‘Miami Vice,’ ‘Hill Street’ Top Emmy Nominations

“Miami Vice” and “Hill Street Blues,” two police series with decidedly different styles, helped lead NBC to a decisive sweep of the 37th annual Emmy Award nominations today.

“Miami Vice,” which debuted last fall and won a strong following with its colorful, music-driven stories, topped all other programs by collecting 15 nominations for outstanding night-time television entertainment during the last season.

The grittier “Hill Street Blues,” already the most honored dramatic series in Emmy Award history with 25--including four in a row as TV’s best drama--picked up 11 nominations.

Best in Drama

Both were nominated as best drama series, along with CBS’ “Cagney & Lacey,” NBC’s “St. Elsewhere” and CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote.”

NBC’s “Cheers” received the most nominations, 12, among comedy series. It was nominated for its third consecutive best comedy Emmy with three other NBC shows--”Family Ties,” “Night Court” and “The Cosby Show”--and CBS’ “Kate & Allie.”

NBC received 125 of the 297 nominations announced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. CBS got 75, ABC 41, PBS 39 and syndicated programs 17.

Winners will be announced Sept. 22 in ceremonies that will be broadcast nationally by ABC from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Nominated as best drama special were NBC’s “The Burning Bed,” ABC’s “Heartsounds,” NBC’s “Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story,” CBS’ “Do You Remember Love” and NBC’s “Fatal Vision.”

Three Miniseries

Three CBS miniseries were nominated for an Emmy in that category: “Space,” “Robert Kennedy and His Times” and “Ellis Island,” along with PBS’ “The Jewel in the Crown” and the syndicated “A Woman of Substance.”

Don Johnson of “Miami Vice” and Daniel J. Travanti of “Hill Street Blues” received nominations as best actor in a drama series. So did last year’s winner, Tom Selleck of “Magnum, P.I.,” and Ed Flanders and William Daniels of “St. Elsewhere.”

The nominees for best actress in a drama series were Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly of “Cagney & Lacey,” Angela Lansbury of “Murder, She Wrote,” Debbie Allen of “Fame” and Veronica Hamel of “Hill Street Blues.”

Nominated as best informational series were PBS’ “The Heart of the Dragon,” PBS’ “The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth,” ABC’s “The Barbara Walters Specials,” the syndicated “Entertainment Tonight” and the syndicated “At the Movies.”