The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Children's Series was an Emmy award honoring writing in children's television programming. Since the award's inception, writing in children's series and specials competed in the same category. However, starting in 1985, separate categories were created for series and specials. In November 2021, it was announced that all Daytime Emmy categories honoring children's programming will be retired in favor of a separate Children's & Family Emmy Awards ceremony that will be held starting in 2022.
Winners and nominees Winners in bold. For "Individual Achievement" categories, only nominees relevant to this page are listed.
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming 1970s 1975 Charles M. Schulz - Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (CBS) 1978 David Wolf - The Magic Hat (syndicated) Jan Hartman - ABC Afterschool Special ("Hewitt's Just Different") (ABC) 1980s 1980 Jan Hartman - ABC Afterschool Special ("The Late Great Me! Story of a Teenage Alcoholic") (ABC) Team - Hot Hero Sandwich (NBC) Mary Batten - 3-2-1 Contact ("Forces" and "Friday") (PBS) John O'Toole - Once Upon a Classic ("Leatherstocking Tales") (PBS) 1981 Clare Elfman - CBS Afternoon Playhouse ("I Think I'm Having a Baby") (CBS) Robert E. Fuisz - The Body Human ("Facts for Girls") (CBS) Mary Munisteri - Mandy's Grandmother (syndicated) Paul W. Cooper - ABC Afterschool Special ("A Matter of Time") (ABC) John Herzfeld - ABC Afterschool Special ("Stoned") (ABC) Bob Brush - Captain Kangaroo ("December 26, 1980") (CBS) Team - Sesame Street ("#1494") (PBS)
Outstanding Writing for Children's Programming 1980s 1982 Paul W. Cooper - ABC Afterschool Special ("She Drinks a Little") (ABC) Robert E. Fuisz - The Body Human ("Becoming a Woman") (CBS) Team - Sesame Street ("November 23, 1981") (PBS) 1983 Arthur Heinemann - ABC Afterschool Special ("The Woman Who Willed a Miracle") (ABC) Team - Captain Kangaroo (CBS) Daryl Warner and Carolyn Miller - ABC Afterschool Special ("Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother") (ABC) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) 1984 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Rod Baker and Glen Olson - ABC Weekend Special ("All the Money in the World") (ABC) Virginia L. Carter, Fern Field, and Michael McGreevey - ABC Afterschool Special ("The Celebrity and the Arcade Kid") (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special 1980s 1985 Charles Purpura - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("The Day the Senior Class Got Married") (CBS) Franklin Thompson (story) and Arthur Heinemann - ABC Afterschool Special ("Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia") (ABC) Joanna Lee - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Hear Me Cry") (CBS) 1986 Kathryn Montgomery and Jeffrey Auerbach - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Babies Having Babies") (CBS) Jeanne Betancourt - ABC Afterschool Special ("Don't Touch") (ABC) Judy Engles - ABC Afterschool Special ("Can a Guy Say No?") (ABC) Ann Elder, Cynthia Chenault, Kyle Morris, and Diane Silver - ABC Weekend Specials ("The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn") (ABC) Alan L. Gansberg and Judith M. Gansberg - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Have You Tried Talking to Patty?") (CBS) 1987 Melvin Van Peebles - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("The Day They Came to Arrest the Books") (CBS) Cynthia A. Cherbak - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("God, the Universe & Hot Fudge Sundaes") (CBS) Alan L. Gansberg and Judy Strangis - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Little Miss Perfect") (CBS) 1988 Victoria Hochberg - ABC Afterschool Special ("Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story") (ABC) Christopher Whitesell, Susan Rohrer, and John Alan Palmer - ABC Afterschool Special ("Terrible Things My Mother Told Me") (ABC) Paul W. Cooper - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("What If I'm Gay?") (CBS) 1989 Jeffrey Auerbach - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("No Means No") (CBS) Christopher Whitesell - ABC Afterschool Special ("Daddy Can't Read") (ABC) Jeanne Betancourt - ABC Afterschool Special ("Tattle: When to Tell on a Friend") (ABC) John Paragon - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("To Tell the Tooth") (CBS) 1990s 1990 Paul W. Cooper - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("A Matter of Conscience") (CBS) Joanna Lee - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("15 and Getting Straight") (CBS) 1991 Courtney Flavin, Tracey Thompson, and Beth Thompson - ABC Afterschool Special ("A Question About Sex") (ABC) David Wood - Back Home (Disney Channel) Dennis Foon, Judith Reeves-Stevens, and Garfield Reeves-Stevens - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Maddie's Secret") (CBS) Josef Anderson - ABC Afterschool Special ("The Perfect Date") (ABC) Cynthia A. Cherbak, Elizabeth Hansen, and Herb Stein - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("American Eyes") (CBS) 1992 Paul W. Cooper - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Abby My Love") (CBS) Barbara Nichol - Basil Hears a Noise (PBS) Carol Starr Schneider - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Two Teens and a Baby") (CBS) Michael Rubbo - Vincent and Me (Disney Channel) Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss - Woof! (Disney Channel) 1993 Bruce Harmon - Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story") (HBO) Pamela Douglas - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Different Worlds: A Story of Interracial Love") (CBS) Josh Goldstein and Jonathan Prince - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Words Up!") (CBS) Daryl G. Nickens - WonderWorks ("You Must Remember This") (PBS) 1994 Amy Dunkleberger - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Others Mothers") (CBS) Betty G. Birney - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Big Boys Don't Cry") (CBS) Casey Kurtti - ABC Afterschool Special ("The Perfect Date") (ABC) Bruce Harmon - Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter") (HBO) Susan Rohrer - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("If I Die Before I Wake") (CBS) 1995 Bruce Harmon - Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("A Child Betrayed: The Calvin Mire Story") (HBO) Carol Starr Schneider - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("The Writing on the Wall") (CBS) Willy Holtzman - Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("A Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story") (HBO) 1996 D. Shone Kirkpatrick - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Children Remember The Holocaust") (CBS) Gina Prince-Bythewood - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("What About Your Friends") (CBS) Gordon Rayfield - CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Stand Up") (CBS) Pauline Le Bel - The Song Spinner (Showtime) Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss - Woof Returns! A Kid's Best Friend (Disney Channel) 1997 Bruce Harmon - Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("Someone Had to be Benny") (HBO) Courtney Flavin - ABC Afterschool Special ("Educating Mom") (ABC) Karen Kasaba and Marilyn Reynolds - ABC Afterschool Special ("Too Soon for Jeff") (ABC) Tony Geiss and Christine Ferraro - Elmo Saves Christmas (PBS) 1998 Bruce Harmon - The Royale (AMC) Gary Gelt - In His Father's Shoes (Showtime) 1999 Heather Conkie - Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants (HBO) John Goldsmith and Tony Grisoni - The Island on Bird Street (Showtime) Takashi Bufford - The Tiger Woods Story (Showtime)
2000s 2000 Robert J. Avrech - The Devil's Arithmetic (Showtime) Robert Munic - In a Class of His Own (Showtime) Dalene Young and David A. Simons - Locked in Silence (Showtime) Semi Chellas - Restless Spirits (Showtime) Wendy Biller and Christopher Hawthorne - Sea People (Showtime) Grant Scharbo and Jim Thompson - Summer's End (Showtime) 2001 Thom Eberhardt - Ratz (Showtime) Don Wells - Kenny the Shark (Discovery Channel) Rodney Patrick Vaccaro - Run the Wild Fields (Showtime) Rod Serling - A Storm in Summer (Showtime) Grant Scharbo - The Wishing Tree (Showtime) 2002 Glenn Gers - Off Season (Showtime) Molly Boylan and Judy Freudberg - Elmo's World ("The Wild Wild West") (PBS) Anna Sandor - My Louisiana Sky (Showtime) Karen Leigh Hopkins - What Girls Learn (Showtime) 2003 William Mastrosimone - Bang Bang You're Dead (Showtime) Gordon Rayfield - Our America (Showtime) 2004 Paul Johansson - The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (Showtime) Kara Lindstrom - A Time for Dancing (Showtime)
Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series 1980s 1985 Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Ozzie Alfonso - 3-2-1 Contact (PBS) Franklin Getchel - 3-2-1 Contact (PBS) Team - Pryor's Place (CBS) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) 1986 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - 3-2-1 Contact (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) 1987 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Pee-wee's Playhouse (CBS) 1988 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - 3-2-1 Contact (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Pee-wee's Playhouse (CBS) 1989 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - 3-2-1 Contact (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Jim Thurman and David D. Connell - Square One Television (PBS) 1990s 1990 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Rob Bragin - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("Heat Wave") (CBS) Doug Cox and John Moody - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("Miss Yvonne's Visit") (CBS) Jim Thurman and David D. Connell - Square One Television (PBS) 1991 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) David Angus - Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories (Disney Channel) John Paragon - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("Camping Out") (CBS) Max Robert - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("Fun, Fun, Fun") (CBS) Doug Cox and John Moody - Pee-wee's Playhouse ("Conky's Breakdown") (CBS) Ronnie Krauss and Andrew Gutelle - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 1992 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Shari Lewis and Bernard Rothman - Lamb Chop's Play-Along (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Ronnie Krauss and Jill Gluckson - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Jim Thurman and David D. Connell - Square One Television (PBS) 1993 Team - Lamb Chop's Play-Along (PBS) Stephen White and Mark S. Bernthal - Barney & Friends (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Adventures in Wonderland (Disney Channel) 1994 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Daryl Busby and Tom J. Astle - Adventures in Wonderland (Disney Channel) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Andrew Gutelle and Ronnie Krauss - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Team - Lamb Chop's Play-Along (PBS) 1995 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Lamb Chop's Play-Along (PBS) Team - Beakman's World (CBS) 1996 Team - Bill Nye the Science Guy (syndicated) Team - Beakman's World (CBS) Team - Lamb Chop's Play-Along (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) 1997 Team - Bill Nye the Science Guy (syndicated) Team - Beakman's World (CBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Lee Hunkins and Ronnie Krauss - Reading Rainbow (PBS) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) 1998 Team - Bill Nye the Science Guy (syndicated) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Linda Ellerbee and Walt McGraw - Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (syndicated) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 1999 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Blue's Clues (Nickelodeon) Team - Bill Nye the Science Guy (syndicated) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 2000s 2000 Team - Bill Nye the Science Guy (syndicated) Team - Blue's Clues (Nickelodeon) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Linda Ellerbee and Walt McGraw - Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (syndicated) Team - Sesame Street (PBS) 2001 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Between the Lions (PBS) Team - Blue's Clues (Nickelodeon) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Team - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 2002 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Blue's Clues (Nickelodeon) Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) Susan Kim and Jill Gluckson - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 2003 Team - Sesame Street (PBS) Team - Between the Lions (PBS) Team - Blue's Clues (Nickelodeon) Susan Kim and Ronnie Krauss - Reading Rainbow (PBS) 2004 Team - Between the Lions (PBS)