# Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

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

## Winners and nominations
### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 1971 (23rd) |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Adaptation ||||
| 1971 (23rd) | Hollywood Television Theater | "The Andersonville Trial" | Saul Levitt | PBS |
| 1971 (23rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Hamlet" | John Barton | NBC |
| 1971 (23rd) | World Premiere NBC Monday & Tuesday Night Movie | "Vanished" | Dean Riesner | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Original ||||
| 1971 (23rd) | Movie of the Week on ABC | "Tribes" | Marvin Schwarz and Tracy Keenan Wynn | ABC |
| 1971 (23rd) | CBS Thursday Night Movie | "The Brotherhood of the Bell" | David Karp | CBS |
| 1971 (23rd) | World Premiere Movie | "San Francisco International Airport" | Allan Balter and William Read Woodfield | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Adaptation ||||
| 1972 (24th) | Movie of the Week | "Brian's Song" | William Blinn | ABC |
| 1972 (24th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Snow Goose" | Paul W. Gallico | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | The Homecoming: A Christmas Story | The Homecoming: A Christmas Story | Earl Hamner Jr. | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | The New CBS Friday Night Movies | "The Glass House" | Tracy Keenan Wynn | CBS |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Original ||||
| 1972 (24th) | To All My Friends on Shore | To All My Friends on Shore | Allan Sloane | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | Movie of the Weekend | "Thief" | John D. F. Black | ABC |
| 1972 (24th) | The New CBS Friday Night Movies | "Goodbye, Raggedy Ann" | Jack Sher | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Adaptation ||||
| 1973 (25th) | The House Without a Christmas Tree | The House Without a Christmas Tree | Eleanor Perry | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | Bell System Family Theatre | "The Red Pony" | Ron Bishop and Robert Totten | NBC |
| 1973 (25th) | Wednesday Movie of the Week | "Go Ask Alice" | Ellen M. Violett | ABC |
| Outstanding Writing in Drama — Original ||||
| 1973 (25th) | CBS Thursday Night Movie | "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" | Abby Mann | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies | "Hawkins on Murder" | David Karp | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | Wednesday Movie of the Week | "That Certain Summer" | Richard Levinson and William Link | ABC |
| 1974 (26th) |
| Best Writing in Drama — Adaptation ||||
| 1974 (26th) | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Tracy Keenan Wynn | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | Hollywood Television Theatre | "Steambath" | Bruce Jay Friedman | PBS |
| 1974 (26th) | NBC Wednesday Night Movie | "The Execution of Private Slovik" | Richard Levinson and William Link | NBC |
| Best Writing in Drama — Original ||||
| 1974 (26th) | GE Theater | "Tell Me Where It Hurts" | Fay Kanin | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | CBS Playhouse 90 | "The Migrants" | Lanford Wilson | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies | "Cry Rape!" | Will Lorin | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) |
| Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) ||||
| 1975 (27th) | IBM Presents Clarence Darrow | IBM Presents Clarence Darrow | David W. Rintels | NBC |
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Movie Special | "QB VII" | Edward Anhalt | ABC |
| Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Original) ||||
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Theater | "Love Among the Ruins" | James Costigan | ABC |
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Theater | "The Missiles of October" | Stanley R. Greenberg | ABC |
| 1975 (27th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "The Law" | Joel Oliansky and William Sackheim | NBC |
| 1975 (27th) | Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | Jerome Kass | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Special World Premiere ABC Saturday Night Movie | "Hustling" | Fay Kanin | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) |
| 1976 (28th) | Fear on Trial | Fear on Trial | David W. Rintels | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | The Entertainer | The Entertainer | Jeanne Houston, James D. Houston, and John Korty | NBC |
| 1976 (28th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "Farewell to Manzanar" | Barry Beckerman | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Original) ||||
| 1976 (28th) | ABC Theater | "Eleanor and Franklin" | James Costigan | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | The ABC Friday Night Movie | "The Night That Panicked America" | Nicholas Meyer and Anthony Wilson | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | ABC Theater | "I Will Fight No More Forever" | Jeb Rosebrook and Theodore Strauss | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Babe | Babe | Joanna Lee | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case" | JP Miller | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) |
| 1977 (29th) | Sybil | Sybil | Stewart Stern | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | Bell System Presents | "The Man in the Iron Mask" | William Bast | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | A Circle of Children | A Circle of Children | Steve Gethers | CBS |
| 1977 (29th) | Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking | Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking | Carol Sobieski | PBS |
| 1977 (29th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys" | John McGreevey | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Original) ||||
| 1977 (29th) | The Big Event | "Tail Gunner Joe" | Lane Slate | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | The ABC Friday Night Movie | "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" | Douglas Day Stewart and Joe Morgenstern | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | ABC Theater | "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years" | James Costigan | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | The Big Event | "Raid on Entebbe" | Barry Beckerman | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | Victory at Entebbe | Victory at Entebbe | Ernest Kinoy | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) | Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Adaptation) |
| 1978 (30th) | Mary White | Mary White | Caryl Ledner | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Great Performances | "Verna: USO Girl" | Albert Innaurato | PBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Hollywood Television Theatre | "Actor" | Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee | PBS |
| 1978 (30th) | A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story | A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story | Blanche Hanalis | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | The War Between the Tates | The War Between the Tates | Barbara Turner | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy (Original) ||||
| 1978 (30th) | The Last Tenant | The Last Tenant | George Rubino | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Breaking Up | Breaking Up | Loring Mandel | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | The Defection of Simas Kudirka | The Defection of Simas Kudirka | Bruce Feldman | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | The Gathering | The Gathering | James Poe | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Something for Joey | Something for Joey | Jerry McNeely | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | The Storyteller | The Storyteller | Richard Levinson and William Link | CBS |
| Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or Special |||||
| 1979 (31st) |
| 1979 (31st) | The Jericho Mile | The Jericho Mile | Michael Mann and Patrick J. Nolan | ABC |
| 1979 (31st) | Backstairs at the White House | "Book One" | Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov | NBC |
| 1979 (31st) | Friendly Fire | Friendly Fire | Fay Kanin | ABC |
| 1979 (31st) | Roots: The Next Generations | "Chapter 1 – 1880s" | Ernest Kinoy | ABC |
| 1979 (31st) | Summer of My German Soldier | Summer of My German Soldier | Jane-Howard Hammerstein | NBC |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or Special |||||
| 1980 (32nd) |
| 1980 (32nd) | Off the Minnesota Strip | Off the Minnesota Strip | David Chase | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Amber Waves | Amber Waves | Ken Trevey | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Attica | Attica | James S. Henerson | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Gideon's Trumpet" | David W. Rintels | CBS |
| 1980 (32nd) | Moviola | "This Year's Blonde" | James Lee | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) |
| 1981 (33rd) | Playing for Time | Playing for Time | Arthur Miller | CBS |
| 1981 (33rd) | Bitter Harvest | Bitter Harvest | Richard Friedenberg | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Masada | "Part 4" | Joel Oliansky | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) | The Shadow Box | The Shadow Box | Michael Cristofer | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Shōgun | "Part 5" | Eric Bercovici | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) |
| 1982 (34th) | Bill | Bill | Corey Blechman and Barry Morrow | CBS |
| 1982 (34th) | Brideshead Revisited | "Et in Arcadia Ego" | John Mortimer | PBS |
| 1982 (34th) | Oppenheimer | "Part 5" | Peter Prince | PBS |
| 1982 (34th) | Sidney Shorr: A Girl's Best Friend | Sidney Shorr: A Girl's Best Friend | Oliver Hailey | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) | Skokie | Skokie | Ernest Kinoy | CBS |
| 1983 (35th) |
| 1983 (35th) | Special Bulletin | Special Bulletin | Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | The Executioner's Song | The Executioner's Song | Norman Mailer | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | "Part 4" | David Edgar | Syndicated |
| 1983 (35th) | Little Gloria... Happy at Last | Little Gloria... Happy at Last | William Hanley | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | Who Will Love My Children? | Who Will Love My Children? | Michael Bortman | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "Something About Amelia" | William Hanley | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "The Day After" | Edward Hume | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "The Dollmaker" | Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | Adam | Adam | Allan Leicht | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter | Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter | April Smith | ABC |
| 1985 (37th) | | | | ABC |
| 1985 (37th) | Do You Remember Love | Do You Remember Love | Vickie Patik | CBS |
| 1985 (37th) | The Burning Bed | The Burning Bed | Rose Leiman Goldemberg | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | Fatal Vision | Fatal Vision | John Gay | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | The Jewel in the Crown | "Crossing the River" | Ken Taylor | PBS |
| 1985 (37th) | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Gerald Green | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1986 (38th) |
| 1986 (38th) | An Early Frost | An Early Frost | Ron Cowen, Daniel Lipman and Sherman Yellen | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy | Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy | David Butler | PBS |
| 1986 (38th) | Alex: The Life of a Child | Alex: The Life of a Child | Carol Evan McKeand and Nigel McKeand | ABC |
| 1986 (38th) | Anne of Green Gables | "Part 1" | Kevin Sullivan and Joe Wiesenfeld | PBS |
| 1986 (38th) | Dress Gray | "Part 1" | Gore Vidal | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Love Is Never Silent" | Darlene Craviotto | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) |
| 1987 (39th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Promise" | Richard Friedenberg, Ken Blackwell and Tennyson Flowers | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | Escape from Sobibor | Escape from Sobibor | Reginald Rose | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Pack of Lies" | Hugh Whitemore | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder | "Part 2" | William Hanley | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | A Year in the Life | "The First Christmas" | Joshua Brand and John Falsey | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) |
| 1988 (40th) | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | William Hanley | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | Baby M | "Part 1" | James Steven Sadwith | ABC |
| 1988 (40th) | Billionaire Boys Club | "Part 1" | Gy Waldron | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Foxfire" | Susan Cooper | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | The Murder of Mary Phagan | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Jeffrey Lane and George Stevens Jr. | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) |
| 1989 (41st) | Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story | Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story | Abby Mann, Robin Vote and Ron Hutchinson | HBO |
| 1989 (41st) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "My Name Is Bill W." | William G. Borchert | ABC |
| 1989 (41st) | I Know My First Name Is Steven | I Know My First Name Is Steven | JP Miller and Cynthia Whitcomb | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | Lonesome Dove | "Part I: Leaving" | William D. Wittliff | CBS |
| 1989 (41st) | Roe vs. Wade | Roe vs. Wade | Alison Cross | NBC |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1990 (42nd) |
| 1990 (42nd) | American Playhouse | "Andre's Mother" | Terrence McNally | PBS |
| 1990 (42nd) | AT&T Presents | "The Final Days" | Hugh Whitemore | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | AT&T Presents | "The Incident" | Michael Norell and James Norell | CBS |
| 1990 (42nd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Caroline?" | Michael De Guzman | CBS |
| 1990 (42nd) | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | William Hanley | ABC |
| 1991 (43rd) |
| 1991 (43rd) | House of Cards | House of Cards | Andrew Davies | PBS |
| 1991 (43rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Decoration Day" | Robert W. Lenski | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Sarah, Plain and Tall" | Patricia MacLachlan and Carol Sobieski | CBS |
| 1991 (43rd) | Paris Trout | Paris Trout | Pete Dexter | Showtime |
| 1991 (43rd) | Separate But Equal | Separate But Equal | George Stevens Jr. | ABC |
| Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1992 (44th) |
| 1992 (44th) | I'll Fly Away | "Pilot" | Joshua Brand and John Falsey | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Broadway Bound | Broadway Bound | Neil Simon | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | Doing Time on Maple Drive | Doing Time on Maple Drive | James Duff | Fox |
| 1992 (44th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Miss Rose White" | Anna Sandor | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Without Warning: The James Brady Story | Without Warning: The James Brady Story | Robert Bolt | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) |
| 1993 (45th) | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | Jane Anderson | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | Barbarians at the Gate | Barbarians at the Gate | Larry Gelbart | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | Citizen Cohn | Citizen Cohn | David Franzoni | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | Family Pictures | Family Pictures | Jennifer Miller | ABC |
| 1993 (45th) | Stalin | Stalin | Paul Monash | HBO |
| 1994 (46th) |
| 1994 (46th) | David's Mother | David's Mother | Bob Randall | CBS |
| 1994 (46th) | And the Band Played On | And the Band Played On | Arnold Schulman | HBO |
| 1994 (46th) | Breathing Lessons | Breathing Lessons | Robert W. Lenski | CBS |
| 1994 (46th) | Prime Suspect 3 | Prime Suspect 3 | Lynda La Plante | PBS |
| 1994 (46th) | Tales of the City | Tales of the City | Richard Kramer | PBS |
| 1995 (47th) |
| 1995 (47th) | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Alison Cross | NBC |
| 1995 (47th) | The Burning Season | The Burning Season | William Mastrosimone, Michael Tolkin and Ron Hutchinson | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Citizen X | Citizen X | Chris Gerolmo | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Abby Mann and Myra Mann | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Piano Lesson" | August Wilson | CBS |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1996 (48th) |
| 1996 (48th) | Gulliver's Travels | Gulliver's Travels | Simon Moore | NBC |
| 1996 (48th) | The Late Shift | The Late Shift | George Armitage and Bill Carter | HBO |
| 1996 (48th) | Pride and Prejudice | Pride and Prejudice | Andrew Davies | A&E |
| 1996 (48th) | Truman | Truman | Thomas Rickman | HBO |
| 1996 (48th) | The Tuskegee Airmen | The Tuskegee Airmen | Paris Qualles, Trey Ellis, Ron Hutchinson, Robert W. Williams and T. S. Cook | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) |
| 1997 (49th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Old Man" | Horton Foote | CBS |
| 1997 (49th) | Crime of the Century | Crime of the Century | William Nicholson | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) | Gotti | Gotti | Steve Shagan | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) | Miss Evers' Boys | Miss Evers' Boys | Walter Bernstein | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) | Weapons of Mass Distraction | Weapons of Mass Distraction | Larry Gelbart | HBO |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie |||||
| 1998 (50th) |
| 1998 (50th) | Don King: Only in America | Don King: Only in America | Kario Salem | HBO |
| 1998 (50th) | From the Earth to the Moon | "Apollo One" | Graham Yost | HBO |
| 1998 (50th) | Gia | Gia | Jay McInerney and Michael Cristofer | HBO |
| 1998 (50th) | Merlin | Merlin | Edward Khmara, David Stevens, and Peter Barnes | NBC |
| 1998 (50th) | More Tales of the City | More Tales of the City | Nicholas Wright | Showtime |
| 1999 (51st) |
| 1999 (51st) | A Lesson Before Dying | A Lesson Before Dying | Ann Peacock | HBO |
| 1999 (51st) | The Baby Dance | The Baby Dance | Jane Anderson | Showtime |
| 1999 (51st) | Dash and Lilly | Dash and Lilly | Jerrold L. Ludwig | A&E |
| 1999 (51st) | Pirates of Silicon Valley | Pirates of Silicon Valley | Martyn Burke | TNT |
| 1999 (51st) | The Rat Pack | The Rat Pack | Kario Salem | HBO |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie |||||
| 2000 (52nd) |
| 2000 (52nd) | The Corner | The Corner | David Mills and David Simon | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | Cheaters | Cheaters | John Stockwell | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | Homicide: The Movie | Homicide: The Movie | Tom Fontana, Eric Overmyer and James Yoshimura | NBC |
| 2000 (52nd) | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | "1961" | Jane Anderson | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | RKO 281 | RKO 281 | John Logan | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) |
| 2001 (53rd) | Conspiracy | Conspiracy | Loring Mandel | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | 61* | 61* | Hank Steinberg | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | Anne Frank: The Whole Story | Anne Frank: The Whole Story | Kirk Ellis | ABC |
| 2001 (53rd) | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Robert Freedman | ABC |
| 2001 (53rd) | Wit | Wit | Mike Nichols and Emma Thompson | HBO |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2002 (54th) |
| 2002 (54th) | The Gathering Storm | The Gathering Storm | Larry Ramin and Hugh Whitemore | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Band of Brothers | Band of Brothers | Erik Bork, E. Max Frye, Tom Hanks, Erik Jendresen, Bruce C. McKenna, John Orloff, and Graham Yost | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | The Laramie Project | The Laramie Project | Stephen Belber, Leigh Fondakowski, Amanda Gronich, Moisés Kaufman, Jeffrey LaHoste, John McAdams, Andy Paris, Greg Pierotti, Barbara Pitts, Kelli Simpkins and Stephen Wangh | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Path to War | Path to War | Daniel Giat | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Shackleton | Shackleton | Charles Sturridge | A&E |
| 2003 (55th) |
| 2003 (55th) | Door to Door | Door to Door | William H. Macy and Steven Schachter | TNT |
| 2003 (55th) | Hysterical Blindness | Hysterical Blindness | Laura Cahill | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | Live from Baghdad | Live from Baghdad | Richard Chapman, Timothy Sexton, John Patrick Shanley and Robert Wiener | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | My House in Umbria | My House in Umbria | Hugh Whitemore | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | Normal | Normal | Jane Anderson | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) |
| 2004 (56th) | Angels in America | Angels in America | Tony Kushner | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself | And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself | Larry Gelbart | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | Iron Jawed Angels | Iron Jawed Angels | Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Jennifer Friedes, Sally Robinson and Raymond Singer | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | The Reagans | The Reagans | Elizabeth Egloff, Jane Marchwood and Tom Rickman | Showtime |
| 2004 (56th) | Something the Lord Made | Something the Lord Made | Robert Caswell and Peter Silverman | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) |
| 2005 (57th) | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | Empire Falls | Empire Falls | Richard Russo | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | The 4400 | "Pilot" | René Echevarria and Scott Peters | USA |
| 2005 (57th) | The Office Special | The Office Special | Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant | BBC America |
| 2005 (57th) | Warm Springs | Warm Springs | Margaret Nagle | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) |
| 2006 (58th) | The Girl in the Café | The Girl in the Café | Richard Curtis | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Bleak House | Bleak House | Andrew Davies | PBS |
| 2006 (58th) | Elizabeth I | Elizabeth I | Nigel Williams | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Flight 93 | Flight 93 | Nevin Schreiner | A&E |
| 2006 (58th) | Mrs. Harris | Mrs. Harris | Phyllis Nagy | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) |
| 2007 (59th) | Prime Suspect: The Final Act | Prime Suspect: The Final Act | Frank Deasy | PBS |
| 2007 (59th) | Broken Trail | Broken Trail | Alan Geoffrion | AMC |
| 2007 (59th) | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Daniel Giat | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) | Jane Eyre | Jane Eyre | Sandy Welch | PBS |
| 2007 (59th) | The Starter Wife | The Starter Wife | Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott | USA |
| 2008 (60th) |
| 2008 (60th) | John Adams | "Independence" | Kirk Ellis | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Bernard and Doris | Bernard and Doris | Hugh Costello | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Cranford | Cranford | Heidi Thomas | PBS |
| 2008 (60th) | Extras | "The Extra Special Series Finale" | Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Recount | Recount | Danny Strong | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) |
| 2009 (61st) | Little Dorrit | Little Dorrit | Andrew Davies | PBS |
| 2009 (61st) | Generation Kill | "Bomb in the Garden" | Ed Burns and David Simon | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Grey Gardens | Grey Gardens | Patricia Rozema and Michael Sucsy | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Into the Storm | Into the Storm | Hugh Whitemore | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Taking Chance | Taking Chance | Ross Katz and Michael Strobl | HBO |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2010 (62nd) |
| 2010 (62nd) | You Don't Know Jack | You Don't Know Jack | Adam Mazer | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Pacific | "Part 8" | Michelle Ashford and Robert Schenkkan | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Pacific | "Part 10" | Bruce C. McKenna and Robert Schenkkan | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Special Relationship | The Special Relationship | Peter Morgan | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | Temple Grandin | Temple Grandin | William Merritt Johnson and Christopher Monger | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) |
| 2011 (63rd) | Downton Abbey | Downton Abbey | Julian Fellowes | PBS |
| 2011 (63rd) | Mildred Pierce | Mildred Pierce | Todd Haynes and Jonathan Raymond | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) | Sherlock | "A Study in Pink" | Steven Moffat | PBS |
| 2011 (63rd) | Too Big to Fail | Too Big to Fail | Peter Gould | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) | Upstairs, Downstairs | Upstairs, Downstairs | Heidi Thomas | PBS |
| 2012 (64th) |
| 2012 (64th) | Game Change | Game Change | Danny Strong | HBO |
| 2012 (64th) | Hatfields & McCoys | "Part 2" | Bill Kerby, Ted Mann and Ronald Parker | History |
| 2012 (64th) | The Hour | The Hour | Abi Morgan | BBC America |
| 2012 (64th) | Luther | Luther | Neil Cross | BBC America |
| 2012 (64th) | Sherlock | "A Scandal in Belgravia" | Steven Moffat | PBS |
| 2013 (65th) |
| 2013 (65th) | The Hour | The Hour | Abi Morgan | BBC America |
| 2013 (65th) | Behind the Candelabra | Behind the Candelabra | Richard LaGravenese | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Parade's End | Parade's End | Tom Stoppard | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Phil Spector | Phil Spector | David Mamet | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Top of the Lake | Top of the Lake | Jane Campion and Gerard Lee | Sundance |
| 2014 (66th) |
| 2014 (66th) | Sherlock | "His Last Vow" | Steven Moffat | PBS |
| 2014 (66th) | American Horror Story: Coven | "Bitchcraft" | Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | Fargo | "The Crocodile's Dilemma" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | Luther | Luther | Neil Cross | BBC America |
| 2014 (66th) | The Normal Heart | The Normal Heart | Larry Kramer | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | Treme | "...To Miss New Orleans" | David Simon and Eric Overmyer | HBO |
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2015 (67th) |
| 2015 (67th) | Olive Kitteridge | Olive Kitteridge | Jane Anderson | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | American Crime | "Episode One" | John Ridley | ABC |
| 2015 (67th) | Bessie | Bessie | Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Horton Foote (posthumous) | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | Hello Ladies: The Movie | Hello Ladies: The Movie | Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | The Honorable Woman | The Honorable Woman | Hugo Blick | Sundance |
| 2015 (67th) | Wolf Hall | Wolf Hall | Peter Straughan | PBS |
| 2016 (68th) |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" | D. V. DeVincentis | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | Fargo | "Loplop" | Bob DeLaurentis | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | Fargo | "Palindrome" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | The Night Manager | The Night Manager | David Farr | AMC |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "From the Ashes of Tragedy" | Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "The Race Card" | Joe Robert Cole | FX |
| 2017 (69th) |
| 2017 (69th) | Black Mirror | "San Junipero" | Charlie Brooker | Netflix |
| 2017 (69th) | Big Little Lies | Big Little Lies | David E. Kelley | HBO |
| 2017 (69th) | Fargo | "The Law of Vacant Places" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | Feud: Bette and Joan | "And the Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | Feud: Bette and Joan | "Pilot" | Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam and Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | The Night Of | "The Call of the Wild" | Richard Price and Steven Zaillian | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) |
| 2018 (70th) | Black Mirror | "USS Callister" | Charlie Brooker and William Bridges | Netflix |
| 2018 (70th) | American Vandal | "Clean Up" | Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus | Netflix |
| 2018 (70th) | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | "House by the Lake" | Tom Rob Smith | FX |
| 2018 (70th) | Godless | Godless | Scott Frank | Netflix |
| 2018 (70th) | Patrick Melrose | Patrick Melrose | David Nicholls | Showtime |
| 2018 (70th) | Twin Peaks | Twin Peaks | Mark Frost and David Lynch | Showtime |
| 2019 (71st) |
| 2019 (71st) | Chernobyl | Chernobyl | Craig Mazin | HBO |
| 2019 (71st) | Escape at Dannemora | "Episode 6" | Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl | Showtime |
| 2019 (71st) | Escape at Dannemora | "Episode 7" | Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin | Showtime |
| 2019 (71st) | Fosse/Verdon | "Providence" | Steven Levenson and Joel Fields | FX |
| 2019 (71st) | A Very English Scandal | A Very English Scandal | Russell T Davies | Prime Video |
| 2019 (71st) | When They See Us | "Part 4" | Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury | Netflix |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2020 (72nd) |
| 2020 (72nd) | Watchmen | "This Extraordinary Being" | Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson | HBO |
| 2020 (72nd) | Mrs. America | "Shirley" | Tanya Barfield | FX |
| 2020 (72nd) | Normal People | "Episode 3" | Sally Rooney and Alice Birch | Hulu |
| 2020 (72nd) | Unbelievable | "Episode 1" | Susannah Grant, Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Unorthodox | "Part 1" | Anna Winger | Netflix |
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie |||||
| 2021 (73rd) |
| 2021 (73rd) | I May Destroy You | I May Destroy You | Michaela Coel | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | Mare of Easttown | Mare of Easttown | Brad Ingelsby | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Queen's Gambit | The Queen's Gambit | Scott Frank | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) | WandaVision | "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" | Chuck Hayward and Peter Cameron | Disney+ |
| 2021 (73rd) | WandaVision | "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" | Jac Schaeffer | Disney+ |
| 2021 (73rd) | WandaVision | "Previously On" | Laura Donney | Disney+ |
| 2022 (74th) |
| 2022 (74th) | The White Lotus | The White Lotus | Mike White | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Dopesick | "The People vs. Purdue Pharma" | Danny Strong | Hulu |
| 2022 (74th) | The Dropout | "I'm in a Hurry" | Elizabeth Meriwether | Hulu |
| 2022 (74th) | Impeachment: American Crime Story | "Man Handled" | Sarah Burgess | FX |
| 2022 (74th) | Maid | "Snaps" | Molly Smith Metzler | Netflix |
| 2022 (74th) | Station Eleven | "Unbroken Circle" | Patrick Somerville | HBO Max |
| 2023 (75th) |
| 2023 (75th) | Beef | "The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain" | Lee Sung Jin | Netflix |
| 2023 (75th) | Fire Island | Fire Island | Joel Kim Booster | Hulu |
| 2023 (75th) | Fleishman Is in Trouble | "Me-Time" | Taffy Brodesser-Akner | FX |
| 2023 (75th) | Prey | Prey | Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg | Hulu |
| 2023 (75th) | Swarm | "Stung" | Janine Nabers and Donald Glover | Prime Video |
| 2023 (75th) | Weird: The Al Yankovic Story | Weird: The Al Yankovic Story | Al Yankovic and Eric Appel | Roku |
| 2024 (76th) |
| 2024 (76th) | Baby Reindeer | Baby Reindeer | Richard Gadd | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Black Mirror | "Joan Is Awful" | Charlie Brooker | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Fargo | "The Tragedy of the Commons" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2024 (76th) | Fellow Travelers | "You're Wonderful" | Ron Nyswaner | Showtime |
| 2024 (76th) | Ripley | Ripley | Steven Zaillian | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | True Detective: Night Country | "Part 6" | Issa López | HBO |

## Total awards by network

* HBO – 18
* CBS – 13
* ABC – 9
* PBS – 8
* NBC – 7
* Netflix – 2
* BBC America – 1
* FX – 1
* TNT - 1