1989 in television
Encyclopedia : 1 : 19 : 198 : 1989 in television
See also: 1988 in television, other events of 1989, 1990 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
For the United States network television schedule, please see 1989-90 United States network television schedule.
Contents
Events
- February 5 - The world's first commercial DBS system, Sky Television, goes on air in the United Kingdom.
- February 23 - Leslie Grantham makes his last appearance in EastEnders as Den Watts for fourteen years.
- May - Donna Mills makes her final regular appearance as villainess Abby on Knots Landing.
- May 19 - Sue Ellen plans to reveal a tell-all movie on J.R. Ewing, and hopes to make him "the laughingstock of Texas," in the season finale of Dallas.
- June 22 - John Craven signs off for the last time on the UK children's news programme John Craven's Newsround. The show continues under the name Newsround.
- July 31 - Canadian cable television network CBC Newsworld is launched.
- September 29 - Susan Sullivan's character, Maggie Gioberti Channing, is killed off on the season premiere of Falcon Crest.
- October 4 - Jeremy Paxman makes his first appearance as presenter of BBC2's Newsnight.
- December 6 - The last episode of the original run of Doctor Who, 'Survival' (part three) is broadcast on BBC One. This marks the end of Sylvester McCoy's era as the Seventh Doctor.
- December 8 - Alan Bradley is run over by a Blackpool tram on Coronation Street, getting the programme's biggest ever audience at 26.93 million viewers, a record that remains to this day.
- December 18 - A seldom-seen 1956 Christmas special episode of I Love Lucy re-airs on CBS.
- December 29 - Deirdre Barlow confronts her husband Ken on Coronation Street before infamously throwing him out, ending their decade-long television marriage.
- David Spade, and Mike Myers join the cast of Saturday Night Live.
- Cliff and Nina Warner marry one another for the fourth (and seemingly final) time on All My Children, a record that has not been matched in the soap world.
- The ABT (Australian Broadcasting Tribunal) declares Nine Network executive Alan Bond "not a fit and proper person to own a television licence."
Debuts
- January - The newsmagazine series Inside Edition premieres in syndication.
- January 3 - The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994) premieres on CBS. His first musical guest is Luther Vandross.
- January 16 - Press Gang, a massively popular comedy/drama aimed at teenagers, begins its run on the ITV network in the UK (1989-1993).
- March 11 - Cops premieres on FOX, which shows footage shot in real life situations with US police officers (1989-present).
- April 1 The Mickey Mouse Club'' premieres on Disney Channel (1989-1994)
- April 12 - Fast Forward premieres on commercial television in Australia (1989-1992).
- April 18 - Dragonball Z premieres on Fuji TV in Japan
- May 21 - The Matthew Barnard Show premieres on NBC with the first episode: Matt and the Giant Squid of Doomness (1989-2000)
- June - That's Showbusiness premieres on BBC 1(1989-1996).
- June 10 - Tales from the Crypt premieres on HBO (1989-1996).
- July 5 - The Seinfeld Chronicles premieres on NBC. The show would later be retitled Seinfeld and become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history (1989-1998).
- August 16 - Acropolis Now premieres on the Seven Network in Australia (1989-1992).
- September 8 - Challenge Anneka premieres on BBC1 (1989-1995)
- September 12 - Life Goes On premieres on ABC (1989-1993).
- September 22 - Baywatch premieres on NBC (1989-2001).
- September 22 - Family Matters premieres on ABC (1989-1998).
- November 6 - About Face premieres on ITV (1989-1991).
- November 16 - Maid Marian and her Merry Men premieres on BBC1 (1989-1994).
- November 26 - ''America's Funniest Home Videos premieres on ABC with Full House host Bob Saget.
- December 17 - The Simpsons premieres on FOX with a special Christmas episode (1989-present). The characters had first appeared two years earlier as a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show. The regular run begins January 14, 1990.
- The Big Gig premieres on the ABC in Australia (1989-1992).
Television shows
1940s
- Meet the Press (1947-present).
- Candid Camera (1948-present).
- Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
- Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
1950s
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
- Guiding Light (1952-present).
- The Today Show (1952-present).
- Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
- Face the Nation (1954-present).
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
- This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
- As the World Turns (1956-present).
- What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
- The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
- Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
- Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
1960s
- Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
- Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
- It's Academic (1961-present).
- The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
- Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
- General Hospital (1963-present).
- Another World (1964-1999).
- Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
- Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
- Play School (1966-present).
- The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
- 60 Minutes (1968-present).
- One Life to Live (1968-present).
- Hee Haw (1969-1993).
- Sesame Street (1969-present).
1970s
- All My Children (1970-present).
- Monday Night Football (1970-present).
- Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
- Soul Train (1971-present).
- Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
- Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
- The Price Is Right (1972-present).
- Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
- The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
- Derrick (1974-1998).
- Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
- Arena (UK) (1975-present).
- Good Morning America (1975-present).
- Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
- Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
- the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
- 20/20 (1978-present).
- Dallas (1978-1991).
- Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
- Knots Landing (1979-1993).
- You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
- Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
- Nightline (1979-present).
- This Old House (1979-present).
1980s
- Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
- Falcon Crest (1981-1990).
- What Now (1982-present)
- Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
- Cheers (1982-1993).
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
- Newhart (1982-1990).
- The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
- Loving (1983-1995).
- Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
- Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
- Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
- Night Court (1984-1992).
- Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
- The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
- The Cosby Show (1984-1992).
- Who's the Boss? (1984-1992).
- 227 (1985-1990).
- EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
- Growing Pains (1985-1992).
- MacGyver (1985-1992).
- Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990).
- Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
- Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003).
- Sally (1985-2002).
- T-Bag and the Revenge of the T-Set and T-Bag's Christmas Carol (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
- The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
- ALF (1986-1990).
- Amen (1986-1991).
- Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
- Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
- Designing Women (1986-1993).
- Double Dare (1986-1993).
- Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
- L.A. Law (1986-1994).
- Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990).
- Matlock (1986-1995).
- Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991).
- Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
- The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
- A Different World (1987-1993).
- Beadle's About (UK) (1987-1996).
- Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
- Full House (1987-1995).
- Going Live! (1987-1993).
- Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
- Knightmare (UK) (1987-1994).
- Married... with Children (1987-1997).
- (1987-1994).
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).
- The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
- The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990).
- thirtysomething (1987-1991).
- America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
- The American Experience (1988-present).
- Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
- Fair City (1988-present).
- Home and Away (1988-present).
- This Morning (1988-present).
- 48 Hours (1988-present).
- The Adventures of Superboy (1988-1992).
- Children's Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
- Empty Nest (1988-1995).
- Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
- Garfield and Friends (1988-1995).
- Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
- Roseanne (1988-1997).
- The Comedy Company (Australia) (1988-1990).
- T. and T. (1988-1990).
- The Magical World of Disney (1988-1990).
- The Wonder Years (1988-1993).
- Electric Circus (1988-2003).
- Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).
- Lonesome Dove (miniseries on CBS}
Ending this year
- January 13 - The last episode of the soap opera Ryan's Hope airs on ABC; in the final scene, matriarch Maeve Ryan (Helen Gallagher) sings Danny Boy at Ryan's Bar for the last time (1975-1989).
- March 9 - Webster (1983-1989).
- March 24 - $ale of the Century (1983-1989).
- March 24 - Super Password (1984-1989).
- March 31 - Card Sharks (1978-1981, 1986-1989).
- May 1 - The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1955-1989).
- May 10 - Dynasty (1981-1989).
- May 14 - Family Ties (1982-1989).
- May 14 - Moonlighting (1985-1989).
- May 21 - Miami Vice (1984-1989).
- May 22 - Kate and Allie (1984-1989).
- August 4 - Highway to Heaven (1984-1989).
- September - It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989).
- October 7 - American Bandstand (1952-1989).
- December 6 - After 26 seasons, the original run of Doctor Who comes to an end on BBC1 with the broadcasting of episode three of the final serial, Survival. Following a one-off television movie in 1996, the show resumed in spring 2005 (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
- Pinwheel (1979-1989).
Changes of network affiliation
- July 17 - Wheel of Fortune moves from NBC's daytime lineup to CBS's daytime schedule.
Births
- January 3 - Alex D. Linz, actor.
- March 25 - Alyson Michalka, American actress
- April 18 - Alia Shawkat, American actress
- June 18 - Renee Olstead, American actress
- October 1 - Brie Larson, American actress
- October 23 - Trevor and Travis Gruhot, twin actors
- December 2 - Cassie Steele, Canadian actress
- December 7 - Basia A'Hern, Anglo-Australian actress
- December 28 - Mackenzie Rosman, American actress
Deaths
- April 26 - Lucille Ball, 77, actress, comedian.
- May 1 - Douglass Watson, 68, soap opera actor.
- May 20 - Gilda Radner, 42, actress, comedian.
- July 3 - Jim Backus, 76, actor.
- July 10 - Mel Blanc, 81, voice actor.
- July 18 - Rebecca Schaeffer, 21, actress.
- September 17 - Jay Stewart, 71, announcer of Let's Make a Deal and other game shows.
- October 4 - Graham Chapman, 48, comedian.
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