The 37th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 22, 1985. The ceremony was broadcast on ABC, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California.
The Cosby Show defeated two-time reigning champion Cheers to win Outstanding Comedy Series, one of three major awards it won. Although it only took home one major award, Cheers did tie the then-record for most major nominations by a comedy series (11), set by The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977. In the drama field Cagney & Lacey, en route to winning four major awards on the night, defeated presumed favorite Miami Vice to win Outstanding Drama Series, four-time defending champion Hill Street Blues still received nine major nominations, but only won one award. This was Hill Street Blues 18th and final major award, setting an Emmy record for a drama series that still stands and was later achieved by The Sopranos.
The ceremony also had a memorable unscripted moment involving the arrest of impersonator Barry Bremen for grand theft while attempting to accept the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award on behalf of Betty Thomas, who would show up on the auditorium stage a few minutes late.
Winners and nominees
Programs
Programs
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Motown Returns to the Apollo (NBC)
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Acting
Lead performances
Acting
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Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey in Cagney & Lacey (CBS) (Episode: "Who Said It's Fair?")
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Supporting performances
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John Larroquette as Dan Fielding in Night Court (NBC) (Episode: "Dan's Parents or Married Alive")
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Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates in Hill Street Blues (NBC)
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Individual performances
Directing
Directing
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Great Performances: "Sweeney Todd" (PBS) – Terry Hughes
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Late Night with David Letterman 3rd Anniversary Special (NBC) – Hal Gurnee
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Motown Returns to the Apollo (PBS) – Don Mischer
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Night of 100 Stars II (ABC) – Clark Jones
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Writing
Writing
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Cagney & Lacey (CBS): "Who Said It's Fair, Part II" – Patricia Green
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Cagney & Lacey (CBS): "Child Witness" – Deborah Arakelian
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Hill Street Blues (NBC): "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" – Story by : Michael I. Wagner
Teleplay by : Jacob Epstein
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Miami Vice (NBC): "Pilot" – Anthony Yerkovich
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St. Elsewhere (NBC): "Murder, She Rote" – Tom Fontana, John Masius and Steve Bello
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St. Elsewhere (NBC): "Sweet Dreams" – John Masius and Tom Fontana
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Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "Christmas with the Lettermans"
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AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gene Kelly (CBS)
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Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "Late Night in Los Angeles"
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Late Night with David Letterman (NBC): "The Late Night Morning Show"
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Motown Returns to the Apollo (NBC)
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Do You Remember Love (CBS) – Vickie Patik
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The Burning Bed (NBC) – Rose Leiman Goldemberg
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Fatal Vision (NBC) – John Gay
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The Jewel in the Crown (PBS): "Crossing the River" – Ken Taylor
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Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (NBC) – Gerald Green
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Most major nominations
Networks with multiple major nominations
Network |
Number of Nominations
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NBC |
66
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CBS |
37
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PBS |
10
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Programs with multiple major nominations
Program |
Category |
Network |
Number of Nominations
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Cheers |
Comedy |
NBC |
11
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Hill Street Blues |
Drama |
9
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Cagney & Lacey |
CBS |
7
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St. Elsewhere |
NBC
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Miami Vice |
6
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The Burning Bed |
Special |
5
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The Cosby Show |
Comedy
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Do You Remember Love |
Special |
CBS
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Late Night with David Letterman |
Variety |
NBC
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Motown Returns to the Apollo
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Fatal Vision |
Special |
4
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The Jewel in the Crown |
Limited |
PBS
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Kate & Allie |
Comedy |
CBS
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Night Court |
NBC
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Wallenberg: A Hero's Story |
Special
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Ellis Island |
Limited |
CBS |
3
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Great Performances: "Sweeney Todd" |
Variety |
PBS
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Heartsounds |
Special |
ABC
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AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gene Kelly |
Variety |
CBS |
2
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Benson |
Comedy |
ABC
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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof |
Special |
PBS
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Family Ties |
Comedy |
NBC
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The Jeffersons |
CBS
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Magnum, P.I. |
Drama
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Murder, She Wrote
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Newhart |
Comedy
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A Woman of Substance |
Limited |
Syndicated
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Most major awards
Networks with multiple major awards
Network |
Number of Awards
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NBC |
12
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CBS |
8
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PBS |
3
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ABC |
2
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Programs with multiple major awards
Program |
Category |
Network |
Number of Awards
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Cagney & Lacey |
Drama |
CBS |
4
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The Cosby Show |
Comedy |
NBC |
3
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Do You Remember Love |
Special |
CBS
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Great Performances: "Sweeney Todd" |
Variety |
PBS |
2
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- Notes
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"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.