 Since its institution in 1951 the award has changed names many times in its history.It was first called Best Dramatic Show from 1951 to 1954, then Best Dramatic Series in 1955 and 1956.In 1957, no specific award for drama was given, but in 1958 the category was split into two separate categories, Best Dramatic Anthology Series, and Best Dramatic Series with Continuing Characters with a winner selected from each category.