31st Primetime Emmy Awards
Introduction The '''31st Primetime Emmy Awards''' were held on Sunday, September 9, 1979.The ceremony was broadcast on ABC. It was hosted by Henry Winkler and Cheryl Ladd. This ceremony is remembered for problems with the Pasadena Civic Auditorium's air-conditioning.The top shows of the night were ''Taxi'', which pulled an upset in the Outstanding Comedy Series field when it beat ''All in the Family'''s final season, and ''Lou Grant'', which received 12 major nominations and won two awards including Outstanding Drama Series.For the first time, most of the miniseries and Television movie categories were merged into one, this would become the standard for later ceremonies, culminating with the TV Movie and Miniseries program categories combining in 2011.For this year only, the comedy and variety categories were combined in acting, directing, and writing. This combination would not stick, and the traditional categories returned the next year.
Winners and nominees ===Programs===+  * '''''Taxi'' (ABC)'''** ''All in the Family'' (CBS)** ''Barney Miller'' (ABC)** ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS)** ''Mork & Mindy'' (ABC) * '''''Lou Grant'' (CBS)'''** ''The Paper Chase'' (NBC)** ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC) *'''''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC)'''** ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC)** ''Blind Ambition'' (CBS) * '''''Friendly Fire'' (ABC)'''** ''Dummy'' (CBS)** ''First, You Cry'' (CBS)** ''The Jericho Mile'' (ABC)** ''Summer of My German Soldier'' (NBC) * '''''Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin'' (NBC)'''** ''Arthur Fiedler: Just Call Me Maestro'' (PBS)** ''The Muppet Show'' (Syndicated)** ''Saturday Night Live'' (NBC)** ''Shirley MacLaine at the Lido'' (CBS)===Acting=======Lead performances====+  * '''Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker in ''All in the Family'' (CBS)'''** Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce in ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS)** Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger in ''Taxi'' (ABC)** Hal Linden as Capt. Barney Miller in ''Barney Miller'' (ABC)** Robin Williams as Mork in ''Mork & Mindy'' (ABC) * '''Ruth Gordon as Dee Wilcox in ''Taxi'' (ABC) (Episode: "Sugar Mama")'''** Katherine Helmond as Jessica Tate in ''Soap'' (ABC)** Linda Lavin as Alice Hyatt in ''Alice'' (CBS)** Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson in ''The Jeffersons'' (CBS)** Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker in ''All in the Family'' (CBS) * '''Ron Leibman as Martin Kazinsky in ''Kaz'' (CBS)'''** Edward Asner as Lou Grant in ''Lou Grant'' (CBS)** James Garner as Jim Rockford in ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC)** Jack Klugman as Dr. Quincy in ''Quincy, M.E.'' (NBC) * '''Mariette Hartley as Dr. Caroline Fields in ''The Incredible Hulk'' (CBS) (Episode: "Married")'''** Barbara Bel Geddes as Eleanor Southworth Ewing Farlow in ''Dallas'' (CBS)** Rita Moreno as Rita Capkovic in ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC) (Episode: "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern are Dead")** Sada Thompson as Kate Lawrence in ''Family'' (ABC) *'''Peter Strauss as Larry "Rain" Murphy in ''The Jericho Mile'' (ABC)'''**Ned Beatty as Gene Mullen in ''Friendly Fire'' (ABC)**Louis Gossett Jr. as Houseman Levi Mercer in ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC)**Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley in ''Elvis'' (ABC) *'''Bette Davis as Lucy Mason in ''Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter'' (CBS)'''**Carol Burnett as Peg Mullen in ''Friendly Fire'' (NBC)**Olivia Cole as Maggie Rogers in ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC)**Katharine Hepburn as Miss Lilly Moffat in ''The Corn Is Green'' (CBS)**Mary Tyler Moore as Betty Rollin in ''First, You Cry'' (CBS)====Supporting performances==== * '''Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois in ''Soap'' (ABC)'''** Gary Burghoff as Radar O'Reilly in ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS)** Danny DeVito as Louie De Palma in ''Taxi'' (ABC)** Max Gail as Det. Stan Wojciehowicz in ''Barney Miller'' (ABC)** Harry Morgan as Sherman T. Potter in ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS) * '''Sally Struthers as Gloria Bunker-Stivic in ''All in the Family'' (CBS) (Episode: "California, Here We Are")'''** Polly Holiday as Florence Jean Castleberry in ''Alice'' (CBS)** Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham in ''Happy Days'' (CBS)** Loretta Swit as Margaret Houlihan in ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS) * '''Stuart Margolin as Evelyn "Angel" Martin in ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC)'''** Mason Adams as Charlie Hume in ''Lou Grant'' (CBS)** Noah Beery, Jr. as Joseph Rockford in ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC)** Joe Santos as Det. Dennis Becker in ''The Rockford Files'' (NBC)** Robert Walden as Joe Rossi in ''Lou Grant'' (CBS) * '''Kristy McNichol as Letitia Lawrence in ''Family'' (ABC)'''** Linda Kelsey as Billie Newman in ''Lou Grant'' (CBS)** Nancy Marchand as Margaret Pynchon in ''Lou Grant'' (CBS) * '''Marlon Brando as George Lincoln Rockwell in ''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC) (Episode: "Part VII")'''** Ed Flanders as President Calvin Coolidge in ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC) (Episode: "Book Two")** Al Freeman, Jr. as Malcolm X in ''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC) (Episode: "Part VII")** Robert Vaughn as President Woodrow Wilson in ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC) (Episode: "Book One")** Paul Winfield as Dr. Horace Huguley in ''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC) (Episode: "Part V") *'''Esther Rolle as Ruth in ''Summer of My German Soldier'' (NBC)'''** Ruby Dee as Queen Haley in ''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC)** Colleen Dewhurst as Mrs. O'Neil in ''Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story'' (CBS)** Eileen Heckart as Eleanor Roosevelt in ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC)** Celeste Holm as Florence Harding on ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC)===Directing===+  *'''''Barney Miller'' (ABC): "The Harris Incident" – Noam Pitlik'''** ''All in the Family'' (CBS): "California, Here We Are, Part II" – Paul Bogart** ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS): "Dear Sis" – Alan Alda** ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS): "Point of View" – Charles S. Dubin** ''Soap'' (ABC): "Episode #27" – Jay Sandrich *'''''The White Shadow'' (CBS): "Pilot" – Jackie Cooper'''** ''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Murder" – Mel Damski** ''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Prisoner" – Gene Reynolds ** ''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Schools" – Burt Brinckerhoff * '''''Friendly Fire'' (ABC) – David Greene'''** ''Les Misérables'' (CBS) – Glenn Jordan** ''Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story'' (CBS) – Lou Antonio===Writing===+  * '''''M*A*S*H'' (CBS): "Inga" – Alan Alda'''** ''All in the Family'' (CBS): "California, Here We Are - Part II" – Milt Josefsberg, Phil Sharp, Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf** ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS): "Point of View" – Ken Levine and David Isaacs** ''Saturday Night Live'' (NBC): "Host - Richard Benjamin"** ''Taxi'' (ABC): "Blind Date" – Michael Leeson * '''''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Dying" – Michele Gallery'''** ''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Marathon" – Gene Reynolds** ''Lou Grant'' (CBS): "Vet" – Leon Tokatyan** ''The Paper Chase'' (CBS): "The Late Mr. Hart" – James Bridges * '''''The Jericho Mile'' (ABC) – '''** ''Backstairs at the White House'' (NBC): "Book One" – Paul Dubov and Gwen Bagni** ''Friendly Fire'' (ABC) – Fay Kanin** ''Roots: The Next Generations'' (ABC): "Part I" – Ernest Kinoy** ''Summer of My German Soldier'' (NBC) – Jane-Howard Hammerstein
Most major nominations +Networks with multiple major nominations Network  Number ofnominations CBS  46 ABC  30 NBC  23+Programs with multiple major nominations Program  Category  Network  Number ofnominations ''Lou Grant''  Drama CBS  12 ''M*A*S*H''  Comedy  9 ''Backstairs at the White House''  Limited CBS  8 ''All in the Family''  Comedy 6 ''The Rockford Files''  Drama  NBC ''Roots: The Next Generations''  Limited ABC ''Friendly Fire''  Special 5 ''Taxi'' Comedy ''Barney Miller''  4 ''The Jericho Mile''  Special 3 ''Soap''  Comedy ''Summer of My German Soldier''  Special  NBC ''Alice''  Comedy  CBS 2 ''Family''  Drama  ABC ''First, You Cry''  Special  CBS ''Mork & Mindy''  Comedy  ABC ''The Paper Chase''  Drama NBC ''Saturday Night Live''  Variety ''Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story''  Special  CBS
Most major awards +Networks with multiple major awards Network  Number ofAwards ABC  11 CBS  9 NBC  3+Programs with multiple major awards Program  Category  Network  Number ofAwards ''All in the Family''  Comedy  CBS 2 ''Friendly Fire'' Special ABC ''The Jericho Mile'' ''Lou Grant''  Drama  CBS ''Roots: The Next Generations''  Miniseries ABC ''Taxi''  Comedy;Notes
References
External links *  Emmys.com list of 1979 Nominees & Winners*