‘Moonlighting’ Tops Emmy Race With 16 Nominations

Three of television’s most popular examples of escapist entertainment--”Moonlighting,” “The Cosby Show” and “The Golden Girls”--led the field of nominees today for the 38th annual Emmy Awards.

“Moonlighting,” ABC’s romantic, tongue-in-cheek detective show, collected 16 nominations, including ones for stars Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis and as best dramatic series.

“The Cosby Show” and “The Golden Girls” received 15 each. Both NBC shows were nominated as best comedy series and earned acting nominations for most of their stars. Bill Cosby declined to be listed on the nominating ballot, as he did last year, saying he does not believe in such competition.

The three stars of “The Golden Girls”--Beatrice Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan--were nominated as best actress in a comedy series, along with Phylicia Rashad of “The Cosby Show” and Shelley Long of “Cheers.”

Estelle Getty, who plays Arthur’s mother, received a nomination as best supporting actress, as did Lisa Bonet and Keshia Knight Pulliam, who play two of Rashad’s daughters on “The Cosby Show.” The other nominees in that category were Julia Duffy of “Newhart” and Rhea Perlman of “Cheers.”

Also nominated from “The Cosby Show” was Malcolm Jamal Warner, who plays the son.

National Broadcast

Winners of the Emmy Awards will be announced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in two ceremonies--honoring the craft categories on Sept. 6 and the best programs, performers, writers and directors on Sept. 21. The latter event, to be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, will be broadcast nationally by NBC, with David Letterman as host.

Besides “Moonlighting,” the nominees for best dramatic series were NBC’s “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere” and CBS’ “Cagney & Lacey” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

Nominated for best comedy series with “The Golden Girls” and “The Cosby Show” were CBS’ “Kate & Allie” and NBC’s “Family Ties” and “Cheers.”

Four NBC presentations also were nominated for best miniseries: “Dress Gray,” “Peter the Great,” “The Long Hot Summer” and “On Wings of Eagles.” Also nominated was PBS’ “Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy.”

NBC collected 148 of the 324 nominations, with CBS getting 90, ABC 51, PBS 31 and syndicated programs 4.

The nominations, covering the period of July 1, 1985, through June 30, 1986, also included 14 for “An Early Frost,” an NBC movie that dealt with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It was nominated as best dramatic special along with “Death of a Salesman,” “Love Is Never Silent,” “Amos” and “Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry.”