29th Primetime Emmy Awards

29th Primetime Emmy Awards
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DateSeptember 11, 1977
LocationPasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byAngie Dickinson
Robert Blake
Highlights
Most awardsRoots (6)
Most nominationsRoots (21)
Outstanding Comedy SeriesThe Mary Tyler Moore Show
Outstanding Drama SeriesUpstairs, Downstairs
Outstanding Limited SeriesRoots
Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music SeriesVan Dyke and Company
Websitehttps://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1977 Edit this on Wikidata
Television/radio coverage
NetworkNBC
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The 29th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 11, 1977. The ceremony was broadcast on NBC. It was hosted by Angie Dickinson and Robert Blake.

The top shows of the night were Mary Tyler Moore, which, in its final season, won its third consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series Award, it also became the first comedy series to gain eleven major nominations (since broken). Upstairs, Downstairs, also in its final season, won its third Outstanding Drama Series Award in four years (it competed as a miniseries in 1976, and won that category too). But the overwhelming champion of the ceremony was the miniseries Roots.

Roots set several milestones and broke multiple records during the night. It became the first show to receive at least twenty major nominations (21). Adding its nominations in Creative Arts categories, its total expands to 37. Both records still stand for all shows. It was the first show to gain every nomination in an acting category. Its thirteen acting nominations tied the record set the previous year by Rich Man, Poor Man, however all of Roots' nominations came in the miniseries category, while Rich Man, Poor Man had nominations cross over into the drama series field. Roots became the first miniseries, and second show overall, along with All in the Family in 1972, to win six of seven major categories. All but one of Roots' eight episodes were nominated for major awards (Part VII).

Other distinctions included Mary Kay Place winning a Major Acting award for a TV show (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) that had no major network, only broadcast in Syndication - the first time this rare feat has occurred. Also, with actress Rita Moreno's win for her guest appearance on The Muppet Show, she became the third person after Richard Rodgers and Helen Hayes to achieve all four major entertainment awards (EGOT).

With this ceremony, the Primetime Emmys began a long residency at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that would continue until 1997.

Winners and nominees

[1]

Programs

Programs
  • The Barry Manilow Special (ABC)
    • Neil Diamond: Love at the Greek (NBC)
    • The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? (CBS)
    • Sills and Burnett at the Met (CBS)
    • World of Magic (NBC)

Acting

Lead performances

Acting

Supporting performances

  • Gary Frank as Willie Lawrence in Family (ABC) (Episode: “Lovers and Strangers”)
Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or Music
Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music

Single performances

Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series
  • Edward Asner as Capt. Davies in Roots (ABC): "Part I"
    • Charles Durning as Billy Rice in Captains and the Kings (NBC): "Chapter 2"
    • Moses Gunn as Kintango in Roots (ABC): "Part I"
    • Robert Reed as Dr. William Reynolds in Roots (ABC): "Part V"
    • Ralph Waite as Third Mate Slater in Roots (ABC): "Part I"

Directing

Directing
  • The Carol Burnett Show (CBS): "Eydie Gormé" – Dave Powers
  • America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music (CBS) – Dwight Hemion
    • The Barry Manilow Special (ABC) – Steve Binder
    • The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? (CBS) – Tony Charmoli
    • Sills and Burnett at the Met (CBS) – Dave Powers
    • World of Magic (NBC) – Walter C. Miller

Writing

Writing
  • Roots (ABC): "Part II" – Ernest Kinoy and William Blinn
    • The Adams Chronicles (PBS): "Charles Francis Adams: Minister to Great Britain" – Roger O. Hirson
    • The Adams Chronicles (PBS): "John Quincy Adams: President" – Tad Mosel
    • Roots (ABC): "Part V" – James Lee
    • Roots (ABC): "Part VIII" – M. Charles Cohen
  • America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music (CBS)
  • Saturday Night (NBC): "Sissy Spacek"
    • The Carol Burnett Show (CBS): "Eydie Gormé"
    • The Muppet Show (Syndicated): "Paul Williams"
    • Saturday Night (NBC): "Elliott Gould"
    • Van Dyke and Company (NBC): "John Denver"

Most major nominations

By network [note 1]
Networks with multiple major nominations
Network Number of
Nominations
ABC 59
CBS 48
NBC
PBS 14
Programs with multiple major nominations
Program Category Network Number of
Nominations
Roots Limited ABC 21
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Comedy CBS 11
M*A*S*H 9
Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Special ABC 8
Saturday Night Variety NBC 7
The Carol Burnett Show CBS 6
Raid on Entebbe Special NBC
Captains and the Kings Limited 5
Family Drama ABC
Tail Gunner Joe Special NBC
The Adams Chronicles Limited PBS 4
All in the Family Comedy CBS
Barney Miller ABC
Sybil Special NBC
The Waltons Drama CBS
Baretta ABC 3
The Barry Manilow Special Variety
Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking Special PBS
The Moneychangers Limited NBC
The Muppet Show Variety Syndicated
Rhoda Comedy CBS
Sills and Burnett at the Met Variety
Van Dyke and Company NBC
Amelia Earhart Special 2
America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music Variety CBS
The Bob Newhart Show Comedy
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble Special ABC
Charlie's Angels Drama
Columbo NBC
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys Special
The Rockford Files Drama
Seventh Avenue Limited
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? Variety CBS
The Streets of San Francisco Drama ABC
Upstairs, Downstairs PBS
World of Magic Variety NBC

Most major awards

Networks with multiple major awards[note 1]
Network Number of
Awards
ABC 13
CBS 11
NBC 9
PBS 2
Programs with multiple major awards
Program Category Network Number of
Awards
Roots Limited ABC 6
Sybil Special NBC 3
America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music Variety CBS 2
Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Special ABC
Family Drama
M*A*S*H Comedy CBS
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Tail Gunner Joe Special NBC
Notes
  1. ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

References