'The Flintstones' Pictures 'The Flintstones' Pictures Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters Thanks, You're in! There was an error. Please try again. Please select a newsletter. Please enter a valid email address. Did you mean ? Emmys 2015: Winners through the years - Timelines - Los Angeles Times Emmys 2015: Winners through the years By Los Angeles Times Staff July 15, 2015 2:15 p.m. The first Emmy Awards ceremony took place in 1949 and honored only Los Angeles-based programming. Coverage ran inside the Los Angeles Times, on Page 4, under the headline “Television Arts Academy Makes First Awards.” The story ran without a photo and was all of five paragraphs — a contrast with recent coverage featuring the red carpet, reviews of the show, the winners, the losers and everything in between. Take a look back at how Oscar’s sister Emmy has grown. (Key acting winners are highlighted for each year.) For full coverage of the 2015 Emmys, visit The Envelope. Related Jan. 25, 1949 "Pantomine Quiz" with Vincent Price, 1951.

Six Emmys are handed out at the first awards banquet for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, held at the Hollywood Athletic Club. About 550 people, but few major celebrities, are in attendance. The first Emmy goes to 20-year-old ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale, known for a variety show starring her puppet, Judy Splinters. “Pantomine Quiz,” a local Los Angeles show, wins for most popular program. Tagged as Other Jan. 27, 1950 Ed Wynn takes the curtain as well as the award for best live show. (File photo) The second Emmy banquet is held at the Ambassador Hotel to bigger fanfare than its predecessor, although names of the winners are leaked to many audience members before the ceremony. Ed Wynn is the toast of the program with awards for most outstanding live personality and best live show. Milton Berle wins for “most outstanding kinescoped personality.” Tagged as Ambassador/Cocoanut Grove Jan. 23, 1951 In this skit from "The Alan Young Show," Charles Lane, left, and Alan Young present an electronic ice-cube maker.

(CBS / Getty Images) About 750 people gather at the Ambassador for the third Emmy Awards. While accepting his Emmy for outstanding personality, Groucho Marx comically carries off the presenter, former Miss America Rosemary LaPlanche, as opposed to the actual statuette. Actor: Alan Young Feb. 11, 1954 Nick Adams, left, Robert Rockwell and Eve Arden in "Our Miss Brooks." (Disney Channel) Ed Sullivan hosts 1,300 guests at the Hollywood Palladium. The Emmy for most outstanding personality goes to journalist Edward R. Murrow, while his news show, “See It Now,” is awarded best news or sports program for its hard-hitting reporting on Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist Red hunt. Actress: Eve Arden , “Our Miss Brooks” Tagged as Hollywood Palladium March 7, 1955 A scene from the "Studio One" production of "12 Angry Men." (Museum of TV and Radio) To satisfy television executives on both coasts, Emmy ceremonies are held simultaneously at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood and Nino’s LaRue restaurant in New York.

There are two hosts, two audiences and one TV broadcast that switches between the ceremonies for different awards. To make this back and forth possible in an era before satellite technology, NBC spent $110,000 on a transcontinental cable linking L.A. to New York. Actor: Danny Thomas , “Make Room for Daddy” – Robert Cummings , “12 Angry Men” Actress: Loretta Young , “The Loretta Young Show” – Judith Anderson, “Macbeth” Moulin Rouge March 17, 1956 Mary Martin, top, soars as Peter Pan in the initial live television production of "Peter Pan." (NBC) This is the second year the Emmys are dual cast, from Hollywood’s Pan Pacific Auditorium and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Controversies emerge over the voting process, and some stars publicly rebuke the television academy for snubbing them. Academy President Don DeFore jokes about this at the beginning of the Emmy telecast, saying, “Good evening, ladies and gentleman and rebels without cause.

This is a bulletproof vest I’m wearing.” Actor: Phil Silvers , “The Phil Silvers Show” Other April 15, 1958 British dramatist Peter Ustinov holds his acting Emmy for "The Life of Samuel Johnson." (Sam Goldstein / AFP / Getty Images) “Playhouse 90” is the night’s biggest winner with five Emmys. An episode of the show, “The Comedian,” also gives Rod Serling his third consecutive award for teleplay writing. Actor: Robert Young , “Father Knows Best” – Peter Ustinov, “The Life of Samuel Johnson” Actress: Jane Wyatt , “Father Knows Best” – Polly Bergen, “The Helen Morgan Story” Tagged as Ambassador/Cocoanut Grove May 6, 1959 Fred Astaire, who won nine awards for "An Evening With Fred Astaire," alongside lead actress winner Dinah Shore.

(Los Angeles Times) The television academy increases the number of awards from 29 to 43, and Fred Astaire dances away with a record nine of these for his special “An Evening With Fred Astaire.” Astaire spends the next day at home, “in a sort of a daze,” receiving hundreds of phone calls and telegrams of congratulations. Actor: Jack Benny , “The Jack Benny Show” – Perry Como , “The Perry Como Show” – Fred Astaire , “An Evening With Fred Astaire” – Loretta Young , “The Loretta Young Show” – Dinah Shore , “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show” – Julie Harris, “Little Moon of Alban” Tagged as Moulin Rouge June 20, 1960 Richard Conte and Suzanne Lloyd in "Perchance to Dream," an episode from the first season of "The Twilight Zone." (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) Harry Belafonte becomes the first black man to win an Emmy, which he gets for outstanding performance in a variety or music program or series.

The number of awards is cut from 43 in 1959 to a more manageable 23, in a dual ceremony held at NBC’s Burbank studios and the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York. Actress: Jane Wyatt , “Father Knows Best” – Ingrid Bergman , single performance “The Turn of the Screw” Tagged as Other May 16, 1961 Maurice Evans and Dame Judith Anderson, lead actor and actress in a single performance for their roles in "Macbeth." (American Stock Archive / Getty Images) In a year that includes a tie between Don Knotts (“The Andy Griffith Show”) and Roddy McDowall (“Equitable’s American Heritage”) for supporting actor, “The Hallmark Hall of Fame” makes the big headlines. The show wins program of the year, top drama (over the likes of “The Untouchables” and “The Twilight Zone”) and takes numerous acting prizes, including a sweep of the single performance category.

Actor: Raymond Burr , “Perry Mason” – Maurice Evans, “Macbeth” Actress: Barbara Stanwyck , “The Barbara Stanwyck Show” – Judith Anderson, “Macbeth” Hollywood Palladium May 26, 1963 Scene from "The Defenders," which won five Emmys, including performance by an actor by E.G. Marshall, right. (Associated Press) “The Defenders” stays atop the drama heap with another win for the show and lead actor. Shirley Booth as the do-everything housekeeper on “Hazel” continues to thrill audiences, leading to a consecutive win for the actress but not to a win for the show, which loses out to comedy juggernaut “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The program of the year is NBC’s “The Tunnel,” a 90-minute black-and-white documentary about a tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall. Actor: E.G. Marshall, “The Defenders” – Trevor Howard, “The Invincible Mr.

Disraeli” – Kim Stanley, “A Cardinal Act of Mercy - Ben Casey” Tagged as Hollywood Palladium May 25, 1964 Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore won outstanding performance awards for their roles as husband and wife on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which claimed five Emmys in 1964. (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) “The Dick Van Dyke” show wins best comedy again, but this year also makes its mark in the acting realm, with leads Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore winning. News broadcasts had recently undergone a change, with “CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite” and “Huntley-Brinkley Report” expanding to a half-hour format. “Huntley-Brinkley Report” takes the first news Emmy under the new format. – Shelley Winters , “Two Is the Number” Tagged as Hollywood Palladium Sept. 12, 1965 Barbra Streisand performs in her television special, "My Name Is Barbra," which won five Emmys.

(CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) In an experiment, Emmy abandons traditional categories and breaks winners into “individual achievements” and “program achievements.” It doesn’t last long. Also, Barbra Streisand, in her acceptance speech, comments on the power of television’s reach saying, “I figured it out … I’d have to work in the theater in ‘Funny Girl’ for 58 years to reach the same amount of people.” Actor: Alfred Lunt, “The Magnificent Yankee” – Dick Van Dyke , “The Dick Van Dyke Show” Actress: Lynn Fontanne, “The Magnificent Yankee” – Barbra Streisand , “My Name Is Barbra” Tagged as May 22, 1966 Bill Cosby, left, and Robert Culp as partners in "I Spy." (File photo) The 18th Primetime Emmy Awards lasts 100 minutes and mark the first time an African American wins as the star of a television series.

The milestone award goes to 29-year-old comedian-turned-actor Bill Cosby for his role as tennis trainer Alexander Scott in the espionage adventure series “I Spy.” But he says much of the credit is due to his costar Robert Culp. “You can’t finish off a relay race in first place and not look back to the guy who handed you the baton,” he tells The Times in a 1966 interview after the awards. – Mary Tyler Moore , “The Dick Van Dyke Show” Tagged as Hollywood Palladium June 4, 1967 Scene from the television adaptation of "Death of a Salesman," winner of the dramatic program Emmy. (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) “The Monkees,” a freshmen series, takes the prize for best comedy in proceedings held at the Century Plaza Hotel in L.A. and Americana Hotel in New York. Lucille Ball of “The Lucy Show” and Don Adams of “Get Smart” also eke out comedic awards against their popular equivalents in “Bewitched,” “That Girl,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Family Affair.” Ball jokes with the audience before tearing up during her acceptance speech: “It’s been a long, long time.

The last time I got it [Emmy] I thought it was because I had a baby. That baby is now 14.” Actor: Bill Cosby , “I Spy” – Don Adams, “Get Smart” – Peter Ustinov, “Barefoot in Athens” Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” – Lucille Ball , “The Lucy Show” – Geraldine Page, “A Christmas Memory” Tagged as Other May 19, 1968 Don Adams, Lucille Ball and Bill Cosby, all of whom won Emmys for outstanding performance. (Associated Press) Bill Cosby completes his three-year winning streak for lead actor in a drama. Don Adams and Lucille Ball are also repeat winners in the show hosted by Frank Sinatra and Dick Van Dyke.

Sinatra heads up the West Coast broadcast from the Hollywood Palladium and woos the crowd singing “Luck Be a Lady.” Van Dyke hosts the East Coast portion at New York’s Americana Hotel, in what Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Joyce Haber calls a performance “plagued with technical difficulties” and “snafus like missing teleprompters.” Haber’s article is headlined, “Emmy’s finest hour was television’s worst.” Actor: Bill Cosby , “I Spy” – Don Adams, “Get Smart” – Melvyn Douglas , “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” – Lucille Ball , “The Lucy Show” – Maureen Stapleton, “Among the Paths to Eden” Tagged as June 8, 1969 Barbara Bain in "Mission: Impossible." (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) Times columnist Joyce Haber says the show should’ve aired on Memorial Day since, “in order to win, you had to be canceled. Show after show, winner after winner, was not coming back.” Haber isn’t exaggerating.

Several of the top awards, including dramatic actor and comedy series, go to shows canceled after that season or to actors who aren’t returning. Bill Cosby co-hosts alongside Merv Griffin. Actor: Carl Betz, “Judd for the Defense” – Don Adams, “Get Smart” – Paul Scofield, “Male of the Species” Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” – Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” – Geraldine Page, “The Thanksgiving Visitor” Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Carnegie Hall in N.Y. Tagged as Other June 7, 1970 In its first season, "Sesame Street" won the Emmy for children's programming. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images) The 22nd Primetime Emmy Awards are held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and are hosted by David Frost and Danny Thomas. “Marcus Welby, M.D.” is the big winner, with six nominations and three wins, including drama series. Emmy newcomer “Room 222” also fares well with five nominations and three wins, including best new series.

Actor: Robert Young , “Marcus Welby, M.D.” – William Windom, “My World and Welcome to It” – Peter Ustinov, “A Storm in Summer” Actress: Susan Hampshire, “The Forsythe Saga” – Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” – Patty Duke , “My Sweet Charlie” Tagged as May 9, 1971 Jack Klugman holds his performance Emmy, earned for his role on "The Odd Couple." Johnny Carson hosts the show and would go on to do so for the next three years. The “Mary Tyler Moore Show” gets its first nominations, winning two of the seven. The breakthrough show, the first to star a never-married, career-driven woman as its main character, wound up garnering the most Emmy victories out of any show until “Frasier” won its 30th in 2002.

Actor: Hal Holbrook, “The Senator, The Bold Ones” – Jack Klugman , “The Odd Couple” – George C Scott, “The Price” Actress: Susan Hampshire, “The First Churchills” – Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family” – Lee Grant, “The Neon Ceiling” Tagged as May 14, 1972 Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, center, and Sally Struthers of "All in the Family." (Associated Press) Peter Falk wins his first Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for his work in “Columbo.” He would win again in 1976 and 1990. Johnny Carson reprises his role as host for the 24th Primetime Emmys.

Actor: Peter Falk, “Columbo” – Carroll O’Connor , “All in the Family” – Keith Mitchell, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” Actress: Glenda Jackson, “Elizabeth R” – Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family” – Glenda Jackson, “Shadow in the Sun” Tagged as May 20, 1973 Michael Learned, left, and Richard Thomas of "The Waltons." (Max Miller / Fotos International / Getty Images) Heeeeere’s Johnny Carson, again as host — this time at the Shubert Theatre in Century City. The “Julie Andrews Hour,” a comedy variety show that ABC canceled a month before the award show, ends up winning seven awards off its eight nominations, including variety series.

Actor: Richard Thomas, “The Waltons” – Jack Klugman , “The Odd Couple” – Laurence Olivier , “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” – Anthony Murphy, “Tom Brown’s School Days” Actress: Michael Learned, “The Waltons” – Cloris Leachman , “A Brand New Life” – Susan Hampshire, “Vanity Fair” – William Holden , “The Blue Knight” Actress: Michael Learned, “The Waltons” – Mary Tyler Moore , “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” – Cicely Tyson , “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” – Mildred Natwick, “The Snoop Sisters” Tagged as May 19, 1975 Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier in "Love Among the Ruins." (Associated Press) The 27th Primetime Emmys move to the Hollywood Palladium, and it’s the first time in the show’s history that there is no host. This wouldn’t happen again until 1998.

But there are winners, and they are … Actor: Robert Blake, “Baretta” – Laurence Olivier , “Love Among the Ruins” – Peter Falk, “Columbo” Actress: Jean Marsh, “Upstairs, Downstairs” – Valerie Harper, “Rhoda” – Katharine Hepburn , “Love Among the Ruins” – Jessica Walter, “Amy Prentiss” Pasadena Civic Sept. 9, 1979 Mariette Hartley as Dr. Carolyn Fields and Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner in "The Incredible Hulk." (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) New show “Taxi” wins the comedy series award and would do so consecutively for the next two years. Actors Cheryl Ladd and Henry Winkler host. Actor: Ron Leibman, “Kaz” – Carroll O’Connor , “All in the Family” – Peter Strauss, “The Jericho Mile” Actress: Mariette Hartley, “The Incredible Hulk” – Ruth Gordon, “Taxi” – Bette Davis , “Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter” Tagged as Pasadena Civic Sept.

7, 1980 Barbara Bel Geddes and her TV sons Larry Hagman, left, and Patrick Duffy on the set of "Dallas" in 1981. (CBS) Amid a Screen Actors Guild strike, 51 of the 52 nominated performers boycott the event. The only nominated performer present is Powers Boothe, who accepts his award for lead actor in a limited series or special for his performance as Jim Jones in “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.” Steve Allen and Dick Clark host. Actor: Edward Asner , “Lou Grant” – Richard Mulligan, “Soap” – Powers Boothe, “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones” Actress: Barbara Bel Geddes, “Dallas” – Cathryn Damon, “Soap” – Patty Duke , “The Miracle Worker” Tagged as Pasadena Civic Sept. 13, 1981 Daniel J. Travanti and Loni Anderson attend the Emmy Awards after-party at Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.

(Ron Galella / WireImage / Getty Images) “Hill Street Blues,” a series about an unlikely group of compassionate cops, tops the victor’s list, raking in eight awards — the most Emmys of any series in television history up to that point. The comedy series “Taxi” has a similarly good year, winning five awards after a heartfelt tribute to Lucille Ball on the nearly 30th anniversary of “I Love Lucy.” Shirley MacLaine and Ed Asner host. Actor: Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues” – Judd Hirsch, “Taxi” – Vanessa Redgrave, “Playing for Time” Tagged as Sept. 19, 1982 Mickey Rooney earned an Emmy for his performance in "Bill." (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) “Hill Street Blues,” “Taxi” and “MASH” are among the big winners at the 34th Primetime Emmys. John Forsythe of “Charlie’s Angels” and Marlo Thomas of “That Girl” entertain the audience.

The sultry Joan Collins makes her own showstopping moves outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, pausing, tossing her hair back and saying to photographers, “I’m just a lowly actress.” Another leading lady, the late Ingrid Bergman is awarded a posthumous Emmy for her work in “A Woman Called Golda.” Actor: Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues” – Alan Alda, “M*A*S*H” – Ingrid Bergman , “A Woman Called Golda” Tagged as Sept. 25, 1983 The cast of the NBC comedy series "Cheers." (NBC Television / Fotos International / Getty Images ) When NBC asks Joan Rivers and Eddie Murphy to host, the network doesn’t know what it is in for. The usual suspects — “Hill Street Blues” and “Taxi” — and newcomer “Cheers” took some of the top awards, but it’s the mouth of Joan Rivers that makes headlines. The Times reports the following day that “Rivers’ unrestrained torrent of cracks about Interior Secretary James G.

Watt, homosexuals, herpes and prostitutes […] unleashed a flood of complaints to NBC as varied as her glitzy wardrobe.” Actor: Ed Flanders, “St. Elsewhere” – Judd Hirsch, “Taxi” Actress: Tyne Daly , “Cagney & Lacey” – Shelley Long, “Cheers” – Barbara Stanwyck , “The Thorn Birds” Tagged as Sept. 23, 1984 Emmy winners Jane Curtin, left, John Ritter and Tyne Daly. (Associated Press) A mustachioed Tom Selleck takes the main stage as host. Unlike past years, when single networks like ABC or NBC dominated the awards, the golden statues are spread evenly across the TV dial. Even so, “Hill Street Blues” continues its four-year winning streak with five awards. Selleck, of “Magnum P.I.,” seems surprised when winning for actor in a drama series, saying only “thank you” before jogging off stage. Bob Hope receives the Governors Award for career achievement. Pasadena Civic Sept. 22, 1985 Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, costars in the TV show "Moonlighting," attend the Emmys.

(Darlene Hammond / Getty Images) The 37th Primetime Emmys repeat history with host John Forsythe and mark the first award for NBC’s yearling comedy “The Bill Cosby Show.” Despite a veteran host, the show goes haywire when a tuxedo-clad man, later identified as a professional impostor, intercepts Betty Thomas’ award for supporting actress while she’s on her way to the stage. The award is quickly recovered and Thomas gives a proper, if not, ruffled, acceptance speech. Actor: William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere” Actress: Tyne Daly , “Cagney & Lacey” – Jane Curtin, “Kate & Allie” – Joanne Woodward , “Do You Remember Love” Tagged as Sept. 21, 1986 The cast of the NBC comedy "Golden Girls." (NBC / Associated Press) “Cagney & Lacey” wins best drama series for a second year in row and “The Golden Girls” takes home an Emmy for comedy series. Betty White, who wins an Emmy for “The Golden Girls,” is selected over costars Beatrice Arthur and Rue McClanahan as lead actress.

She accepts the award on behalf of Arthur, McClanahan and Estelle Getty, telling the audience, “We’re a matched set. You can’t break us up.” Actor: William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere” Actress: Sharon Gless , “Cagney & Lacey” – Rue McClanahan, “The Golden Girls” – Gena Rowlands, “The Betty Ford Story” Tagged as Aug. 28, 1988 Kirk Douglas, left, and Jason Robards on the set of "Inherit the Wind." (Marianna Diamos) Baby boom-friendly series “The Wonder Years” and “thirtysomething” take top honors in the first year that cable reaches enough homes to qualify for an Emmy — only HBO’s “Jackie Mason on Broadway” wins. A lead actress victory for Beatrice Arthur clinches the award for all four actresses on “The Golden Girls.” William Hanna and Joseph Barbera win the Governors Award for career contributions including “Yogi Bear,” “The Smurfs,” “The Jetsons” and “The Flintstones.” Actor: Richard Kiley, “A Year in the Life” Sept.

17, 1989 Richard Mulligan with Dinah Manoff, left, and Kristy McNichol in "Empty Nest." (NBC) “War and Remembrance,” ABC’s 29-hour, $110-million saga about World War II, is named the best miniseries of the 1988-89 season. It’s the longest, most expensive miniseries in TV history. Actor: Carroll O’Connor , “In the Heat of the Night” – Richard Mulligan, “Empty Nest” – James Woods , “My Name is Bill W.” Actress: Dana Delany, “China Beach” – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown” – Holly Hunter , “Roe vs. Wade” Tagged as Sept. 16, 1990 Candice Bergen, who won the actress award for "Murphy Brown." (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) The cult soap opera “Twin Peaks” — the leader in nominations — is shut out at awards time.

“The Simpsons” characters present Ted Danson’s acting award for “Cheers.” Showrunners lobby unsuccessfully for the cartoon to get its award for animated show, but it isn’t allowed to compete for comedy series because of TV academy rules. Actor: Peter Falk, “Columbo” – Barbara Hershey, “A Killing in a Small Town” Tagged as Aug. 25, 1991 Kirstie Alley and Burt Reynolds with their Emmys. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press) James Earl Jones wins two acting awards — for “Gabriel’s Fire” and “Heat Wave.” “I accept this on behalf of those who died in the heat wave of the Watts riots,” he says while accepting the award for the latter show about the 1965 unrest. The racy awards ceremony is peppered with a number of off-color jokes, including a spontaneous one-minute, 40-second sequence by Gilbert Gottfried on masturbation. Actor: James Earl Jones, “Gabriel’s Fire” – John Gielgud, “Summer’s Lease” Actress: Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething” – Lynn Whitfield, “The Josephine Baker Story” Tagged as Pasadena Civic Aug.

30, 1992 Rob Morrow and Janine Turner in "Northern Exposure," which won the Emmy for drama series. (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) Candice Bergen and her series “Murphy Brown,” which came under fire by Vice President Dan Quayle because its lead character had a baby out of wedlock, are major winners. The sharp-tongued ceremony includes a number of shots at Quayle; Bergen wins her third Emmy for actress in a comedy series, while the show picks up its second Emmy for comedy series. Actor: Christopher Lloyd, “Avonlea” – Beau Bridges , “Without Warning: The James Brady Story” Actress: Dana Delany, “China Beach” – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown” – Gena Rowlands, “Face of a Stranger” Tagged as Pasadena Civic Sept. 19, 1993 The cast of "Seinfeld," which won the Emmy for comedy series. (Scott Flynn / AFP / Getty Images) A less controversial year, with ABC taking the reins from Fox.

No mention is made of a boycott of the ceremony by executives at CBS, NBC and Fox, who are angry about the four-year exclusive telecast agreement signed between ABC and the academy. Angela Lansbury, Barbara Walters and MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head all make appearances during the ceremony, and the three-hour show finishes snappily on time. HBO’s emergence as a dominant force is felt with wins in the miniseries and movie categories. Actor: Tom Skerritt, “Picket Fences” – Robert Morse, “Without Warning: Tru” Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences” – Holly Hunter , “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged” Tagged as Sept. 11, 1994 The cast of "Picket Fences" backstage at the Emmys. (Lois Bernstein / Associated Press) A victory by “Picket Fences” marks the second consecutive year that the critically acclaimed but low-rated show is the upset winner for drama series. The night’s biggest ovation goes to “NYPD Blue’s” Dennis Franz for dramatic actor.

The show pays tribute to actress Jessica Tandy, a past Emmy winner and nominee who died at 85 earlier in the day in Connecticut. – Hume Cronyn, “To Dance With the White Dog” Actress: Sela Ward, “Sisters” – Kirstie Alley , “David’s Mother” Tagged as Sept. 10, 1995 Mandy Patinkin accepts his Emmy for actor in "Chicago Hope." (Eric Draper / Associated Press) NBC’s “ER” scores eight Emmys in its freshman season, including supporting actress, direction and writing. But a record-breaking ninth Emmy is denied when “NYPD Blue” snatches away the award for drama series. Barbra Streisand wins five Emmys for her HBO special “Barbra Streisand: The Concert.” Actor: Mandy Patinkin, “Chicago Hope” – Raul Julia, “The Burning Season” Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences” – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown” – Glenn Close , “Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeye Story” Tagged as Sept. 8, 1996 John Lithgow kisses his Emmy.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) NBC is the big winner with a 20-trophy haul. Among its awarded shows are “ER” (drama series), “Frasier” (comedy series) and “Gulliver’s Travels” (miniseries), as well as lead actress and actor awards for comedy stars Helen Hunt and John Lithgow in “Mad About You” and “3rd Rock From the Sun,” respectively. Fox’s “The X-Files” ties “Gulliver’s Travels” for most honored, taking home five Emmys. The show is hosted by Michael J. Fox, Paul Reiser and Oprah Winfrey. Actor: Dennis Franz , “NYPD Blue” – John Lithgow , “3rd Rock From the Sun” – Alan Rickman, “Rasputin” Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences” – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You” – Helen Mirren , “Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness” Tagged as Pasadena Civic Sept.

14, 1997 Chris Rock holds his Emmy for writing for a variety or music program for "Bring the Pain." (Susan Sterner / Associated Press) After receiving five consecutive nominations and losing every time, “Law & Order” finally wins the Emmy for drama series. “I just figured we were the Susan Lucci of prime time,” the show’s executive producer Dick Wolf says. The show beats out front-runners “ER” and “NYPD Blue” as well as “Chicago Hope” and “The X-Files.” Meanwhile, “Frasier” secures its fourth consecutive comedy win. The ceremony is hosted by Bryant Gumbel. Actor: Dennis Franz , “NYPD Blue” – John Lithgow , “3rd Rock from the Sun” – Armand Assante, “Gotti” Actress: Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files” – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You” – Alfre Woodard, “Miss Evers’ Boys” Tagged as Sept. 13, 1998 The cast of "Frasier" backstage at the Emmys.

(Reed Saxon / Associated Press) “Frasier” makes history by winning a fifth consecutive comedy series award, surpassing “All in the Family,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Cheers.” Meanwhile, “Mad About You” actress Helen Hunt wins her third Emmy as an actress in a comedy series, becoming the first actress to win an Emmy and an Oscar in the same year (for “Mad About You” and “As Good as It Gets.”) But perhaps most memorable is Camryn Manheim’s acceptance of a supporting actress award for ABC’s “The Practice.” “This is for all the fat girls!” she proclaims. Actor: Andre Braugher, “Homicide: Life on the Street” Actress: Christine Lahti, “Chicago Hope” – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You” – Ellen Barkin, “Before Women Had Wings” Tagged as Shrine Sept. 12, 1999 The stars of "Sex and the City" take the stage to present an award at the Emmys. (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images) David E. Kelley is the man of the evening, becoming the first producer to take home Emmys for comedy and drama.

Kelley produced and wrote nearly every episode of “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice.” Kelley makes sure to praise “The Sopranos,” which many critics say was snubbed after it wins only four of its 16 nominations. “‘The Sopranos’ is as good as television can get,” Kelley says. Actor: Dennis Franz , “NYPD Blue” – John Lithgow , “3rd Rock From the Sun” – Stanley Tucci, “Winchell” Actress: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos” – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You” – Helen Mirren , “The Passion of Ayn Rand” Tagged as Shrine Sept. 10, 2000 The cast of "Will and Grace," which won for comedy series. (Scott Nelson / AFP / Getty Images) The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences enacts a new procedure, allowing voters to view nominees at home instead of requiring them to attend screenings. Critics complain the new rules mean candidates might receive votes based on reputation without actually being watched. “The West Wing” is the landslide winner, setting a record for the most awards on any series in a single season with nine.

“Well, there’s going to be no living with me now,” series creator Aaron Sorkin says in accepting his writing Emmy. Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos” – Jack Lemmon , “Tuesdays With Morrie” Actress: Sela Ward, “Once and Again” – Halle Berry , “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” Tagged as Nov. 4, 2001 Emmy winner Judy Davis in "Life With Judy Garland." (Bob D'Amico / ABC) The ceremony is held seven weeks late after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occur five days before the originally scheduled date. Barbra Streisand sings “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the close of the show, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres at the Shubert Theatre. “I’m in a unique position as host because, think about it, what would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?” DeGeneres jokes. “The West Wing” and “Sex and the City” are the night’s big winners.

Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos” – Eric McCormack, “Will & Grace” – Patricia Heaton , “Everybody Loves Raymond” – Judy Davis, “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” Tagged as Sept. 22, 2002 The cast of "Friends," which won for comedy series. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press) The night is supposed to belong to the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” but the show is largely snubbed, winning only two of 23 nominations. Meanwhile, “Friends” wins its first comedy series award. And Rudolph Giuliani presents the Governors Award to ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC for the Sept. 11-themed celebrity-studded fundraiser “America: A Tribute to Heroes.” Oprah Winfrey is the first recipient of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. But the night’s critical favorite is ceremony host Conan O’Brien. Actor: Michael Chiklis, “The Shield” – Ray Romano, “Everybody Loves Raymond” – Albert Finney, “The Gathering Storm” Actress: Allison Janney, “The West Wing” Sept.

21, 2003 James Gandolfini, right, and Edie Falco in "The Sopranos." (HBO) A new reality-competition program category is introduced, and “The Amazing Race” wins, beating out “American Idol” and “The Apprentice.” The ceremony is emceed by 11 comics, including Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, Conan O’Brien, Bernie Mac and Jon Stewart, but critics complain that many of the jokes fell flat. Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos” – Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” – William H. Macy , “Door to Door” Actress: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos” – Debra Messing, “Will & Grace” – Maggie Smith, “My House in Umbria” Tagged as Sept. 19, 2004 Jeffrey Taylor, left, and Jason Bateman in "Arrested Development." (Fox / Associated Press) After earning 89 nominations in its six-year run, “The Sopranos” finally unseats “The West Wing” for a best drama award.

Voters also honor “Frasier,” which in its 11-year run won more Emmys (37) than any other series; Kelsey Grammer celebrates his fourth win for the title role. Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker takes home her first Emmy, and underdog “Arrested Development” wins five statuettes, including best comedy. Actor: James Spader, “The Practice” – Al Pacino, “Angeles in America” Actress: Allison Janney, “The West Wing” – Sarah Jessica Parker, “Sex and the City” – Meryl Streep , “Angels in America” Tagged as Shrine Sept. 18, 2005 "Desperate Housewives' " Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria and Nicollette Sheridan. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Hurricane Katrina, which hit three weeks earlier, forms the backdrop, with a slew of tributes and political commentary. Ellen DeGeneres, the host for the fourth time, calls New Orleans “my hometown” and says she is “honored” to host. “It’s times like this that we really need laughter,” she says in her opening monologue.

“Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Desperate Housewives” dominate the comedy categories, and “Lost” beats out “The West Wing,” “Six Feet Under,” “24” and “Deadwood” for drama. Actor: James Spader, “Boston Legal” – Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” – Geoffrey Rush, “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” Actress: Patricia Arquette, “Medium” – S. Epatha Merkerson, “Lackawanna Blues” Tagged as Aug. 29, 2006 Kiefer Sutherland won the actor Emmy for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on "24." (Fox) A change in the rules for how Emmy nominees are selected means that the previous year’s winner for drama, “Lost,” isn’t even nominated. Host Conan O’Brien pokes fun at this twist in the sketch that opens the broadcast. Both Dick Clark and Aaron Spelling are given special tributes. Sept. 16, 2007 America Ferrera holds her actress Emmy. (Myung J.

Chun / Los Angeles Times) The Fox network generates much controversy after its awkward attempts to censor salty language during the broadcast, with some people suspecting a right-leaning political agenda. Winner Sally Field uses her acceptance speech to condemn wars but uses some colorful language. The audio of her political message is dropped from the broadcast. Actor: James Spader, “Boston Legal” – Ricky Gervais, “Extras” Actress: Sally Field , “Brothers and Sisters” – America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” – Helen Mirren , “Prime Suspect: The Final Act” Tagged as Sept. 21, 2008 "Mad Men" won the Emmy for drama series. (AMC) Instead of having one host for the awards broadcast, this year’s ceremony features five hosts from reality shows. The result is a little strange, a lot awkward and helps contribute to the lowest-rated telecast in the award’s history. Actor: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” – Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” – Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens” Nokia Theatre Aug.

29, 2010 Claire Danes, right, won an Emmy for her portrayal of autistic scholar and animal behavior expert Temple Grandin, left. (Michael Buckner / Getty Images) The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards are great for first-time winners, with awards going to Kyra Sedgwick and “Top Chef,” upsetting “The Amazing Race’s” winning streak in the reality category. George Clooney, primarily known as a favorite at the Oscars, is also on hand to receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. Actor: Bryan Cranston , Breaking Bad” – Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” – Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack” Actress: Kyra Sedgwick , “The Closer” – Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie” What was the first prime-time ... - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com What was the first prime-time ... by TV Guide News | Nov 22, 2005 3:00 AM EST Share on Facebook Everybody must get 'Stoned: Fred Flintstone Question: What was the first prime-time cartoon?

Answer: Assuming you mean the first prime-time animated network series, Ralph, that would be ABC's legendary Flintstones , which ran for six years beginning in September 1960 (and has been repeated in more places and at more times than I could begin to count). The show pioneered the half-hour animated comedy on network TV, and enjoyed a wave of merchandise sales decades before anyone ever threw on a Bart Simpson "Don't have a cow, man!" T-shirt. The Flintstones was the fourth animated series created by William Hanna and Joe Barbera (after Ruff and Reddy, Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw, all of which were either Saturday-morning or syndicated offerings). And according to Barbera, he and partner Hanna decided to come up with a cartoon for grown-ups after a survey showed that 65 percent of Huckleberry Hound fans were adults. "We wanted to satirize suburbanites for nighttime TV," he told TV Guide in 1960, "but nothing we drew in a modern setting was funny. Finally we put our little man into a convertible with fins fashioned out of tree trunks and a thatched roof for a top.

Looking at it, we all broke up, and the situation we were groping for was as simple as that cave people from the Stone Age who think, talk and act modern." Thus, Fred and Wilma Flintstone, their neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble and the town of Bedrock, county seat of Cobblestone County, population 2,500 and 250 feet below sea level, were introduced to America. And they were a hit with audiences but not, predictably, critics, many of whom noted the striking similarities between Fred and Barney and Jackie Gleason and Art Carney's Honeymooners characters. (To be fair, though, the Flintstones characters behaved pretty much like those on every TV comedy of the day.) The show took heat for its primitive (no pun intended) animation, and TV Guide critic Gilbert Seldes decried how such a show helped lower the standards of the TV-viewing audience. "I cannot fall back on the consolation that such programs do no harm. They do harm," he wrote in 1961. "They put over the second and third best on people who want the best. So long as the Flintstones exist, some people will turn them on.

It's better than nothing. But only the least bit better." Me, I loved the show, and the recent release of the fourth season on DVD makes me erupt with my own little yabba-dabba-doo. One other Flintstones' answer for Cathy B. of Wabash, Ind., who asked about the voices behind the characters: Alan Reed and Mel Blanc were the voices of Fred and Barney, though they were brought in only after the first five episodes were done and Barbera had to spend $15,000 to redo the soundtracks because he didn't like the initial voices. Jean Vander Pyl's Wilma and Bea Benaderet's Betty were there from the beginning, though Gerry Johnson handled the Betty duties for the final season. Blanc also handled the Dino duties, while Vander Pyl contributed Pebbles and Don Messick was Bamm-Bamm, newsboy Arnold and Hoppy. And yes, that was Harvey Korman ( The Carol Burnett Show ) as the Great Gazoo. It's worth noting that there were voice substitutions from time to time.

Blanc was nearly killed in a car accident in 1962, and while the show was taped in his bedroom, where he was bedridden in a full body cast, for a full season, Daws Butler and Hal Smith ( The Andy Griffith Show ) helped out with the Barney work while he recovered. ("The easy thing would have been to replace him, but we kept going and it worked," Barbera said. "Sometimes we'd have as many as 16 people crowded into his bedroom and we hung a mike in front of him.")

Question: What, in 1961, was the first animated cartoon TV show to be nominated for an Emmy?
Answer: The Flintstones