Foggy Melson | Viewers for Quality Television Q Awards Ceremony (September 22, 1992) @foggymelson | Uploaded September 2023 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
Viewers for Quality Television (also called "VQT") was an American nonprofit organization (under 501(c)(3)) founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality."[1] The group's goal was to rescue "...critically acclaimed programs from cancellation despite their Nielsen program rating."[2] It was a participatory organization that was open to all interested viewers. The organization was dissolved in late 2000 due to financial problems.
History
The group's founder Dorothy Swanson started VQT to save the television show Cagney and Lacey from cancellation. The VQT presented an award each year called the "Q" Award, based on the votes of its members. Actors were nominated based on the group's judgement of the "quality" of the acting.[2] Other programs supported by the group included St. Elsewhere, Designing Women, Frank's Place, Quantum Leap, Sports Night, and Party of Five.[2]
Aftermath
Swanson dissolved VQT in 2000 after the organization's membership dropped to 1,000 members (down from a peak of 5,000 members), which reduced the funding for the organization. With the low membership and lack of funding, VQT was not able to put on its annual "Q" awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Swanson claims that she disbanded the organization to avoid the danger of "... the organization becom[ing] a shadow of its former self, whether under my direction or somebody else's."
They became the subject of the 2018 documentary United We Fan.[3][4][5]
List of Q Awards winners
Best Quality Drama Series:
1985: Cagney & Lacey
1986: Cagney & Lacey
1987: Cagney & Lacey
1988: Cagney & Lacey
1989: China Beach
1990: China Beach
1991: China Beach
1992: I'll Fly Away
1993: I'll Fly Away
1994: NYPD Blue
1995: Picket Fences
1996: Homicide: Life on the Street
1997: ER
1998: The Practice
1999: The Practice
2000: The West Wing
Best Quality Comedy Series:
1985: The Cosby Show
1986: The Cosby Show
1987: Designing Women
1988: Designing Women
1989: Designing Women
1990: Designing Women
1991: Murphy Brown
1992: Brooklyn Bridge
1993: Brooklyn Bridge
1994: Mad About You
1995: Frasier
1996: Frasier
1997: Frasier
1998: Ally McBeal
1999: Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Everybody Loves Raymond
Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series:
1985: Daniel J. Travanti – Hill Street Blues
1986: William Daniels – St. Elsewhere
1987: William Daniels – St. Elsewhere
1988: Ron Perlman – Beauty and the Beast
1989: Ron Perlman – Beauty and the Beast
1990: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1991: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1992: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1993: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1994: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1995: Andre Braugher – Homicide: Life on the Street
1996: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1997: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1998: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1999: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
2000: Martin Sheen – The West Wing
Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series:
1985: Bill Cosby – The Cosby Show
1986: Bill Cosby – The Cosby Show
1987: Michael J. Fox – Family Ties / Bob Newhart – Newhart
1988: Tim Reid – Frank's Place
1989: Fred Savage – The Wonder Years
1990: Fred Savage – The Wonder Years
1991: Burt Reynolds – Evening Shade
1992: John Goodman – Roseanne
1993: Jerry Seinfeld – Seinfeld
1994: Paul Reiser – Mad About You
1995: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1996: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1997: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1998: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1999: Ray Romano – Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Ray Romano – Everybody Loves Raymond
Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series:
1985: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1986: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1987: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1988: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1989: Dana Delany – China Beach
1990: Dana Delany – China Beach
1991: Dana Delany – China Beach
1992: Regina Taylor – I'll Fly Away
1993: Regina Taylor – I'll Fly Away
1994: Kathy Baker – Picket Fences
1995: Kathy Baker – Picket Fences
1996: Sherry Stringfield – ER
1997: Julianna Margulies – ER
1998: Gillian Anderson – The X-Files
1999: Gillian Anderson – The X-Files
2000: Sela Ward – Once and Again
2001: Allison Janney – The West Wing
Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series:
1985: Shelley Long – Cheers
1986: Shelley Long – Cheers
1987: Betty White – The Golden Girls
1988: Betty White – The Golden Girls
1989: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1990: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1991: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1992: Marion Ross – Brooklyn Bridge
1993: Marion Ross – Brooklyn Bridge
1994: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1995: Brett Butler – Grace Under Fire
1996: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1997: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1998: Calista Flockhart – Ally McBeal
1999: Patricia Heaton – Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Patricia Heaton – Everybody Loves Raymond
Viewers for Quality Television (also called "VQT") was an American nonprofit organization (under 501(c)(3)) founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality."[1] The group's goal was to rescue "...critically acclaimed programs from cancellation despite their Nielsen program rating."[2] It was a participatory organization that was open to all interested viewers. The organization was dissolved in late 2000 due to financial problems.
History
The group's founder Dorothy Swanson started VQT to save the television show Cagney and Lacey from cancellation. The VQT presented an award each year called the "Q" Award, based on the votes of its members. Actors were nominated based on the group's judgement of the "quality" of the acting.[2] Other programs supported by the group included St. Elsewhere, Designing Women, Frank's Place, Quantum Leap, Sports Night, and Party of Five.[2]
Aftermath
Swanson dissolved VQT in 2000 after the organization's membership dropped to 1,000 members (down from a peak of 5,000 members), which reduced the funding for the organization. With the low membership and lack of funding, VQT was not able to put on its annual "Q" awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Swanson claims that she disbanded the organization to avoid the danger of "... the organization becom[ing] a shadow of its former self, whether under my direction or somebody else's."
They became the subject of the 2018 documentary United We Fan.[3][4][5]
List of Q Awards winners
Best Quality Drama Series:
1985: Cagney & Lacey
1986: Cagney & Lacey
1987: Cagney & Lacey
1988: Cagney & Lacey
1989: China Beach
1990: China Beach
1991: China Beach
1992: I'll Fly Away
1993: I'll Fly Away
1994: NYPD Blue
1995: Picket Fences
1996: Homicide: Life on the Street
1997: ER
1998: The Practice
1999: The Practice
2000: The West Wing
Best Quality Comedy Series:
1985: The Cosby Show
1986: The Cosby Show
1987: Designing Women
1988: Designing Women
1989: Designing Women
1990: Designing Women
1991: Murphy Brown
1992: Brooklyn Bridge
1993: Brooklyn Bridge
1994: Mad About You
1995: Frasier
1996: Frasier
1997: Frasier
1998: Ally McBeal
1999: Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Everybody Loves Raymond
Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series:
1985: Daniel J. Travanti – Hill Street Blues
1986: William Daniels – St. Elsewhere
1987: William Daniels – St. Elsewhere
1988: Ron Perlman – Beauty and the Beast
1989: Ron Perlman – Beauty and the Beast
1990: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1991: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1992: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1993: Scott Bakula – Quantum Leap
1994: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1995: Andre Braugher – Homicide: Life on the Street
1996: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1997: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1998: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
1999: Dennis Franz – NYPD Blue
2000: Martin Sheen – The West Wing
Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series:
1985: Bill Cosby – The Cosby Show
1986: Bill Cosby – The Cosby Show
1987: Michael J. Fox – Family Ties / Bob Newhart – Newhart
1988: Tim Reid – Frank's Place
1989: Fred Savage – The Wonder Years
1990: Fred Savage – The Wonder Years
1991: Burt Reynolds – Evening Shade
1992: John Goodman – Roseanne
1993: Jerry Seinfeld – Seinfeld
1994: Paul Reiser – Mad About You
1995: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1996: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1997: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1998: Kelsey Grammer – Frasier
1999: Ray Romano – Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Ray Romano – Everybody Loves Raymond
Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series:
1985: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1986: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1987: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1988: Sharon Gless – Cagney & Lacey
1989: Dana Delany – China Beach
1990: Dana Delany – China Beach
1991: Dana Delany – China Beach
1992: Regina Taylor – I'll Fly Away
1993: Regina Taylor – I'll Fly Away
1994: Kathy Baker – Picket Fences
1995: Kathy Baker – Picket Fences
1996: Sherry Stringfield – ER
1997: Julianna Margulies – ER
1998: Gillian Anderson – The X-Files
1999: Gillian Anderson – The X-Files
2000: Sela Ward – Once and Again
2001: Allison Janney – The West Wing
Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series:
1985: Shelley Long – Cheers
1986: Shelley Long – Cheers
1987: Betty White – The Golden Girls
1988: Betty White – The Golden Girls
1989: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1990: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1991: Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
1992: Marion Ross – Brooklyn Bridge
1993: Marion Ross – Brooklyn Bridge
1994: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1995: Brett Butler – Grace Under Fire
1996: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1997: Helen Hunt – Mad About You
1998: Calista Flockhart – Ally McBeal
1999: Patricia Heaton – Everybody Loves Raymond
2000: Patricia Heaton – Everybody Loves Raymond
