History waits in wings at tonight's Emmy Awards show Cable's new role, cheers for 'Cheers' enliven telecast

Will "Cheers" surpass "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as the most celebrated TV series?

2 * Robert Morse,"Tru (American Playhouse)," PBS

Guest actress,comedy series:

* Shelley Long,"Cheers," NBC

* Gwen Verdon,"Dream On," HBO

* Ruby Dee, "Evening Shade," CBS

* Carol Burnett,"The Larry Sanders Show," HBO

1% * Tracey Ullman,"Love & War," CBS

Lead actress,comedy series:

* Marion Ross,"Brooklyn Bridge," CBS

* Kirstie Alley,"Cheers," NBC

* Helen Hunt,"Mad About You," NBC

* Candice Bergen,"Murphy Brown," CBS

1% * Roseanne Arnold,"Roseanne," ABC

Guest actress,drama series:

* Diane Ladd,"Dr. Quinn:Medicine Woman," Pilot,CBS

* Gwen Verdon,"Homicide -- Life on the Streets:A Ghost of a Chance," NBC

* Rosanna Carter,"I'll Fly Away:What's In a Name," NBC

* Elaine Stritch,"Law & Order:Point of View," NBC

* Bibi Besch,"Northern Exposure:Grosse Pointe 48230," CBS

Lead actress,drama series:

* Regina Taylor,"I'll Fly Away," NBC

* Angela Lansbury,"Murder,She Wrote," CBS

* Janine Turner,"Northern Exposure," CBS

* Kathy Baker,"Picket Fences," CBS

.` * Swoosie Kurtz,"Sisters," NBC

Lead actress,miniseries or special:

* Joanne Woodward,"Blind Spot," CBS

* Holly Hunter,"The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," HBO

* Helen Mirren,"Mystery!: Prime Suspect 2," PBS

* Glenn Close,"Hallmark Hall of Fame:Skylark," CBS

* Maggie Smith,"Great Performances:Suddenly Last Summer," PBS

Supporting actor,comedy series:

* Michael Jeter,"Evening Shade," CBS

* Jeffrey Tambor,"The Larry Sanders Show," HBO

* Rip Torn, "The Larry Sanders Show," HBO

* Michael Richards,"Seinfeld," NBC

1% * Jason Alexander,"Seinfeld," NBC

Supporting actor,drama series:

* Chad Lowe,"Life Goes On," ABC

* John Cullum,"Northern Exposure," CBS

* Barry Corbin,"Northern Exposure," CBS

* Fyvush Finkel,"Picket Fences," CBS

4( * Dean Stockwell,"Quantum Leap," NBC

Supporting actor,miniseries or special:

* Jonathan Pryce,"Barbarians at the Gate," HBO

* Peter Riegert,"Barbarians at the Gate," HBO

* Brian Dennehy,"Murder in the Heartland," ABC

* Beau Bridges,"The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged ,, Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," HBO

* Maximilian Schell,"Stalin," HBO

Supporting actress,comedy series:

* Rhea Perlman,"Cheers," NBC

* Shelley Fabares,"Coach," ABC

* Laurie Metcalf,"Roseanne," ABC

* Sara Gilbert,"Roseanne," ABC

5) * Julia Louis-Dreyfus,"Seinfeld," NBC

Supporting actress,drama series:

* Mary Alice,"I'll Fly Away," NBC

* Kellie Martin,"Life Goes On," ABC

* Cynthia Geary,"Northern Exposure," CBS

* Peg Phillips,"Northern Exposure," CBS

3' * Kay Lenz,"Reasonable Doubts," NBC

Supporting actress,miniseries or special:

* Ann-Margret,"Alex Haley's Queen," CBS

* Lee Grant,"Citizen Cohn," HBO

* Joan Plowright,"Stalin," HBO

* Mary Tyler Moore,"Stolen Babies," Lifetime

* Peggy McCay,"Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembeneck Story," NBC

Individual performance,variety or music program:

* Billy Crystal,"The 65th Annual Academy Awards," ABC

* Liza Minnelli,"Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall," PBS

* Dana Carvey,"Saturday Night Live: Saturday Night Live's Presidential Bash," NBC

* Lily Tomlin,"The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," Showtime

* Cirque du Soleil Performance,"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno:153," NBC

Comedy series:

* "Cheers," NBC

* "Home Improvement," ABC

* "Seinfeld," NBC

* "The Larry Sanders Show," HBO

% * "Murphy Brown," CBS

Drama series:

* "Homefront," ABC

* "I'll Fly Away," NBC

* "Law & Order," NBC

* "Northern Exposure," CBS

& * "Picket Fences," CBS

Miniseries:

* "Alex Haley's Queen," CBS

* "Family Pictures," ABC

* "The Jacksons:An American Dream," ABC

* "Mystery!: Prime Suspect 2," PBS

* "Sinatra," CBS

Made for television movie:

* "Barbarians at the Gate," HBO

* "Citizen Cohn," HBO

* "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," HBO

* "Stalin," HBO

/# * "American Playhouse:Tru," PBS

Variety,music or comedy series:

* "Late Night With David Letterman," NBC

* "MTV Unplugged," MTV

* "Saturday Night Live," NBC

7+ * "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC

Variety,music or comedy special:

* "The 65th Annual Academy Awards," ABC

* "Bob Hope:The First 90 Years," NBC

* "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," Showtime

* "Sondheim:A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (Great Performances)," PBS

-! * "The 1992 Tony Awards," CBS

Classical program in the performing arts:

* "Great Performances:Dance in America:The Hard Nut," PBS

* "Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra," Disney

* "Kathleen Battle at the Metropolitan Museum," PBS

* "The King and I: Recording a Hollywood Dream," PBS

H

* "Tosca in the Settings and at the Times of Tosca," PBS

Children's program:

* "Avonlea," Disney

* "Beethoven Lives Upstairs," HBO

* "A 3-2-1 Contact Extra:Brainstorm:The Truth About Your Brain on Drugs," PBS

* "Great Performances:Dance in America:American Indian Dance Theatre 'Dances for the New Generations,'" PBS

1% * "Peter,Paul and Mommy,Too," PBS

Informational special:

* "The Barbara Walters Special with Kathie Lee & Frank Gifford,Al Pacino,Jerry Seinfeld and Clint Eastwood," ABC