Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 18, 1993 TAG: 9401050001
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON MILLER KNIGHT-RIDDER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Threats of an Emmy show boycott have been made by executives at rival networks who claimed ABC received special treatment from the Television Academy when the network won a four-year contract to telecast the awards show.
They were sore because they thought the Academy was going back to the pre-Fox practice of rotating the awards annually between the networks and that everybody was bidding just for this year's rights.
What this will mean to viewers is uncertain. ABC doesn't expect to get the usual corps of volunteers from the other networks to help out behind the scenes, but so far stars haven't been taking part in any boycott. It's very likely viewers may not notice anything different because of the dispute.
Still, the other networks aren't giving the Emmys any breaks as far as competition goes. All three are throwing first-run programs and movies at the ABC show, hoping to at least send ABC down to ratings defeat.
Ironically, CBS star Angela Lansbury of ``Murder, She Wrote'' will be the host for Sunday's show (at 8 on WSET-Channel 13).
Her network is repaying her by scheduling a sneak preview of the comedy ``It Had to Be You'' with Faye Dunaway and Robert Urich opposite the Emmys, followed by the broadcast premiere of the hit movie ``The Hunt for Red October.''
With Lansbury on hand, ABC may be hoping for a spectacularly dramatic moment: Lansbury is the Susan Lucci of prime time - 13 times an Emmy nominee, but never a winner. This year she's once again a contender in the category of lead actress in a drama series for ``Murder, She Wrote.''
Among the presenters this year are Carol Burnett, Janine Turner, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Dana Carvey, Farrah Fawcett, Jay Leno, Mary Tyler Moore, Paula Poundstone, Garry Shandling, Craig T. Nelson and Sharon Gless.
The potential for an explosion of awards to cable shows this year is enormous. HBO has 55 nominations, the same as ABC. Other cable networks accumulated 21 additional nominations. CBS has the most nominations, with 92.
Among the rule changes effective this year: Animated shows such as ``The Simpsons'' can compete for the outstanding comedy series award; guest stars will no longer compete with series regulars for the same awards; variety-music shows will no longer pit specials against weekly series, and movie-length episodes of series can no longer compete in the TV movie categories.
Eligible shows are those first shown between June 1, 1992, and May 31, 1993.
Here are the nominees in the major categories:
Comedy Series: ``Cheers,'' NBC; ``Home Improvement,'' ABC; ``The Larry Sanders Show,'' HBO; ``Murphy Brown,'' CBS; ``Seinfeld,'' NBC.
Drama Series: ``Homefront,'' ABC; ``I'll Fly Away,'' NBC; ``Law & Order,'' NBC; ``Northern Exposure,'' CBS; ``Picket Fences,'' CBS.
Miniseries: ``Queen,'' CBS; ``Family Pictures,'' ABC; ``The Jacksons: An American Dream,'' ABC; ``Prime Suspect 2,'' PBS; ``Sinatra,'' CBS.
Made-for-TV Movie: ``Barbarians at the Gate,'' HBO; ``Citizen Cohn,'' HBO; ``The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom,'' HBO; ``Stalin,'' HBO; ``Tru,'' PBS.
Variety, Music or Comedy Series: ``Late Night with David Letterman,'' NBC; ``MTV Unplugged,'' MTV; ``Saturday Night Live,'' NBC; ``The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,'' NBC.
Lead Actor, Comedy Series: Ted Danson as Sam Malone, ``Cheers,'' NBC; Tim Allen as Tim Taylor, ``Home Improvement,'' ABC; Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders, ``The Larry Sanders Show,'' HBO; John Goodman as Dan Conner, ``Roseanne,'' ABC; Jerry Seinfeld as himself, ``Seinfeld,'' NBC.
Lead Actress, Comedy Series: Marion Ross as Sophie Berger, ``Brooklyn Bridge,'' CBS; Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe, ``Cheers,'' NBC; Helen Hunt as Jamie Buchman, ``Mad About You,'' NBC; Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown, ``Murphy Brown,'' CBS; Roseanne Arnold as Roseanne Conner, ``Roseanne,'' ABC.
Lead Actor, Drama Series: Sam Waterston as Forrest Bedford, ``I'll Fly Away,'' NBC; Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone, ``Law & Order,'' NBC; Rob Morrow as Joel Fleischman, ``Northern Exposure,'' CBS; Tom Skerritt as Jimmy Brock, ``Picket Fences,'' CBS; Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett, ``Quantum Leap,'' NBC.
Lead Actress, Drama Series: Regina Taylor as Lilly, ``I'll Fly Away,'' NBC; Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, ``Murder, She Wrote,'' CBS; Janine Turner as Maggie O'Connell, ``Northern Exposure,'' CBS; Kathy Baker as Jill Brock, ``Picket Fences,'' CBS; Swoosie Kurtz as Alex Halsey, ``Sisters,'' NBC.
Lead Actor, Miniseries or Special: James Garner as Ross Johnson, ``Barbarians at the Gate,'' HBO; James Woods as Roy Cohn, ``Citizen Cohn,'' HBO; Robert Blake as John List, ``Judgment Day: The John List Story,'' CBS; Robert Duvall as Stalin, ``Stalin,'' HBO; Robert Morse as Truman Capote, ``Tru,'' PBS.
Lead Actress, Miniseries or Special: Joanne Woodward as Nell Harrington, ``Blind Spot,'' CBS; Holly Hunter as Wanda Holloway, ``The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom,'' HBO; Helen Mirren as D.C.I. Jane Tennison, ``Prime Suspect 2,'' PBS; Glenn Close as Sarah, ``Skylark,'' CBS; Maggie Smith as Mrs. Venable, ``Suddenly Last Summer,'' PBS.
by CNB