Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series

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This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.

Chronology of categories

Over the years, the award has been presented under several titles. From 1975 to 1978, an award was give in the two categories, Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing In A Comedy-Variety Or Music Series. In 1979 they were merged.

• 1959-1959 Best Direction Of A Single Program Of A Comedy Series
• 1960-1973 Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Comedy
• 1974-1974 Best Directing In Comedy
• 1975-1978 Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Series
• 1975-1978 Outstanding Directing In A Comedy-Variety Or Music Series
• 1979-1979 Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Or Comedy-Variety Or Music Series
• 1980-1991 Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Series
• 1992-1995 Outstanding Individual Achievement In Directing In A Comedy Series
• 1996-present Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Award winners

1950s

• 1959: Peter Tewksbury – Father Knows Best

1960s

• 1960: Ralph Levy / Bud Yorkin – Jack Benny Hour Specials
• 1961: Sheldon Leonard – The Danny Thomas Show
• 1962: Nat Hiken – Car 54, Where Are You?
• 1963: John Rich – The Dick Van Dyke Show
• 1964: Jerry Paris – The Dick Van Dyke Show
• 1966: William Asher – Bewitched
• 1967: James Frawley – The Monkees
• 1968: Bruce Bilson – Get Smart

1970s

• 1971: Jay Sandrich – The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• 1972: John Rich – All in the Family
• 1973: Jay Sandrich – The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• 1974: Jackie Cooper – M*A*S*H
• 1975: Dave Powers – The Carol Burnett Show, and

Gene Reynolds – M*A*S*H

• 1976: Dave Wilson – NBC's Saturday Night, and Gene Reynolds – M*A*S*H
• 1977: Alan Alda – M*A*S*H, and Dave Powers – The Carol Burnett Show
• 1978: Dave Powers – The Carol Burnett Show, and Paul Bogart – All in the Family
• 1979: Noam Pitlik – Barney Miller

1980s

• 1980: James Burrows – Taxi
• 1981: James Burrows – Taxi
• 1982: Alan Rafkin – One Day At A Time
• 1983: James Burrows – Cheers
• 1984: Bill Persky – Kate & Allie
• 1985: Jay Sandrich – The Cosby Show
• 1986: Jay Sandrich – The Cosby Show
• 1987: Terry Hughes – The Golden Girls
• 1988: Gregory Hoblit – Hooperman
• 1989: Peter Baldwin – The Wonder Years

1990s

• 1990: The Wonder Years: "Goodbye" - Michael Dinner (ABC)
  • Cheers: "The Improbable Dream, Part 1" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • Designing Women: "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?" - Harry Thomason (CBS)
  • The Famous Teddy Z: "Pilot" - Hugh Wilson (CBS)
  • The Golden Girls: "Triple Play" - Terry Hughes (NBC)
  • Murphy Brown: "Brown Like Me" - Barnet Kellman (CBS)

• 1991: Cheers: "Woody Interruptus" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd: "Here's a Little Touch of Harry in the Night" - Jay Tarses (Lifetime)
  • Murphy Brown: "On Another Plane" - Barnet Kellman (CBS)
  • Seinfeld: "The Pony Remark" - Tom Cherones (NBC)
  • The Wonder Years: "The Ties That Bind" - Peter Baldwin (ABC)

• 1992: Murphy Brown: "Birth 101" - Barnet Kellman (CBS)
  • Brooklyn Bridge: "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" - Sam Weisman (CBS)
  • Cheers: "An Old Fashioned Wedding" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • Murphy Brown: "Send in the Clowns" - Lee Shallat-Chemel (CBS)
  • Seinfeld: "The Tape" - David Steinberg (NBC)

• 1993: Dream On: "For Peter's Sake" - Betty Thomas (HBO)
  • Cheers: "One for the Road" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • Dream On: "And Bimbo Was His Name-O" - Eric Laneuville (HBO)
  • Murphy Brown: "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato" - Peter Bonerz (CBS)
  • Seinfeld: "The Contest" - Tom Cherones (NBC)

• 1994: Frasier: "The Good Son" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • The John Larroquette Show: "Pilot" - John Whitesell (NBC)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "Life Behind Larry" - Todd Holland (HBO)
  • Mad About You: "Love Letters" - Tom Moore (NBC)
  • Mad About You: "Paul Is Dead" - Lee Shallat-Chemel (NBC)
  • Seinfeld: "The Mango" - Tom Cherones (NBC)

• 1995: Frasier: "The Matchmaker" - David Lee (NBC)
  • Friends: "The One with the Blackout" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "Hank's Night in the Sun" - Todd Holland (HBO)
  • The Nanny: "Canasta Master" - Lee Shallat-Chemel (CBS)
  • Seinfeld: "The Jimmy" - Andy Ackerman (NBC)

• 1996: Friends: "The One After the Superbowl" - Michael Lembeck (NBC)
  • 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Pilot" - James Burrows (NBC)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "Arthur After Hours" - Todd Holland (HBO)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "I Was a Teenage Lesbian" - Michael Lehmann (HBO)
  • Seinfeld: "The Soup Nazi" - Andy Ackerman (NBC)

• 1997: Frasier: "To Kill a Talking Bird" - David Lee (NBC)
  • Ellen: "The Puppy Episode" - Gil Junger (ABC)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "Everybody Loves Larry" - Todd Holland (HBO)
  • The Larry Sanders Show: "Ellen, or Isn't She" - Alan Myerson (HBO)
  • Seinfeld: "The Pothole" - Andy Ackerman (NBC)

• 1998: The Larry Sanders Show: "Flip" - Todd Holland (HBO)
  • 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Dick and the Other Guy" - Terry Hughes (NBC)
  • Ally McBeal: "Cro-Magnon" - Allan Arkush (FOX)
  • Ally McBeal: "Pilot" - James Frawley (FOX)
  • Dharma & Greg: "Pilot" - James Burrows (ABC)

• 1999: Sports Night: "Pilot" - Thomas Schlamme (ABC)
  • Ally McBeal: "Those Lips, That Hand" - Arlene Sanford (FOX)
  • Everybody Loves Raymond: "Robert's Date" - Will Mackenzie (CBS)
  • Friends: "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" - Michael Lembeck (NBC)
  • Will & Grace: "Pilot" - James Burrows (NBC)

2000s

• 2000: Malcolm in the Middle: "Pilot" - Todd Holland (FOX)
  • Ally McBeal: "Ally McBeal: The Musical" - Bill D'Elia (FOX)
  • Everybody Loves Raymond: "The Christmas Picture" - Will Mackenzie (CBS)
  • Friends: "The One That Could Have Been" - Michael Lembeck (NBC)
  • Sports Night: "Quo Vadimus" - Thomas Schlamme (ABC)
  • Will & Grace: "Homo for the Holidays" - James Burrows (NBC)

• 2001: Malcolm in the Middle: "Bowling" - Todd Holland (FOX)
  • Ed: "Pilot" - James Frawley (NBC)
  • Malcolm in the Middle: "Flashback" - Jeffrey Melman (FOX)
  • Sex and the City: "Easy Come, Easy Go" - Charles McDougall (HBO)
  • Will & Grace: "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" - James Burrows (NBC)

• 2002: Sex and the City: "The Real Me" - Michael Patrick King (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Doll" - Robert B. Weide (HBO)
  • Malcolm in the Middle: "Christmas" - Jeffrey Melman (FOX)
  • Scrubs: "My Old Lady" - Marc Buckland (NBC)
  • Will & Grace: "A Chorus Lie" - James Burrows (NBC)

• 2003: Curb Your Enthusiasm: "Krazee-Eyez Killa" - Robert B. Weide (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Special Section" - Bryan Gordon (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "Mary, Joseph and Larry" - David Steinberg (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Nanny from Hell" - Larry Charles (HBO)
  • Sex and the City: "I Love a Charade" - Michael Engler (HBO)
  • Will & Grace: "24" - James Burrows (NBC)

• 2004: Arrested Development: "Pilot" - Joe Russo, Anthony Russo (FOX)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The 5 Wood" - Bryan Gordon (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Car Pool Lane" - Robert B. Weide (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Survivor" - Larry Charles (HBO)
  • Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux" - Timothy Van Patten (HBO)

• 2005: Desperate Housewives: "Pilot" - Charles McDougall (ABC)
  • Entourage: "Pilot" - David Frankel (HBO)
  • Everybody Loves Raymond: "Finale" - Gary Halvorson (CBS)
  • Monk: "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" - Randall Zisk (USA)
  • Will & Grace: "It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World" - James Burrows (NBC)

• 2006: My Name Is Earl: "Pilot" - Marc Buckland (NBC)
  • The Comeback: "Valerie Does Another Classic Leno" - Michael Patrick King (HBO)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Christ Nail" - Robert B. Weide (HBO)
  • Entourage: "Oh, Mandy" - Daniel Attias (HBO)
  • Entourage: "Sundance Kids" - Julian Farino (HBO)
  • Weeds: "Good Shit Lollipop" - Craig Zisk (Showtime)

• 2007: Ugly Betty: "Pilot" - Richard Shepard (ABC)
  • 30 Rock: "The Break-Up" - Scott Ellis (NBC)
  • Entourage: "One Day in the Valley" - Julian Farino (HBO)
  • Extras: "Orlando Bloom" - Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant (HBO)
  • The Office: "Gay Witch Hunt" - Ken Kwapis (NBC)
  • Scrubs: "My Musical" - Will Mackenzie (NBC)

• 2008: Pushing Daisies: "Pie-lette" - Barry Sonnenfeld (ABC)
  • 30 Rock: "Rosemary's Baby" - Michael Engler (NBC)
  • Entourage: "No Cannes Do" - Daniel Attias (HBO)
  • Flight of the Conchords: "Sally Returns" - James Bobin (HBO)
  • The Office: "Goodbye, Toby" - Paul Feig (NBC)
  • The Office: "Money" - Paul Lieberstein (NBC)

• 2009: The Office: "Stress Relief" - Jeff Blitz (NBC)
  • 30 Rock: "Apollo, Apollo" - Millicent Shelton (NBC)
  • 30 Rock: "Generalissimo" - Todd Holland (NBC)
  • 30 Rock: "Reunion" - Beth McCarthy (NBC)
  • Entourage: "Tree Trippers" - Julian Farino (HBO)
  • Flight of the Conchords: "The Tough Brets" - James Bobin (HBO)