Emmy Rules Change Helps ‘Simpsons’

Following a barrage of criticism after last year’s show, governors of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences voted Wednesday night to alter the rules for the prime-time Emmy Awards, including allowing “The Simpsons” to compete against live-action shows as best comedy series.

Producers of the hit cartoon show on Fox had been arguing for several years that the series should be allowed to compete against live-action comedies such as “Murphy Brown” and “Cheers,” but instead was restricted to animation categories.

Under the new rules, the academy said, “producers may enter their programs according to their choice of emphasis on content, without regard to whether the program’s medium is live-action or animation.”

The academy made two other changes:

* Guest performers in a comedy or drama series will go back to having their own categories, instead of being lumped in with series stars for best actor and actress honors, as they were last year. That resulted in Christopher Lloyd winning as best actor in a drama series, for a single appearance on “Avonlea,” over such continuing performers as Scott Bakula of “Quantum Leap” and Rob Morrow of “Northern Exposure.”

* Two-hour episodes of a series will be considered in the same categories with other series, instead of in the TV movie categories, as they were last year. That resulted in “I’ll Fly Away” being nominated both as best drama series and best TV movie.