Nelson · Coach
- Nominee Richard Mulligan · Empty Nest
- Nominee John Goodman · Roseanne
- Nominee Fred Savage · The Wonder Years
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Candice Bergen · Murphy Brown
- Nominee Kirstie Alley · Cheers
- Nominee Delta Burke · Designing Women
- Nominee Blair Brown · The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
- Nominee Betty White · The Golden Girls
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Hume Cronyn · Age-Old Friends
- Nominee Michael Caine · Jekyll & Hyde
- Nominee Tom Hulce · Murder in Mississippi
- Nominee Albert Finney · The Image
- Nominee Art Carney · Where Pigeons Go to Die
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Barbara Hershey · A Killing in a Small Town
- Nominee Alfre Woodard · A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story
- Nominee Lesley Ann Warren · Family of Spies
- Nominee Christine Lahti · No Place Like Home
- Nominee Farrah Fawcett · Small Sacrifices
- Nominee Annette O'Toole · The Kennedys of Massachusetts
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Winner Jimmy Smits · L.A. Law
- Nominee Larry Drake · L.A. Law
- Nominee Richard Dysart · L.A. Law
- Nominee Dean Stockwell · Quantum Leap
- Nominee Timothy Busfield · Thirtysomething
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Marg Helgenberger · China Beach
- Nominee Diana Muldaur · L.A. Law
- Nominee Susan Ruttan · L.A. Law
- Nominee Melanie Mayron · Thirtysomething
- Nominee Sherilyn Fenn · Twin Peaks
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Winner Alex Rocco · The Famous Teddy Z
- Nominee Kelsey Grammer · Cheers
- Nominee Woody Harrelson · Cheers
- Nominee Jerry Van Dyke · Coach
- Nominee Charles Kimbrough · Murphy Brown
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Bebe Neuwirth · Cheers
- Nominee Rhea Perlman · Cheers
- Nominee Faith Ford · Murphy Brown
- Nominee Julia Duffy · Newhart
- Nominee Estelle Getty · The Golden Girls
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Vincent Gardenia · Age-Old Friends
- Nominee Brian Dennehy · A Killing in a Small Town
- Nominee James Earl Jones · By Dawn's Early Light
- Nominee Anthony Hopkins · Great Expectations
- Nominee Ned Beatty · Last Train Home
- Nominee Max von Sydow · Red King, White Knight
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Winner Eva Marie Saint · People Like Us
- Nominee Colleen Dewhurst · Lantern Hill
- Nominee Stockard Channing · Perfect Witness
- Nominee Swoosie Kurtz · The Image
- Nominee Irene Worth · The Shell Seekers
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
- Winner Thomas Carter · Promises to Keep from Equal Justice
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
- Winner Michael Dinner · Good-bye from The Wonder Years
- Nominee Barnet Kellman · Brown Like Me from Murphy Brown
- Nominee Hugh Wilson · Pilot from The Famous Teddy Z
- Nominee James Burrows · The Improbable Dream, Part I from Cheers
- Nominee Harry Thomason · They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They? from Designing Women
- Nominee Terry Hughes · Triple Play from The Golden Girls
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
- Winner Joseph Sargent · Caroline?
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
- Winner Dwight Hemion · Kennedy Center Honors
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
- Winner David E. Kelley · Blood, Sweat and Fears from L.A. Law
- Nominee William M. Finkelstein · Bang... Zoom... Zap from L.A. Law
- Nominee Harley Peyton · Episode 3 from Twin Peaks
- Nominee Mark Frost · Pilot from Twin Peaks
- Nominee Joseph Dougherty · The Go-Between from Thirtysomething
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
- Winner Bob Brush · Good-bye from The Wonder Years
- Nominee Diane English · Brown Like Me from Murphy Brown
- Nominee Ken Levine, David Isaacs · Death Takes a Holiday on Ice from Cheers
- Nominee Mark Egan, Bob Bendetson · The Last Newhart from Newhart
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
- Winner Billy Crystal
- Winner Sam Simon · The Tracey Ullman Show
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
- Winner Jay Thomas · Murphy Brown
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
- Winner Patrick McGoohan · Columbo
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
- Winner Swoosie Kurtz
- Nominee Alexis Smith · Cheers
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- Winner Viveca Lindfors · Life Goes On
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
- Winner Tracey Ullman · The Best of "The Tracey Ullman Show"
- Nominee Billy Crystal · Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow
- Nominee Dana Carvey · Saturday Night Live
- Nominee Angela Lansbury · The 43rd Annual Tony Awards
- Nominee Julie Kavner · The Tracey Ullman Show
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
- Winner Beauty and the Beast
- Nominee Star Trek: The Next Generation · Dennis McCarthy
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
- Winner Terrence McNally · Andre's Mother
- Nominee Caroline?
- Nominee Hugh Whitemore · The Final Days
- Nominee Michael Norell · The Incident
- Nominee William Hanley · The Kennedys of Massachusetts