The Primetime Emmy Award for Program of the Year was an annual award presented as part of the Primetime Emmy Awards. It recognized the best single television program of the year. In early Emmy ceremonies, anthology series were more common than traditional sitcoms or dramas; this made Program of the Year the highest honor.O'Neil, Thomas. "1960-61 A Bloodless Coup for Macbeth." The Emmys: The Ultimate, Unofficial Guide to the Battle of TV's Best Shows and Greatest Stars. New York: Perigee, 2000. 80.
Though traditional comedy and drama series were nominated, the majority of nominees and winners were: telefilms, variety specials, and documentaries. The award was last presented in 1973.
Winners and nominations 1950s Year Program Episode Network 1954(7th) Disneyland "Operation Undersea" ABC Light's Diamond Jubilee Variety Special Simulcast Medic "White is the Color" NBC Chrysler Shower of Stars "A Christmas Carol"CBS Westinghouse Studio One "Twelve Angry Men" 1955(8th) Producers' Showcase "Peter Pan" NBC Disneyland "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" ABC Ford Star Jubilee "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" CBS Make Room for Daddy "Peter Pan Meets Rusty Williams" ABC Producers' Showcase "The Sleeping Beauty" NBC The United States Steel Hour "No Time for Sergeants" ABC Wide Wide World "The American West" NBC 1956(9th) Playhouse 90 "Requiem for a Heavyweight"CBS Kraft Television Theatre "A Night to Remember" NBC Omnibus "Leonard Bernstein"CBS See It Now "Secret Life of Danny Kaye" Victor Borge: Comedy in Music Variety Special 1957(10th) Playhouse 90 "The Comedian" CBS The Edsel Show Variety Special CBS General Motors 50th Anniversary Show NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Green Pastures" Playhouse 90 "The Helen Morgan Story" CBS 1958–1959(11th) An Evening with Fred Astaire Variety Special NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame "Little Moon of Alban" NBCPlayhouse 90 "Child of Our Time"CBS "The Old Man"
1960s Year Program Episode Network 1959–1960(12th)Not Awarded 1960–1961(13th) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Macbeth"NBC 1960 Presidential Nominating Conventions News Program NBC An Hour with Danny Kaye Variety Special CBS Astaire TimeNBC NBC Sunday Showcase "The Sacco-Venzetti Story" 1961–1962(14th) Hallmark Hall of Fame "Victoria Regina"NBC Bell & Howell Close Up! "Walk in My Shoes" ABC CBS Reports "Biography of a Bookie Joint"CBS The Judy Garland Show Variety Special Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait Telefilm NBC 1962–1963(15th) The Tunnel Documentary NBC Alcoa Premiere "The Voice of Charlie Pont" ABC The Danny Kaye Show with Lucille Ball Variety Special NBC The Defenders "The Madman" CBS 1963–1964(16th) The Making of the President 1960 Documentary ABC The American Revolution of '63 News Program NBC The Defenders "Blacklist" CBS The Kremlin Documentary NBC Town Meeting of the World News Program CBS 1964–1965(17th)Not Awarded 1965–1966(18th)Limited to dramatic programs. The Ages of Man Telefilm CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "Eagle in a Cage"NBC "Inherit the Wind" Slattery's People "Rally 'Round Your Own Flag, Mister" CBS 1966–1967(19th) Limited to dramatic programs. Death of a Salesman Telefilm CBS ABC Stage 67 "A Christmas Memory" ABC "The Love Song of Barney Kempinski"CBS Playhouse "The Final War of Olly Winter"CBS "The Glass Menagerie" Mark Twain Tonight! Telefilm 1967–1968(20th) Limited to dramatic programs. Hallmark Hall of Fame "Elizabeth the Queen"NBCCBS Playhouse "Dear Friends"CBS "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" NET Playhouse "Uncle Vanya" NET The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde TelefilmABC Xerox Special "Luther" 1968–1969(21st) Limited to dramatic programs. Hallmark Hall of Fame "Teacher, Teacher"NBC CBS Playhouse "The People Next Door" CBS Heidi Telefilm NBC A Midsummer Night's DreamCBS Mission: Impossible "The Execution" NET Playhouse "Talking to a Stranger" NET
1970s Year Program Episode Network 1969–1970(22nd) Limited to dramatic programs. Hallmark Hall of Fame "A Storm in Summer"NBC David Copperfield Telefilm NBC Marcus Welby, M.D. "Hello, Goodbye, Hello" ABC My Sweet Charlie Telefilm NBC 1970–1971(23rd) The Andersonville Trial TelefilmPBSHallmark Hall of Fame "Hamlet"NBC "The Price" Night Gallery "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" Vanished Telefilm 1971–1972(24th) Brian's Song TelefilmABC All in the Family "Sammy's Visit" CBS Elizabeth R "The Lion's Cub" PBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Snow Goose" NBC The Six Wives of Henry VIII "Jane Seymour" CBS 1972–1973(25th) A War of Children Telefilm CBS That Certain Summer TelefilmABC Long Day's Journey into Night The Marcus-Nelson Murders CBS The Red Pony NBC
Total awards by network NBC – 8 CBS – 5 ABC – 3 PBS – 1
Programs with multiple awards 5 awards Hallmark Hall of Fame (2 consecutive; 3 consecutive)
2 awards Playhouse 90 (consecutive)
Programs with multiple nominations 12 nominations Hallmark Hall of Fame (NBC)
5 nominations CBS Playhouse (CBS) Playhouse 90 (CBS)
2 nominations ABC Stage 67 (ABC) The Defenders (CBS) Disneyland (ABC) NET Playhouse (NET) Producers' Showcase (NBC)
Notes
References
External links Emmys.com – list of Nominees & Winners