List of years in television
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This page indexes the individual year in television pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
2000s - 1990s - 1980s - 1970s - 1960s - 1950s - 1940s - 1930s - 1920s - 1900s
2000s
- 2009 in television - Jay Leno will retire as host of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian selected as his replacement.
- 2008 in television - Sweden and Italy's broadcasting scheduled to switch from analog to digital television.
- 2006 in television - High-definition television is launched in the UK. UPN and The WB announce they will both fold, to be replaced by a new network, The CW. News Corporation announces the launch of their new network, My Network TV.
- 2005 in television - Doctor Who returns to series television after a sixteen year break: Christopher Eccleston plays the Ninth Doctor. is cancelled, ending an uninterrupted run of Star Trek series dating back to 1987. All three American network newscasts lose their lead anchors - Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather retire, while Peter Jennings dies of lung cancer.
- 2004 in television - Ken Jennings takes up an almost unprecedented residence on Jeopardy! Corner Gas debuts as one of Canada's most successful programs, and as the first successful sitcom in that country for decades. The Friends finale reaches 52.5 million Americans. ITV plc is formed from the merger of Carlton and Granada.
- 2003 in television - The O.C. is a surprise hit, Britain's This Is Your Life ends after 48 years.
- 2002 in television - The Osbournes reality show premieres on cable television. American Idol premieres. The BBC conducts a vote to find the 100 Greatest Britons, sparking much interest, and a series of spin-offs. The X-files ends after 9 seasons
- 2001 in television - Pop Idol premieres in the UK; many international versions follow. 24 premiers. Entertainment programming is virtually suspended for a week in the U.S. as the networks offer marathon coverage of the September 11 Attacks.
- 2000 in television - Survivor premieres on CBS, sparking an interest in reality television in the U.S. The same thing happens in the UK with the premiere of the UK version of Big Brother on Channel 4.
See also
1990s
- 1999 in television - The Sopranos (HBO), Family Guy and Futurama (FOX), The West Wing (NBC) and Passions (also NBC) premiere on both US regular television and cable. Gay Byrne retires from RTÉ's The Late Late Show. The Walking With Dinosaurs documentary airs on BBC One. In the Netherlands, Big Brother, the reality show which was to spawn many international versions has its world premiere. Produced by Endemol, it was broadcasted by Veronica.
- 1998 in television - Sex and the City premieres in the US, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? premieres on ITV. The Seinfeld finale reaches 76.3 million Americans. Paramount hit Charmed airs on WB. That 70's Show premiers on FOX.
- 1997 in television - Ellen DeGeneres shocked many via her show, announcing she was a lesbian; parental advisories debuted on the show. Adult-targeted animated series become accepted, with the debuts of King of the Hill and South Park. Stargate SG-1, the longest-running sci-fi show in U.S. history, premiers. Channel 5 launches in the UK.
- 1996 in television - Zenith introduces the first HDTV-compatible front projection TV in the US, Pop-up Video premieres on VH1. The 'last ever' episode of Only Fools and Horses is watched by 24.35 million Britons, making it at the time the ninth highest rated British programme ever.
- 1995 in television - The O.J. Simpson trial disturbs daytime television for nine months. The WB and UPN networks are launched. The first Internet television shows are broadcast. Britain's Come Dancing ends after 46 years.
- 1994 in television - Friends and ER premiere on NBC. The National Lottery Live premieres on BBC One in the UK and gets 20.17 million viewers.
- 1993 in television - Carlton Television takes over the London Weekday ITV franchise from Thames Television. The Cheers finale reaches 80.4 million viewers. Beavis and Butt-head begins airing on MTV. David Letterman moves from NBC to CBS; Conan O'Brien debuts on NBC in his place. The Power Rangers debut on FOX and quickly becomes a long running children's program for over 10 years.
- 1992 in television - After 30 years on the air, Johnny Carson retires from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, handing the reins to Jay Leno. Absolutely Fabulous premieres on BBC One.
- 1991 in television - First television sets with built-in closed-caption display are introduced in the US. Cigar and pipe tobacco adverts are banned from UK television.
- 1990 in television - David Lynch's Twin Peaks airs. British Satellite Broadcasting launches in the UK, and merges with Sky Television, becoming British Sky Broadcasting.
See also
- U.S. television schedules for 1990-91, 1991-92, 1982-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000
1980s
- 1989 in television - The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Fast Forward, Family Matters, and Acropolis Now premiere. Sky Television (now BSkyB) launches in the UK. Doctor Who ends after 26 years.
- 1988 in television - Roseanne and The Comedy Company premiere. Death on the Rock aires on ITV in the UK.
- 1987 in television - Married... with Children and Full House premiere, as does , beginning a run of Star Trek series that would continue until 2005. ITV launches a full daytime schedule as schools programmes move from that channel to Channel 4.
- 1986 in television - The FOX Broadcasting Company becomes the United States' fourth commercial television network. Casualty premieres on BBC1 in the UK.
- 1985 in television - Sábado Gigante moves from Santiago, Chile to Miami, Florida; The Golden Girls debuts on NBC. Discovery Channel signs on. The Oprah Winfrey Show debuts. EastEnders premieres on BBC1 in the UK.
- 1984 in television - The Cosby Show debuts on NBC. The last episode of The Edge of Night airs on ABC. Mother And Son + The Gillies Report, premiere. The Bill premieres on ITV in the UK.
- 1983 in television - 125 million Americans tune in to watch the final episode of M*A*S*H. Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings become sole anchors of nightly newscasts on NBC and ABC, respectively. The UK's first country-wide breakfast television service launches, Breakfast Time on BBC1.
- 1982 in television - Cheers, Family Ties and Late Night with David Letterman debut on NBC, while Channel 4 and S4C launch in Britain.
- 1981 in television - MTV debuts on Cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day; Hill Street Blues and Dynasty premiere. The unlikely marriage of Luke and Laura Spencer becomes the highest rated hour in soap opera history. Hollywood Squares ends a 15-year run on NBC. The finale of To the Manor Born reaches nearly 24 million viewers in the UK. Dan Rather replaces the retiring Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News.
- 1980 in television - A cliffhanger on Dallas asked "Who shot J.R.?", and it is the current 3rd most watched series episode in American television. Cable News Network is launched. Kingswood Country premiers. The first Children in Need telethon is broadcast on BBC1 in the UK.
See also
- U.S. television schedules for 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90
1970s
- 1979 in television - 43 million viewers watch Elvis! on ABC. All-sports cable channel ESPN and kids' net Nickelodeon are launched. A technician's strike forces ITV off air for eleven weeks (except in the Channel Islands) while BBC2 launches the first computer generated ident in the world.
- 1978 in television - Dallas paves the way for the return of prime time soaps in the U.S.. Abarembo Shogun begins 25-year run in Japan. Grange Hill premieres on BBC1 in the UK.
- 1977 in television - The mini-series Roots airs on ABC; first episode of Three's Company. Dad's Army ends on BBC1.
- 1976 in television - South Africa has television service for the first time. UK punk group the Sex Pistols cause controversy and outrage by swearing on Today, a Thames Television regional early evening show.
- 1975 in television - Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America and Wheel of Fortune premiere; Sony introduces the Betamax, a home video tape recorder; Fawlty Towers premieres in Britain on BBC2.
- 1974 in television - Happy Days premieres on ABC. Monty Python's Flying Circus ends in the UK, and comes to American TV audiences for the first time. Australian TV tests color transmissions (full-time color comes in '75.)
- 1973 in television - Large-screen projection color TVs hit the market in the U.S.. The Young and the Restless and Match Game become phenomenens in daytime TV. Last of the Summer Wine premieres on BBC1.
- 1972 in television - M*A*S*H and Bob Barker's The Price is Right debut; Home Box Office becomes first pay-TV channel. Emmerdale Farm (now just called Emmerdale) premieres on ITV in the UK.
- 1971 in television - All in the Family premieres. Open University broadcasts begin on the BBC. John Chancellor becomes the sole anchor of the NBC Nightly News.
- 1970 in television - Mary Tyler Moore and All My Children premiere, as does the BBC Nine O'Clock News in the UK.
See also
- U.S. television schedules for 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80
1960s
- 1969 in television - Live coverage of Neil Armstrong's moonwalk is viewed by 600 million people around the world. Sesame Street debuts, as does the PBS network; Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) and The Brady Bunch (ABC in the US) also debut.
- 1968 in television - First live network transmission of video from inside a manned U.S. space capsule in orbit. 60 Minutes (CBS), One Life to Live (ABC) and Laugh-In (NBC) debut, as does Dad's Army on BBC1 in the UK.
- 1967 in television - PAL and SECAM colour standards introduced in Europe, with the UK's BBC2 the first in that continent to transmit in colour. In the USA, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Carol Burnett Show premiere on CBS, while the NFL and AFL stage Super Bowl I on CBS and NBC.
- 1966 in television - Canadian television stations broadcast in color for the first time, while color is now the standard in all US television. Star Trek premieres on NBC. Cathy Come Home is broadcast on BBC1.
- 1965 in television - Green Acres premieres on CBS, as does Days of Our Lives on NBC, and Tomorrow's World on BBC1.
- 1964 in television - The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, breaking television ratings records; Top of the Pops premieres on BBC1. BBC2 is launched. Jeopardy! premieres on NBC.
- 1963 in television - First episode of Doctor Who is broadcast in the UK. The Doctors (NBC) and General Hospital (ABC) premiere on the same day.
- 1962 in television - Walter Cronkite becomes the anchorman of the CBS Evening News; Johnny Carson takes over the NBC Tonight Show. Z-Cars and The Saint premiere in the UK.
- 1961 in television - The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres on CBS, as does The Avengers on ITV in the UK.
- 1960 in television - American Presidential Candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon debate live on television. The Flintstones is the first US cartoon created for adults in primetime on ABC (in the United States). The long-running UK soap Coronation Street debuts on ITV.
See also
- U.S. television schedules for 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70
1950s
- 1959 in television - The science-fiction serial Quatermass and the Pit smashes recent BBC viewing records as it reaches its conclusion with over 11 million viewers; The Twilight Zone episode Time Enough At Last airs.
- 1958 in television - Ampex demonstrates their design for a color Video Tape Recorder. Concentration begins a 20-year run. Blue Peter and Grandstand premiere on the BBC in the UK.
- 1957 in television - Cinderella, the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written for television, airs once on CBS to an audience of 107 million people, making it the most-watched broadcast ever on U.S. television. Later that year, Jack Paar becomes the permanent host for NBC's Tonight Show and Dick Clark's American Bandstand debuts nationally. The Sky at Night premieres on the BBC.
- 1956 in television Television transmission begins in Australia. - Black-and-white portable TV sets hit the market.Elvis Presley appears on the Ed Sullivan Show and due to controversy can only be filmed from the waist up. The classic MGM film The Wizard of Oz airs on TV for the first time in the U.S.. Chet Huntley and David Brinkley begin a 14-year partnership on the NBC evening news. As the World Turns premieres on CBS. Hancock's Half Hour premieres on the BBC, and What the Papers Say on ITV.
- 1955 in television - The Honeymooners premieres. Commercial television starts in the United Kingdom with the slow roll-out of the ITV network.
- 1954 in television - NTSC video standard introduced. The Tonight Show begins on NBC network with Steve Allen; Disneyland begins on ABC. The controversial adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four is broadcast on the BBC.
- 1953 in television - The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is seen by approximately 20 million TV viewers in the United Kingdom. TV Guide is published for the first time.
- 1952 in television - The first political advertisements appear on U.S. television; The Guiding Light moves to TV after 15 years on radio. NBC launches Today. TV Broadcasting begins in the Dominican Republic. The Flowerpot Men premieres on the BBC.
- 1951 in television - Television transmission begins in Argentina - I Love Lucy debuts on CBS. The first long-running soap operas, Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life, also debut on CBS (they last until 1986 and 1980, respectively). The UK version of What's My Line? premieres on the BBC.
- 1950 in television - What's My Line? debuts on CBS. Television broadcasting begins in Mexico. The FCC approves CBS's color TV system. Andy Pandy premieres on the BBC.
See also
- 1957-58 United States network television schedule
- 1958-59 United States network television schedule
- 1959-60 United States network television schedule
1940s
- 1949 in television - The first Emmy Awards are presented. Television broadcasting begins in Cuba. Come Dancing starts its 46 year run on the BBC.
- 1948 in television - Ed Sullivan's show begins 23-year run on CBS, while Milton Berle becomes NBC's first superstar. 1 million television sets are now in use in the US. The BBC broadcasts coverage of the 1948 Summer Olympics.
- 1947 in television - Howdy Doody and Meet the Press premiere on NBC. First World Series live broadcast on both the DuMont Television Network and NBC. BBC television is suspended for a month due to a national fuel crisis.
- 1946 in television - The BBC resumes television broadcasting after its suspension during World War II. RCA demonstrates all-electronic color television system. FCC issues first network license to DuMont.
- 1945 in television - DuMont begins first network broadcasts, August 9 (network discontinued September 1955). Applies for first network license.
- 1944 in television - The FCC increases its limits for single ownership of television stations from three to five.
- 1943 in television - The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is formed
- 1942 in television - FCC terminates all television broadcasting because of the war. DuMont petitions FCC to resume broadcasting and receives approval.
- 1941 in television - Commercial TV authorized by the FCC
- 1940 in television - The FCC holds public hearings on television.
1930s
- 1939 in television - The BBC suspends its television service owing to the outbreak of World War II. The first major league baseball game is televised. Broadcasts from 1939 New York World's Fair.
- 1938 in television - DuMont manufacturs and sells the first all electronic television sets to the public. Baird gives the first public demonstration of colour projection television. The BBC broadcasts the world's first ever television science fiction (R.U.R.), and television crime series (Telecrime).
- 1937 in television - The BBC Television Service broadcasts the world's first televised Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night.
- 1936 in television - The BBC starts a regular high-definition (over 200 lines) television service in the UK, the first of its kind in the world.
- 1935 in television - First TV broadcasts in Germany. The final transmissions of John Logie Baird's 30-line television system are broadcast by the BBC.
- 1934 in television - Philo Farnsworth demonstrates a non-mechanical television system. The agreement for joint experimental transmissions by the BBC and John Logie Baird's company are comes to an end.
- 1933 in television - The first television revue, Looking In, is broadcast on the BBC.
- 1932 in television - The BBC starts a regular public television broadcasting service in the UK.
- 1931 in television - Allen B. DuMont perfects long-lasting reliable cathode-ray tubes later used for television reception. Canada's first television station, VE9EC, begins broadcasting in Montreal.
- 1930 in television - Baird installs a television at 10 Downing Street, London, the British Prime Minister's residence. On July 14, Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and his family use it to watch the first ever television drama, The Man With the Flower in His Mouth
1920s
- 1929 in television—In September the Baird Television Development Company begins experimental broadcasting in association with the BBC.
- 1928 in television—Baird demonstrates a mechanical colour television system. On May 28, the first television station, W2XB, begins broadcasting in Schenectady, New York (the forerunner to WRGB). CBS is founded.
- 1927 in television—Baird demonstrates the first ever system for recording television. His Phonovision system records pictures and sound on conventional. 78rpm gramophone records. On January 1 British Broadcasting Corporation received Royal Charter. NBC is founded.
- 1926 in television—On January 26 Baird gives the first public demonstration of mechanical television to members of the Royal Institution.
- 1925 in television—On October 2 John Logie Baird achieves transmission and remote display of the first television pictures in his laboratory.
- 1923 in television—Vladimir Zworykin patents the "iconoscope", the first ancestor of the electric scanning television camera.
- 1922 in television— British Broadcasting Company Ltd (BBC) founded
1900s
- 1908 in television—In a letter to Nature, A.A. Campbell-Swinton describes the modern electronic camera and display system which others are to develop throughout the 1920s.
- 1907 in television—Boris Rosing transmits silhouette images of geometric shapes, using a Nipkow disc, mirror-drum, and a cathode-ray tube receiver.
- 1900 in television—The word "television" is coined by Constantin Perskyi at the First International Electricity Congress in Paris.
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