the Classic TV Archive.<\/a><\/p>\nFrom the Feb. 12, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Late Show Starring Joan Rivers (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
\t<\/p>\n
The writing was on the wall for \u201cThe Late Show Starring Joan Rivers\u201d by the time Louie Anderson was tapped to guest host the show. Three weeks after this ad ran, Rivers was fired following months of growing tension with Fox executives.<\/p>\n
Notably, Anderson was represented at the time Ken Kragen, the same mega-manager who repped Rivers.<\/p>\n
From the April 21, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tZ Channel (1986)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Z Channel was a pay TV movie platform that was largely available only to L.A.\u2019s Westside. It would shut down by mid-1989. But it had a big impact on cineastes, and it received a loving tribute in the 2004 documentary \u201cZ Channel: A Magnificant Obsession\u201d by Xan Cassavetes.<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 5, 1986, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Golden Girls (1986)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Thank you for being a friend \u2026 to TV lovers. The collective power of these four incredible stars \u2014 Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty and Betty White \u2014 kept NBC\u2019s \u201cThe Golden Girls\u201d on top for seven seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Jan. 16, 1986, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Golden Girls (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
From \u201cLife With Elizabeth\u201d to \u201cThe Mary Tyler Moore Show\u201d to \u201cHot in Cleveland,\u201d Betty White was an awards magnet for most of her nearly 100 years. Respect.<\/p>\n
From the May 27, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Golden Girls (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Emmy voters were always good to \u201cThe Golden Girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Betty White won the lead comedy actress trophy in 1986, for the show\u2019s first season. Rue McClanahan won in that category the following year, and in 1988 the award went to Bea Arthur.<\/p>\n
Estelle Getty, meanwhile, won for supporting actress in 1987. And the show prevailed as best comedy series with back-to-back wins in 1986 and 1987.<\/p>\n
From the July 16, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tIt\u2019s Garry Shandling\u2019s Show (1986)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
He was such an original. This show-within-a-show was so inventive, it holds up 40 years later. It would take another decade and a half for Showtime to invest big in a slate of original series. This early effort from Garry Shandling set a great, creatively adventurous tone.<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 10, 1986, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tIt\u2019s Garry Shandling\u2019s Show (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Well deserved.<\/p>\n
From the Aug. 11, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\t21 Jump Street (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The fledgling Fox network \u2014 aka Fox Broadcasting Co. \u2014 found traction with this Stephen J. Cannell-produced drama about undercover cops who pose as high school and college students to fight crime. It was the springboard for Johnny Depp\u2019s movie career.<\/p>\n
From the Nov. 13, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tStar Trek: The Next Generation (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Actress Majel Barrett was married to the creator of \u201cStar Trek,\u201d writer-producer Gene Roddenberry. But she had a great sense of humor about herself, as indicated by this ad that bills her has \u201cthe Auntie Mame of the galaxy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barrett played Nurse Chapel, who had a big crush on Mr. Spock, on the original \u201cStar Trek\u201d series. And she was a big part of bringing the franchise back to TV 20 years later as \u201cThe Next Generation\u201d in first-run syndication.<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 11, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tFox Broadcasting Company (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
This ad ran just before Fox carried its first live Emmy Awards telecast. The names on the right-hand page reflect all of that year\u2019s Emmy nominees.<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 18, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Tracey Ullman Show (1988)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Go home! Go home!<\/p>\n
Tracey Ullman famously ended most episodes of her Fox sketch-comedy series by coming out on stage in a bathrobe to address the studio audience, and shoo them out. This plucky Brit remains an international treasure.<\/p>\n
From the May 25, 1988, edition of Variety<\/p>\n
\tGulliver Dark (1987)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Sam McMurray was a regular on Fox\u2019s \u201cThe Tracey Ullman Show.\u201d He had a recurring skit on the comedy-variety show in which he played a lounge-lizard singer named Gulliver Dark. By the looks of this ad, he took that silliness pretty seriously.<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 11, 1987, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tMalcolm-Jamal Warner (1988)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a doer.<\/p>\n
At the time this ad ran in 1988, Warner was five weeks away from turning 18. He was co-starring in the No. 1 TV show in America \u2014 NBC\u2019s \u201cThe Cosby Show.\u201d He was starring in an Off Broadway play, \u201cThree Ways Home,\u201d and he co-starred opposite Louis Gossett Jr. in the NBC TV movie \u201cThe Father Clements Story.\u201d He also wrote an autobiographical book \u201cTheo and Me \u2014 Growing Up O.K.,\u201d a reference to his \u201cCosby Show\u201d character.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rest in power, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. We miss you.<\/p>\n
From the July 8, 1988, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tNight Court (1988)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Marsha Warfield had a hard act to follow on \u201cNight Court.\u201d<\/p>\n
She joined the cast as bailiff Roz in the show\u2019s fourth season, after the death of the inimitable Selma Diamond, the multifaceted actor and writer who played bailiff Selma. But Warfield made the role her own for the next six seasons.<\/p>\n
The daughter of NFL star Paul Warfield, she recently had a recurring role on ABC\u2019s \u201c9-1-1.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the July 8, 1988, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThirtysomething (1988)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Peter Horton has spent most of his time in recent decades behind the camera as a director and producer of such series as ABC\u2019s \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy\u201d and NBC\u2019s \u201cNew Amsterdam.\u201d<\/p>\n
But in the late 1980s, Horton was part of an ensemble series that tapped in to the Baby Boomer zeitgeist as the Reagan era came to a close. \u201cThirtysomething\u201d captured the growing pains of a new adult life stage, thanks to the skill of creators and executive producers Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick.<\/p>\n
From the July 8, 1988, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Comedy Channel (1990)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
A forerunner of Comedy Central, the Comedy Channel bowed on cable in November 1989 from Time Inc., the parent company of HBO at the time.<\/p>\n
Viacom launched the Ha! channel around the same time. By 1991, the fledgling outlets were merged and renamed Comedy Central, which was jointly owned by Viacom and Time Warner until 2003 when Viacom (now Paramount Skydance) acquired the channel outright.<\/p>\n
From the Jan. 17, 1990, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSeinfeld (1991)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Shapiro\/West & Associates was a trademark of quality in comedy. So was \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the April 8, 1991, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSeinfeld (1991)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Elaine would like a word with Emmy voters for her \u201cvery special episode\u201d of \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, the installment touted here for Julia Louis-Dreyfus was \u201cThe Deal,\u201d a memorable misadventure penned by the show\u2019s pair of Larrys \u2014 David and Charles.<\/p>\n
From the May 2, 1991, edition of Daily Variety\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1990)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Classy, as ever. Johnny Carson would have two more anniversary shows to go after this one before he signed off for good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 27, 1990, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Chevy Chase Show (1993)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The benefit of hindsight helps, but it\u2019s still hard to understand why Fox thought Chevy Chase was the right fit in late-night for the network\u2019s younger-skewing audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chevy Chase Show\u201d famously lasted six weeks and was detrimental to Chase\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
From the Aug. 31, 1993, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tBakersfield P.D. (1993)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
This oddball Fox comedy deserved better. Now, its legacy lives on as a Brilliant But Canceled series. Yes, that\u2019s Giancarlo Esposito in a fantastic fish-out-of-water role.<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 21, 1993, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tHomicide: Life on the Street (1993)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Simon, Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana delivered a gritty, no-easy-answers cop show that stands the test of time in \u201cHomicide: Life on the Street.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series was destined to run seven seasons. It had been on NBC for about four months at the time of this ad, which is designed to pitch the show to international buyers.<\/p>\n
But the show was still so new that the distributor got the name wrong as \u201cHomicide: Life on the Streets.\u201d That was probably a mix-up spurred by the title of the Simon\u2019s 1991 nonfiction book on which it was based: \u201cHomicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the April 26, 1993, edition of Variety<\/p>\n
\tHomicide: Life on the Street<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cHomicide: Life on the Street\u201d flexed its muscle in the creative community with writing and directing Emmy wins for executive producers Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, respectively, for its first season.<\/p>\n
Notice that all the people listed for thank-yous are mentioned by first name only.<\/p>\n
From the Oct. 1, 1993, edition of Daily Variety\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tNBC (1994)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot to enjoy here but clearly the eye is immediately drawn to \u2026 what on earth is going on with Jennifer Aniston\u2019s hair?\u00a0<\/p>\n
For NBC, 1994-1995 was indeed a heck of a season.<\/p>\n
From the Aug. 30, 1994, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tDuckman: Private Dick\/Family Man (1994)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cDuckman: Private Dick\/Family Man\u201d would have fit right in on Adult Swim. But that outlet was still six years away at the time this launch ad ran.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a big swing by USA Network to take on an original animated series. Its crass lead character was voiced by Jason Alexander, who was in the midst of his \u201cSeinfeld\u201d run as George Costanza.<\/p>\n
From the Nov. 2, 1994, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tStephen J. Cannell Productions (1994)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
One of the most successful indie producers of his day, Stephen J. Cannell was known to viewers for his end-credits slate that featured a shot of him pounding away on a typewriter and ripping the page out of the roller with dramatic flair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the time this ad ran, Cannell was about seven months away from selling his company to New World Entertainment. New World and Cannell\u2019s library would be scooped up by Fox in 1996. Cannell had huge regrets at having surrendered his library, so he bought most of the shows back from Fox in 1998.<\/p>\n
From the Aug. 30, 1994, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tER and Friends (1995)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Must-See TV era comes in like a lion for NBC.<\/p>\n
From the Jan. 1, 1995, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tBeavis and Butt-Head (1995)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Mike Judge\u2019s animated series about \u201ctwo easily amused teenagers\u201d was a pop culture sensation in the mid-1990s for MTV.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Jan. 2, 1995, edition of Variety<\/p>\n
\tUPN (1994)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
UPN, we hardly knew ye.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The netlet, as Variety dubbed UPN and the WB Network, was a joint venture of Paramount Television and Chris-Craft\/United, which owned TV stations in New York, Los Angeles and other big markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As indicated in this teaser ad, UPN set sail on Jan. 16, 1995, with the premiere of \u201cStar Trek: Voyager.\u201d WB Network had signed on the air five days before with \u201cThe Wayans Brothers\u201d comedy series.<\/p>\n
UPN eventually would be eclipsed by the WB Network in terms of buzz and hits. The netlets were destined to become one in 2006 through the merger that created the CW Network.<\/p>\n
But at the start of the race in 1995, UPN was the one to beat, thanks in no small part to the pull of \u201cStar Trek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 1, 1994, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Drew Carey Show (1997)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Before he took over the post-\u201cLate Show\u201d slot on CBS for 10 years, Craig Ferguson was a second banana on ABC\u2019s \u201cThe Drew Carey Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the June 27, 1997, edition of Daily Variety\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tHome Improvement (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
More power and \u2026 a little respect, please?<\/p>\n
This ad has a pointed message for Emmy voters about the hit ABC domestic comedy that made Tim Allen a star.<\/p>\n
From the June 23, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tBuffy the Vampire Slayer (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer\u201d defied the conventions of TV in every way. Nearly 30 years after its debut, the \u201cBuffy\u201d brand is strong. A new iteration of the show is in the works for Hulu.<\/p>\n
From the June 19, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tDawson\u2019s Creek (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
They were fresh-faced and bound for stardom, all four of them. Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, James Van Der Beek and Michelle Williams made for a potent ensemble.<\/p>\n
Fun fact: The Los Angeles Daily News critic quoted here, Keith Marder, would soon join the PR department of the WB Network.<\/p>\n
From the June 11, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tDawson\u2019s Creek (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
How \u2019bout that WB Network logo? Michigan J. Frog was right at home with \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d (and the Beek). At this time, there was no bigger draw on TV for teenagers and young adults.<\/p>\n
From the June 23, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tEllen (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Raise your hand if you completely forgot that Jeremy Piven was on \u201cEllen,\u201d the ABC sitcom.<\/p>\n
This Emmy ad ran one year after the show made history when the character of Ellen Morgan, played by Ellen DeGeneres, came out as a lesbian in the landmark \u201cThe Puppy Episode.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the June 19, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tLaw & Order (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Yes, Virginia, there was a brief period in the late 1990s when Barry Diller controlled Universal\u2019s television assets, which at the time included the USA Network cabler (but not NBC yet.) The Universal Television production division was rechristened Studios USA Television.<\/p>\n
The deal, and the name, did not stick. No doubt even industry insiders were confused by the studio moniker listed in this ad for \u201cLaw & Order,\u201d which was heading into its ninth season at the time. This Emmy pitch ran the year after \u201cLaw & Order\u201d won the top prize for best drama \u2014 the franchise\u2019s one and only Emmy win for best series to date.<\/p>\n
From the June 23, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tWin Ben Stein\u2019s Money (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Before \u201cThe Man Show,\u201d before \u201cWindy City Heat,\u201d before he gave voice to Corky the dog in \u201cRoad Trip,\u201d Jimmy Kimmel paid his dues as the question reader on the syndicated quiz show \u201cWin Ben Stein\u2019s Money.\u201d Respect.<\/p>\n
From the Feb. 28, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tOz (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
HBO\u2019s \u201cOz\u201d was the ultra-intense prison drama that showrunner Tom Fontana tackled after \u201cHomicide: Life on the Street.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOz\u201d racked up big wins at the 1997 CableAce Awards, including best drama and best actress for Rita Moreno. But it had very little Emmy traction over its six seasons.<\/p>\n
From the June 19, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tGia (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Angelina Jolie\u2019s acting career took off after she starred in this HBO movie opposite Mercedes Ruehl and Faye Dunaway. The story of a fashion model\u2019s rise and fall was co-written by \u201cBright Lights, Big City\u201d author Jay McInerney.<\/p>\n
From the June 11, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tBNN (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
This program was ahead of its time. BNN was a Canadian documentary anthology series that took on topics that resonate today.<\/p>\n
From the April 15, 1999, edition of Variety<\/p>\n
\tSpin City (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Alex P. Keaton, Michael J. Fox\u2019s character on \u201cFamily Ties,\u201d famously aspired to move in to the White House like his idols, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon (much to the chagrin of his aging-hippie parents).<\/p>\n
A decade later, Fox\u2019s character on ABC\u2019s \u201cSpin City\u201d was the realistic version of the path that Keaton might\u2019ve pursued in politics. Fox played a deputy mayor of New York who was always getting his boss in and out of bad PR scrapes.<\/p>\n
At its best, \u201cSpin City\u201d was a showcase for Fox\u2019s copious comedic skills. But Fox had to leave the series in 2000 as Parkinson\u2019s disease took its a toll on his health. Fox won the Emmy for lead comedy actor that year, a bittersweet triumph that underscored for industry insiders the depth of his struggle and his sacrifice. Incredible respect.<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 22, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSpin City (1998)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The very best.<\/p>\n
From the June 11, 1998, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tFelicity (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Welcome to stardom, Keri Russell.<\/p>\n
The WB Network\u2019s \u201cFelicity\u201d was an early TV hit for J.J. Abrams. And yes, we\u2019re still debating the impact of the Haircut of Destiny. Everyone except Russell, who embodied her collegiate character with her impetuous IRL decision to chop off the curly locks that made TV critics swoon.<\/p>\n
This ad ran centerfold-style across two pages.<\/p>\n
From the June 11, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tFreaks and Geeks (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Give the casting director a retroactive bonus.<\/p>\n
Every key member of the large, youthful ensemble of this beloved NBC dramedy is still a boldface name in Hollywood. Some of them \u2014 notably Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco and Busy Philipps \u2014 are also employing people as producers themselves.<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 24, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tFreaks and Geeks (2000)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
They were brutally honest in their Emmy pitch. But there was no participation trophy for these crazy kids.<\/p>\n
From the June 8, 2000, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tFreaks and Geeks (2000)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The fans not only spoke out, they shelled out for an ad urging NBC to reconsider giving \u201cFreaks and Geeks\u201d the ax.<\/p>\n
From the April 27, 2000, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Sopranos (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
TV would never be the same, despite the fairly conventional TV series pitch in this ad that ran six days before \u201cThe Sopranos\u201d premiered on HBO.<\/p>\n
From the Oct. 4, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tThe Sopranos (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The swagger of the whole gang just jumps off the page. What a show.<\/p>\n
From the June 9, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe Sopranos (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
By this time, HBO knew it was stealing the thunder of every other network with the show that elevated the mob drama and the family drama all at once.<\/p>\n
From the Dec. 22, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tJackie\u2019s Back (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The great Jenifer Lewis plus Tim Curry plus Robert Townsend makes for a very funny sendup of the music business and stardom. If you loved \u201cGirls5eva,\u201d you\u2019ve got to hunt down \u201cJackie\u2019s Back.\u201d It\u2019s a Lifetime movie that is nothing like a (stereotypical) Lifetime movie.<\/p>\n
From the June 19, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tJohn Leguizamo\u2019s Freak (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
John Leguizamo held nothing back in this one man show filmed for an HBO special.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the June 11, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSex and the City (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Cheers for Season 2 of one of HBO\u2019s most enduring shows.<\/p>\n
From the June 19, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tNYPD Blue (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
ABC\u2019s \u201cNYPD Blue\u201d had such a large ensemble cast that most actors took out their own Emmy pitch ads, a la this one for James McDaniel, who was a staple of the Steven Bochco-David Milch series.<\/p>\n
From the June 9, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSaturday Night Live (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d by the numbers, as of its 25th anniversary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 23, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSaturday Night Live (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Oooh, Yes!<\/p>\n
Mr. Bill weighs in on \u201cSaturday Night Live\u2019s\u201d 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n
From the Sept. 24, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tSpelling Entertainment (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
This ad ran close to the end of Aaron Spelling\u2019s run as an independent powerhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the April 5, 1999, edition of Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe West Wing (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Viewers for Quality Television got the jump on the Television Academy and every other awards body in showering kudos on NBC\u2019s \u201cThe West Wing\u201d after it had been on the air for two months.<\/p>\n
From the Nov. 17, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe West Wing (1999)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Eight days after the series premiered on NBC, Aaron Sorkin and John Wells gave a shout-out to \u201cThe West Wing\u201d director Thomas Schlamme.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the Oct. 1, 1999, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe West Wing (2000)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cThe West Wing\u201d creator Aaron Sorkin did win an Emmy for writing for the show\u2019s first season, but it wasn\u2019t for the pilot.<\/p>\n
Sorkin earned two writing noms for the show that year, for the pilot and for \u201cIn Excelsis Deo.\u201d He shared the win for the latter episode with scribe Rick Cleveland.<\/p>\n
From the Aug. 7, 2000, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n
\tThe West Wing (2000)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
NBC\u2019s \u201cThe West Wing\u201d earned the Emmy Award for best drama series four years in a row, starting in 2000.<\/p>\n
From the June 16, 2000, edition of Daily Variety<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At first, we called it \u201cradio movies.\u201d Variety has covered every aspect of the television business since the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[49,48,75,164258,164259,9487,126461,54991],"class_list":["post-386702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-freaks-and-geeks","tag-i-love-lucy","tag-star-trek","tag-the-golden-girls","tag-variety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}