20 TV shows that won the most Emmys in a single year

The Golden Girls remains one of the most enduringly popular sitcoms of the 1980s. Its story about four feisty older women who live together in the same house in Miami struck a chord with viewers and continues to do so. Its popularity stems from smart and hilarious writing, remarkable performances, and willingness to tackle heavy issues. It was also quite beloved by critics, and in 1986 alone, it managed to win four Emmy Awards (winning eleven total throughout its run).

ER has the distinction of being one of the longest-running medical dramas in TV history (second only to Grey’s Anatomy). It managed to keep a firm hold on its story and characters, and over its fifteen seasons, it managed to withstand several notable cast changes. Given both its longevity and the strength of its performances and writing, it’s not surprising that it earned several Emmy Awards during the course of its run. It earned five in 1995 alone.

HBO, always known for its quality programming, certainly hit it out of the park with Veep,  its scathing political satire focusing on Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer. The series was highly praised for its performances and sharp writing, which was both very funny and remarkably accurate in its skewering of the foibles of America’s political class. Unsurprisingly, it was also a success at the Emmys, managing to grab five of them in 2015 alone. Louis-Drefyus was particularly successful, eventually winning six Emmys for her performance.

Few shows have exerted quite as strong a hold on the zeitgeist as Breaking Bad.  Its story about a chemistry teacher, Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston), who becomes a meth cook and drug lord, seemed to appeal to audiences, and there’s no doubt it’s one of Cranston’s finest performances in his long and illustrious career. It was very much a critical darling, which helps to explain why it managed to accrue several Emmy wins during its run, including six in 2014.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was truly groundbreaking, and its title character was remarkable for being a career woman whose life didn’t center on a family and having a child. It was a perfectly constructed workplace sitcom, with a number of characters that audiences could love (and laugh at and with) and expertly crafted writing. It’s not at all surprising that it managed to accrue a number of Emmy wins, including a total of six in 1975. It would go on to earn almost thirty during the course of its run.

As with the first outing, Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years, provides potent insight into the personalities and inner lives of one of the most prominent American presidential couples. Once again, Alexander and Edward Hermann deliver remarkable performances, and the drama is one of those that manages to be both stirring in its storytelling and also remarkably historically accurate. Though it didn’t earn as many Emmys as its predecessor, it still earned an impressive seven total awards.

If there’s one thing that American TV audiences love, it’s a procedural, and Hill Street Blues was a critical and popular success in the 1980s. It proved remarkably popular during its initial run, and it has continued to exert a strong influence over the procedural genre. It started strong and stayed that way, and it even managed to earn a total of eight Emmy Awards during its very first season. It received awards both for the series as a whole and the various cast members.

As one might guess from the title, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel focuses on Miriam “Midge” Maisel, whose transition from housewife to comedian is the series' focus. It’s a series that manages to be both poignant and quite funny, with a number of remarkable performances. It was critically acclaimed from the moment it premiered, and it managed to regularly receive numerous Emmys, including eight in 2018 alone. That year, it won numerous categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as in several acting and creative categories.  

The Handmaid’s Tale marked a watershed for Hulu, which showed that it had what it took to produce hard-hitting and bleak dramas. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, this dystopian world it presents has, at times, seemed almost too real. It is also anchored by haunting performances, particularly from lead actress Elisabeth Moss. In 2017, it made major waves at the Emmys, taking home eight total awards. The fact that this was its freshman season adds to the accomplishment.

Schitt’s Creek was one of the most beloved shows of the 2010s and 2020s. With its feel-good atmosphere and its uproarious (though never cruel) sense of humor, it was a crowd-pleaser and also racked up a number of Emmy wins. In 2020, for example, it managed to notch nine total wins across numerous categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor, Outstanding Lead Actress, and many more. As a result, it more than secured its place in the history of the sitcom form.

Mike White’s The White Lotus is a scathingly funny series that skewers the rich and their utter obliviousness. It’s one of those shows that manages to be both quite funny and a little disturbing, and it features a number of excellent performances, including from the one and only Jennifer Coolidge. Its first season was critically acclaimed and became a meme factory, and it took home quite a haul of awards when it came to the Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Jennifer Coolidge, and many others.

Throughout its run, The Crown  was one of the most acclaimed series on Netflix. In addition to being opulently produced, it also made some fascinating points about the nature of the Crown as an institution and its impact on the lives of the Royal Family. It also managed to snag many Emmy Awards during its run, and it was particularly successful in 2021. At that year’s ceremony, it took home awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Leading Actress in a Drama (for Olivia Colman), and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for Peter Morgan).

While the question of whether The Bear  is a comedy continues to crop up every awards season, there’s no question that the series is a hit with critics and audiences alike. It has been particularly successful when it comes to the Emmy Awards. Every season has been lauded with trophies, and it managed to break its own record in 2024 when it won eleven awards (out of a total of twenty-three nominations). Among its wins were awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (for Jeremy Allen White), and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (for Christopher Storer).

Chess might seem to make for an unlikely focus for an award-winning drama, but it’s at the heart of the popular Netflix series. Anya Taylor-Joy delivered one of her usual strong performances, and she would go on to win several awards for her role. The series as a whole would accrue numerous Emmys in both the major and technical categories, including the coveted award for Best Limited or Anthology Series. It also won several others, including casting, cinematography, and costumes. 

Tony Kushner’s haunting and beautiful play Angels in America  got the HBO treatment. Directed by renowned director Mike Nichols, the miniseries is a haunting, beautiful, and heartbreaking examination of the AIDS epidemic and the tensions of the Reagan era. In addition to its heavy-hitting message, it also featured an embarrassment of riches when it came to its cast, which included Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Patrick Wilson. It went on to remarkable success at the Emmys, managing to take home a total of eleven trophies, including for Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries, and Outstanding Director for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. 

Edward Hermann and Jane Alexander deliver memorable performances in Eleanor and Franklin, the miniseries focusing on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The miniseries provides a rich and moving portrait of this exemplary political couple, focusing on such key events as their youth, their courtship and marriage, and Franklin’s early political career and bout of polio. Given its performances and the production value, it’s not surprising that it racked up quite a few awards, with its haul eventually coming to eleven. 

Michael Douglas is one of those actors who flourish in whatever role he appears in, and he made a truly remarkable appearance in Behind the Candelabra. The limited series, which focuses on the loves, life, and career of the famous musician Liberace, proved to be a strong showcase for Douglas’ acting talents. Unsurprisingly, the series performed quite well at that year’s Emmy Awards. It won several of the big awards of the night, including Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, and Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie.

Game of Thrones was a remarkable achievement. This was a series, after all, that managed to make fantasy accessible and pleasing even to those who aren’t fans of the genre. Its middle seasons, in particular, managed to earn both remarkable ratings success and also critical adulation. It won numerous Emmys throughout its run and several of its seasons — it managed to win twelve Emmys in three separate years — more than earning its place in the annals of the great TV dramas. Even now, its legacy endures, both in its spinoff House of the Dragon and the numerous other fantasy TV shows that emerged in its wake.

Paul Giamatti delivers one of his usual remarkable performances in the HBO miniseries John Adams, based on the bestselling biography by David McCullough. Given its premium cable pedigree, it’s not surprising that the miniseries boasted extraordinary direction, writing, and production values, nor is it surprising that it managed to really clean up at the Emmy Awards that year. It took home a number of the most prestigious awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, several acting trophies, and prizes for writing. 

Shōgun burst onto TV screens in 2024 when it became a remarkable success for FX and Hulu. Based on the novel by James Clavell, it takes place in feudal Japan and, in addition to focusing on Englishman John Blackthorne, also shows the various factions competing for power. Complex and richly told, with some remarkable performances, it’s not surprising that it managed to win a number of Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as a number of other wins for its cast, its writing, and its production. It also has the distinction of winning the most Emmys for a single season.