Which actors won the Emmy the year you were born?

The first Primetime Emmy Awards were held on January 25, 1949 at the Hollywood Athletic Club. It was a Los Angeles-only affair, but the event quickly expanded as television sets began popping up in living rooms all across America. It took the Emmys nearly 20 years to sort through their category issues before they decided in 1966 on a split between "comedy" and "drama." 

For performers, there are four major categories: Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy, and Best Actor/Actress in a Drama. Who won the year you were born? That depends on how the Television Academy divvied up the awards. Even after the Academy got its act together, it didn't necessarily get it right. Take a stroll through Emmy history with us, and decide for yourself!

The very first Emmy went to Ms. Shirley Dinsdale, who appeared regularly on KTLA with her puppet Judy Splinters. The pair made announcements and passed along birthday greetings, which was enough to garner them an Emmy. KTLA gave the pair their own show, “Judy Splinters,” after they won the award.

• Most Outstanding Television Personality – Shirley Dinsdale

Uncle Miltie became America’s first genuine television star as the host of “The Texaco Star Theatre.” It was essentially an old-school vaudeville show consisting of humorous sketches and musical numbers. Aside from legitimizing the medium, the show also gave Neil and Danny Simon their first small-screen gigs.

• Most Outstanding Kinescoped Personality – Milton Berle
• Most Outstanding Live Personality – Ed Wynn

Before Alan Young made friends with a talking horse named “Mr. Ed,” he hosted a popular variety show that allowed him to show off his comedic versatility. Regulars on the show included showbiz legend Polly Bergen and noted character actor Joseph Kearns (who would later play Mr. Wilson on “Dennis the Menace”).

• Best Actor – Alan Young
• Best Actress – Gertrude Berg

“Your Show of Shows” set the early gold standard for televised comedy, and there are many critics who maintain that standard has never been surpassed. The series was a raucous showcase for the greatest young comedy writers of the era (including Neil Simon, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner), and they all honed their craft writing for the two funniest people on television: Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.

• Best Actor – Sid Caesar
• Best Actress – Imogene Coca

“I Love Lucy” was all the rage on television, but its star, Lucille Ball, wouldn’t win her first Best Actress Emmy until 1956. This year she lost the trophy to the great Helen Hayes, who’d played Harriet Beecher Stowe in the Medallion Theatre production of “Battle Hymn” (though the Emmys did not specify that the award was for this specific role).

• Best Actor – Thomas Mitchell
• Best Actress – Helen Hayes

Donald O’Connor had hoofed his way through 40-plus movies when he transitioned to television in the mid-1950s. He first brought his song-and-dance expertise to “The Colgate Comedy Hour,” where he made ‘em laugh successfully enough to win an Emmy and get his own NBC variety show the following year.  

• Best Actor – Donald O’Connor, “The Colgate Comedy Hour”
• Best Actress – Eve Arden, “Our Miss Brooks”

Danny Thomas was one of the pioneers of the modern sitcom with “Make Room for Daddy,” in which he played a successful nightclub performer constantly juggling his career and family life. The show made Thomas a household name to the extent that CBS rebranded it as “The Danny Thomas Show” when the network picked it up from ABC in 1957.

• Best Actor – Danny Thomas, “Make Room for Daddy”
• Best Actress – Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”

“I Love Lucy” was entering its sixth and final season when the Academy finally got around to honoring the queen of television comedy with a richly deserved Best Actress Emmy. She’d inexplicably lost out to Eve Arden and Loretta Young in previous years. Ball would win two more Emmys, bringing her grand total to a shockingly light four.

• Best Actor – Phil Silvers, “The Phil Silvers Show”
• Best Actress – Lucille Ball, “I Love Lucy”

Loretta Young, a veteran performer whose career began in the silent era, won her second Best Actress Emmy for “The Loretta Young Show,” her first in the era of separate comedy and drama categories. The format of the show was fairly novel: Young would begin each episode by reading a question submitted by a fan, which she would then answer with a short drama. She would go on to win her third Emmy in 1959.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Sid Caesar, “Caesar’s Hour”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Nanette Fabray, “Caesar’s Hour”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Robert Young, “Father Knows Best”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”

Dinah Shore adeptly hosted “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show” for seven seasons, mixing comedic sketches and musical performances from the best in the business. Shore was a hugely popular singer before she segued to TV, which allowed her to coax big names like Frank Sinatra onto her show with just a simple phone call. Everybody loved Dinah. 

• Best Performance as Himself – Jack Benny, “The Jack Benny Show”
• Best Performance as Herself – Dinah Shore, “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show”
• Best Actor – Robert Young, “Father Knows Best”
• Best Actress – Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”

Few radio stars transitioned to television as successfully as Jack Benny, who brought his stingy, aging-averse (he was always “39 and holding”) persona to the boob tube without missing a beat (or losing his audience). Benny’s genius comedic timing was all about pauses and inflection on the radio; on TV, he could add subtle reactions and gestures to bring an audience to its knees with laughter.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jack Benny, “The Jack Benny Show”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Raymond Burr, “Perry Mason”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”

Ingrid Bergman had just made her triumphant return to Hollywood (after a brief Italian interlude with Roberto Rossellini) when she made her first-ever television appearance, playing the governess in the “Ford Startime” production of “The Turn of the Screw.” It was a big year for movie stars on the small screen; Laurence Olivier won Best Actor for his performance in “The Moon and Sixpence.”

• Best Actor (Series) – Robert Stack, “The Untouchables”
• Best Actress (Series) – Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”
• Best Actor (Single Performance) – Laurence Olivier, “The Moon and Sixpence”
• Best Actress (Single Performance) – Ingrid Bergman, “The Turn of the Screw”

Based on the popular series of mystery novels by Erle Stanley Gardner, “Perry Mason” set the TV legal drama template. It also changed the course of Raymond Burr’s career. For two decades, Burr had specialized in villains and outright psychopaths; as Mason, Burr was able to use his sonorous voice and mesmeric eyes to righteous effect. Only a fool would dare try to slip anything past Perry Mason.

• Best Actor (Series) – Raymond Burr, “Perry Mason” 
• Best Actress (Series) – Barbara Stanwyck, “The Barbara Stanwyck Show”
• Best Actor (Single Performance) – Maurice Evans, “Macbeth”
• Best Actress (Single Performance) – Judith Anderson, “Macbeth”

With his stern, unshakable demeanor, E.G. Marshall was a natural for roles that required authority, perspicacity and just a pinch of skepticism. He was already a well-known film actor when he took the part of conscience-driven defense attorney Lawrence Preston in “The Defenders.” This was his first of two Emmy wins for the show.

• Best Actor (Series) – E.G. Marshall, “The Defenders”
• Best Actress (Series) – Shirley Booth, “Hazel”
• Best Actor (Single Performance) – Peter Falk, “The Price of Tomatoes”
• Best Actress (Single Performance) – Julie Harris, “Victoria Regina”

Shirley Booth won her second straight Best Actress Emmy for her performance as the lovable live-in maid “Hazel.” Based on the comic strip of the same name, the sitcom gave Booth awards success in a third medium, as she’d already won a Tony and an Oscar for her performance as Lola Delaney in “Come Back, Little Sheba.” 

• Best Actor (Series) – E.G. Marshall, “The Defenders”
• Best Actress (Series) – Shirley Booth, “Hazel”
• Best Actor (Single Performance) – Trevor Howard, “Invincible Mr. Disraeli”
• Best Actress (Single Performance) – Kim Stanley, “Ben Casey”

It’s arguable that there are two eras of television: everything that came before “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and everything that came after. Created by Carl Reiner (who based the TV writing workplace on his own experiences), the show revitalized the sitcom format and established its two leads, Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, as TV royalty. (These were the first of many Emmy wins for both.)

• Best Actor (Series) – Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
• Best Actress (Series) – Mary Tyler Moore, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” 
• Best Actor (Single Performance) – Jack Klugman, “The Defenders”
• Best Actress (Single Performance) – Shelley Winters, “Two Is the Number”

The Emmys switched up their categories again, which allowed Leonard Bernstein to win an acting award for conducting an orchestra. The real story of 1965, however, was Barbra Streisand’s first television special, “My Name Is Barbra.”The fast-rising star captivated viewers with her peerless showmanship, earning new fans and pushing her career higher into the stratosphere.

• Best Actors – Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show," Alfred Lunt, “The Magnificent Yankee” and Leonard Bernstein “Young People’s Concerts”
• Best Actresses – Lynn Fontanne, “The Magnificent Yankee and Barbra Streisand, “My Name Is Barbra”

The most notable win of 1966 was Bill Cosby winning the first of three consecutive Best Actor Emmys for his race-barrier shattering performance as Scotty on “I Spy.” With that acknowledged, let’s focus on the woman who can turn the world on with a smile. This would be Mary Tyler Moore’s second and final Emmy for “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bill Cosby, “I Spy” 
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Stanwyck, “The Big Valley”

Mel Brooks' and Buck Henry’s unabashedly silly sendup of the 1960s secret agent craze gave celebrated voice actor Don Adams a career in front of the camera. “Get Smart” ran for five seasons, and Adams was blissfully inept (yet surprisingly effective) as Maxwell Smart in all of them. This was the first of three straight Best Actor wins for Adams.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Don Adams, “Get Smart”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Lucille Ball, “The Lucy Show” 
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bill Cosby, “I Spy”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”

As the dangerously alluring Cinnamon Carter, Barbara Bain was every bit as cunning and capable as her “Mission: Impossible” colleagues. Bain was a familiar face on TV, but she’d always been a recurring or guest character on established shows. “Mission: Impossible” put her out front with Peter Graves, and Emmy voters took notice.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Don Adams, “Get Smart”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Lucille Ball, “The Lucy Show”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bill Cosby, “I Spy”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”

Twelve years after winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Peyton Place,” Hope Lange hit the Emmy big time with “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” a sitcom that required her to contend with the spirit of a 19th century sea captain and Charles Nelson Reilly. Appearing sane aside either of these gentlemen is worthy of every award in the known galaxy.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Don Adams, “Get Smart”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Carl Betz, “Judd, For the Defense" 
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”

Robert Young was one of the earliest TV stars as the lead of "Father Knows Best." "Marcus Welby, M.D." was his comeback, and though popular at the time, it has aged like an unembalmed corpse. In one notorious episode, Welby advises a depressed patient to suppress his homosexual impulses. It's a shame that Young, who struggled with depression (and alcoholism), signed off on material this pernicious.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – William Windom, “My World and Welcome to It” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Robert Young, “Marcus Welby, M.D.”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Susan Hampshire, “The Forsyte Saga”

Three of the most popular sitcoms in TV history, “The Odd Couple,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “All in the Family," were eligible for their first Emmy Awards in 1971, and MTM went down to a stunning defeat. This was Jean Stapleton’s first Emmy nomination and one of three Best Actress wins for playing the warmhearted “dingbat,” Edith Bunker.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jack Klugman, “The Odd Couple”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Hal Holbrook, “The Bold Ones: The Senator”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Susan Hampshire, “The First Churchills”

Carroll O’Connor won his first of four Emmys for his portrayal of the perpetually flustered bigot Archie Bunker. O’Connor earned every one of these awards for making Archie a likable crank; his prejudice was rooted in a lifetime of learned resentment for people who looked or behaved or simply thought different than him. We watched Archie confront his beliefs and, over time, soften just a little.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Peter Falk, “Columbo”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Glenda Jackson, “Elizabeth R”

It was Jack Klugman’s turn (again) to win the Best Actor in a Comedy trophy for playing the unrepentant slob Oscar Madison on “The Odd Couple.” Oscar’s dedicated lack of refinement was always a cause of great consternation for his neatnik roommate, Felix Unger, played to fussy perfection by Tony Randall. Despite their characters’ differences, Klugman and Randall became best friends. In 1993, they reunited for the TV movie “The Odd Couple: Together Again.”

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jack Klugman, “The Odd Couple” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Richard Thomas, “The Waltons”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Michael Learned, “The Waltons”

There were four winners for the usual top categories in 1974, but only two of these performers could take home a Super Emmy! It was the first and last year for this special award, which means Telly Savalas never had a chance to avenge his Super Emmy defeat to Alan Alda.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Alan Alda, “M*A*S*H”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Telly Savalas, “Kojak”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Michael Learned, “The Waltons”

After four scene-stealing years on “The Mary Tyler Moore” show, Valerie Harper’s Rhoda Morgenstern decamped to New York City for more single lady adventures — or so we thought! Rhoda married her new boyfriend Joe in a two-part event that, at the time, set Nielsen ratings records. Some supporting characters struggle to remain interesting when they get their own show. This was never a problem for Harper or “Rhoda.”

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Tony Randall, “The Odd Couple”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Valerie Harper, “Rhoda”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Robert Blake, “Baretta”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Jean Marsh, “Upstairs, Downstairs”

There was nothing more satisfying than watching the idiosyncratic, seemingly overmatched detective crack a mystery with his trademark utterance of “just one more thing.” Few 1970s shows have held up as well as “Columbo,” which is a testament to the writing, and of course, the late, great Peter Falk.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jack Albertson, “Chico and the Man” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Peter Falk, “Columbo”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Michael Learned, “The Waltons”

Another type of private detective earned the ultimate adulation of Emmy voters this year. James Garner’s Jim Rockford wasn’t the smartest guy around, and he certainly wasn’t the toughest (one of the series’ running jokes is Rockford’s scrapping ineptitude), but he was dogged and always got a) the job done and b) the girl (even if it wasn’t a good idea). 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Bea Arthur, “Maude”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Garner, “The Rockford Files”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Lindsay Wagner, “The Bionic Woman”

Sada Thompson’s Kate Lawrence was a classic TV mom: strong, loving and wise. All of these qualities were put to the test in the two-part storyline “Jury Duty,” where Kate argues to acquit a young Latino man accused of rape and murder. Thompson didn’t work a great deal after the cancellation of “Family” in 1980, but she made this very special role count.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Ed Asner, “Lou Grant”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sada Thompson, “Family”

The Emmys hadn’t yet introduced the guest actor and actresses categories in 1979, which worked to Ruth Gordon’s advantage. The young-at-heart Gordon appeared on one episode of “Taxi” as a wily senior who tries to turn Judd Hirsch into a male escort. It’s an uproarious half-hour of television from one of the best sitcoms of all time, and Gordon is magnificent.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Ruth Gordon, “Taxi”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Ron Leibman, “Kaz”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Mariette Hartley, “The Incredible Hulk”

“Lou Grant” changed up the network spinoff formula by placing a sitcom character into a (mostly) serious dramatic environment, but it made perfect sense. Grant played straight man to the goofballs of WJM in Minnesota on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and was right at home in a more sober workplace. This was Asner’s fifth Emmy for the role of Lou Grant and the second for the self-titled series.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Richard Mulligan, “Soap”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Cathryn Damon, “Soap
• Best Actor (Drama) – Ed Asner, “Lou Grant”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Bel Geddes, “Dallas”

Television experienced a seismic shift in 1981 with the premiere of “Hill Street Blues,” a grittier-than-normal cop show that featured long-arching storylines that developed over the course of a season or more. The leads won in their first year of eligibility, but the real reason to cheer was Isabel Sanford’s Best Actress triumph for playing the non-nonsense Louise Jefferson on “The Jeffersons.”

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Judd Hirsch, “Taxi”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Isabel Sanford, “The Jeffersons”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Barbara Babcock, “Hill Street Blues”

“M*A*S*H” had famously outlasted the war in which it was set, and the series was beginning to run a little dry on new ideas. But the writers kept viewers watching by putting poor Hawkeye Pierce through the ringer. Alda’s character had to deal with his father’s death, and when another surgeon is killed, his own mortality. It was an impressive season for the actor, and the Emmys rewarded him for his efforts.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Alan Alda, “M*A*S*H”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Carol Kane, “Taxi”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Michael Learned, “Nurse"

The television landscape was changing with more dramas employing the storytelling innovations of “Hill Street Blues,” while sitcoms were nearing the end of a golden age that had begun in 1970. As comedies started to get sillier and raunchier, “Cheers” showed ‘em all how it’s done by being smart in its suggestiveness. The entire cast was great from the pilot onward, but if there was a standout it was Shelley Long’s fish-out-of-water waitress Diane Chambers.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Judd Hirsch, “Taxi”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Shelley Long, “Cheers”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Ed Flanders, “St. Elsewhere”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey” 

As with Alda’s 1981-82 season on “M*A*S*H,” it felt like the “Magnum P.I.” writers were out to win star Tom Selleck an Emmy in Season 4. It was the series’ best run of episodes by far, kicking off with the season premiere in which Magnum is stranded in shark-infested waters. Selleck earned this one.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – John Ritter, “Three’s Company”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jane Curtin, “Kate & Allie”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Tom Selleck, “Magnum P.I.”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey” 

Tyne Daly has had the most fascinating career. She was trained to be a musical-theater star (and would eventually become one), but she found television stardom playing Mary Beth Lacey, a married working mother navigating an especially dangerous workplace. Daly was brilliant throughout the show’s seven-season run, taking home four Emmys for Best Actress.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Robert Guillaume, “Benson”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jane Curtin, “Kate & Allie”
• Best Actor (Drama) – William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”

A year after the box office success of “Back to the Future” and “Teen Wolf,” Emmy voters decided it was time to start giving Michael J. Fox some love. And so they did…three years in a row, starting in 1986. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton was the young Republican spawn of aging hippie parents, but he became less abrasive and more relatable beginning with this season. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Betty White, “The Golden Girls”
• Best Actor (Drama) – William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey”

If you were born in 1987, you’ll no doubt be shocked to learn that there was a time when Bruce Willis was considered only a comedic performer. He was perfectly matched with Cybill Shepherd in the bantering, bickering comedy-mystery series “Moonlighting” (onscreen, at least), and he seemed to be committing career suicide when he took the lead in some random action movie called “Die Hard.” How’d that work out?

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Rue McClanahan, “The Golden Girls”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bruce Willis, “Moonlighting”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey”

There must’ve been a secret pact drawn up by Emmy voters to ensure that each of “The Golden Girls” won a Best Actress award. (Estelle Getty always ran in the Supporting category.) First Betty White got hers, then Rue McClanahan and finally, Bea Arthur, who’d previously won for “Maude.” Perfect timing with Candice Bergen’s “Murphy Brown” looming on the horizon. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Bea Arthur, “The Golden Girls”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Richard Kiley, “A Year in the Life”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”

Given the show’s rapid (and early) decline in quality, it’s easy to forget just how great “Murphy Brown” was out of the gate. This show about a celebrated newswoman attempting to reclaim her former glory after a stint in rehab had a superb ensemble cast. But it was above all a dynamite showcase for Candice Bergen — not quite five Emmys worth of dynamite but certainly worthy of recognition in the first two seasons. CBS hoped "Murphy Brown" still resonated with viewers in 2018, as it brought back the sitcom and of course its star Candice Bergen. The reboot lasted one season. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Richard Mulligan, “Empty Nest”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Carroll O’Connor, “In the Heat of the Night”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Dana Delany, “China Beach”

Ted Danson was beginning to look like the prime time Emmy Susan Lucci after Richard Mulligan scored a crazy Best Actor upset in 1989, but the Academy finally came through for Sam Malone this year. “Cheers” never had a bad season, and Danson was never less than great in any given episode, so there was no reason to win for this year other than it was time.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Ted Danson, “Cheers”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Peter Falk, “Columbo”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething”

Burt Reynolds’ first comeback. The actor had gone from being the biggest movie star on the planet in the 1970s to box office poison when this charming Southern sitcom "Evening Shade" arrived in 1990. Reynolds was supported by a killer ensemble (Marilu Henner, Hal Holbrook, Ossie Davis, Charles Durning and Michael Jeter), and he seemed to be having fun for the first time since “The Cannonball Run.”

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Burt Reynolds, “Evening Shade”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Kirstie Alley, “Cheers”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Earl Jones, “Gabriel’s Fire”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething”

The less said about Craig T. Nelson and the bafflingly popular “Coach,” the better. Let’s give Dana Delany some love for the unjustly forgotten “China Beach,” a Vietnam War-set drama that survived for four seasons despite poor ratings. The heart of the show was Delany’s Colleen McMurphy, a dedicated nurse trying to maintain her sanity during an insane war.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Craig T. Nelson, “Coach”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Christopher Lloyd, “The Road to Avonlea”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Dana Delany, “China Beach”

Love her or hate her (and there seems to be no middle ground here, especially these days), Roseanne Barr was a brilliant comedian, and her show, “Roseanne,” offered a rare glimpse into lower-middle-class struggles at a time when network television was mostly obsessed with yuppies. There was a lot going on in the fifth season, most notably several head-on confrontations with abusive upbringings. This was Roseanne, and the show, at its provocative, unflinching best.  The popular show was brought back in early 2018, but after a highly-publicized Twitter meltdown from Barr and the subsequent backlash over her racist tweets (and reports of problems on the set), the show was canceled and then returned without its namesake character as "The Conners".

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Ted Danson, “Cheers” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Roseanne Barr, “Roseanne”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Tom Skerritt, “Picket Fences”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”

The first season of “NYPD Blue” challenged broadcast standards and presented a vision of policing that made “Hill Street Blues” look like “Car 54, Where Are You?” David Caruso was anointed a star as John Kelly, but it was Dennis Franz as the alcoholic bigot Andy Sipowicz who hooked viewers and won over the Academy. Over and over again. Deservedly.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sela Ward, “Sisters”

“Picket Fences” hasn’t aged well at all, but if all it accomplished was getting Kathy Baker recognized as a terrific actress, that’s enough to justify its existence. Baker’s Obie Award-winning turn in Sam Shepard’s “Fool for Love” is the stuff of NYC theater legend, but she’s too often shoehorned into non-threatening housewife roles. “Picket Fences” let her play a little, though it barely scratched the surface of her potential. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Mandy Patinkin, “Chicago Hope”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”

Helen Hunt was a year away from winning Best Actress for “As Good as It Gets” when she nabbed her first of four straight Emmys as the co-lead of “Mad About You.” Maybe she gave one of those Emmys to poor Paul Reiser, who never stood a chance against John Lithgow, Kelsey Grammer and…Kelsey Grammer.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – John Lithgow, “3rd Rock from the Sun”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”

Everything went to form in 1997, save for Gillian Anderson winning her only Emmy to date as “The X-Files” show-me skeptic Dana Scully. It was the right time to reward Anderson’s consistently excellent work; the show was at its peak in terms of quality and popularity, and she was just about to make the move to film and theater to really show what she could do.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – John Lithgow, “3rd Rock from the Sun”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files”

Andre Braugher could’ve won Best Actor in any year for his scintillating turn as detective Frank Pembleton on “Homicide: Life on the Streets,” but it’s just nice that he won one more Emmy than “The Wire.” Every season had several great Pembleton episodes, and this year was no different. The highlight was probably “Subway,” in which Pembleton hangs out with a man (Vincent D’Onofrio) slowly dying as he’s stuck between a train and the subway platform. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Andre Braugher, “Homicide: Life on the Street”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Christine Lahti, “Chicago Hope”

It was the first year of “The Sopranos,” and the Emmys couldn’t quite break their Dennis Franz habit. James Gandolfini would have to wait, but Edie Falco took home her first Best Actress award as Carmela Soprano, a woman forever reckoning with her decision to marry a monster.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – John Lithgow, “3rd Rock from the Sun” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”

Dennis Franz had four Emmys, and the Academy had endured a heap of scorn the previous year for snubbing James Gandolfini, so…it was time to give Tony his due. This was the first of three Emmy wins for Gandolfini, who became an instant pop culture icon with his portrayal of a New Jersey crime boss suffering from debilitating anxiety.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Michael J. Fox, “Spin City”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Patricia Heaton, “Everybody Loves Raymond”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sela Ward, “Once and Again”

Sometimes shows anchored by standup comedians are showcases for far better performances from much more talented actors. Ray Romano has made remarkable improvement as an actor, but back in 2001 he was there to make his supporting cast look amazing. Year in and year out, Patricia Heaton shined as his better half.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Eric McCormack, “Will & Grace”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Patricia Heaton, “Everybody Loves Raymond” 
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”

In a stunning upset, Michael Chiklis beat out Martin Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland to win Best Actor for scaring the hell out of every law-abiding citizen as the viciously corrupt detective Vic Mackey on "The Shield." Chiklis definitely benefited from a “Sopranos”-less year, but the argument could easily be made that he outdid Gandolfini’s second season as Tony Soprano.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Ray Romano, “Everybody Loves Raymond” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Jennifer Aniston, “Friends”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Michael Chiklis, “The Shield”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Allison Janney, “The West Wing”

“Will & Grace” was a likable show that never touched greatness; it was content to be a carefree 30-minute diversion and was all the more likable for not aspiring to be more. It was a solid B-grade sitcom powered by an A-plus ensemble headed up by Eric McCormack and Debra Messing. That said, people loved it so much that it was rebooted in 2017. In 2013, it was Messing’s turn to win, and no one had a problem with it.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Debra Messing, “Will & Grace”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”

The conditions were right for Sarah Jessica Parker to win her first Emmy for “Sex and the City.” All of the other veteran nominees (e.g. Patricia Heaton and Jennifer Aniston) had been compensated, and most significantly it was the final season for “Sex and the City.” If not now, when? Parker’s supporting cast members often received the most praise because they had the showier parts, but the series wouldn’t have been a smash without her.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Sarah Jessica Parker, “Sex and the City”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Spader, “The Practice”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Allison Janney, “The West Wing”

James Spader becoming an Emmy favorite is one of the more bizarre developments of the 21st century. Consider it karmic payback for playing one obnoxious rich kid (or drug dealer, or rich kid drug dealer) after another. This was his first season on David E. Kelley’s “Boston Legal,” which also boosted William Shatner’s profile to the extent that he could sell discounted airline tickets.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Felicity Huffman, “Desperate Housewives”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Spader, “Boston Legal”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Patricia Arquette, “Medium”

“24” had become television’s most violent unintentional comedy by this point, but everyone needs a little paranoid, politically questionable trash in their lives. In any event, Sutherland seemed to have a blast playing a torture-happy counterterrorist agent. We miss you, Jack Bauer. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Kiefer Sutherland, “24”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”

There was a 10-plus year stretch (most of the ‘90s, really) when America seemed to take Sally Field for granted. The biggest insult was having her play Tom Hanks’ mother in “Forrest Gump.” She was 48! What kind of ageist nonsense is that? Fortunately, she’s once again getting roles worthy of her immense talents (e.g. “Lincoln” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris”), but credit the Emmys for loving her up with the movies kicking her thankless gigs.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Ricky Gervais, “Extras”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”
• Best Actor (Drama) – James Spader, “Boston Legal”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters”

“30 Rock” didn’t really hit its stride until its second season, which is the only year Tina Fey took home a Best Actress Emmy. The comedy field is always cutthroat, and it’s impossible to argue against any of the Academy’s subsequent choices. So let’s give thanks that Fey got one acting Emmy for one of the funniest shows of the last 20 years.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
• Best Actress (Drama)  – Glenn Close, “Damages”

Bryan Cranston could’ve won every year he was nominated for his work as Walter White on “Breaking Bad,” but that would’ve screwed some fine actors out of some insanely deserving Emmys. Still, Cranston makes it hard on the voters by being a swell guy on top of giving one knockout performance after another. This was win No. 2 for “Breaking Bad.” There would be more to come.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Glenn Close, “Damages”

Kyra Sedgwick shocked the world with this Best Actress win if only because it was difficult to find people who watched “The Closer,” let alone loved it. But “The Closer” contingent was numerous enough to give Sedgwick her first Emmy. It was a nice surprise in a year where the other winners were prohibitive favorites.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Melissa McCarthy had committed grand larceny over the summer in “Bridesmaids,” which had no bearing on her Emmy prospects, but it did kinda feel like it was her time. “Mike & Molly” was never a critical favorite, but it did well in the ratings and McCarthy was a huge reason for this success. Amazingly it feels like we’ve yet to see her best. 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” 
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

From “My So-Called Life” to “my nightmarish existence as a bipolar spy,” Claire Danes survived lots of thankless roles in dubious movies to arrive at this point. Had ABC given “My So-Called Life” more of a chance (i.e. a second season), it seems likely that she would’ve had a better shot at roles worthy of her talent earlier in her career. Nevertheless, she came through it and gave “Homeland” its spine.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Damian Lewis, “Homeland”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Claire Danes, “Homeland”

Since 1992 (that’s 27 years ago), Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been nominated for 18 Emmys. She has won nine (including two as a producer). It’s all the more insane when you consider that she won only one Emmy for “Seinfeld.” Overkill? No. She’s just that good. So is “Veep,” which bathed her in Emmy glory for four straight years.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Claire Danes, “Homeland”

The future didn't look so promising for Julianna Margulies’ Carol Hathaway in the early going of “ER.” She attempted suicide in the pilot and appeared to be on the verge of a second attempt for much of the first season. Then in relatively short order she became the sturdiest character on the show. That defiant fire roared throughout “The Good Wife,” which earned her two Best Actress Emmys during its seven-season run.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

It was Jon Hamm’s last, best chance to win Best Actor. “Mad Men” had just stuck the landing with a brilliant series finale, Hamm was excellent as ever as Don Draper and most importantly, Bryan Cranston wasn’t nominated. This had to be the year, and thank goodness, it was. Imagine Jon Hamm without a Best Actor Emmy. He’d just be…Jon Hamm. The horror.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”

A year without a prohibitive favorite in both Best Actor and Actress (Drama) categories produced two curious wins. Tatiana Maslany plays six different characters on “Orphan Black,” so the “wow factor” is obvious there (even with Viola Davis lurking as a nominee). As for Rami Malek, his win for "Mr. Robot" confirmed that Emmy voters don’t care for “Better Call Saul” (fools) or “House of Cards” (defensible). Malek is good on “Mr. Robot” — so good he wasn’t nominated for the second season.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
• Best Actor (Drama) – Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
• Best Actress (Drama) – Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”

Sterling K. Brown made Emmys history in 2017. For his work as Randall Pearson in the wildly popular NBC series "This Is Us," Brown became the first black man in almost 20 years to win an Emmy in the Best Actor (Drama) category. "This Is Us" has served as a breakout for many members of its cast with Brown leading the charge. For the record, Donald Glover — who took home Best Actor (Comedy) — also made history as the first black person to win a directing award.

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Donald Glover, "Atlanta"
• Best Actress (Comedy) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
• Best Actor (Drama) – Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us"
• Best Actress (Drama) – Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"

In the dramatic acting categories, the Emmys honored two performers for first-rate work in the final seasons of their respective shows: Matthew Rhys as Russian sleeper agent Philip Jennings in "The Americans" and Claire Foy as the young Queen Elizabeth II in "The Crown". Meanwhile, the comedy Emmys were all about the new hotness: Bill Hader for his first season as hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman/Block in "Barry" and Rachel Brosnahan in her inaugural run as housewife-turned-comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel". All four were first-time winners.

• Best Actor (Comedy) - Bill Hader, "Barry"
• Best Actress (Comedy) - Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
• Best Actor (Drama) - Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"
• Best Actress (Drama) - Claire Foy, "The Crown"