The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an annual award given to the best television comedy series of the year. From 1960 to 1964, this category was combined with the Comedy Specials (one time programs) category so that both type of programs competed for the same award during those years. The award goes to the producers of the series.
The Flintstones and Family Guy are the only animated sitcoms to be nominated for the award. As of 2020, Fleabag (United Kingdom) and Schitt's Creek (Canada) are the only shows from outside the United States to win this award.
Up to the end of the twentieth century, the Big Three networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) had dominated the category. Only eight other networks have won the award: HBO (once with Sex and the City and three times with Veep) four times, Apple TV+ (two times with Ted Lasso and once with The Studio) three times, Fox (with Ally McBeal and Arrested Development) twice, and Amazon Prime Video (with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), the BBC (with Fleabag; although seen later on Prime Video), Pop TV (with Schitt's Creek; originally seen on CBC Television), Max (with Hacks), and FX (with The Bear) once.
The following tables, divided by decade, show the winners listed first in colored row, followed by the other nominees of the "Comedy Series" award, according to the Primetime Emmy Awards database: