The 17th Emmy Awards, later known as the 17th Primetime Emmy Awards, were handed out on September 12, 1965. The ceremony was hosted by Sammy Davis Jr. and Danny Thomas. Winners are listed in bold and series' networks are in parentheses. The structure of the ceremony was a complete departure from previous years. Categories were streamlined so that there were only four major categories (the previous year had 20 major categories). As a result of this, only five shows won an award. NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame was the top show of the night, winning three major awards. The new format would be scrapped for the traditional one the following year and all subsequent Primetime Emmy Awards ceremonies.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).

Programs

Acting

Directing

Writing

Most major nominations

Most major awards