Series, specials and non-fiction programming were all eligible for the award.
However, once the Daytime Emmy Awards were formed, only primetime television remained eligible.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) revised their rules for the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards to exclude primetime specials or extensions of a daytime series from eligibility for the award.
The rule change followed three consecutive wins for Sesame Street primetime specials.
[2] The category was retired beginning with the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, citing that streaming services had created further confusion over whether children's programs would be eligible for the award or not.