The 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 13, 1981. The ceremony was broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. It was hosted by Shirley MacLaine and

Edward Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

. For the third consecutive year, the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series went to ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

.'' The top show on the drama side was ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'' which, in its first season, tied the record for most major nominations (14) and wins (6) by a non- miniseries.

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ratings juggernaut ''

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamak ...

'' received eight major nominations, but only won one, for Outstanding Limited Series.

Winners and nominees

Emmys.com list of 1981 Nominees & Winners
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Programs

Acting

Lead performances

Supporting performances

Directing

Writing

Most major nominations

;By network "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. * CBS – 52 * ABC – 40 * NBC – 32 ; By program * ''Hill Street Blues'' (NBC) – 14 * ''Lou Grant'' (CBS) – 10 * ''M*A*S*H'' (CBS) / ''Shōgun'' (NBC) / ''Taxi'' (ABC) – 8 * ''Masada'' (ABC) – 7 * ''Dallas'' (CBS) / ''Playing for Time'' (CBS) – 5

Most major awards

;By network "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. * CBS – 10 * NBC – 8 * ABC – 6 ; By program * ''Hill Street Blues'' (NBC) – 6 * ''Taxi'' (ABC) – 5 * ''Playing for Time'' (CBS) – 4 ;Notes

References

External links

Emmys.com list of 1981 Nominees & Winners
* {{EmmyAwardsbyYear 033 Primetime Emmy Awards Primetime Emmy Awards Primetime Emmy Awards