The 41st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 17, 1989. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The ceremony saw the guest acting categories double, as they were now based on gender as well as genre. Two networks, Lifetime and USA Network, received their first major nominations this year.
After being nominated and losing for the previous four years, Cheers regained the title of Outstanding Comedy Series. L.A. Law also won Outstanding Drama Series after losing the previous year. For the second straight year, L.A. Law received 15 major nominations, making it the first show ever to receive more than 14 major nominations multiple times. With nine main cast acting nominations, L.A. Law tied the record set by Hill Street Blues in 1982.