emmy winners- lead actress comedy

[jamesanthony]

Here are the nominees from 1966 onward. Who do you think deserved to win and who if anyone do you think is missing? Before 1966 the categories varied wildly with comedy and drama actresses thrown together in one field in 61-64 and no category for either in 65

1966:

Mary Tyler Moore- Dick Van Dyke Show
Lucille Ball- Lucy Show
Elizabeth Montgomery- Bewitched

IMO: I guess Moore was worthy, though Montgomery was good too.

1967:

Lucille Ball- Lucy Show- WINNER
Elizabeth Montgomery- Bewitched
Agnes Moorehead- Bewitched
Marlo Thomas- That Girl

IMO: Since these awards can are political it's not surprising Ball won- she scared more people in Hollywood than the other 3 actresses put together, Moorehead was a supporting player who wasn't even in every episode of Bewitched so she shouldn't have been in this category

1968:

Lucille Ball- Lucy Show- WINNER
Elizabeth Montgomery- Bewitched
Marlo Thomas- That Girl
Barbara Feldon- Get Smart
Paula Prentiss- He and She

IMO: I like Barbara Feldon the most, but Lucy and Marlo were stronger presences in their series. Funny that Lucy was never nominated in this category again after this year for Here's Lucy which ran until 1974. Could have someting to do with her having sold her company Desilu at this time so she was no longer as feared

1969:

Hope Lange- Ghost and Mrs Muir- WINNER
Barbara Feldon- Get Smart
Elizabeth Montgomery- Bewitched
Diahann Carroll- Julia

IMO: Hope Lange is probably the least engaging of this lot. Feldon would've been my choice and her role was expanded a bit this season. The only year of That Girl in which Marlo Thomas was left out

1970:

Hope Lange- Ghost and Mrs Muir- WINNER
Marlo Thomas- That Girl
Elizabeth Montgomery- Bewitched

MISSING: Diahann Carroll, Barbara Feldon, Barbara Eden (Jeannie), Denise Nicholas (Room 222- her 3 co-stars were all nominated), Julie Sommers (Governor and JJ)
These 3 nominees were all on Thurs night ABC shows

1971:

Jean Stapleton- All in the Family- WINNER
Marlo Thomas- That Girl
Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore

IMO: Stapleton was a breath of fresh air in this category and deserved it, probably won for the episode where Edith is on jury duty

MISSING: Diahann Carroll, Denise Nicholas, Sue Ann Langdon (Arnie)

1972:

Jean Stapleton- All in the Family- WINNER
Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore
Sandy Duncan- Funny Face

IMO: Stapleton deserved it again, probably won for episode in which Edith goes through menopause, Sandy Duncan's show came on right after AITF and was #8 for the year but was cancelled because Duncan had brain surgery

MISSING: Denise Nicholas, Sue Ann Langdon

1973:

Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore- WINNER
Jean Stapleton- All in the Family
Bea Arthur- Maude

IMO: Arthur should've won

NOTE: The fact that only 3 names appear in most of these years must mean that the emmy people thought most of the actresses starring in sitcoms at the time were substandard

1974:

same nominees and winner as 1973

MISSING: Esther Rolle (Good Times)

1975:

Valerie Harper- Rhoda- WINNER
Jean Stapleton- All in the Family
Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore

MISSING: Bea Arthur, Barbara Barrie (Barney Miller), Esther Rolle (Good Times), Isabel Sanford (the Jeffersons)

1976:

Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore- WINNER
Lee Grant -Faye
Valerie Harper- Rhoda
Cloris Leachman- Phyllis

NOTE: Norman Lear's actors were overlooked because someone in his offices threw out the ballots by mistake, some sources list Bea Arthur as a nominee this year, though


1977:

Bea Arthur- Maude- WINNER
Jean Stapleton- All in the Family
Suzanne Pleshette- Bob Newhart
Valerie Harper- Rhoda
Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Tyler Moore

NOTE: Suzanne Pleshette was mentioned but Bob Newhart wasn't nominated until his other sitcom in the mid80s, the emmy academy had a preliminary set of nominees that were almost entirely different from this list (I think one or both of the Laverne and Shirley actresses were on it, plus Linda Lavin and maybe Bonnie Franklin)

MISSING: Louise Lasser- Mary Hartmann, Mary Hartmann (her co-star Mary Kay Place won supporting actress)

1978:

Jean Stapleton- All in the Family
Bea Arthur- Maude
Catherine Damon- Soap
Katherine Helmond- Soap
Valerie Harper- Rhoda
Suzanne Pleshette- Bob Newhart

IMO: Stapleton deserved it again she probably won for the episode in which Edith was almost raped on her 50th birthday

1979:

Ruth Gordon- Taxi (Sugar Mama episode)
Jean Stapleton- All In the Family
Isabel Sanford- The Jeffersons
Linda Lavin- Alice
Katherine Helmond- Soap

NOTE: Gordon's one shot beat out 4 actresses who appeared regularly in their shows. Sanford shows up for the first time for a role she'd been playing for 9 seasons, Lavin makes her only appearance out of 9 years on Alice, Stapleton makes her last appearance

1980:

Catherine Damon- Soap- WINNER
Polly Holliday- Flo
Isabel Sanford- Jeffersons
Katherine Helmond- Soap
Sheree North- Archie Bunker's Place

NOTE: Damon was the more realistically portrayed of the two Soap sisters though Helmond's Jessica was more popular, Holliday was also nominated in this season for supporting actress for Alice, the only time an actor was nominated for the same role in 2 series in the same season (she lost support to Loretta Swit), Sheree North replaced Jean Stapleton's nomination for ABP by guesting 2x as a prostitute (Edith only appeared in 6 ABP episodes)

1981:

Isabel Sanford- Jeffersons- WINNER
Catherine Damon- Soap
Katherine Helmond- Soap
Lynn Redgrave- House Calls
Eileen Brennan- Taxi (Thy Boss' Wife episode)

NOTE: It's funny that Sanford was nominated 7 times and her co-star Sherman Hemsley only appeared once in 1984 and lost; Redgrave quit House Calls after 2 years and was replaced by Sharon Gless, Redgrave replaced Glenda Jackson who was in the movie version

1982:

Carol Kane- Taxi (Simka Returns episode)- WINNER
Isabel Sanford- Jeffersons
Nell Carter- Gimme A Break
Swoosie Kurtz- Love Sidney
Charlotte Rae- Facts of Life
Bonnie Franklin- One Day at a Time

NOTE: Kane didn't become a Taxi regular until fall 1982 when she was considered a supporting actress, funny that Taxi technically had no lead actress (Marilu Henner was a support but was never nominated) and yet had lead actress nominations in 3 of 5 years and won 2x. What was it about Charlotte Rae and Bonnie Franklin's work this year that got them nominated when they weren't in any other year though their shows each had long runs?

1983:

Shelly Long- Cheers- WINNER
Isabel Sanford- Jeffersons
Nell Carter- Gimme A Break
Swoosie Kurtz- Love Sidney
Mariette Hartley- Goodnight Beantown
Rita Moreno- 9 to 5

NOTE: Moreno is the only latina ever nominated for lead actress in either comedy or drama. 9 to 5 had a very brief run. Love Sidney never earned a nod for star Tony Randall who played a gay man

1984:

Jane Curtin- Kate and Allie- WINNER
Susan St James- Kate and Allie
Shelly Long- Cheers
Isabel Sanford- Jeffersons
Joanna Cassidy- Buffalo Bill

NOTE: Curtin was a good choice since her co-star had already won for 2 other roles

1985:

Swap Phylicia Ayers Allen- Cosby Show for Joanna Cassidy; all the other nominees were the same. Curtin won again.

1986:

Betty White- Golden Girls- WINNER
Bea Arthur- Golden Girls
Rhue McClanahan- Golden Girls
Phylicia Rashad- Cosby Show
Shelly Long- Cheers

1987:

Betty White, Rhue McClanahan and Bea Arthur- Golden Girls- Rhue was the WINNER
Blair Brown- Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Jane Curtin- Kate and Allie

MISSING: Shelly Long's ballot was sent to the wrong address, none of the Designing women actresses appeared

1988: swap Jane Curtin for Kirstie Alley in Cheers; other nominees were the same, Bea Arthur was the WINNER

1989:

Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown- WINNER
Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rhue McClanahan all back for Golden Girls
Blair Brown- Molly Dodd

NOTE: Bergen is the category's all time champ - 5x- it helps that her father was at one time the head of the academy

1990:

Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown- WINNER
Delta Burke- Designing Women
Blair Brown- Molly Dodd
Betty White- Golden Girls
Kirstie Alley- Cheers

NOTE: Delta was expected to win for episode in which Suzanne Sugarbaker faces being overweight. Her co-stars were overlooked in a tight competition

1991:

Exact same nominees as 1990, Kirstie Alley won and gave a raunchy acceptance speech

NOTE: What was it about Betty White's acting that made her more of a favorite than her 2 co-stars?

1992:

Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown- WINNER
Tyne Daly- Wings (guest appearance)
Betty White- Golden Girls
Kirstie Alley- Cheers
Roseanne Arnold- Roseanne
Marion Ross- Brooklyn Bridge

NOTE: This was the year Murphy Brown had her baby and the vice president and producer Diane English had words with each other

1993:

Roseanne Arnold- Roseanne- WINNER
Kirstie Alley- Cheers
Helen Hunt- Mad About You
Marion Ross- Brooklyn Bridge
Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown

NOTE: Roseanne won for the episode where her father died

1994:

Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown- WINNER
Roseanne- Roseanne
Helen Hunt- Mad About You
Patricia Richardson- Home Improvement
Annie Potts- Love and War

NOTE: Potts replaced Susan Dey in Love and War, Richardson was nominated but a big fuss was made over Tim Allen being left out

1995:

Candace Bergen- Murphy Brown- WINNER
Roseanne- Roseanne
Helen Hunt- Mad About You
Cybill Shepherd- Cybill
Ellen DeGeneres- Ellen

NOTE: After this year Candace Bergen and Roseanne took their names out of the race. Helen Hunt must've been happy they did

1996 and 1997

Helen Hunt- Mad About You- WINNER both times
Fran Drescher- The Nanny
Patricia Richardson- Home Improvement
Cybill Shepherd- Cybill
Ellen DeGeneres- Ellen

NOTE: Exact same race both years

1998

Helen Hunt- Mad About You- WINNER
Kirstie Alley- Veroica's Closet
Calista Flockhart- Ally McBeal
Jenna Elfman- Dharma and Greg
Patricia Richardson- Home Improvement
Ellen DeGeneres- Ellen

NOTE: Richardson left Tim Allen in the dust, long after the emmy's had forgotten about him she was still being nominated. Alley's show is made fun of in retrospect by many a tv critic, Hunt won the Oscar this year making her emmy win very predictable

1999:

Helen Hunt- Mad About You- WINNER
Calista Flockhart- Ally McBeal
Jenna Elfman- Dharma and Greg
Patricia Heaton- Everybody loves Raymond
Sarah Jessica Parker- Sex and the City

NOTE: Hunt was a habit vote by this point

2000:

Patricia Heaton- Everybody Loves Raymond -WINNER
Jane Kazmyrek- Malcolm in the Middle
Debra Messing- Will and Grace
Jenna Elfman- Dharma and Greg
Sarah Jessica Parker- Sex and the City

IMO: Jane Kazmyrek should have won

2001:

Patricia Heaton- Everybody Loves Raymond
Sarah Jessica Parker- Sex and the City
Jane Kazmyrek- Malcolm in the Middle
Debra Messing- Will and Grace
Calista Flockhart- Ally McBeal

NOTE: Flockart pops up after being left out the year before. This was the year Robert Downey Jr co-starred with her

2002:

Jennifer Aniston- Friends- WINNER
Sarah Jessica Parker- Sex and the City
Jane Kazmyrek- Malcolm in the Middle
Debra Messing- Will and Grace
Patricia Heaton- Everybody Loves Raymond

NOTE: Aniston had been a supporting nominee for Friends in 2000 and 2001 then the cast decided to upgrade themselves to leads

2003:

same actresses, winner Debra Messing

NOTE: I'm not a big fan of any of the nominees in this decade save Kazmyrek and there were no non-white nominees here after 1986 which sends a dubious message.

[James"Thunder"Early]

My list for after 1986 would have included:

Marla Gibbs: 227
Phylicia Rashad: The Cosby Show
Ann Marie Horsford: Amen
Jasmine Guy: A Different World

I really think these people were just overlooked as opposed to ignored. after 1992 the quality of minority shows really sort of detiorated. I can't really think of any actresses that would have deserved the emmy. I don't think the people from shows like Friends and Seinfeld deserved it either.

[sara]

By jamesanthony: 1975 Missing: Barbara Barrie (Barney Miller)
Barney Miller is one of my favorite shows but I have to disagree with you on that one. Barbara Barrie was never in enough episodes to be up for best actress. She was more of a supporting actress.

[db108108]

Nice compliation.

It ticks me off that Roseanne won only once, but it does surprise me that Ellen had four nominations.

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by CoolCounty
My list for after 1986 would have included:

Marla Gibbs: 227
Phylicia Rashad: The Cosby Show
Ann Marie Horsford: Amen
Jasmine Guy: A Different World

I really think these people were just overlooked as opposed to ignored. after 1992 the quality of minority shows really sort of detiorated. I can't really think of any actresses that would have deserved the emmy. I don't think the people from shows like Friends and Seinfeld deserved it either.

From this list I think Jasmine Guy was the most overlooked since Marla Gibbs had 5 nominations for supporting actress in The Jeffersons and Phylicia did get 2 mentions for Cosby Show. Ann Marie to me was upstaged by her co-stars. I think the late 80s-early 90s were the most competitive era for this category with all the Designing Women and Golden Girls actresses, the Cheers actresses, Blair Brown, Candace Bergen and Kate and Allie. Jasmine Guy got lost in the sauce in these years.

Minority women aren't given the chance to headline sitcoms of the type of quality that the emmies like. Whoopi Goldberg is someone the emmy people like but her show was panned so I don't know if they would nominate her. On one hand they might because they like her and might want to break up the monotony of nominating the same 5 people from 2002; on the other her show was panned and cancelled. The actress who plays Bernie Mac's wife could be a potential nominee, but again she isn't that well known within the industry.

Some people don't need emmy validation. The Living Single actresses and Brandy have all had successful careers without it.

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by sara
Barney Miller is one of my favorite shows but I have to disagree with you on that one. Barbara Barrie was never in enough episodes to be up for best actress. She was more of a supporting actress.

I was thinking of her because she was originally conceived as being the lead actress for the show, although it's true that her role was rather minor almost from the start. If memory serves me correctly she had 2nd billing in the first 2 seasons. Linda Lavin would've been a potential nominee for supporting actress in 1976.

Another reason I thought of Barrie is that the emmies like her and nominate her for various things so I thought she would be a good choice because of this tradition.

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by db108108
Nice compliation.

It ticks me off that Roseanne won only once, but it does surprise me that Ellen had four nominations.

Roseanne may have been the most radical of all the nominees because she was so anti-upper class and probably scared the people who vote. Plus she wasn't a trained actress which put her at a distinct disadvantage to Candace Bergen whose father was the former head of the TV academy who give out those awards.

In the end things balance themselves out though. Roseanne has made oodles of money in reruns while Murphy Brown is one of the few hit sitcoms I can think of that ran 10 years and yet has not done well in reruns. Both actresses are rolling in money though.

[James"Thunder"Early]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
From this list I think Jasmine Guy was the most overlooked since Marla Gibbs had 5 nominations for supporting actress in The Jeffersons and Phylicia did get 2 mentions for Cosby Show. Ann Marie to me was upstaged by her co-stars. I think the late 80s-early 90s were the most competitive era for this category with all the Designing Women and Golden Girls actresses, the Cheers actresses, Blair Brown, Candace Bergen and Kate and Allie. Jasmine Guy got lost in the sauce in these years.

Minority women aren't given the chance to headline sitcoms of the type of quality that the emmies like. Whoopi Goldberg is someone the emmy people like but her show was panned so I don't know if they would nominate her. On one hand they might because they like her and might want to break up the monotony of nominating the same 5 people from 2002; on the other her show was panned and cancelled. The actress who plays Bernie Mac's wife could be a potential nominee, but again she isn't that well known within the industry.

Some people don't need emmy validation. The Living Single actresses and Brandy have all had successful careers without it. You hit the nail right on the head. it's the quality of the show that hurts the actresses. Isabel Sanford won, because the show as quality and the writing was great. minority writers don't write only how they think their people act instead of writing just a story . I am writing quite a few things and I am putting characters in it that can be played by anyone.

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by CoolCounty
You hit the nail right on the head. it's the quality of the show that hurts the actresses. Isabel Sanford won, because the show as quality and the writing was great. minority writers don't write only how they think their people act instead of writing just a story . I am writing quite a few things and I am putting characters in it that can be played by anyone.

There really is a chasm in tv programming along ethnic lines which is weird considering that it is 2004.

Another problem with portrayals of black women in particular in current broadcast series is that they tend to be shallow. There is a depth to the roles played by Isabel Sanford in Jeffersons, Esther Rolle in Good Times, Phylicia Rashad in Cosby Show and even in Cosby, Nell Carter, Jasmine Guy in Different World and Marla Gibbs' roles among others where they were able to communicate an awful lot when they were just on screen not saying anything at all. I noticed this in watching Sanford in a mediocre Jeffersons episode from that show's last season where she was just serving drinks in the bar but I couldn't take my eyes off of her even though other characters were having a big brawl in the scene. These actresses were funny yet they behaved like characters who were capable of deep feeling, joy, heartbreak setbacks etc. Mo'Nique and Eve are nowhere near this convincing. Whoopi Goldberg could do it if she were in the right type of program.

The new shows aren't unwatchable to me, but they present more one-dimensional characters. The writing is not as bad as some might think in some of the shows. Taking the UPN shows for instance the Parkers is a much sillier show than Half and Half which actually has some intelligent writing at times even if the actresses are not that compelling to watch. Actually Valarie Pettiford is the best performer out of all of them. If she were in a different series playing a similar role I could see her getting nominated. Girlfriends is bogged down in soap operaish urban romance cliches: of the 4 leads I think Golden Brooks may have the most potential but it is undertapped in this series. Plus these shows can be very offputting to non-blacks because they all seem to be written to appeal to urban and black audiences with little or no attempt at crossover appeal.