Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Chronology of category names Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which it has been presented reflects those changes:

1975: Director of the Year – Special 1976: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy 1977: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program 1978–1979: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy 1980–1986: Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special 1987–1992: Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special 1993–1996: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special 1997–1998: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special 1999–2000: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie 2001–2002: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special 2003–2015: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special 2016–2020: Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special 2021–present: Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Winners and nominations

1970s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program 1971(23rd) Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Price" Fielder Cook NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame "Hamlet" Peter Wood NBC Movie of the Week on ABC "Tribes" Joseph Sargent ABC World Premiere NBC Saturday Night Movie "A Clear and Present Danger" James Goldstone NBC 1972(24th) The New CBS Friday Night Movies "The Glass House" Tom Gries CBS CBS Playhouse 90 "Look Homeward, Angel" Paul BogartCBSThe Homecoming: A Christmas Story Fielder Cook Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Snow Goose" Patrick Garland NBC Movie of the Week on ABC "Brian's Song" Buzz Kulik ABC 1973(25th) The CBS Thursday Night Movie "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" Joseph Sargent CBS The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies "A War of Children" George Schaefer CBS Wednesday Movie of the Week on ABC "That Certain Summer" Lamont Johnson ABC Best Directing in Drama (A Single Program - Comedy or Drama) 1974(26th) The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman John Korty CBS ABC Theater "Pueblo" Anthony Page ABC CBS Playhouse 90 "The Migrants" Tom Gries CBSNBC Wednesday Night at the Movies "A Case of Rape" Boris SagalNBC "The Execution of Private Slovik" Lamont Johnson Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy 1975(27th) ABC Theater "Love Among the Ruins" George Cukor ABC ABC Movie Special "QB VII" Tom GriesABC ABC Theater "The Missiles of October" Anthony Page NBC World Premiere Movie "The Law" John Badham NBC Queen of the Stardust Ballroom Sam O'Steen CBS Outstanding Directing in a Special Program 1976(28th) ABC Theater "Eleanor and Franklin" Daniel Petrie ABC ABC Theater "A Moon for the Misbegotten" José Quintero and Gordon Rigsby ABC Babe Buzz Kulik CBS Fear on Trial Lamont Johnson Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy 1977(29th) ABC Theater "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years" Daniel Petrie ABCThe Big Event "Raid on Entebbe" Irvin KershnerNBC "Tail Gunner Joe" Jud Taylor Helter Skelter Tom Gries CBS NBC World Premiere Movie "Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys" Fielder Cook NBC 1978(30th) The Defection of Simas Kudirka David Lowell Rich CBS Bell System Family Theatre "Our Town" George Schaefer NBC Breaking Up Delbert MannABC The Gathering Randal Kleiser Something for Joey Lou Antonio CBS Great Performances "Verna: USO Girl" Ronald F. Maxwell PBS Outstanding Directing in a Limited Seriea or Special 1979(31st) Friendly Fire David Greene ABC Les Misérables Glenn JordanCBS Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story Lou Antonio

1980s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special 1980(32nd) Attica Marvin J. Chomsky ABC Amber Waves Joseph Sargent ABC Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones William Graham CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "All Quiet on the Western Front" Delbert Mann ABC Moviola "The Scarlett O'Hara War" John Erman NBC 1981(33rd) Kent State James Goldstone NBC Bitter Harvest Roger Young NBC Masada "Part 4" Boris Sagal (posthumously)ABC The Shadow Box Paul Newman Shōgun "Part 5" Jerry London NBC 1982(34th) Inside the Third Reich Marvin J. Chomsky ABC Brideshead Revisited "Et in Arcadia Ego" Michael Lindsay-Hogg and Charles Sturridge PBS Mae West Lee Philips ABC Skokie Herbert Wise CBS 1983(35th) Who Will Love My Children? John Erman ABC Smiley's People "Part 6" Simon Langton Syndicated Special Bulletin Edward Zwick NBC The Thorn Birds "Part 2" Daryl DukeABC The Winds of War "Into the Maelstrom" Dan Curtis 1984(36th) American Playhouse "Concealed Enemies" Jeff Bleckner PBS ABC Theater "The Day After" Nicholas MeyerABC "Something About Amelia" Randa Haines "A Streetcar Named Desire" John Erman Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter Lamont Johnson 1985(37th) Wallenberg: A Hero's Story Lamont Johnson NBC ABC Theater "Consenting Adult" Gilbert Cates ABC The Burning Bed Robert Greenwald NBC Do You Remember Love Jeff Bleckner CBS Fatal Vision David Greene NBC The Jewel in the Crown "Crossing the River" Christopher Morahan and Jim O'Brien PBS Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special 1986(38th) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Love Is Never Silent" Joseph Sargent NBC ABC Theater "The Execution of Raymond Graham" Daniel Petrie ABC Death of a Salesman Volker Schlöndorff CBS An Early Frost John Erman NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame "Resting Place" John Korty CBS 1987(39th) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Promise" Glenn Jordan CBS Escape from Sobibor Jack Gold CBS LBJ: The Early Years Peter WernerNBC Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder "Part 1" Paul Bogart Unnatural Causes Lamont Johnson 1988(40th) Lincoln Lamont Johnson NBC The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank John Erman CBS Billionaire Boys Club Marvin J. Chomsky NBC Echoes in the Darkness Glenn Jordan CBS The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story Paul Wendkos NBC 1989(41st) Lonesome Dove "Part 1" & "Part 4" Simon Wincer CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "My Name Is Bill W." Daniel Petrie ABC I Know My First Name is Steven Larry ElikannNBC Roe vs. Wade Gregory Hoblit War and Remembrance "Part 6" & "Part 7" Dan Curtis ABC

1990s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special 1990(42nd) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Caroline?" Joseph Sargent CBS AT&T Presents "The Final Days" Richard Pearce ABC Do You Know the Muffin Man? Gilbert Cates CBS The Kennedys of Massachusetts Lamont Johnson ABC A Killing in a Small Town Stephen Gyllenhaal CBS 1991(43rd) The Josephine Baker Story Brian Gibson HBO Absolute Strangers Gilbert Cates CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "Decoration Day" Robert Markowitz NBC "Sarah, Plain and Tall" Glenn Jordan CBS Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special 1992(44th) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Miss Rose White" Joseph Sargent NBC Broadway Bound Paul BogartABC Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 Lamont Johnson Homefront "Pilot" Ron Lagomarsino I'll Fly Away "Pilot" Joshua Brand NBC Mark Twain and Me Daniel Petrie Disney 1993(45th) Sinatra James Steven Sadwith CBS Barbarians at the Gate Glenn JordanHBO Citizen Cohn Frank Pierson The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom Michael Ritchie A Town Torn Apart Daniel Petrie NBC 1994(46th) Against the Wall John Frankenheimer HBO And the Band Played On Roger Spottiswoode HBO Gypsy Emile ArdolinoCBS My Breast Betty Thomas Hallmark Hall of Fame "To Dance with the White Dog" Glenn Jordan 1995(47th) The Burning Season John Frankenheimer HBO Citizen X Chris Gerolmo HBO Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Piano Lesson" Lloyd Richards CBS Indictment: The McMartin Trial Mick Jackson HBO Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story Jeff Bleckner NBC Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special 1996(48th) Andersonville John Frankenheimer TNT Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story Peter Werner Lifetime Gulliver's Travels Charles Sturridge NBC The Heidi Chronicles Paul Bogart TNT The Late Shift Betty Thomas HBO 1997(49th) The Odyssey Andrei Konchalovsky NBC Bastard out of Carolina Anjelica Huston Showtime Crime of the Century Mark RydellHBO Gotti Robert Harmon In the Gloaming Christopher Reeve Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie 1998(50th) George Wallace John Frankenheimer TNT 12 Angry Men William Friedkin Showtime Don King: Only in America John HerzfeldHBO From the Earth to the Moon "Can We Do This?" Tom Hanks Merlin Steve Barron NBC 1999(51st) The Temptations Allan Arkush NBC The Baby Dance Jane Anderson Showtime Dash and Lilly Kathy Bates A&E Joan of Arc Christian Duguay CBS A Lesson Before Dying Joseph Sargent HBO

2000s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special 2000(52nd) The Corner Charles S. Dutton HBO Annie Rob Marshall ABC Fail Safe Stephen Frears and Martin Pasetta CBS Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Martha CoolidgeHBO RKO 281 Benjamin Ross 2001(53rd) Wit Mike Nichols HBO 61* Billy Crystal HBO Anne Frank: The Whole Story Robert Dornhelm ABC Conspiracy Frank Pierson HBO Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Robert Allan Ackerman ABC Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special 2002(54th) Band of Brothers David Frankel, Tom Hanks, David Leland, Richard Loncraine, David Nutter, Phil Alden Robinson, Mikael Salomon, and Tony To HBO The Gathering Storm Richard Loncraine HBO James Dean Mark Rydell TNT The Laramie Project Moisés KaufmanHBO Path to War John Frankenheimer 2003(55th) Door to Door Steven Schachter TNT Live from Baghdad Mick JacksonHBO My House in Umbria Richard Loncraine The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone Robert Allan AckermanShowtime Soldier's Girl Frank Pierson 2004(56th) Angels in America Mike Nichols HBO Ike: Countdown to D-Day Robert Harmon A&E The Lion in Winter Andrei Konchalovsky Showtime Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Tom Hooper PBS Something the Lord Made Joseph Sargent HBO 2005(57th) The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Stephen Hopkins HBO Empire Falls Fred SchepisiHBO Lackawanna Blues George C. Wolfe Warm Springs Joseph Sargent 2006(58th) Elizabeth I Tom Hooper HBO Bleak House Justin Chadwick PBS Flight 93 Peter Markle A&E The Girl in the Café David Yates HBO High School Musical Kenny Ortega Disney Mrs. Harris Phyllis Nagy HBO 2007(59th) Prime Suspect: The Final Act Philip Martin PBS Broken Trail Walter Hill AMC Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Yves Simoneau HBO Jane Eyre Susanna White PBS Tsunami: The Aftermath Bharat Nalluri HBO 2008(60th) Recount Jay Roach HBO Bernard and Doris Bob Balaban HBO The Company Mikael Salomon TNT Extras "The Extra Special Series Finale" Ricky Gervais and Stephen MerchantHBO John Adams Tom Hooper 2009(61st) Little Dorrit "Part 1" Dearbhla Walsh PBS Generation Kill "Bomb in the Garden" Susanna WhiteHBO Grey Gardens Michael Sucsy Into the Storm Thaddeus O'Sullivan Taking Chance Ross Katz Wallander: One Step Behind Philip Martin PBS

2010s