A Historical Tribute to Betty White's Future 30 Rock Emmy Nod

Just Men!

Recognition: Emmy, Outstanding Host/Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show

Year: 1983

White, of course, is a legendary game show panelist, having served time on What's My Line, Liars Club, and every iteration of Password since the '60s. Few know she was also the first woman to claim the Emmy for game show hosting -- though it's no shock her bawdy man-interrogating show Just Men! lasted one season. Featuring an awkward raked set that White traversed like a mall escalator, the show was no match for the smarmy, pitch-perfect Love Connection, which debuted the same year, featured a similar cross-examination of the sexes, and lasted on TV for a decade.

Nurses

Recognition: N/A

Year: 1991

Nurses was a spin-off of Empty Nest, which itself was a spin-off of The Golden Girls. For one dubious episode, White guest-starred as Rose Nylund, who seemed lost (and not in that rightful Rose Nylund way) among the comically mistimed cast. View with caution.

The Practice

Recognition: Emmy, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Year: 2004

We can't find a suitable clip, but White even won an Emmy for her dramatic work during The Practice's final season. As the gossipy plaintiff Catherine Piper in a case involving a dog excrement-filled handshake, White injected the waning series with brass, defying the usual order of sharpened pinstripes and humorless stares. She would reprise the role for 17 episodes during the last season of (see a theme here?) Boston Legal.

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