Emmys flashback 30 years ago to 1993: ‘Picket Fences’ and ‘Seinfeld’ clean up

It was a night of firsts, lasts and an upset win as TV’s finest gathered together to celebrate the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC on September 19, 1993. Even the host made history — in more ways than one. Read on for our Emmys flashback 30 years ago to 1993.

For the first time ever, the ceremony was hosted solely by a female — who was also, ironically, the unluckiest (or, as many fans would argue, most snubbed) actress in Emmy history. Up for her 13th Emmy nomination that evening, Angela Lansbury guided the ceremony with her usual grace. Lansbury passed away in 2022, with the record of most Best Drama Actress bids (12 consecutive, for “Murder, She Wrote”) as well as the record for most overall nominations without a win at 18. However, she wasn’t the only one nominated at this ceremony who has never won despite numerous nominations, or the only one to lay claim to an unfortunate record.

After a stellar year in 1992, reigning Best Drama Series champ “Northern Exposure” was the frontrunner in that category, and led in nominations with nine major and 16 overall. With zero wins, it was the biggest shutout up to that time (since tied and then twice broken). Voters instead chose another quirky comedy drama, awarding “Picket Fences” for its first season in a major upset. The other contenders were “Law & Order” and two short-lived but highly praised period dramas, “Homefront” and “I’ll Fly Away.”

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“Picket Fences” also garnered awards for Best Drama Actor and Actress, with Tom Skerritt and Kathy Baker winning for their roles as husband and wife Jimmy and Jill Brock. (See our gallery of all of David E. Kelley‘s actors who won Emmys.) Two other series also received bids in each of these categories: “Northern Exposure” (Rob Morrow and Janine Turner) and “I’ll Fly Away” (Sam Waterston and Regina Taylor). Rounding out the Best Actor category were Scott Bakula (“Quantum Leap”) and Michael Moriarty (“Law & Order”), while the final two slots for Best Actress went to Swoosie Kurtz (“Sisters”) and, of course, Lansbury (“Murder, She Wrote”).

With both series full of eccentric characters with unconventional storylines, it’s not surprising that both “Picket Fences” and “Northern Exposure” also received several nominations in the supporting categories — however, neither won in either category. Chad Lowe took home Best Supporting Actor for his role as a teenager living with AIDS on “Life Goes On.” “Northern Exposure” had two candidates, Barry Corbin and John Cullum, while Fyvush Finkel competed for “Picket Fences.” Rounding out the category was Dean Stockwell, on his fourth and last failed bid for “Quantum Leap.”

Mary Alice picked up a win for “I’ll Fly Away,” claiming Best Supporting Drama Actress for her role as Marguerite Peck. Cynthia Geary and Peg Phillips both earned bids for “Northern Exposure”; Kay Lenz (“Reasonable Doubts”) and Kellie Martin (“Life Goes On”) claimed slots as well.

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“Seinfeld” won its first and only Emmy for Best Comedy Series for its fourth season, beating reigning champ “Murphy Brown.” Also competing were two popular sitcoms that never won despite numerous nominations, “Home Improvement” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” the latter of which would tie “Northern Exposure” for most nominations without a win in a single ceremony in 1997. The final nominee had previously tied the record for most wins in this category with four (since broken), and with its nomination this year, tied another record. “Cheers” became one of two sitcoms (with “M*A*S*H”) to receive a bid for each of its 11 seasons, a record which stands to this day.

“Cheers” star Ted Danson also received a bid for Best Comedy Actor each year the series was on the air; he won his second statue for the show’s final season. With three additional bids for “The Good Place” over 20 years later, Danson is the most-nominated actor in this category with 14. His competition included Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”), Jerry Seinfeld (“Seinfeld”), Garry Shandling (“The Larry Sanders Show”) and John Goodman (“Roseanne”). Remarkably, none of these men have ever won an Emmy in this category despite the popularity of their characters. Seinfeld won as one of the producers for his series, Shandling would win once for writing (1998) and Goodman would eventually win as a guest star on another series (“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” 2007). However, this is Allen’s sole Emmy nomination despite two successful sitcoms.

Although Goodman never won for his performance on “Roseanne,” series star Roseanne Barr claimed her sole victory for Best Comedy Actress at this ceremony. Two of her competitors were prior recipients, Kirstie Alley (“Cheers”) and Candice Bergen (“Murphy Brown”), while Helen Hunt received her first of seven consecutive nominations for “Mad About You” (she’d eventually win four consecutively). The final nominee was a favorite TV mom, with Marion Ross receiving her fourth of five career nominations, this time for “Brooklyn Bridge.” She’s never won.

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Michael Richards scored his first of three Best Supporting Comedy Actor statues for “Seinfeld”; he competed against his costar Jason Alexander, who has never won. He also beat out the previous year’s winner, Michael Jeter (“Evening Shade”). There were two contenders from “The Larry Sanders Show,” Rip Torn (he’d go on to win in 1996) and Jeffrey Tambor, who never won for this series but would eventually win two lead awards for “Transparent.”

“Roseanne” earned two spots in Best Supporting Actress, with Laurie Metcalf earning her second of three consecutive statues for her role as Jackie Harris. She won over her costar Sara Gilbert, as well as Shelley Fabares (“Coach”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld”) and Rhea Perlman, a four-time champ for her role on “Cheers.”

While the Big Three networks still dominated the series categories, cable networks were making big impressions in the movie and miniseries categories. HBO won Best Made for Television Movie (“Barbarians at the Gate”), as well as Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries, with Holly Hunter and Beau Bridges prevailing for “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom.” Lifetime also claimed a win, with Emmy favorite Mary Tyler Moore earning a Best Supporting Actress (Miniseries) statue for “Stolen Babies.” PBS had a couple of victories: Best Miniseries (“Prime Suspect II) and Best Actor in a Miniseries (Robert Morse, “Tru”). MTV received its first ever major nomination, with “MTV Unplugged: Rod Stewart” earning a bid for Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series; it lost to “Saturday Night Live.”

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