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The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series is presented to the best directing of a television drama series, usually for a particular episode.[fn 1]
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| First awarded | 1955 |
| Currently held by | Frederick E.O. Toye, Shōgun (2024) |
| Website | emmys |
1950s
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Direction | ||||
| 1955 | Studio One | "Twelve Angry Men"[fn 2] | Franklin J. Schaffner | CBS |
| Four Star Playhouse | "The Answer" | Roy Kellino | CBS | |
| The Loretta Young Show | "The Clara Schumann Story" | Robert Florey | NBC | |
| The United States Steel Hour | "The Interview" | Alex Segal | ABC | |
| Waterfront | "Christmas in San Pedro" | Ted Post | Syndicated | |
| Your Hit Parade | Clark Jones | NBC | ||
| 1956 | Best Director - Film Series | |||
| The Phil Silvers Show | Nat Hiken | CBS | ||
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "The Case of Mr. Pelham" | Alfred Hitchcock | CBS | |
| The Bob Cummings Show | "Return of the Wolf" | Rod Amateau | ||
| Dragnet | Jack Webb | NBC | ||
| Make Room for Daddy | Sheldon Leonard | ABC | ||
| You Are There | "Grant & Lee at Appomattox" | Bernard Girard | CBS | |
| Best Director - Live Series | ||||
| Ford Star Jubilee | "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"[fn 3] | Franklin J. Schaffner | CBS | |
| Climax! | "Portrait in Celluloid" | John Frankenheimer | CBS | |
| Producers' Showcase | "Peter Pan"[fn 4] | Clark Jones | NBC | |
| "Our Town" | Delbert Mann | |||
| The United States Steel Hour | "No Time for Sergeants"[fn 3] | Alex Segal | CBS | |
| 1957 | Best Direction - Half-Hour or Less | |||
| The Danny Thomas Show | "Danny's Comeback" | Sheldon Leonard | ABC | |
| Camera Three | "As I Lay Dying" | Clay Yurdin | CBS | |
| General Electric Theater | "The Road That Led Afar" | Herschel Daugherty | ||
| Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers | "The Traitor" | George Archainbaud | NBC | |
| You Are There | "First Moscow Purge Trial" | William D. Russell | CBS | |
| Best Direction - One Hour or More | ||||
| Playhouse 90 | "Requiem for a Heavyweight"[fn 4] | Ralph Nelson | CBS | |
| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | "October 5, 1956" | Bob Banner | NBC | |
| Kraft Television Theatre | "A Night to Remember"[fn 3] | George Roy Hill | ||
| NBC Opera Theatre | "La Boheme" | Kirk Browning | ||
| Playhouse 90 | "Forbidden Area" | John Frankenheimer | CBS | |
| The 20th Century Fox Hour | "Child of the Regiment" | Lewis Allen | CBS | |
| 1958 | Best Direction - Half-Hour or Less | |||
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "The Glass Eye" | Robert Stevens | CBS | |
| The Danny Thomas Show | Sheldon Leonard | ABC & CBS | ||
| Father Knows Best | Peter Tewksbury | NBC | ||
| The Patrice Munsel Show | Clark Jones | ABC | ||
| Your Hit Parade | Bill Hobin | NBC | ||
| Best Direction - One Hour or More | ||||
| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Bob Banner | NBC | ||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Green Pastures"[fn 3] | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Playhouse 90 | "The Comedian"[fn 4] | John Frankenheimer | CBS | |
| "Helen Morgan"[fn 3] | George Roy Hill | |||
| "The Miracle Worker" | Arthur Penn | |||
| 1959 | Best Direction of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series Less Than One Hour | |||
| Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre | "Eddie" | Jack Smight | NBC | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "Lamb to the Slaughter" | Alfred Hitchcock | CBS | |
| General Electric Theater | "Kid at the Stick" | James Neilson | NBC | |
| "One is a Wanderer" | Herschel Daugherty | |||
| Peter Gunn | "The Kill" | Blake Edwards | ||
| Best Direction of a Single Dramatic Program – One Hour or Longer | ||||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Little Moon of Alban"[fn 5] | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Playhouse 90 | "Child of Our Time"[fn 5] | George Roy Hill | CBS | |
| "A Town Has Turned to Dust" | John Frankenheimer | |||
1960s
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama | ||||
| 1960 | The Moon and Sixpence | Robert Mulligan | NBC | |
| Ford Startime | "The Turn of the Screw" | John Frankenheimer | NBC | |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | "The Untouchables" | Phil Karlson | CBS | |
| 1961 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Macbeth"[fn 6] | George Schaefer | NBC |
| NBC Sunday Showcase | "Sacco-Vanzetti Story"[fn 7] | Sidney Lumet | NBC | |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | "The Man in the Funny Suit" | Ralph Nelson | CBS | |
| 1962 | The Defenders | Franklin J. Schaffner | CBS | |
| Alcoa Premiere | "People Need People" | Alex Segal | ABC | |
| Dr. Kildare | "Shining Image" | Buzz Kulik | NBC | |
| Naked City | Arthur Hiller | ABC | ||
| Westinghouse Presents | "Come Again to Carthage" | Jack Smight | CBS | |
| 1963 | The Defenders | "The Madman"[fn 7] | Stuart Rosenberg | CBS |
| Alcoa Premiere | "The Voice of Charlie Pont"[fn 7] | Robert Ellis Miller | ABC | |
| Ben Casey | "A Cardinal Act of Mercy" | Sydney Pollack | ||
| The DuPont Show of the Week | "Big Deal in Laredo" | Fielder Cook | NBC | |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Invincible Mr. Disraeli" | George Schaefer | ||
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | "Who Do You Kill?" | Tom Gries | CBS |
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | "Something About Lee Wiley" | Sydney Pollack | NBC | |
| The Defenders | "Blacklist"[fn 7] | Stuart Rosenberg | CBS | |
| "Moment of Truth" | Paul Bogart | |||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Patriots" | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Directors | ||||
| 1965 | The Defenders | "The 700 Year-Old Gang" | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Magnificent Yankee" | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| My Name Is Barbra | Dwight Hemion | CBS | ||
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama | ||||
| 1966 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | "The Game" | Sydney Pollack | NBC |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Eagle in a Cage"[fn 8] | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| "Inherit the Wind"[fn 8] | ||||
| I Spy | "A Cup of Kindness" | Sheldon Leonard | ||
| 1967 | Death of a Salesman[fn 9] | Alex Segal | CBS | |
| CBS Playhouse | "The Final War of Olly Winter"[fn 8] | Paul Bogart | CBS | |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Anastasia" | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Mark Twain Tonight! | Paul Bogart | CBS | ||
| 1968 | CBS Playhouse | "Dear Friends"[fn 8] | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| CBS Playhouse | "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"[fn 8] | George Schaefer | CBS | |
| The Crucible | Alex Segal | |||
| Mission: Impossible | "The Killing" | Lee H. Katzin | ||
| 1969 | CBS Playhouse | "The People Next Door"[fn 8] | David Greene | CBS |
| CBS Playhouse | "Secrets" | Paul Bogart | CBS | |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Teacher, Teacher"[fn 9] | Fielder Cook | NBC | |
1970s
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama | ||||
| 1970 | CBS Playhouse | "Shadow Game" | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | "A Storm in Summer"[fn 9] | Buzz Kulik | NBC | |
| NBC World Premiere Movie | My Sweet Charlie[fn 8] | Lamont Johnson | ||
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme | ||||
| 1971 | The Bold Ones: The Senator | "The Day the Lion Died" | Daryl Duke | NBC |
| The Bold Ones: The Senator | "A Single Blow of a Sword" | John Badham | NBC | |
| Hawaii Five-O | "Over Fifty? Steal!" | Bob Sweeney | CBS | |
| 1972 | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | "The Invasion of Kevin Ireland" | Alexander Singer | NBC |
| Columbo | "Short Fuse" | Edward M. Abroms | NBC | |
| The Man and the City | "Hands of Love" | Daniel Petrie | ABC | |
| 1973 | Kung Fu | "An Eye for an Eye" | Jerry Thorpe | ABC |
| Columbo | "The Most Dangerous Match" | Edward M. Abroms | NBC | |
| The Waltons | "The Love Story" | Lee Philips | CBS | |
| Best Directing in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme | ||||
| 1974 | The Blue Knight[fn 10] | "Part III" | Robert Butler | NBC |
| The Waltons | "The Journey" | Harry Harris | CBS | |
| "The Thanksgiving Story" | Philip Leacock | |||
| Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | ||||
| 1975 | Upstairs, Downstairs | "A Sudden Storm" | Bill Bain | PBS |
| Benjamin Franklin[fn 11] | "The Ambassador" | Glenn Jordan | CBS | |
| Kojak | "Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die" | David Friedkin | ||
| "I Want to Report a Dream..." | Telly Savalas | |||
| The Streets of San Francisco | "The Mask of Death" | Harry Falk | ABC | |
| 1976 | Rich Man, Poor Man[fn 10] | "Part I: Chapters 1 & 2" | David Greene | ABC |
| Beacon Hill | "Pilot" | Fielder Cook | CBS | |
| Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill[fn 10] | "Part IV" | James Cellan Jones | PBS | |
| Lincoln | "Crossing Fox River" | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Rich Man, Poor Man[fn 10] | "Part VI: Chapter 8" | Boris Sagal | ABC | |
| Upstairs, Downstairs[fn 11] | "Women Shall Not Weep" | Christopher Hodson | PBS | |
| 1977 | Roots[fn 11] | "Part I" | David Greene | ABC |
| The Adams Chronicles[fn 10] | "John Quincy Adams: President" | Fred Coe | PBS | |
| Roots[fn 11] | "Part II" | John Erman | ABC | |
| "Part III" | Marvin J. Chomsky | |||
| "Part VI" | Gilbert Moses | |||
| 1978 | Holocaust[fn 11] | Marvin J. Chomsky | NBC | |
| The Dain Curse | E. W. Swackhamer | CBS | ||
| I, Claudius[fn 10] | Herbert Wise | PBS | ||
| King[fn 10] | Abby Mann | NBC | ||
| Washington: Behind Closed Doors[fn 10] | Gary Nelson | ABC | ||
| 1979 | The White Shadow | "Pilot" | Jackie Cooper | CBS |
| Lou Grant | "Murder" | Mel Damski | CBS | |
| "Prisoner" | Gene Reynolds | |||
| "Schools" | Burt Brinckerhoff | |||
1980s
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Lou Grant | "Cop" | Roger Young | CBS |
| Lou Grant | "Andrew, Part 2" | Peter Levin | CBS | |
| "Hollywood" | Burt Brinckerhoff | |||
| "Influence" | Gene Reynolds | |||
| Skag | "Pilot" | Frank Perry | NBC | |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | "Hill Street Station" | Robert Butler | NBC |
| American Dream | "Pilot" | Mel Damski | ABC | |
| Hill Street Blues | "Jungle Madness" | Corey Allen | NBC | |
| "Up in Arms" | Georg Stanford Brown | |||
| Lou Grant | "Pack" | Burt Brinckerhoff | CBS | |
| "Strike" | Gene Reynolds | |||
| 1982 | Fame | "To Soar and Never Falter" | Harry Harris | NBC |
| Fame | "Musical Bridge" | Robert Scheerer | NBC | |
| Hill Street Blues | "The Second Oldest Profession" | Robert Butler | ||
| "The World According to Freedom" | Jeff Bleckner | |||
| Lou Grant | "Hometown" | Gene Reynolds | CBS | |
| 1983 | Hill Street Blues | "Life in the Minors" | Jeff Bleckner | NBC |
| Fame | "And the Winner Is..." | Marc Daniels | NBC | |
| "Feelings" | Robert Scheerer | |||
| The Mississippi | "Old Hatred Die Hard" | Leo Penn | CBS | |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" | Corey Allen | NBC |
| Fame | "Sheer Will" | Robert Scheerer | NBC | |
| Hill Street Blues | "Doris in Wonderland" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | ||
| "Midway to What?" | Thomas Carter | |||
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | "Heat" | Karen Arthur | CBS |
| Hill Street Blues | "El Capitan" | Georg Stanford Brown | NBC | |
| "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" | Thomas Carter | |||
| Miami Vice | "Cool Runnin'" | Lee H. Katzin | ||
| "Smuggler's Blues" | Paul Michael Glaser | |||
| 1986 | Cagney & Lacey | "Parting Shots" | Georg Stanford Brown | CBS |
| Amazing Stories | "The Mission" | Steven Spielberg | NBC | |
| Hill Street Blues | "Two Easy Pieces" | Gabrielle Beaumont | ||
| Moonlighting | "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" | Peter Werner | ABC | |
| "My Fair David" | Will Mackenzie | |||
| 1987 | L.A. Law | "Pilot" | Gregory Hoblit | NBC |
| Cagney & Lacey | "Turn, Turn, Turn, Part 2" | Sharron Miller | CBS | |
| L.A. Law | "The Venus Butterfly" | Donald Petrie | NBC | |
| Moonlighting | "Atomic Shakespeare" | Will Mackenzie | ABC | |
| "I Am Curious... Maddie" | Allan Arkush | |||
| 1988 | St. Elsewhere | "Weigh In, Way Out" | Mark Tinker | NBC |
| China Beach | "Pilot" | Rod Holcomb | ABC | |
| L.A. Law | "Beauty and Obese" | Sam Weisman | NBC | |
| "Full Martial Jacket" | Win Phelps | |||
| "Handroll Express" | Kim Friedman | |||
| "The Wizard of Odds | Gregory Hoblit | |||
| 1989 | Tanner '88 | "The Boiler Room" | Robert Altman | HBO |
| L.A. Law | "I'm in the Nude for Love" | Eric Laneuville | NBC | |
| "To Live and Diet in L.A." | John Pasquin | |||
| Midnight Caller | "Conversations with the Assassin" | Thomas Carter | ||
| thirtysomething | "We'll Meet Again" | Scott Winant | ABC |
1990s
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Equal Justice | "Promises to Keep" | Thomas Carter | ABC |
| thirtysomething | "The Go-Between" | Scott Winant | ||
| L.A. Law | "The Last Gasp" | Rick Wallace | NBC | |
| "Noah's Bark" | Win Phelps | |||
| Twin Peaks | "Pilot" | David Lynch | ABC | |
| 1991 | Equal Justice | "In Confidence" | Thomas Carter | ABC |
| China Beach | "You, Babe" | Mimi Leder | ABC | |
| Cop Rock | "Pilot" | Gregory Hoblit | ||
| L.A. Law | "God Rest You Murray Gentleman" | Tom Moore | NBC | |
| 1992 | I'll Fly Away | "All God's Children" | Eric Laneuville | NBC |
| China Beach | "Rewind" | Mimi Leder | ABC | |
| L.A. Law | "Say Goodnight, Gracie" | Rick Wallace | NBC | |
| Northern Exposure | "Seoul Mates" | Jack Bender | CBS | |
| The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | "Heartbreak Hotel" | Nancy Malone | ||
| 1993 | Homicide: Life on the Street | "Gone for Goode" | Barry Levinson | NBC |
| I'll Fly Away | "Until Tomorrow" | Eric Laneuville | NBC | |
| Law & Order | "Conspiracy" | Edwin Sherin | ||
| Sirens | "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" | Robert Butler | ABC | |
| Sisters | "Crash and Born" | Nancy Malone | NBC | |
| The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | "Northern Italy, 1918" | Bille August | ABC | |
| 1994 | NYPD Blue | "Tempest in a C-Cup" | Daniel Sackheim | ABC |
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | "Pilot" | Robert Butler | ABC | |
| NYPD Blue | "Guns 'N Rosaries" | Michael M. Robin | ||
| "Pilot" | Gregory Hoblit | |||
| "True Confessions" | Charles Haid | |||
| 1995 | ER | "Love's Labor Lost" | Mimi Leder | NBC |
| Chicago Hope | "Life Support" | Lou Antonio | CBS | |
| ER | "Pilot" | Rod Holcomb | NBC | |
| My So-Called Life | "Pilot" | Scott Winant | ABC | |
| NYPD Blue | "Innuendo" | Mark Tinker | ||
| 1996 | Chicago Hope | "Leave of Absence" | Jeremy Kagan | CBS |
| ER | "The Healers" | Mimi Leder | NBC | |
| "Hell and High Water" | Christopher Chulack | |||
| Murder One | "Chapter One" | Charles Haid | ABC | |
| NYPD Blue | "Blackboard Jungle" | Mark Tinker | ||
| 1997 | NYPD Blue | "Where's 'Swaldo?" | Mark Tinker | ABC |
| ER | "Fear of Flying" | Christopher Chulack | NBC | |
| "Last Call" | Rod Holcomb | |||
| "Union Station" | Tom Moore | |||
| The X-Files | "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" | James Wong | Fox | |
| 1998 | Brooklyn South | "Pilot" | Mark Tinker | CBS |
| NYPD Blue | "Lost Israel, Part 2" | Paris Barclay | ABC | |
| Chicago Hope | "Brain Salad Surgery" | Bill D'Elia | CBS | |
| ER | "Ambush" | Thomas Schlamme | NBC | |
| The X-Files | "The Post-Modern Prometheus" | Chris Carter | Fox | |
| 1999 | NYPD Blue | "Hearts and Souls" | Paris Barclay | ABC |
| Law & Order | "Empire" | Matthew Penn | NBC | |
| Law & Order/Homicide: Life on the Street | "Sideshow" | Edwin Sherin | ||
| The Sopranos | "The Sopranos" | David Chase | HBO |
2000s
2010s
2020s
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- Nominated for Best Individual Program of the Year
- Nominated for Best Single Program of the Year
- Won Best Single Program of the Year
- Nominated for Most Outstanding Single Program of the Year
- Won Program of the Year
- Nominated for Program of the Year
- Nominated for Outstanding Dramatic Program
- Won Outstanding Dramatic Program
- Nominated for Outstanding Limited Series
- Won Outstanding Limited Series
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