Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
by jon-832 | created - 11 Aug 2022 | updated - 11 Aug 2022 | PublicAll winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (since 1951)
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1. Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1950–1952)
60 min | Drama
Dramatic anthology series presenting plays adopted from Pulitzer Prize winning stories, plays, novels, et cetera.
Stars: Elmer Davis, Charles Dingle, Richard Bishop, Joan Chandler
Votes: 50
2. Studio One (1948–1958)
60 min | Drama
A pinnacle of the Golden Age of Television, "Studio One" presented a wide range of memorable dramas and received eighteen Emmy nominations and five wins during its prestigious nine-year run on CBS.
Stars: Betty Furness, Paul Branson, Charlton Heston, Mary Sinclair
Votes: 328
3. Robert Montgomery Presents (1950–1957)
60 min | Drama
Actor, Producer, and Director Robert Montgomery introduced each telecast, sometimes interviewing one of the stars, and sometimes appearing in the play.
Stars: Robert Montgomery, John Newland, Vaughn Taylor, Elizabeth Montgomery
Votes: 136
4. Dragnet (1951–1959)
TV-14 | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners methodically investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Stars: Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Olan Soule, Vic Perrin
Votes: 2,365
5. The United States Steel Hour (1953–1963)
60 min | Comedy, Drama
In this live drama series, over two hundred live plays, covering all aspects of society, were shown.
Stars: Richard Kiley, Betsy Palmer, Edward Andrews, Biff McGuire
Votes: 196
6. Stories of the Century (1954–1955)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
Railroad detective Matt Clark roams the west, tracking down outlaws and bandits who are preying on the railroad.
Stars: Jim Davis, Mary Castle, Kristine Miller, Pat Hogan
Votes: 202
7. Producers' Showcase (1954–1957)
90 min | Drama, Musical, Comedy
This program aired once every fourth week, and was one of the most costly live shows of the 1950s. Many stars appeared on this show.
Stars: Cyril Ritchard, Claire Bloom, Mary Martin, David Wayne
Votes: 186
8. The Magical World of Disney (1954–1997)
TV-G | 120 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A Disney-produced anthology covering many different genres.
Stars: Walt Disney, Paul Frees, Clarence Nash, Slim Pickens
Votes: 2,291
9. Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
Stars: James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis
Votes: 8,748
10. Playhouse 90 (1956–1961)
90 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Of the many anthology series, this is considered the most ambitious with outstanding talent in front of the camera. Attracting top ranked directors and scripts, it was often filmed live including the entire first season.
Stars: Richard Joy, Paul Lambert, Helen Kleeb, Charles Bickford
Votes: 419
11. Goodyear Theatre (1957–1960)
30 min | Drama
Goodyear Theatre is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC.
Stars: David Niven, Robert Ryan, Jane Powell, Peter Leeds
Votes: 69
12. Maverick (1957–1962)
TV-14 | 60 min | Western
Bret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game.
Stars: Jack Kelly, James Garner, Roger Moore, Lane Chandler
Votes: 3,625
13. Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–1978)
Comedy, Drama
Probably the longest-running anthology series on television, the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" has been presenting television dramatizations of famous plays and books, as well as original programs especially written for the series, since 1951.
Stars: Sarah Churchill, Howard Wierum, Frank Daly, Robert Daggett
Votes: 337
14. The Defenders (1961–1965)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama
A father and son lawyer duo take a variety of cases that often deal with the important issues of the day.
Stars: E.G. Marshall, Robert Reed, Polly Rowles, Ossie Davis
Votes: 501
15. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The misadventures of a TV writer both at work and at home.
Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam
Votes: 11,883
16. My Name Is Barbra (1965 TV Special)
60 min | Family, Music
Barbra Streisand's first television special, featuring a medley of her hit songs, such as "People," "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "My Man."
Directors: Dwight Hemion, Joe Layton | Star: Barbra Streisand
Votes: 378
17. New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958–1972)
60 min | Music
A series of televised classical music concerts by the New York Philharmonic. They were telecast on CBS and syndicated in over 40 countries. In 1958, they started under the leadership of ... See full summary »
Stars: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Veronica Tyler
Votes: 65
18. The Fugitive (1963–1967)
TV-PG | 51 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A doctor, wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer.
Stars: David Janssen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, Paul Birch
Votes: 4,690
19. Mission: Impossible (1966–1973)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture.
Stars: Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus
Votes: 11,492
20. NET Playhouse (1964–1972)
90 min | Biography, Drama, History
American television anthology series of wide range of genres, from history and drama, to fantasy, and science fiction. Fiction novels, stories, stage plays, fairytales, and historic events are dramatized in each episode.
Stars: Irene Dailey, Rene Auberjonois, George Voskovec, Richard Dysart
Votes: 52
21. Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama
Dr. Marcus Welby, a general practitioner, and Steven Kiley, Welby's young assistant. The two try to treat people as individuals in an age of specialized medicine and indifferent physicians.
Stars: Robert Young, James Brolin, Elena Verdugo, Pamela Hensley
Votes: 1,793
22. The Bold Ones: The Senator (1970–1971)
60 min | Drama
Hays Stowe is a new senator who comes to Washington DC with his wife Erin and daughter Norma. He arrives full of optimism that being on the side of justice can help him change things for ... See full summary »
Stars: Hal Holbrook, Michael Tolan, Kate Hawley, Sharon Acker
Votes: 96
23. Elizabeth R (1971)
520 min | Biography, Drama, History
When Elizabeth Tudor comes to the throne, her (male) advisers know she has to marry. Doesn't she? Thus starts a decades-long political/matrimonial game, during an age of high passions and high achievement.
Stars: Glenda Jackson, Ronald Hines, Robert Hardy, Stephen Murray
Votes: 1,939
24. The Waltons (1972–1981)
TV-G | 60 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The life and trials of a 1930s and 1940s Virginia mountain family through financial depression and World War II.
Stars: Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Kami Cotler
Votes: 9,055
25. Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama
The lives and fortunes of the Bellamy family and their below-stairs servant staff at 165 Eaton Place play out against the social, political and historical backdrop of Edwardian London from 1903 to 1930.
Stars: Gordon Jackson, David Langton, Jean Marsh, Angela Baddeley
Votes: 3,566
26. Police Story (1973–1980)
120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Detective Cheng is commissioned by Interpol to destroy the "Empire of Chaiba", a worldwide criminal organization based in Southeast Asia, he initiates an undercover operation to infiltrate the organization.
Stars: Scott Brady, Mel Scott, Don Meredith, Joe Santos
Votes: 1,183
27. The Rockford Files (1974–1980)
TV-PG | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.
Stars: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Luis Delgado
Votes: 10,870
28. Lou Grant (1977–1982)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama
The trials of a former television station manager, turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.
Stars: Edward Asner, Robert Walden, Mason Adams, Jack Bannon
Votes: 2,406
29. Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct.
Stars: Daniel J. Travanti, Michael Warren, Bruce Weitz, James Sikking
Votes: 10,563
30. Cagney & Lacey (1981–1988)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two female police detectives cooperate with each other both in their professions and in their personal lives.
Stars: Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Al Waxman, Martin Kove
Votes: 5,050
31. L.A. Law (1986–1994)
TV-PG | 46 min | Drama
The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.
Stars: Corbin Bernsen, Jill Eikenberry, Alan Rachins, Michael Tucker
Votes: 6,463
32. Thirtysomething (1987–1991)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance
Seven tricenarians living in Philadelphia struggle with everyday adult angst.
Stars: Timothy Busfield, Polly Draper, Mel Harris, Peter Horton
Votes: 3,046
33. Northern Exposure (1990–1995)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A city doctor is forced to work in the remote Alaskan town of Cicely, where he encounters peculiar locals, including a former astronaut, as he adjusts to small-town life.
Stars: Rob Morrow, Janine Turner, Barry Corbin, John Cullum
Votes: 21,674
34. Picket Fences (1992–1996)
120 min | Crime, Drama, Family
An aging Sheriff tries to keep the peace in Rome, Wisconsin, a small town plagued by bizarre and violent crimes.
Stars: Kathy Baker, Tom Skerritt, Lauren Holly, Costas Mandylor
Votes: 5,141
35. NYPD Blue (1993–2005)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detectives from NYPD's 15th Precinct investigate homicides within their precinct.
Stars: Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Gordon Clapp, James McDaniel
Votes: 16,335
36. ER (1994–2009)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Romance
The doctors who work in the ER at the County General Hospital in Chicago grapple with ups and downs in their personal and professional lives while trying to give apt medical care to their patients.
Stars: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle
Votes: 67,730
37. Law & Order (1990– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
New York's finest police detectives and prosecutors fight to make the city a safer place. With integrity as the guiding force from investigation to verdict, the teams weigh every perspective in their commitment to finding justice.
Stars: Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Dennis Farina, Sam Waterston
Votes: 44,586
38. The Practice (1997–2004)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
We follow the exploits and cases of defense attorneys of a Boston law firm. Bobby Donnell is the senior defense attorney and founder of the firm.
Stars: Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Steve Harris
Votes: 10,419
39. The West Wing (1999–2006)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama
Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
Stars: Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, John Spencer
Votes: 85,554
40. The Sopranos (1999–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 471,179
41. Lost (2004–2010)
TV-14 | 5,445 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
Stars: Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim, Evangeline Lilly
Votes: 595,122
42. 24 (2001–2010)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Counter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.
Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard, Dennis Haysbert
Votes: 197,019
43. Mad Men (2007–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama
A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 260,506
44. Homeland (2011–2020)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
Stars: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend
Votes: 360,938
45. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
Votes: 2,136,051
46. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
Votes: 2,284,132
47. The Handmaid's Tale (2017– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle
Votes: 257,928
48. Succession (2018–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
Stars: Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman
Votes: 272,868
49. The Crown (2016–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 256,687
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