| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | |
| Awarded For: | Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series |
| Presenter: | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| Country: | United States |
| Year: | 1959 |
| Holder: | Christopher Storer, The Bear (2023) |
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series is presented to the best directing of a television comedy series.
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Direction | ||||
| 1955 | Studio One | "Twelve Angry Men" | Franklin 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 | ||
| Best Director - Film Series | ||||
| 1956 | 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 | |
| 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" | Ralph Nelson | CBS | |
| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | "October 5, 1956" | Bob Banner | NBC | |
| Kraft Television Theatre | "A Night to Remember" | 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" | George Schaefer | NBC | |
| Playhouse 90 | "The Comedian" | John Frankenheimer | CBS | |
| "The Helen Morgan Story" | George Roy Hill | |||
| "The Miracle Worker" | Arthur Penn | |||
| Best Direction of a Single Program of a Comedy Series | ||||
| 1959 | Father Knows Best | "Medal for Margaret" | Peter Tewksbury | CBS |
| The Danny Thomas Show | "Pardon My Accent" | Sheldon Leonard | CBS | |
| The Jack Benny Program | "Gary Cooper" | Seymour Berns | ||
| Mr. Adams and Eve | "The Interview" | Richard Kinon | ||
| The Real McCoys | "Kate's Career" | Hy Averback | ABC | |
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy | ||||
| 1960 | The Jack Benny Program | Ralph Levy and Bud Yorkin | CBS | |
| The Danny Thomas Show | Sheldon Leonard | CBS | ||
| The Red Skelton Show | Seymour Berns | |||
| 1961 | The Danny Thomas Show | Sheldon Leonard | CBS | |
| The Bob Hope Buick Show | Dick McDonough and Jack Shea | NBC | ||
| My Three Sons | Peter Tewksbury | ABC | ||
| 1962 | Car 54, Where Are You? | Nat Hiken | NBC | |
| The Dick Van Dyke Show | John Rich | CBS | ||
| The Garry Moore Show | Dave Geisel | |||
| Henry Fonda and the Family | Bud Yorkin | |||
| The Red Skelton Show | Seymour Berns | |||
| 1963 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | John Rich | CBS | |
| The Beverly Hillbillies | Richard Whorf | CBS | ||
| The Garry Moore Show | Dave Geisel | |||
| The Jack Benny Program | Frederick De Cordova | |||
| The Red Skelton Show | Seymour Berns | |||
| 1964 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Jerry Paris | CBS | |
| The Beverly Hillbillies | Richard Whorf | CBS | ||
| The Farmer's Daughter | Paul Nickell, William D. Russell and Don Taylor | ABC | ||
| McHale's Navy | Sidney Lanfield | |||
| 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 Comedy | ||||
| 1966 | Bewitched | William Asher | ABC | |
| The Dick Van Dyke Show | Jerry Paris | CBS | ||
| Get Smart | "Diplomat's Daughter" | Paul Bogart | NBC | |
| 1967 | The Monkees | "Royal Flush" | James Frawley | NBC |
| Bewitched | William Asher | ABC | ||
| Family Affair | William D. Russell | CBS | ||
| I Spy | "One of Our Bombs Is Missing" | Earl Bellamy | NBC | |
| The Lucy Show | Maury Thompson | CBS | ||
| 1968 | Get Smart | "Maxwell Smart, Private Eye" | Bruce Bilson | NBC |
| That Girl | "That Girl" | Danny Arnold | ABC | |
| The Monkees | "The Devil and Peter Tork" | James Frawley | NBC | |
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music | ||||
| 1969 [1] | The Dean Martin Show | "October 17, 1968" | Greg Garrison | NBC |
| The Bill Cosby Special | Bill Hobin | NBC | ||
| Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | "February 3, 1969" | Gordon Wiles | ||
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety, Comedy or Music | ||||
| 1970 | Kraft Music Hall | "The Sound of Burt Bacharach" | Dwight Hemion | NBC |
| The Second Bill Cosby Special | Seymour Berns | NBC | ||
| Young People's Concerts | "Berlioz Takes a Trip" | Roger Englander | CBS | |
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy | ||||
| 1971 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One of My Favorite Artists" | Jay Sandrich | CBS |
| All in the Family | "Gloria's Pregnancy" | John Rich | CBS | |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Support Your Local Mother" | Alan Rafkin | ||
| 1972 | All in the Family | "Sammy's Visit" | John Rich | CBS |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary" | Jay Sandrich | CBS | |
| "Where There's Smoke, There's Rhoda" | Peter Baldwin | |||
| 1973 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "It's Whether You Win or Lose" | Jay Sandrich | CBS |
| All in the Family | "The Bunkers and the Swingers" | John Rich and Bob LaHendro | CBS | |
| M*A*S*H | "Pilot" | Gene Reynolds | ||
| Best Directing in Comedy | ||||
| 1974 | M*A*S*H | "Carry On, Hawkeye" | Jackie Cooper | CBS |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Lou's First Date" | Jay Sandrich | CBS | |
| M*A*S*H | "Deal Me Out" | Gene Reynolds | ||
| Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | ||||
| 1975 | M*A*S*H | "O.R." | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| M*A*S*H | "Alcoholics Unanimous" | Hy Averback | CBS | |
| "Bulletin Board" | Alan Alda | |||
| 1976 | M*A*S*H | "Welcome to Korea" | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| M*A*S*H | "The Kids" | Alan Alda | CBS | |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Chuckles Bites the Dust" | Joan Darling | ||
| Maude | "The Analyst" | Hal Cooper | ||
| 1977 | M*A*S*H | "Dear Sigmund" | Alan Alda | CBS |
| All in the Family | "The Draft Dodger" | Paul Bogart | CBS | |
| M*A*S*H | "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" | Alan Rafkin | ||
| "The Nurses" | Joan Darling | |||
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | "The Last Show" | Jay Sandrich | ||
| 1978 | All in the Family | "Edith's 50th Birthday" | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| Happy Days | "Richie Almost Dies" | Jerry Paris | ABC | |
| M*A*S*H | "Comrades in Arms" | Alan Alda and Burt Metcalfe | CBS | |
| Maude | "Vivian's Decision" | Hal Cooper | ||
| Soap | "Episode 24" | Jay Sandrich | ABC | |
| Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series | ||||
| 1979 | Barney Miller | "The Harris Incident" | Noam Pitlik | ABC |
| All in the Family | "California, Here We Are, Part 2" | Paul Bogart | CBS | |
| M*A*S*H | "Dear Sis" | Alan Alda | ||
| "Point of View" | Charles S. Dubin | |||
| Soap | "Episode 27" | Jay Sandrich | ABC | |
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Taxi | "Louie and the Nice Girl" | James Burrows | ABC |
| M*A*S*H | "Bottle Fatigue" | Burt Metcalfe | CBS | |
| "Dreams" | Alan Alda | |||
| "Period of Adjustment" | Charles S. Dubin | |||
| "Stars and Stripes" | Harry Morgan | |||
| 1981 | Taxi | "Elaine's Strange Triangle" | James Burrows | ABC |
| Archie Bunker's Place | "Tough Love" | Linda Day | CBS | |
| Barney Miller | "Liquidation" | Noam Pitlik | ABC | |
| Happy Days | "Hello Mrs. Arcola" | Jerry Paris | ||
| M*A*S*H | "The Life You Save" | Alan Alda | CBS | |
| "No Laughing Matter" | Burt Metcalfe | |||
| WKRP in Cincinnati | "Venus Flytrap Explains The Atom" | Rod Daniel | ||
| 1982 | One Day at a Time | "Barbara's Crisis" | Alan Rafkin | CBS |
| M*A*S*H | "Picture This" | Burt Metcalfe | CBS | |
| "Pressure Points" | Charles S. Dubin | |||
| "Sons and Bowlers" | Hy Averback | |||
| "Where There's a Will, There's a War" | Alan Alda | |||
| Taxi | "Jim the Psychic" | James Burrows | ABC | |
| 1983 | Cheers | "Showdown, Part 2" | James Burrows | NBC |
| Buffalo Bill | "Pilot" | Tom Patchett | NBC | |
| "Woody Quits" | Jim Drake | |||
| The Love Boat | "The Dog Show" | Bob Sweeney | ABC | |
| M*A*S*H | "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" | Alan Alda | CBS | |
| "The Joker Is Wild" | Burt Metcalfe | |||
| 1984 | Kate & Allie | "The Very Loud Family" | Bill Persky | CBS |
| AfterMASH | "Fall Out" | Larry Gelbart | CBS | |
| Buffalo Bill | "Jo-Jo's Problem, Part 2" | Ellen Falcon | NBC | |
| Cheers | "Old Flames" | James Burrows | ||
| 1985 | The Cosby Show | "The Younger Woman" | Jay Sandrich | NBC |
| Alice | "Tommy's Lost Weekend" | Marc Daniels | CBS | |
| Cheers | "Cheerio, Cheers" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| Kate & Allie | "Landlady" | Bill Persky | CBS | |
| Moonlighting | "Pilot" | Robert Butler | ABC | |
| 1986 | The Cosby Show | "Denise's Friend" | Jay Sandrich | NBC |
| Cheers | "The Triangle" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| The Golden Girls | "A Little Romance" | Terry Hughes | ||
| "The Heart Attack" | Jim Drake | |||
| Kate & Allie | "Chip's Friend" | Bill Persky | CBS | |
| 1987 | The Golden Girls | "Isn't it Romantic?" | Terry Hughes | NBC |
| Cheers | "Chambers vs. Malone" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| The Cosby Show | "I Know that You Know" | Jay Sandrich | ||
| Designing Women | "The Beauty Contest" | Jack Shea | CBS | |
| Family Ties | "A, My Name is Alex" | Will Mackenzie | NBC | |
| 1988 | Hooperman | "Pilot" | Gregory Hoblit | ABC |
| Cheers | "Backseat Becky, Up Front" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | "Here Comes that Cold Wind off the River" | Jay Tarses | ||
| It's Garry Shandling's Show | "No Baby, No Show" | Alan Rafkin | Showtime | |
| The Golden Girls | "Old Friends" | Terry Hughes | NBC | |
| 1989 | The Wonder Years | "Our Miss White" | Peter Baldwin | ABC |
| Cheers | "The Visiting Leecher" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| The Golden Girls | "Brother, Can You Spare That Jacket?" | Terry Hughes | ||
| Murphy Brown | "Pilot" | Barnet Kellman | CBS | |
| The Wonder Years | "Birthday Boy" | Steve Miner | ABC | |
| "How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation" | Michael Dinner |
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Wonder Years | "Good-bye" | 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| "Paul is Dead" | Lee Shallat-Chemel | |||
| Seinfeld | "The Mango" | Tom Cherones | ||
| 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 |
| The Larry Sanders Show | "Arthur After Hours" | Todd Holland | HBO | |
| "I Was a Teenage Lesbian" | Michael Lehmann | |||
| Seinfeld | "The Soup Nazi" | Andy Ackerman | NBC | |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | "Brains and Eggs" | James Burrows | ||
| 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 | |
| "Ellen, or Isn't She?" | Alan Myerson | |||
| Seinfeld | "The Pothole" | Andy Ackerman | NBC | |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | "Flip" | Todd Holland | HBO |
| Ally McBeal | "Cro-Magnon" | Allan Arkush | Fox | |
| "Pilot" | James Frawley | |||
| Dharma & Greg | "Pilot" | James Burrows | ABC | |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | "Dick and the Other Guy" | Terry Hughes | NBC | |
| 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 |
| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle | "Pilot" | Todd Holland | Fox |
| Ally McBeal | "Ally McBeal: The Musical, Almost" | 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 | ||
| 2003 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | "Krazee-Eyez Killa" | Robert B. Weide | HBO |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | "Mary, Joseph, and Larry" | David Steinberg | HBO | |
| "The Nanny from Hell" | Larry Charles | |||
| "The Special Section" | Bryan Gordon | |||
| Sex and the City | "I Love a Charade" | Michael Engler | ||
| Will & Grace | "24" | James Burrows | NBC | |
| 2004 | Arrested Development | "Pilot" | Anthony and Joe Russo | Fox |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | "The 5 Wood" | Bryan Gordon | HBO | |
| "The Car Pool Lane" | Robert B. Weide | |||
| "The Survivor" | Larry Charles | |||
| Sex and the City | "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux" | Tim Van Patten | ||
| 2005 | Desperate Housewives | "Pilot" | Charles McDougall | ABC |
| Entourage | "Pilot" | David Frankel | HBO | |
| Everybody Loves Raymond | "The 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 | ||
| Entourage | "Oh, Mandy" | Daniel Attias | ||
| "Sundance Kids" | Julian Farino | |||
| Weeds | "Good Shit Lollipop" | Craig Zisk | Showtime | |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | "Pilot" | Richard Shepard | ABC |
| Entourage | "One Day in the Valley" | Julian Farino | HBO | |
| Extras | "Orlando Bloom" | Stephen Merchant | ||
| The Office | "Gay Witch Hunt" | Ken Kwapis | NBC | |
| Scrubs | "My Musical" | Will Mackenzie | ||
| 30 Rock | "The Break-Up" | Scott Ellis | ||
| 2008 | Pushing Daisies | "Pie-lette" | Barry Sonnenfeld | ABC |
| Entourage | "No Cannes Do" | Daniel Attias | HBO | |
| Flight of the Conchords | "Sally Returns" | James Bobin | ||
| The Office | "Goodbye, Toby" | Paul Feig | NBC | |
| "Money" | Paul Lieberstein | |||
| 30 Rock | "Rosemary's Baby" | Michael Engler | ||
| 2009 | The Office | "Stress Relief" | Jeffrey Blitz | NBC |
| Entourage | "Tree Trippers" | Julian Farino | HBO | |
| Flight of the Conchords | "The Tough Brets" | James Bobin | ||
| 30 Rock | "Apollo, Apollo" | Millicent Shelton | NBC | |
| "Generalissimo" | Todd Holland | |||
| "Reunion" | Beth McCarthy-Miller |