Will an Emmy Put 'Em in the Catbird Seat?

When "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey accepted the Emmy Award for best comedy series last Sunday, she thanked the show's "dozens and dozens" of viewers. Ouch.

And, in fact, the NBC sitcom about the behind-the-scene antics at a late-night variety show averaged 5.4 million viewers in its freshman season -- the kind of number that has "cancellation," or the CW, written all over it. Will winning the Golden Girl lead to a ratings boost for "30 Rock's" sophomore season (which kicks off this Thursday)?

If history is any guide . . . we have no idea.

"The Emmy has helped to save many classic TV shows that never would have survived without an early intervention," says Tom O'Neil, author of "The Emmys" and columnist for Theenvelope.com. But unlike the Oscars -- which almost always gooses the box office numbers -- the Emmy has meant squadoosh for some shows. We present some Emmy winners that went boom -- or bust.

-- John Maynard

EMMY SOAR

"Cheers" (above): Set in the bar where "everybody knows your name," this now-classic sitcom was known by not many people at the end of the first season, in 1983, when it ranked 74th. But after 13 nominations and a win for best comedy series that year, the show climbed to the top of the charts.

"Hill Street Blues": So few people watched this seminal cop show (debut: January 1981) that when then-NBC President Fred Silverman renewed it, convinced it was Emmy gold, creator Steven Bochco sent Silverman a memo saying, " 'Why? We're grateful, but why?' " O'Neil says. "HSB" went on to sweep the Emmys, win best drama four years straight, and substantially grow its audience.

"Cagney & Lacey": CBS yanked the female detective drama in 1983 after its second season, but did an about-face a few months later when Tyne Daly took home the statuette for best actress. The show went on for five more seasons.

"The Practice": The law drama drew a decent 10 million viewers its first full season (1997-98), but Emmy wins in '98 and'99 for best drama series made it a Top 10 show with about 18 million viewers -- and it spun off "Boston Legal."

EMMY SORE

"Arrested Development" (above): The Fox sitcom apparently went over too many viewers' heads (a mere 6.2 million sets of eyeballs its first season), but then won five Emmys in 2004, including best comedy. Woo hoo! No, boo hoo. "A.D." drew a smaller audience for Season 2, and Season 3's numbers plummeted.

"The Office": A crucial Season 4 awaits the Brit-imported buzzy sitcom. After so-so first-season ratings in 2005 and a better second season, it won the 2006 best comedy Emmy. Then, alas, a third-season dip.

"Picket Fences": Back-to-back best drama Emmys in 1993 and 1994, its freshman and sophomore seasons, couldn't save this quirky small-town police drama. Although CBS kept it on the air for two more seasons, ratings withered.

"My World and Welcome to It": Huh? The one-season-and-out sitcom during the 1969-70 season was based on the drawings of James Thurber and combined live action and animation. After two Emmys, NBC dumped it to pick up "The Red Skelton Show."