1961 in television
Encyclopedia : 1 : 19 : 196 : 1961 in television
See also: 1960 in television, other events of 1961, 1962 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
For the American network television schedule, see 1961-62 American network television schedule.
Contents
Events
- April 29 - Westward Television, the ITV franchise for South West England, goes on air.
- on the same day in America, ABC Wide World Of Sports premires, this show paves the way for the likes of ESPN, Speed Channel, OLN, etc.
- July 1 - The soap opera The Brighter Day airs its first episode after moving taping locations from New York City to Los Angeles. As a result, key character Babby Dennis and her love interest are mysteriously written out of the show; the actors who played them did not want to move.
- September 1 - Border Television, the ITV franchise for the English-Scottish Border and Isle of Man, goes on air.
- September 30 - Grampian Television, the ITV franchise for North East Scotland, goes on air.
- September - NBC begins its long-running Saturday Night at the Movies series with an airing of the 1953 Marilyn Monroe picture How to Marry a Millionaire.
- November 4 - RAI's second television channel (now called Rai Due) first airs to 52% of the available households in Italy.
- December 31 - RTÉ starts television broadcasts, bringing television to the Republic of Ireland for the first time.
- John F. Kennedy holds the first live televised Presidential press conference.
- Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966) is cancelled due to lack of interest from American broadcasters. The series would be revived and revamped in 1964.
Debuts
- January 5 - Mister Ed debuts (1961-1966).
- January - The Avengers premieres in the UK (1961-1969).
- August 19 - Four Corners, Australia's first current affairs program, premieres (1961-present).
- October 7 - It's Academic premieres (1961-present).
- Ben Casey premieres (1961-1966).
- CTV National News premieres (1961-present).
- The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1961-1966).
- The Fulton Sheen Program premieres (1961-1968).
- The Mike Douglas Show premieres (1961-1981).
- Reach for the Top premieres (1961-1984).
Television shows
1940s
- Meet the Press (1947-present).
- Candid Camera (1948-present).
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
- Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
- Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
- The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963).
1960s
- The Honeymooners (1961-1970).
- As the World Turns (1960-present).
- Walt Disney Presents (1958-1961) ends on September 17 to resume on September 24 on NBC as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969).
- Bonanza (1960-1973).
- Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
- Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966)
- My Three Sons (1960-1972).
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
- The Flintstones (1960-1966).
Ending this year
- September - Peter Gunn (1958-1961).
- The Army Game (UK) (1957-1961).
- General Motors Presents (Can) (1953-1956, 1958-1961)
- This Is Your Life (US) (1952-1961).
Changes of network affiliation
- Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color moves from ABC to NBC to take advantage of the latter network's color broadcasting abilities.
Births
- January 3 - Judy Flynn, actress.
- January 13 - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress
- April 6 - Gene Eugene Andrusco, actor, lead singer of Adam Again
- April 21, Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor
- June 9 - Michael J. Fox, actor
- July 27 - Gabrielle Glaister, actress
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