Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series debuted in 1957, and has been annually awarded most years since 1964. It has had alarge number of name changes, mostly involving the addition or subtraction of the word comedy. Generally, the category has recognized the writers of variety and sketch comedy shows. However, in 1957, 1964, and 1979, it was the main category for writers of situation comedies, which have otherwise been recognized in a wholly separate category.

For most of the 1970s, the category was effectively split into two branches. From 1971 to 1978, one-off specials were awarded separately from ongoing series. Since then, the writers of one-off variety specials have competed against series writers, and have very occasionally won, as in 1991 and 2000. This has led to some anomalies, such as when a special edition of Late Night with David Letterman beat out regular editions of The Tracey Ullman Show and Saturday Night Live in 1987, despite the fact that typical episodes of Late Night were not nominated that year.

The category eventually found greater stability with its name in 1982, when it settled on Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program for almost two decades. In 2000, it added the word comedy, thus allowing for the current form of the name. Of all the writing Emmy categories, it has recently become the one most dominated by cable networks. Since 1996 it has been won by a major terrestrial broadcaster only twice, with the overwhelming majority of winners coming from HBO and Comedy Central.

Winners and nominations

The following list of winners in this category is organized both by year and the name being used by the category in that year:

Best Comedy Writing – Variety or Situation Comedy

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety or Music

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety, or Music Special

Outstanding Writing in Variety or Music

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy – Variety or Music Series

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy, Variety, or Music Special

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy, Variety, or Music Series

Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program

Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program

Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Year Program Writers Network
20112012
(64th)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Tim Carvell, Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Wyatt Cenac, Hallie Haglund, J.R. Havlan, Elliott Kalan, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Zhubin Parang, Daniel Radosh, Jason Ross, and Jon Stewart Comedy Central
The Colbert Report Barry Julien, Stephen Colbert, Tom Purcell, Richard Dahm, Michael Brumm, Rob Dubbin, Opus Moreschi, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Glenn Eichler, Meredith Scardino, Max Werner, Eric Drysdale, Scott Sherman, Dan Guterman, and Paul Dinello Comedy Central
Portlandia Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, and Karey Dornetto IFC
Real Time with Bill Maher Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Mike Larsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, and Scott Carter HBO
Saturday Night Live James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Shelly Gossman, Steve Higgins, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Christine Nangle, Michael Patrick O'Brien, Paula Pell, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, John Solomon, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker, and Emily Spivey NBC
20122013
(65th)
The Colbert Report Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Rob Dubbin, Eric Drysdale, Glenn Eichler, Dan Guterman, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Bobby Mort, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, and Max Werner Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, J.R. Havlan, Elliott Kalan, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Zhubin Parang, Daniel Radosh, Jason Ross, Lauren Sarver, and Jon Stewart Comedy Central
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gary Greenberg, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Josh Halloway, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Jeff Loveness, Molly McNearney, Bryan Paulk, Danny Ricker, and Rick Rosner ABC
Portlandia Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, and Bill Oakley IFC
Real Time with Bill Maher Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, and Danny Vermont HBO
Saturday Night Live James Anderson, Alex Baze, Neil Casey, James Downey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Joe Kelly, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Mike O'Brien, Josh Patten, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Robert Smigel, John Solomon, Kent Sublette, and Bryan Tucker NBC
20132014
(66th)
The Colbert Report Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Sam Kim, Matt Lappin, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, and Max Werner Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Rory Albanese, Dan Amira, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, J.R. Havlan, Elliott Kalan, Matt Koff, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Zhubin Parang, Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver, and Jon Stewart Comedy Central
Inside Amy Schumer Emily Altman, Jeremy Beiler, Neil Casey, Kyle Dunnigan, Jessi Klein, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, and Amy Schumer
Key & Peele Rebbeca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, and Rich Talarico
Portlandia Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Krisel, and Graham Wagner IFC
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Patrick Borelli, Gerard Bradford, Luke Cunningham, Mike DiCenzo, Mike Drucker, Jess Dweck, Dicky Eagan, Jimmy Fallon, John Haskel, Michael Jann, Josh Lieb, Arthur Meyer, A.D. Miles, Chase Mitchell, Dan Opsal, Gavin Purcell, Jon Rineman, Albertina Rizzo, Jason Ross, and David Young NBC
20142015
(67th)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Dan Amira, Steve Bodow, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, Elliott Kalan, Matt Koff, Adam Lowitt, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, Zhubin Parang, Owen Parsons, Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver, Jon Stewart, and Delaney Yeager Comedy Central
The Colbert Report Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, and Max Werner Comedy Central
Inside Amy Schumer Hallie Cantor, Kim Caramele, Kyle Dunnigan, Jon Glaser, Jessi Klein, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, Tami Sagher, and Amy Schumer
Key & Peele Rebbeca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Phil Augusta Jackson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, and Rich Talarico
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Kevin Avery, Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, and Juli Weiner HBO
20152016
(68th)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Kevin Avery, Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, and Juli Weiner HBO
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Joe Grossman, Jo Miller, Jason Reich, and Melinda Taub TBS
Inside Amy Schumer Kim Caramele, Kyle Dunnigan, Jessi Klein, Michael Lawrence, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, Claudia O'Doherty, Daniel Powell, Tami Sagher, and Amy Schumer Comedy Central
Key & Peele Rebbeca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Phil Augusta Jackson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, and Rich Talarico
Portlandia Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Graham Wagner, and Karey Dornetto IFC
Saturday Night Live James Anderson, Jeremy Beiler, Chris Belair, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Paul Masella, Dave McCary, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Tim Robinson, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Dave Sirus, Will Stephen, Kent Sublette, Julio Torres, and Bryan Tucker NBC

References

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