During the ceremony, Letterman saluted Grant Tinker, who had stepped down as chairman of NBC due to its parent company, RCA, having been acquired by General Electric.
The ceremony was also memorable for the presentation of the Governors' Award to Red Skelton, presented by comedy legend Lucille Ball, who in his acceptance speech said he had missed being on TV for the previous 16 years.
The top shows of the night were The Golden Girls which won Outstanding Comedy Series and two other major awards.
The Golden Girls became the first series to gain three nominations in a lead acting category, they would repeat this feat multiple times.
For the second straight year Cagney & Lacey won for Outstanding Drama Series, and led all shows with four major wins.
Michael J. Fox
, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series winner
Betty White
, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series winner
