1980s in television
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television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
. It lists some important events in the history of television, as well as the first broadcasts of many
television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...
s, and the launches of some
television channels A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...
and
networks Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...
.


1870s

* 1876: Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone. * 1877: Bell Telephone Company is founded.


1920s

*
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...
:
Charles Francis Jenkins Charles Francis Jenkins (August 22, 1867 – June 6, 1934) was an American engineer who was a pioneer of early cinema and one of the inventors of television, though he used mechanical rather than electronic technologies. His businesses incl ...
' first public demonstration of television principles. A set of static photographic pictures is transmitted from Washington, D.C. to the
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
station NOF in
Anacostia Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is na ...
by telephone wire, and then wirelessly back to Washington. :*
Philo Farnsworth Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of t ...
first describes an image dissector tube, which uses cesium to produce images electronically, but will not produce a working model until 1927. *
1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...
: Charles Jenkins first demonstrates "true" television with moving images. This time 48-line moving silhouette images are transmitted at 16 frames per second from Washington to Anacostia Navy station. :*
Vladimir Zworykin Vladimir Kosma Zworykin; or with the patronymic as ''Kosmich''; or russian: Кузьмич, translit=Kuz'mich, label=none. Zworykin anglicized his name to ''Vladimir Kosma Zworykin'', replacing the patronymic with the name ''Kosma'' as a middle ...
applies for a patent for an all-electronic television system, the first ancestor of the electric scanning television camera. The patent is not granted until 1938 after significant revisions and
patent interference An interference proceeding, also known as a priority contest, is an inter partes proceeding to determine the priority issues of multiple patent applications. It is a proceeding unique to the patent law of the United States. Unlike in most other co ...
actions. *
1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...
:
John Logie Baird John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly dem ...
demonstrates a semi-mechanical television system with the transmission of moving silhouette images in England. :*Vladimir Zworykin files a patent application for the
kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 194 ...
, a television picture receiver tube.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
is formed. *
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
:
John Logie Baird John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly dem ...
performs the first public demonstration of his "televisor" at the
Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridg ...
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
on London's
Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...
. :*
Charles Francis Jenkins Charles Francis Jenkins (August 22, 1867 – June 6, 1934) was an American engineer who was a pioneer of early cinema and one of the inventors of television, though he used mechanical rather than electronic technologies. His businesses incl ...
achieves the first synchronized transmission of a moving
silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
(shadowgraphs) and sound, using 48 lines, and a mechanical system. :*
Vladimir Zworykin Vladimir Kosma Zworykin; or with the patronymic as ''Kosmich''; or russian: Кузьмич, translit=Kuz'mich, label=none. Zworykin anglicized his name to ''Vladimir Kosma Zworykin'', replacing the patronymic with the name ''Kosma'' as a middle ...
applies for a patent for color television. :*Zworykin first demonstrates his electric camera tube and receiver for Westinghouse corporation executives, transmitting the still image of an "X". :*John Baird achieves the first live
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
image with tone graduations (not silhouette or duotone images) in his laboratory. Baird brings office boy William Taynton in front of the camera to become the first face televised. *
1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...
:
John Logie Baird John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly dem ...
demonstrates the world's first television system to transmit live moving images with tone graduations, to 40 members of the Royal Institution. *
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
: The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
begins broadcasting as the British Broadcasting Corporation under the
Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...
. *
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhan ...
: John Logie Baird's Television Development Company demonstrates their model A, B, and C 'televisors' to the general public. *
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
:
John Logie Baird John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly dem ...
begins broadcasting 30-minute-long programmes for his mechanically scanned televisions.


1930s

*
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...
: Baird installs a television at 10 Downing Street,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, the
British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...
'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''. *
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
:
Allen B. DuMont Allen Balcom DuMont, also spelled Du Mont, (January 29, 1901 – November 14, 1965) was an American electronics engineer, scientist and invention, inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receive ...
perfects long-lasting reliable cathode-ray tubes later used for television reception. TV reaches the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. *
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...
: The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
starts a regular public television broadcasting service in the UK. * 1933: The first television revue, ''
Looking In ''Looking In'' is the sixth album by the British blues band Savoy Brown. The album featured "Lonesome" Dave Peverett on vocals after Chris Youlden left the band the previous spring. Leader/guitarist Kim Simmonds would be the only band member to ...
'', is broadcast on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. The musical revue featured the Paramount Astoria dancing girls. Broadcast live by the BBC using John Logie Baird's 30-line mechanical television system, part of this performance was recorded onto a 7" aluminum disc using a primitive home recording process called Silvatone. This footage, which runs to just under four minutes, is the oldest surviving recording of broadcast television. *
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...
: ''
The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
'',
Philo Farnsworth Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of t ...
demonstrates a non-mechanical television system. The agreement for joint experimental transmissions by the BBC and John Logie Baird's company comes to an end. First 30 Line Mechanical Television Test Transmissions commence in April in Brisbane Australia conducted by Thomas Elliott and Dr. Val McDowall. * 1935: First regular scheduled TV broadcasts in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
by the TV Station Paul Nipkow. The final transmissions of
John Logie Baird John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly dem ...
's 30-line television system are broadcast by the BBC. First TV broadcasts in France on February 13 on
Paris PTT Vision Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
. *
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
: The 1936 Summer Olympics becomes the first Olympic Games to be broadcast on television. * 1937: The BBC Television Service broadcasts the world's first televised
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
play, a thirty-minute version of ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
'', and the first football match, Arsenal F.C. vs. Arsenal reserves. * 1938: DuMont Laboratories manufactures and sells the first all-electronic television sets to the public. Baird gives the first public demonstration of color projection television. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
broadcasts the world's first-ever television science fiction (''
R.U.R. ''R.U.R.'' is a 1920 science-fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek. "R.U.R." stands for (Rossum's Universal Robots, a phrase that has been used as a subtitle in English versions). The play had its world premiere on 2 January 1921 in H ...
''), and television crime series (''
Telecrime ''Telecrime'' was a British drama series that aired on the BBC Television Service from 1938 to 1939 and in 1946. One of the first multi-episode drama series ever made, it is also one of the first television dramas written especially for televisi ...
''); in one of the lengthiest experimental television broadcasts, the BBC broadcasts a 90-minute version of Edmond Rostand's ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'', starring
Leslie Banks Leslie James Banks CBE (9 June 1890 – 21 April 1952) was an English stage and screen actor, director and producer, now best remembered for playing gruff, menacing characters in black-and-white films of the 1930s and 1940s, but also the Chor ...
,
Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née C ...
, and James Mason. * 1939: The BBC suspends its television service owing to the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. The 1939 New York World's Fair was broadcast. Japan is the first Asian country to air television.


1940s

*
1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...
: The American
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
, (
FCC The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
), holds public hearings about television * 1941: First
television advertisement A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
s aired. The first official, paid television advertisement was broadcast in the United States on July 1, 1941, over New York station WNBT (now WNBC) before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The announcement was for Bulova watches. *
1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...
:
FCC The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
terminates all American television broadcasting because of the war; DuMont petitions FCC to resume broadcasting and receives approval. *
1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 ...
: '' Hänsel und Gretel'' is the first complete
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
to be broadcast on television, but only in New York; first (experimental) telecast of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
's '' A Christmas Carol''. Many more telecasts of the story will follow in later years, but until film begins to be used on television, no two of the television versions of the story will have the same casts. An advertisement campaign about forest fires introduces
Smokey Bear Smokey Bear is an American campaign and advertising icon of the U.S. Forest Service. In the Wildfire Prevention Campaign, which is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in United States history, the Ad Council, the United St ...
*
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
:
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
, (ABC), is formed. *
1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which Nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been used in combat. Events Below, ...
: National Broadcasting Company (
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
) begins the first regularly scheduled television network service in the United States. * 1946:
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
demonstrates all-electronic color television system; the DuMont Television Network begins broadcasting. * 1947: First broadcast of ''
Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell
'', '' Kraft Television Theatre'', A Diamond is Forever (De Beers) and ''
Meet the Press ''Meet the Press'' is a weekly American television news/interview program broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though the current format bears little resemblance to the debut episode on November 6, 1947. ' ...
''; the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
is broadcast live for the first time; the 1947 ''
Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
'' becomes the first televised parade. * 1948: First broadcast of ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
'' and ''
Texaco Star Theater ''Texaco Star Theater'' was an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave M ...
''; the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
moves from radio to television * 1949: First broadcast of ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'', ''
Crusader Rabbit ''Crusader Rabbit'' is the first animated series produced specifically for television. Its main characters were Crusader Rabbit and his sidekick Ragland T. Tiger, or "Rags". The stories were four-minute-long satirical cliffhangers. The concept ...
'' and '' Mama''; 1st Emmy Awards


1950s

*
1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...
: First broadcast of ''
Come Dancing ''Come Dancing'' is a British ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off on the BBC from 1949 to 1998. Unlike its follow-up show, ''Strictly Come Dancing'', contestants were not celebrities. The show was created by Eric Morley, the ...
'', ''
Broadway Open House ''Broadway Open House'' is network television's first late-night comedy-variety series.Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 138. It was telecast live on NBC from May 29 ...
'', ''
Your Show of Shows ''Your Show of Shows'' is a live 90-minute variety show that was broadcast weekly in the United States on NBC from February 25, 1950, through June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Other featured performers were Carl Reiner, Howa ...
'' and ''
What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'';
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
is the first Caribbean country to receive TV;
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
is the first
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
n country to receive TV;
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
begins to provide television ratings data;
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
and
Burns & Allen Burns and Allen was an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. They worked together as a successful comedy team that entertained vaudeville, film, radio, and television audiences for over forty years. The duo ...
move from radio to TV; Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons begin airing on television after previously only being theatrical short films;
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
appears in his first TV special. *
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...
: The first broadcast of live United States transcontinental television takes place in San Francisco, California during the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference. The first broadcast of ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...
'', ''
See It Now ''See It Now'' is an American newsmagazine and documentary series broadcast by CBS from 1951 to 1958. It was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly, with Murrow as the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, ''See It Now'' won four Emmy ...
'', '' Dragnet'', the '' Hallmark Hall of Fame'', ''
Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show fo ...
'', '' Sua vida me pertence'', ''
Love of Life ''Love of Life'' is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation ''Search for Tomorrow'' premiered three weeks before ''Love of Life''; he created ''Th ...
'' and ''
The Roy Rogers Show ''The Roy Rogers Show'' is an American western television series starring Roy Rogers. 100 episodes were broadcast on NBC for six seasons between December 30, 1951 and June 9, 1957. The episodes were set in the prevailing times (1950s) in the st ...
''; the Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters is first issued. *
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
: First broadcast of ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'' (NBC), '' This Is Your Life'', '' Adventures of Superman'', '' Omnibus'', and ''
Flower Pot Men ''Flower Pot Men'' is a British programme for young children produced by BBC Television. It was first transmitted in 1952, and repeated regularly for more than twenty years. A reboot of the show called ''Bill and Ben'' was produced in 2001. ...
'';
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
begins receiving TV; first appearance of
Tony the Tiger Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. Tony has also been the mascot for related cereals such as Tony's Cinnamon K ...
(Kellogg's Frosted Flakes); ''
Hockey Night in Canada CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its hi ...
'' and ''
The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' move from radio to TV *
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...
: The first broadcast of '' Panorama'', ''
Make Room for Daddy ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show ...
'', ''
Kōhaku Uta Gassen , more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
''; the
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
of
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
is the first ceremony of its kind to be broadcast on television. The
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
ceremony (the Oscars) is televised for the first time after previously being broadcast by radio, beginning in 1930.
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...
is founded. The first "TV dinner" is made by C.A. Swanson & Sons. * 1954: First broadcast of ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'', ''
Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...
'',
Marlboro Man The Marlboro Man is a figure that was used in tobacco advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by Leo Burnett in 1954. ...
, ''
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
'',
The Jolly Green Giant "The Jolly Green Giant" is a song written by Lynn Easton, Don Harris, and Dewey Terry and performed by The Kingsmen. It reached #1 on the Canadian chart, #4 on the U.S. pop chart, and #25 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1965. It was featured on th ...
and '' Lassie'';
NTSC The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...
video standard for color television is introduced, and
National Educational Television National Educational Television (NET) was an American educational broadcast television network owned by the Ford Foundation and later co-owned by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It operated from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970, and ...
(NET) is launched. * 1955: First broadcast of ''
The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes were broadcast – all half-a ...
'', ''
The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...
'', ''
The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised ...
'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', ''
Sunday Night at the London Palladium ''Tonight at the London Palladium'' is a British television variety show that is hosted from the London Palladium theatre in the West End. Originally produced by ATV for the ITV network from 1955 to 1969, it went by its original name ''Sunday ...
'', ''
The Benny Hill Show ''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches that were full of slapstick, mime, parody ...
'', ''
The Sooty Show ''The Sooty Show'' is a British children's television series, created by Harry Corbett, and produced for the BBC from 1955 to 1967, and then for ITV from 1968 until 1992. The show, part of the ''Sooty'' franchise, focuses on the mischievous a ...
'', ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia d ...
'', '' Gunsmoke'' and ''
Captain Kangaroo ''Captain Kangaroo'' is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television progra ...
''; ITV launches in the UK; millions of viewers watch the grand opening of
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
in California. *
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...
'', ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other s ...
'', ''
The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...
'', The Tipps Family (PG Tips), '' Playhouse 90'', the Eurovision Song Contest and ''
Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, ...
'' *
1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...
: First broadcast of ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
'', ''
Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...
'', '' Have Gun — Will Travel'', '' Leave It to Beaver'', ''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...
'', ''
Senda prohibida ''Senda Prohibida'' (English title: ''Forbidden Path'') is the first telenovela produced in Mexico. It was produced by Telesistema Mexicano and was broadcast June 12, 1958, from Monday to Friday. It stars Silvia Derbez as the protagonist / antag ...
'', and ''
Carosello ''Carosello'' () was an Italian television advertising show broadcast on RAI from 1957 to 1977. The series mainly showed short sketch comedy films using live action, various types of animation, and puppetry. It had an audience of about 20 milli ...
''; Hanna-Barbera is founded (as H-B Enterprises, Inc.) *
1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
: First broadcast of '' Blue Peter'', ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'', ''
The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...
'', '' Wanted Dead or Alive'', '' Quatermass and the Pit'', ''
The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary ...
'', ''
77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...
'', ''
Moonlight Mask (a.k.a. ''The Moonbeam Man'') is a superhero appearing in Japanese tokusatsu and anime television shows and movies since his TV debut in 1958. The six theatrical films were made (between 1958-1959) in black and white/ToeiScope format. Created by ...
'', '' Naked City'' and ''
The Huckleberry Hound Show ''The Huckleberry Hound Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and the second series produced by the studio following '' The Ruff and Reddy Show''. The show first aired in syndication on September ...
''; the
quiz show scandals The 1950s quiz show scandals were a series of scandals involving the producers and contestants of several popular American television quiz shows. These shows' producers secretly gave assistance to certain contestants in order to prearrange the s ...
wipe out ''
The $64,000 Question ''The $64,000 Question'' was an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...
'' and '' Twenty-One''. *
1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...
'', '' Dennis the Menace'', '' Telejornal'', ''
The Quick Draw McGraw Show ''The Quick Draw McGraw Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and their third television series overall after ''The Ruff and Reddy Show'' and ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. Voice actor Daws Bu ...
'', ''
Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
'', Think Small (Volkswagan), ''
The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...
'', '' Rawhide'', the first-ever
Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...
commercial, and '' Bonanza'' (which runs for fourteen years); First appearances of the Trix Rabbit and
Snap, Crackle and Pop Snap, Crackle and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Rice Krispies, a brand of breakfast cereal marketed by Kellogg's. History The gnome characters were originally designed by illustrator Vernon Grant in the early 1930s. The names are onomatopoeia ...
(Rice Krispies); The second Grammy Awards ceremony is the first Grammy Awards to be televised and
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
is the first African country to receive TV.


1960s

*
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...
: First broadcast of ''
My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...
'', ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...
'', '' Route 66'', ''
The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'', '' Coronation Street'' and ''
Tales of the Riverbank ''Tales of the Riverbank'', sometimes called ''Hammy Hamster'' and ''Once Upon a Hamster'' for the Canadian version, is a British children's television series developed from a Canadian pilot. The original series was later broadcast on Canadian ...
''; Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. is founded (as Videocraft International, Ltd.).
American president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
ial candidates
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
and Richard M. Nixon
debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
live on television. *
1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...
'', ''
The Yogi Bear Show ''The Yogi Bear Show'' is an American comedy animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that centers on the misadventures of forest-dwelling bear Yogi in Jellystone Park. The show debuted in syndication on January 30, 1961 ...
'', '' The Avengers'', '' The Defenders'', '' Hazel'', ''
The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also serve as showrunners a ...
'', ''
Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...
'', ''
The Alvin Show ''The Alvin Show'' is an American animated television series that aired on CBS in the early 1960s. This was the first series to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks. ''The Alvin Show'' aired for one season, from October 4, 196 ...
'', '' The Morecambe and Wise Show'' and ''
Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City p ...
''; First appearance of The Milky Bar Kid *
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...
,'' '' The Virginian'', ''
McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
'', ''
Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and w ...
'', ''
The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced ...
'', '' The Saint'', ''
University Challenge ''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...
'', ''
Wally Gator Wally may refer to: Music * Wally (band), British prog rock band ** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally * ''La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani Other uses *Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *WALLY, a propose ...
'', ''
Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
'', ''
That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...
'', '' The Late Late Show'' (Ireland) and ''
Sábado Gigante Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day's ...
''; first airing of "Everyone Loves a Slinky"; first
satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...
relayed by
Telstar Telstar is the name of various communications satellites. The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962. It successfully relayed through space the fi ...
. *
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
: First broadcast of '' Doctor Who'', '' General Hospital'', ''
My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...
'', '' The Fugitive'', ''
Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...
'', ''
Astro Boy ''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 '' tankōbon'' ...
'', We Try Harder (Avis) and '' The Outer Limits''; American Cable Systems is founded;
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
addresses his famous I Have a Dream speech to the world; The world watches in horror over the
Assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...
. *
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
: First broadcast of '' Gilligan's Island'', ''
The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...
'', '' Bewitched'', ''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
'', ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'', ''
Peter Potamus Peter Potamus is a purple animated hippopotamus that first appeared in the 1964–1966 animated television series ''The Peter Potamus Show'', produced by Hanna-Barbera and first broadcast on September 16, 1964. ''The Peter Potamus Show'' was divi ...
'', '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'', ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'', ''
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on ...
'', ''
Magilla Gorilla Magilla Gorilla is a fictional gorilla and the star of ''The Magilla Gorilla Show'' by Hanna-Barbera that aired from 1963 to 1965. Character description Magilla Gorilla (voiced by Allan Melvin) is a fun-loving yet trouble-prone anthropomorphic ...
'', ''
Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
'', ''
Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary ...
'', ''
Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given gene ...
'', ''
Jonny Quest ''Jonny Quest'' is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–1965 television serie ...
'' and the ''Up'' series; First appearance of
Lucky the Leprechaun Lucky Charms is a brand of breakfast cereal produced by General Mills since 1964. The cereal consists of multi-colored marshmallows and pieces of shaped pulverized oat, each resembling one of several objects or symbols associated with good luck ...
(Lucky Charms); The controversial political advertisement "Daisy" airs only once, but is later considered to be an important factor in Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory over Barry Goldwater in the
1964 United States presidential election The 1964 United States presidential election was the 45th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater, the Republican nomi ...
, and an important turning point in political and advertising history; Broadcast of U.S. president Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act Of 1964;
The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
appear on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
''. * 1965: First broadcast of '' I Dream of Jeannie'', '' Days of Our Lives'', ''
Atom Ant Atom Ant is a cartoon ant and superhero, created by Hanna-Barbera in 1965. Atom costarred in ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' (sharing top billing with Secret Squirrel). In syndication, Atom Ant aired alongside '' Precious Pupp'' and '' The ...
'', ''
Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...
'', '' The Big Valley'', '' The New 3 Stooges'', ''
Secret Squirrel ''Secret Squirrel'' is a cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera and also the name of his segment in ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'', which debuted in 1965. He was given his own show in 1966, titled ''The Secret Squirrel Show'', but was ...
'', '' Thunderbirds'', ''
The Dean Martin Show ''The Dean Martin Show'', not to be confused with the ''Dean Martin Variety Show'' (1959–1960), is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the ...
'', ''
My Mother the Car ''My Mother the Car'' is an American fantasy comedy that aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and April 5, 1966. Thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television. The premise features a man whose deceased mothe ...
'', '' Hogan's Heroes'', ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'', '' The Wild Wild West'', ''
Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a ''Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitcom ...
'', ''
Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...
'', ''
Kimba the White Lion ''Kimba the White Lion'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese '' shōnen'' manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka which was serialized in the '' Manga Shōnen'' magazine from November 1950 to April 1954. An anime based on ...
'', ''
Roger Ramjet ''Roger Ramjet'' is a 1965–1969 American animated television series, starring Roger Ramjet and the American Eagle Squadron. The show was known for its simple animation, frenetic pace, and frequent references to pop culture which appealed to a ...
'', '' Green Acres'', ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
'', ''
Des chiffres et des lettres ''Des chiffres et des lettres'' (, "numbers and letters") is a French television programme. It was created by Armand Jammot and tests the numeracy skills and vocabulary of two contestants. It is one of the longest-running game shows in the world ...
'', ''
Tomorrow's World ''Tomorrow's World'' is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The ''Tomorro ...
'', ''
The Magic Roundabout ''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's television programme that ran from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show ''Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts and characte ...
'' and ''
The War Game ''The War Game'' is a 1966 British pseudo-documentary film that depicts a nuclear war and its aftermath. Written, directed and produced by Peter Watkins for the BBC, it caused dismay within the BBC and also within government, and was subseque ...
'';
Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
cartoons begin to be aired on television after previously only being theatrical short films; the first appearance of the
Pillsbury Doughboy Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising mascot for the Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2005 (together with some for GEICO between 2009 and 2017) en ...
. * 1966: First broadcast of '' Star Trek'', '' Batman'' (the live-action TV series starring Adam West), ''
Space Ghost Space Ghost (Tad Ghostal) is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the 1960s for TV network CBS. He was designed by Alex Toth. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Ja ...
'', ''
The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series and ...
'', ''
The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
'', ''
Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...
'', Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet, ''
Ultra Series ''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with '' Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is o ...
'', ''
Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...
'', ''
Osomatsu-kun is a comedy manga series by Fujio Akatsuka which ran in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' magazine from 1962 to 1969. The series revolves around a group of sextuplet brothers who cause all sorts of mischief. It has been adapted into ...
'', ''
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is a Christmas children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who tries to cancel Christmas by st ...
'', ''
That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewste ...
'', '' Cathy Come Home'' and '' Mission: Impossible''; England win the World Cup Final, seen by tens of millions, NBC becomes the first network to air their entire schedule in color. *
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Har ...
'', ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'', '' Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles'', ''
The Flying Nun ''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere ...
'', '' News at Ten'', Ironside'', ''
F Troop ''F Troop'' is a satirical American television sitcom Western about U.S. soldiers and Native Americans in the Wild West during the 1860s that originally aired for two seasons on ABC. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965, and ...
'', '' Captain Birdseye, ''
Speed Racer ''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese media franchise about Auto racing, automobile racing. ''Mach GoGoGo'' was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in tankōbon book form by Sun W ...
'', '' Spider-Man'', '' Princess Knight'', '' George of the Jungle'', '' Mannix'', ''
The Phil Donahue Show ''The Phil Donahue Show'', also known as ''Donahue'', is an American television talk show hosted by Phil Donahue that ran for 26 years on national television. Its run was preceded by three years of local broadcast on WLWD in Dayton, Ohio, and i ...
'' and '' Ambassador Magma'';
PAL Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analogue television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...
and
SECAM SECAM, also written SÉCAM (, ''Séquentiel de couleur à mémoire'', French for ''color sequential with memory''), is an analog color television system that was used in France, some parts of Europe and Africa, and Russia. It was one of th ...
colour standards introduced in Europe, with BBC2 making their first colour broadcasts. *
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...
: First broadcast of '' 60 Minutes'', ''
The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III ...
'', '' One Life to Live'', ''
Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...
'', ''
Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
'', '' Columbo'', ''
Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
'', '' Here's Lucy'', ''
Wacky Races Eccentricity (also called quirkiness) is an unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with nor ...
'', ''
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' deb ...
'', ''
The Archie Show ''The Archie Show'' (also known as ''The Archies)'' is an American musical animated sitcom television series produced by Filmation for CBS. Based on the Archie Comics, created by Bob Montana in 1941, ''The Archie Show'' aired Saturday morning ...
'', ''
The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red marching band hats with yellow plumes. ...
'', ''
Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...
'', ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
'' and '' Adam-12''; the first appearance of the Keebler Elves and Cadbury's Milk Tray Man *
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
: First broadcast of ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
'', ''
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. The series premiered as part of the network's Saturday morning cartoon schedule on Septem ...
'', ''
The Pink Panther Show ''The Pink Panther Show'' is a showcase of animated shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1978, starring the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films. The series was pr ...
'', '' Love, American Style'', ''
Sazae-san is a Japanese yonkoma manga series written and illustrated by Machiko Hasegawa. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the ''Asahi Shimbun'' wished to have Hasegawa draw the four-panel comic for the ...
'', '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', ''
Room 222 ''Room 222'' is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on ABC for 112 episodes, from September 17, 1969 until January 11, 1974. The show was broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 ( EST) fo ...
'', ''
Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
'', ''
On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...
'', ''
The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, afte ...
'', '' Marine Boy''; completion of
Fernsehturm Berlin The Berliner Fernsehturm or Fernsehturm Berlin ( en, Berlin Television Tower) is a television tower in central Berlin, Germany. Located in the Marien quarter (''Marienviertel''), close to Alexanderplatz in the locality and district of Mitte, ...
; The
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, ...
Moon landing is broadcast live worldwide.


1970s

*
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Mo ...
'', ''
Josie and the Pussycats Josie and the Pussycats (sometimes simply known as The Pussycats) are a fictional girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense i ...
'', '' McCloud'', ''
Ashita no Joe is a Japanese boxing manga series written by Asao Takamori (a pen name of Japanese author and manga writer Ikki Kajiwara, and one that's a variation on his real name) and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba. The story follows a young man named ...
'', ''
The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...
'', ''
Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...
'', ''
The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...
'', ''
The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', '' The Adventures of Rupert Bear'' and '' All My Children'';
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
is launched. * 1971: First broadcast of ''
All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...
'', ''
Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
'', '' The Cat in the Hat (TV special)'', '' Kamen Rider'', ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...
'', ''
The Funky Phantom ''The Funky Phantom'' is an animated television series, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, in association with Australian production company Air Programs International for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The show was a clone of Hanna ...
'', '' Chespirito'', ''
The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
'',
McDonaldland McDonaldland is a McDonald's media franchise and the fictional fantasy world inhabited by Ronald McDonald and his friends. Starting with the creation of Ronald McDonald in 1963 it is primarily developed and published by McDonald's, initial att ...
, ''Lupin the Third'', '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', '' Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!'', '' La Linea'', ''
The Generation Game ''The Generation Game'' is a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two people from the same family, but different generations, compete to win prizes. The game There are eight competitors, hence the catchphrase "Let's m ...
'' and '' Parkinson''. DIC Enterprises is founded. Chesapeake Television Corporation is founded. *
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...
: First broadcast of ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. Th ...
'', ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...
'', ''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...
'', ''
Mastermind Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to: Fictional characters * Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters: ** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of th ...
'', '' Kamiondžije'', ''
El Chavo EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American p ...
'', ''
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
'', '' Sanford And Son'', ''
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids ''Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids'' is an American animated television series created, produced, and hosted (in live action bookends) by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert and himself. Film ...
'', '' The New Scooby-Doo Movies'', ''
El Chapulín Colorado ''El Chapulín Colorado'' (English: ''The Red Grasshopper'') is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main char ...
'', ''
The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a p ...
'', ''
Mazinger Z is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later was reissued in Kodansha ''TV Magazin ...
'', ''
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...
'', ''
Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...
'' and '' Maude''; First appearance of
Little Mikey Little Mikey is a fictional boy played by John Gilchrist (born February 2, 1968) in an American television commercial promoting Quaker Oats' breakfast cereal Life. The ad was created by art director Bob Gage, who also directed the commercial. It f ...
(Quaker's Life Cereal); HBO is launched.
Warner Communications Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
is founded. *
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
: First broadcast of '' Boy on the Bike'' (Hovis), ''
The Ascent of Man ''The Ascent of Man'' is a 13-part British documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first broadcast in 1973. It was written and presented by British mathematician and historian of science Jacob Bronowski, who ...
'', ''
Moonbase 3 ''Moonbase 3'' is a British science fiction television programme that ran for six episodes in 1973. It was a co-production between the BBC, 20th Century Fox and the American ABC network. Created by ''Doctor Who'' producer Barry Letts and s ...
'', ''
The Wombles ''The Wombles'' are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by Elisabeth Beresford and originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968. They live in burrows, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recyc ...
'', ''
Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...
'', ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'', ''
Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...
'', ''
The New Perry Mason ''The New Perry Mason'' is a CBS TV series that ran from 1973 to 1974. It was a revival of the 1957 ''Perry Mason'' television series about Erle Stanley Gardner's brilliant defense attorney. Plot All of the major characters of the original seri ...
'', ''
The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, ...
'', ''
Cutie Honey is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. First appearing in ''Weekly Shōnen Champions 41st issue of 1973, the series ran until April 1974. It follows an android girl named Honey Kisaragi, who trans ...
'', ''
Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...
'', ''
An American Family ''An American Family'' is an American television documentary series that followed the life of a California family in the early 1970s. Widely referred to as the first example of an American reality TV show, the series drew millions of weekly vie ...
'', ''
Bailey's Comets ''Bailey's Comets'' is an animated cartoon series that aired on CBS. The second season consisted entirely of reruns. The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and was created by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng in association with ...
'', '' Inch High, Private Eye'', ''
Ein Herz und eine Seele ''Ein Herz und eine Seele'' (literally "One Heart and One Soul" i.e. "hand in glove") is a German television sitcom based on the British sitcom '' Till Death Us Do Part'' by Johnny Speight. The show premiered on 15 January 1973 and lasted for abo ...
'', '' Schoolhouse Rock!'', ''
Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, ...
'', ''
Speed Buggy ''Speed Buggy'' is an American animated television series, produced by Hanna-Barbera, which originally aired for one season on CBS from September 8, 1973, to December 22, 1973. With the voices of Mel Blanc, Michael Bell, Arlene Golonka, and P ...
'', '' The Midnight Special'', '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'', ''
Seventeen Moments of Spring ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (russian: Семнадцать мгновений весны, Semnadtsat' mgnoveniy vesny) is a 1973 Soviet twelve-part television series, directed by Tatyana Lioznova and based on the novel of the same title by Yu ...
'',
Tetley Tea Folk The Tetley Tea Folk are animated characters used to advertise Tetley Tea from 1973 to 2001, and from 2010 to 2016. Tea Folk history The Canadian copywriter John McGill Lewis (1929–2009) of the advertising agency McCann Erickson originated t ...
, ''
Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of '' Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes f ...
'' and ''
The World at War ''The World at War'' is a 26-episode British documentary television series that chronicles the events of the Second World War. It was produced in 1973, at a cost of £900,000 (), the most expensive factual series ever produced. It was produ ...
''; First appearances of Quicky the Nesquik Bunny and the
Duracell Bunny The Duracell Bunny is an anthropomorphic pink rabbit powered by Duracell batteries, and trademarked for use in all parts of the world except the United States and Canada. Advertisements, which may feature one Duracell Bunny, or several, usually fe ...
. * 1974: First broadcast of ''
Chico and the Man ''Chico and the Man'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 13, 1974, to July 21, 1978. It stars Jack Albertson as Ed Brown (the Man), the cantankerous owner of a run-down garage in an East Los ...
'', ''
Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...
'', ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...
'', ''
Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...
'', ''
Mio Mao Mio or MIO may refer to: shortened form of Mioritic Shepherd dog or Mioritic sheepdog; a Romanian mountain dog. Places * Mio, Michigan, a town in the US Music * ''Mío'', 2011 album by David Bustamante * "Mío", 1992 song by Paulina Rubio Br ...
'', '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'', ''
Hong Kong Phooey ''Hong Kong Phooey'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast on ABC. The original episodes aired from September 7 to December 21, 1974, and then in repeats until 1976. The show w ...
'', '' Police Woman'', ''
Space Battleship Yamato is a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri TV from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975 ...
'', ''
Heidi, Girl of the Alps is an anime television series produced by Zuiyo Eizo and is based on the novel '' Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning'' by Johanna Spyri (1880). It was directed by Isao Takahata and features contributions by numerous other anime fi ...
'', ''
Bagpuss ''Bagpuss'' is a British animated children's television series which was made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The series of thirteen episodes was first broadcast from 12 February to 7 May 1974. The title ch ...
'', '' Land of the Lost'', '' Porridge'', Smash Martians, '' Rhoda'', '' Good Times'', ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...
'', and ''
Tiswas ''Tiswas'' (; an acronym of "Today Is Saturday: Watch And Smile") was a British children's television series that originally aired on Saturday mornings from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982, and was produced for the ITV network by ATV. It was ...
''; First appearance of the Kool-Aid Man;
1st Daytime Emmy Awards The 1st Daytime Emmy Awards were held on Tuesday, May 28, 1974, to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year (1973). It was hosted by Barbara Walters and Peter Marshall at the Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and te ...
; Richard M. Nixon announces his resignation on live television. *
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
: First broadcast of '' Starsky & Hutch'', ''
Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey pol ...
'', ''
The Great Grape Ape Show ''The Great Grape Ape Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on ABC from September 6 to December 13, 1975. ABC continued to air it in reruns until 1978. Premise The title character i ...
'', ''
Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...
'', ''
Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Televisio ...
'', '' Good Morning America'', '' One Day at a Time'', ''
Paddington Bear Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book ''A Bear Called Paddington'' and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond, a ...
'', ''
Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The ...
'', ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'', '' Sneak Previews'', '' Space: 1999'', ''
The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...
'', '' The Naked Civil Servant'', ''
Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the seri ...
'', '' Wheel of Fortune'' and ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'';
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
introduces the Betamax home
video tape recorder A video tape recorder (VTR) is a tape recorder designed to record and playback video and audio material from magnetic tape. The early VTRs were open-reel devices that record on individual reels of 2-inch-wide (5.08 cm) tape. They were u ...
. *
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a s ...
'', ''
The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...
'', ''
Jabberjaw ''Jabberjaw'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired 16 original episodes on ABC from September 11 to December 18, 1976. Reruns continued on ABC until September 3 ...
'', ''
I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Ro ...
'', ''
Grlom u jagode ''Grlom u jagode'' (Cyrillic: Грлом у јагоде, "The Unpicked Strawberries") is a 1975 Yugoslavian TV series directed by Srđan Karanović and co-written by Karanović and Rajko Grlić. Depicting the life and times of a young man nickname ...
'', Honey Monster (Sugar Puffs), ''
Loriot Bernhard-Viktor Christoph-Carl von Bülow (12 November 1923 – 22 August 2011), known as Vicco von Bülow or Loriot (), was a German comedian, humorist, cartoonist, film director, actor and writer. He was best known for his cartoons, the s ...
'', '' SCTV'', ''
Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...
'', '' Quincy M.E.'', ''
The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983. The series is prima ...
'', '' C.P.O. Sharkey'', '' Andrex Puppy'', '' Charlie's Angels'', ''
Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, th ...
'', ''
The Gong Show ''The Gong Show'' is an American amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to ...
'', '' Alice'', ''
Jabberjaw ''Jabberjaw'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired 16 original episodes on ABC from September 11 to December 18, 1976. Reruns continued on ABC until September 3 ...
'', ''
Laverne and Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' sta ...
'' and '' Nuts in May'';
Cookie Jar Group Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. (also known as Cookie Jar Group and originally known as CINAR; renamed as DHX Cookie Jar Inc. from 2012 until 2014, or simply just Cookie Jar) was a Canadian media production and distribution company owned by DHX ...
is founded; completion of
CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...
; the first VHSs and
videocassette recorder A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the reco ...
s (VCRs) go on sale. *
1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...
: First broadcast of ''
Abigail's Party ''Abigail's Party'' is a play for stage and television, devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh. It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the ...
'', ''
CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...
'', ''
Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...
'', ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...
'', '' ¿Qué Pasa, USA?'', ''
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'', ''
Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
'', ''
It'll Be Alright on the Night ''It'll be Alright on the Night'' is a British television bloopers programme screened on ITV and produced by ITV Studios. It was one of the first series created with the specific purpose of showing behind the scenes bloopers from film and TV. ...
'', ''
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels ''Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels'' is an American animated mystery comedy series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC. The series aired during the network's Saturday morning schedule from S ...
'', ''
Yatterman is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from January 1, 1977 to January 27, 1979, comprising 108 episodes. It is the second and longest show in the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions. The series succeeded ''Time Bokan'' a ...
'', ''
Lou Grant Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...
'', ''
The Return of the Spirit The Return of the Spirit also known as The Soul Return ( arz, عودة الروح, aliases: Return of the Spirit or Return of Soul or The Return of Consciousness, translit: ''Awdat Al-Roh'', French: ''Retour de l'Esprit'') is a 1977 Egyptian ...
'', ''
Hungarian Folktales ''Hungarian Folk TalesAz egyes epizódok főcíme, és stáblistája alapján.'' ( hu, Magyar népmesék) is a Hungarian animated series and one of the first and biggest successes of Pannonia Film Studio, based on studio head Ferenc Mikulás' orig ...
'', ''
Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single room ...
'', ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' and ''
Live from the Met ''Live from the Metropolitan Opera'' (or: ''Live from the Met'') was an American television program that presented performances of complete operas from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network. Th ...
''; first appearance of Cadbury's Caramel Bunny.
CBN Satellite Service The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
is launched. * 1978: First broadcast of '' An Ordinary Miracle'', ''
Abarembo Shogun (Abarenbō Shōgun) was a Japanese television program on the TV Asahi network. Set in the eighteenth century, it showed fictitious events in the life of Tokugawa Yoshimune, Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa clan, Tokugawa ''shōgun''. The program s ...
'', '' Battlestar Galactica'', ''
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'', ''
Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackso ...
'', ''
WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working ...
'', ''
Galaxy Express 999 is a Japanese manga series. It is written and illustrated by Leiji Matsumoto, later adapted into a number of anime films and television series. It is set in a spacefaring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer ...
'', ''
Space Pirate Captain Harlock is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Leiji Matsumoto. It was serialized in ''Play Comic'' from 1977 to 1979, with the chapters collected into five ''tankōbon'' volumes by Akita Shoten. The series follows the titular Capt ...
'', '' Once Upon a Time...'', ''
The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'', ''
The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...
'', ''
Ski Sunday ''Ski Sunday'' is the BBC Sports weekly magazine-style television show covering winter sports, broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sundays in a late afternoon or an early evening time-slot. It began in 1978, and is currently presented by Ed Leigh ...
'', ''
Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...
'', ''
Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running progra ...
'', ''
Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
'', ''
Mork & Mindy ''Mork & Mindy'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of ''Happy Days'', "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrest ...
'', '' Pennies from Heaven'', ''
Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
'', ''
Future Boy Conan , also known as ''Conan, The Boy in Future'', is a Japanese post-apocalyptic science fiction anime series. It is an adaptation of American science-fiction writer Alexander Key's 1970 novel ''The Incredible Tide''. It was broadcast for twent ...
'' and '' Deeply Regretted By...'' *
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
: First broadcast of ''
Doraemon ''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ''tankōbon'' volumes and ...
'', '' Benson'', '' Blue Remembered Hills'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ''
Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...
'', '' Knots Landing'', ''
Seibu Keisatsu is a television drama series produced by and broadcast on TV Asahi. Plot The series portrays the Western Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Division's Sergeant Keisuke Daimon, played by Tetsuya Watari and his subordinates, dubbed the ...
'', '' Life on Earth'', '' Anne of Green Gables'', ''
Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'', ''
Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...
'', ''
Los Ricos También Lloran ''Los ricos también lloran'' ("The Rich Also Cry") is a popular telenovela produced in Mexico in 1979, starring Verónica Castro, Rogelio Guerra and Rocío Banquells. Castro also sang the theme ''Aprendí a Llorar'' ("I learned to cry"), a song ...
'', ''
Mobile Suit Gundam , also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcastin ...
'', '' Archie Bunker's Place'', ''
Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...
'', ''
Real People ''Real People'' is an American reality television series that originally aired on NBC from 1979 to 1984, Wednesdays from 8 pm to 9pm Eastern Time. Its initial episodes aired live in the Eastern and Central time zones. ''Real People'' featured "r ...
,'' ''
Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd.
'', ''
The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
'', '' The Facts of Life'', BuzzBee the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, ''
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show ''The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show'' is an animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions from 1979 to 1981; it was shown right after ''Super Friends'' on the ABC Network. The show featured various adventures of the DC Comic ...
'', ''
The Rose of Versailles , also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in the manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival of the ser ...
'', ''
You Can't Do That on Television ''You Can't Do That on Television'' is a Canadian sketch comedy television series that first aired locally in 1979 before airing in the United States in 1981. It featured pre-teen and teenage actors in a sketch comedy format similar to that of ...
'', ''
The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed ''The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed'' (russian: link=no, Место встречи изменить нельзя, translit. ''Mesto vstrechi izmenit nelzya'') is a 1979 Soviet five-part television miniseries directed by Stanislav Govor ...
'', ''
The Very Same Munchhausen ''The Very Same Munchhausen'' ( rus, Тот самый Мюнхгаузен, Tot samyy Myunkhgauzen, alt. translation - ''That Very Münchhausen'') is a 1979 Soviet fantasy dramedy television film directed by Mark Zakharov, based on a script b ...
'' and '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'';
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
and
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
are launched.


1980s

* 1980: First broadcast of ''
Astro Boy ''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 '' tankōbon'' ...
'', '' Richie Rich'', '' Berlin Alexanderplatz'', ''The Bund'', ''
Bosom Buddies ''Bosom Buddies'' is an American television sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson ( Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions). It aired on Thursday nights for two seasons on ABC fr ...
'', ''
Magnum PI ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on t ...
'', '' Nightline'', '' BBC Children in Need'', '' Vruć vetar'', ''
The Kids of Degrassi Street ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' is a Canadian children's television series and the first in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. It follows the lives of a group of children living on De Grassi Street in Toronto. It ...
'', '' Strumpet City'' and ''
Yes Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes fr ...
'';
Cable News Network CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
(CNN) and
The Learning Channel TLC is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learning Channel, it initially focused on educational and instructional programming. By the late 1990s, after an acquisition by the ow ...
(TLC) are launched. DISH Network is founded (as EchoStar).
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New ...
is founded (as News Corp Limited). *
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
: First broadcast of ''
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and int ...
'', ''
Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...
'', ''
Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were published in 34 ''tankōbon'' volume ...
'', ''
Dr. Slump is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, with the chapters collected into 18 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series fol ...
'', ''
The People's Court ''The People's Court'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show, featuring an arbitrator handling small claims disputes in a simulated courtroom set. Within the court show genre, it is the first of all arbitration-based reality sty ...
'', ''
Gimme a Break ''Gimme a Break!'' is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen, that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( ...
'', '' Wetten, dass..?'', ''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'', '' Greatest American Hero'', ''
Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop-motion animated television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman who works for Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendal ...
'', '' Danger Mouse'', ''
Spider-Man (1981 TV series) ''Spider-Man'' is a 1981–1982 American animated TV series based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is the second Spider-Man cartoon, following the 1967–1970 series. Synopsis The series featured Peter Parker having to balan ...
'', ''
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends may refer to the following shows: * ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 cartoon series * ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (2021 TV series), a 2021 Disney Junior cartoon {{Disam ...
'', ''
Elvira's Movie Macabre ''Elvira's Movie Macabre'' (titled on-screen as ''Movie Macabre with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark'' in its original run), or simply ''Movie Macabre'', is an American hosted horror movie television program that originally aired locally from 1981 ...
'', '' Falcon Crest'', ''
Only Fools and Horses ''Only Fools and Horses....'' is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan (writer), John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas ...
'' and ''
Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...
''; MTV launched; hundreds of millions watch the Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer; First appearance of Absolut Bottle (Absolut Vodka) and "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?". A writers' strike disrupts U.S. television for three months. * 1982: First broadcast of '' Cheers'', ''
Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...
,'' ''
Silver Spoons ''Silver Spoons'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982, to May 11, 1986, and in first-run syndication from September 27, 1986, to May 30, 1987. The series was produced by Embassy Television for the f ...
'', ''
Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States ...
'', ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'', ''
Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...
'', ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Br ...
'', ''
The Mysterious Cities of Gold ''The Mysterious Cities of Gold'', originally released in Japan as and released in France as ''Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or'', is an animated series which was co-produced by DiC Audiovisuel and Studio Pierrot. Set in 1532, the series fo ...
'', ''Chiquilladas'', ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross'', ''The Snowman (1982 film), The Snowman'', ''Boys from the Blackstuff'', ''Newhart'' and ''St. Elsewhere''; Channel 4 (UK) and The Weather Channel launched. Adobe Systems Incorporated is founded. * 1983 in television, 1983: First broadcast of ''The A-Team'', ''Mama's Family'', ''The Day After'', ''V (1983 miniseries), V'' (original miniseries), 1984 (advertisement), 1984 (Apple Computers), ''Captain Tsubasa'', ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'', ''Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series), Inspector Gadget'', ''Fraggle Rock'', ''Oshin'', ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', ''Reading Rainbow'', ''Press Your Luck'', ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983 TV series), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', ''Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983 TV series), Alvin and the Chipmunks'', ''Kinnikuman'', ''Eddie Murphy Delirious'', ''The Joy of Painting'', ''An Englishman Abroad'', J. R. Hartley (Yellow Pages), The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series), ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'', ''Blackadder'' and ''Terrahawks''; AT&T, Southwestern Bell Corporation is founded; Disney Channel is launched. * 1984 in television, 1984: First broadcast of ''Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends'', ''Fist of the North Star'', ''Airwolf'', ''Blue Thunder (TV series), Blue Thunder'', ''Murder, She Wrote'', ''Miami Vice'', ''Charles in Charge'', ''Who's the Boss?'', ''Top lista nadrealista'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''The Transformers (TV series), The Transformers'', ''Voltron (1984 TV series), Voltron'', ''Night Court'', ''Tales from the Darkside'', Where's the beef? (Wendy's), ''Muppet Babies (1984 TV series), Muppet Babies'', ''La piovra'', ''Santa Barbara (TV series), Santa Barbara'', ''Spitting Image'', ''Heimat (1984 film), Heimat'' and ''The Jewel in the Crown (TV series), The Jewel in the Crown''; A&E (TV channel), A&E and Canal+ launched. * 1985 in television, 1985: First broadcast of ''MacGyver (1985 TV series), MacGyver'', ''Growing Pains'', ''ThunderCats (1985 TV series), ThunderCats'', ''Neighbours'', ''Mr. Belvedere'', ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'', ''227'', ''Larry King Live'', ''Edge of Darkness'', ''The Max Headroom Show'', ''EastEnders'', ''Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears'' and ''The Golden Girls''; the Discovery Channel is established; the first WrestleMania event is broadcast; millions watch the Live Aid concert from Wembley Stadium. * 1986 in television, 1986: First broadcast of ''L.A. Law'', ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', ''Perfect Strangers (TV series), Perfect Strangers'', ''Double Dare (1986 game show), Double Dare'', ''Matlock (TV series), Matlock'', ''Head of the Class'', ''Designing Women'', Chester Cheetah (Cheetos), ''ALF (TV series), ALF'', ''Malgudi Days (TV series), Malgudi Days'', ''Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin'', ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty'', ''Saint Seiya#Anime, Saint Seiya'', ''Scottish Widows#Advertising, The Scottish Widow'' (Scottish Widows), ''London's Burning (TV series), London's Burning'', ''Takeshi's Castle'', ''List of Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball'', The Noid (Domino's Pizza), ''Mormarevi Brothers, Vasko de Gama from Rupcha Village'', ''Alternatywy 4'', first My Pet Monster commercial, ''Pee-wee's Playhouse'', The California Raisins, ''The Singing Detective'' and ''Pingu''; the Fox Broadcasting Company is launched; television is introduced in Mayotte and Niue. * 1987 in television, 1987: First broadcast of ''Full House'', ''Married... with Children'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', ''DuckTales'', ''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'', ''Headbangers Ball'', ''Square One TV'', ''Thirtysomething (TV series), Thirtysomething'', ''ChuckleVision'', ''Kimagure Orange Road'', ''City Hunter'', ''Degrassi Junior High'', ''Ramayan (1987 TV series), Ramayan'', ''Fireman Sam'', ''Inspector Morse (TV series), Inspector Morse'', ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' and ''21 Jump Street (TV series), 21 Jump Street'' (TV series); First airing of ''This is Your Brain on Drugs''; The Travel Channel is launched. * 1988 in television, 1988: First broadcast of ''Roseanne (TV series), Roseanne'', ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'', ''Red Dwarf'', ''In the Heat of the Night (TV series), In the Heat of the Night'', Just Do It (Nike), ''Murphy Brown'', ''Yo! MTV Raps'', ''Count Duckula'', ''A Pup Named Scooby-Doo'', ''Garfield and Friends'', ''Legend of the Galactic Heroes'', ''Anpanman'', ''Oishinbo'', ''Unsolved Mysteries'', ''America's Most Wanted'', ''The Wonder Years'' and ''Mahabharat (1988 TV series), Mahabharat''; TNT (American TV network), TNT (Turner Network Television) is launched; the first LCD televisions go on sale; a 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, writers' strike disrupts U.S. television for five months. * 1989 in television, 1989: First broadcast of ''The Simpsons'', ''Seinfeld'', ''Family Matters'', ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', ''The Legend of Zelda (TV series), The Legend of Zelda'', ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'', ''Baywatch'', ''Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series), Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers'', ''Saved By The Bell'', ''Degrassi High'', ''American Gladiators (1989 TV series), American Gladiators'', ''Wallace and Gromit'', ''Hey Dude'', ''British Airways face advertisement, Face'' (British Airways), ''America's Funniest Home Videos'', ''Quantum Leap'', ''Cops (TV series), COPS'', ''The Laughing Salesman'', ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', ''Shining Time Station'', ''Coach (TV series), Coach'' and ''Inside Edition''; CNBC and Eurosport launched. '' Doctor Who'' is cancelled after running for 26 years.


1990s

* 1990 in television, 1990: First broadcast of ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Mr. Bean'', ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', ''MasterChef'' (original UK version), ''Twin Peaks'', ''Law & Order'', ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'', ''Ching Roi Ching Lan'', ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', ''Wings (1990 TV series), Wings'', ''In Living Color'', ''Chibi Maruko-chan'', ''Kyatto Ninden Teyandee'', ''Bobby's World'', ''Mr. Shalash's Family'', ''Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water'', ''Art Attack'', ''TaleSpin'', and ''Northern Exposure''. First appearance of the "I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!" advertisement for Life Alert Emergency Response, Life Alert. Fox Kids is launched. * 1991 in television, 1991: First broadcast of ''Home Improvement (TV series), Home Improvement'', ''Dinosaurs (TV series), Dinosaurs'', ''Darkwing Duck'', ''Step By Step (TV series), Step By Step'', ''Nummer 28'', Papa and Nicole (Renault), ''The Julekalender'', ''Æon Flux'', the first three Nicktoons (''Doug (TV series), Doug'', ''Rugrats'', and ''The Ren & Stimpy Show''), ''Super Mario World (TV series), Super Mario World'', ''Magical Princess Minky Momo'', ''The Jerry Springer Show'', and ''A Bunch of Munsch''. * 1992 in television, 1992: First broadcast of ''The Larry Sanders Show'', ''Mad About You'', ''Batman: The Animated Series'', Goof Troop, ''Barney & Friends'', ''Martin (TV series), Martin'', ''Nickelodeon Guts'', ''The Real World (TV series), The Real World'', ''Cha Cha Cha (TV series), Cha Cha Cha'', ''Crayon Shin-chan'', ''YuYu Hakusho'', ''Bananas in Pyjamas'', ''The Golden Palace'', ''Melrose Place'', ''X-Men (1992 TV series), X-Men'', ''The Animals of Farthing Wood (TV series), The Animals of Farthing Wood'', ''Absolutely Fabulous'', ''Dateline NBC'', ''Sailor Moon (TV series), Sailor Moon''; Cartoon Network is launched, with Boomerang (TV network), Boomerang as one of its programming blocks. The Faith and Values Channel is launched. * 1993 in television, 1993: First broadcast of ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Animaniacs'', ''Rocko's Modern Life'', ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series), Sonic the Hedgehog (a.k.a. "Sonic SatAM")'', ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'', ''The X-Files'', ''Beavis and Butt-Head'', ''The Pink Panther (TV series)'', ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', Got Milk?, ''WWE Raw, WWF Monday Night Raw'', ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', ''Slam Dunk (manga), Slam Dunk'', ''Boy Meets World'', ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'', ''SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron'', ''Bill Nye the Science Guy'', ''Cracker (British TV series), Cracker'', ''seaQuest DSV'', ''The Nanny'', ''Ricki Lake (talk show), Ricki Lake'', ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', and ''Frasier''. Mnet (TV channel), Mnet is launched. * 1994 in television, 1994: First broadcast of ''Friends'', ''Party of Five'', ''The Kingdom (TV miniseries), The Kingdom'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''Babylon 5'', ''The National Lottery Draws'', ''Inside the Actors Studio'', ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', ''Spider-Man (1994 TV series), Spider-Man'', ''The Tick (1994 TV series), The Tick'', ''ER (TV series), ER'', ''Gargoyles (TV series), Gargoyles'', ''All That'', ''Allegra's Window'' and ''Gullah Gullah Island''; Funimation, FUNimation Productions is founded; Turner Classic Movies is launched; Investigation Discovery, Discovery Civilization Network: The World History and Geography Channel is launched. 1994 United States broadcast TV realignment, Several TV stations in the US switch their affiliates until 1996. TMN Moviepix and Starz are launched. Destination America is launched (as Discovery Travel & Living Network). HGTV, Home & Garden Television (HGTV) is launched. DirecTV is founded. Adobe Flash is released (as FutureWave). * 1995 in television, 1995: First broadcast of ''Star Trek: Voyager'', ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', ''Father Ted'', ''NileCity 105,6'', ''The Wayans Bros.'', ''Little Bear (TV series), Little Bear'', Pinky and the Brain, ''Xena: Warrior Princess'', ''The Late Late Show (American talk show), The Late Late Show'', ''WCW Monday Nitro'', ''Road Rules'', ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''Budweiser Frogs'', ''Mad TV'', ''JAG (TV series), JAG'', ''El y Ella'', ''Sevcec''; The programme ''Rox (American TV series), Rox'' makes a move to the Internet, becoming the first-ever web television, web series; History (American TV channel), The History Channel, Kids' WB and Tooniverse are launched; The communications satellite EchoStar I is (literally) launched; first appearance of the M&M's M&M's#M&M's characters, Spokescandies and the Coca-Cola#Holiday campaigns, "Holidays are Coming" Coca-Cola ad campaign; The O. J. Simpson murder case, O. J. Simpson murder trial is televised. * 1996 in television, 1996: First broadcast of ''The Crocodile Hunter'', ''3rd Rock from the Sun'', ''Waynehead'', ''C Bear and Jamal'', ''7th Heaven (TV series), 7th Heaven'', ''Blue's Clues'', ''Hey Arnold!'', ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series), Sabrina the Teenage Witch'', ''Spin City'', ''Kenan and Kel'', ''The Daily Show'', ''E! True Hollywood Story'', ''Judge Judy'', Churchill Insurance#Advertising, Churchill Nodding Dog, ''Arthur (TV series), Arthur'', ''Our Friends in the North'', ''The Sculptress'', ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', ''Superman: The Animated Series'', ''Beast Wars: Transformers'', ''Detective Conan'', and ''Dexter's Laboratory''; Fox News is launched; the first high-definition television broadcasts; the first DVDs and DVD players go on sale. Animal Planet is launched. Discovery Kids Channel is launched. * 1997 in television, 1997: First broadcast of ''South Park'', ''Pokémon (TV series), Pokémon'', ''Berserk (1997 TV series), Berserk'', ''King of the Hill'', ''Cow and Chicken'', ''Teletubbies'', ''Franklin (TV series), Franklin'', ''Caillou'', ''Bear in the Big Blue House'', ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Men in Black: The Series'', ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', This is Your Brain on Drugs#1997 version, Rachel Leigh Cook's Brain on Drugs, ''Todd MacFarlane's Spawn'', ''Recess (TV series), Recess'', ''Alles Kan Beter'', ''Sasuke (TV series), Sasuke'', ''Daria'', and ''I'm Alan Partridge''; first appearance of the Taco Bell Chihuahua and Mastercard#Advertising, Priceless (Mastercard); The TV Parental Guidelines television content rating system is introduced; Playhouse Disney is launched; Cartoon Network introduces Toonami; Netflix is founded; the first plasma televisions go on sale; 685 children across Japan are taken to hospitals from seizures Dennō Senshi Porygon, caused by a ''Pokémon'' episode; millions watch the funeral of Diana Spencer, Princess Diana. * 1998 in television, 1998: First broadcast of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (British game show), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'', ''The Wiggles'', ''Oggy and the Cockroaches'', ''Dawson's Creek'', ''Will & Grace'', ''Charmed'', ''Cowboy Bebop'', ''That '70s Show'', ''Bob the Builder'', ''CatDog'', ''Sex and the City'', ''The Powerpuff Girls'', ''Godzilla: The Series'', ''Elmo's World'', ''Rolie Polie Olie'', ''PB&J Otter'', ''Out of the Box (TV series), Out of the Box'', ''Gap Inc., Khakis Swing'' (''GAP Inc.''), ''WCW Thunder'', ''The Royle Family'', and ''The King of Queens''; Kingston Communications launches the first major video-on-demand service. ''VeggieTales'' airs on television for the first time with the special ''VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!'' on ION TV. * 1999 in television, 1999: First broadcast of ''Family Guy'', ''The Sopranos'', ''Crashbox'', ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''Station Zero'', ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'', ''Futurama'', ''Batman Beyond'', ''Sonic Underground'', ''Digimon Adventure, Digimon: Digital Monsters'', ''One Piece (TV series), One Piece'', ''The West Wing'', ''Whassup?'' (Budweiser), ''Spider-Man Unlimited'', ''Downtown (1999 TV series), Downtown'', ''Courage the Cowardly Dog'', ''Little Bill'', ''WWE SmackDown, WWF Smackdown'', ''The Amanda Show'', ''Happy Tree Friends'', ''Big Brother (Netherlands), Big Brother'' (Netherlands), ''Walking with..., Walking with Prehistoric Life'', ''Yo soy Betty, la fea'', ''Surfer (advertisement), Surfer'' (Guinness), ''Freaks and Geeks'', ''Trick (TV series), Trick'', ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel'', ''Zoboomafoo'' and Dragon Tales; first appearance of the GEICO advertising campaigns#The GEICO Gecko, GEICO Gecko; DIY Network is launched; the first digital video recorders (DVRs) go on sale, one of them being TiVo. OCN (TV channel), OCN is launched.


2000s

* 2000 in television, 2000: First broadcast of ''Malcolm in the Middle'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', ''MTV Cribs'', ''Survivor (American TV series), Survivor'', ''Jackass (TV series), Jackass'', ''John West Foods#Bear fight commercial, Bear Fight'' (John West Foods), ''Da Ali G Show'', HBOS Marketing Campaign, Halifax Singing Staff, ''106 & Park'', ''Just for Laughs: Gags'', ''Dora the Explorer'', ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', ''Static Shock'', ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000 TV series), Transformers: Robots in Disguise'', ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'', ''Homestar Runner'', and ''Gilmore Girls''. Nickelodeon on CBS is launched. Boomerang (TV network), Boomerang is launched as its own channel, separate from Cartoon Network. Billy Mays shoots an infomercial for OxiClean. The Foundation for a Better Life is founded. * 2001 in television, 2001: First broadcast of ''24 (TV series), 24'', ''Scrubs (TV series), Scrubs'', ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (UK), ''Band of Brothers (TV miniseries), Band of Brothers'', ''Sangdo, Merchants of Joseon'', ''The Secret Life of Us'', ''Fear Factor'', ''Angelina Ballerina (TV series), Angelina Ballerina'', ''Invader Zim'', ''Oswald (TV series), Oswald'', ''The Book of Pooh'', ''Stanley (2001 TV series), Stanley'', ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', ''Samurai Jack'', ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh!'', ''Lizzie McGuire'', ''How It's Made'', ''Smallville'', ''Six Feet Under (TV series), Six Feet Under'', ''The Fairly OddParents'', ''The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'' and ''Totally Spies!''; The Walt Disney Company buys Fox Family Worldwide; Adult Swim, a nighttime programming block on Cartoon Network, is launched; The Faith and Values Channel relaunches as the Hallmark Channel; The world witnesses the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., Washington. Regular programming is suspended in order to bring up-to-date coverage of events relating to the attacks. * 2002 in television, 2002: First broadcast of ''Naruto'', ''American Idol'', ''The Shield (TV series), The Shield'', ''City of Men'', ''Kim Possible'', ''Extreme Makeover'', ''I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'', ''8 Simple Rules'', ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'', ''Madventures (Finnish TV program), Madventures'', ''Firefly (TV series), Firefly'', ''Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'', ''100 Greatest Britons'', ''Winter Sonata'', ''Max and Ruby'', ''Teamo Supremo'', ''Mr. Bean: The Animated Series'', ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'', ''Icons (TV series), Icons'', ''Clone High'', ''Spider-Man: The New Animated Series'', ''George Lopez (TV series), George Lopez'', ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', ''Liberty's Kids'', ''Endurance (TV series), Endurance'', ''The Wire'', ''Transformers: Armada'', What's New, Scooby-Doo? and Cyberchase. Discovery HD Theater, the first 24/7 high definition basic cable network, is launched. Nicktoons (American TV channel), Nicktoons (the TV channel) is launched. * 2003 in television, 2003: First broadcast of ''Two and a Half Men'', ''One Tree Hill (TV series), One Tree Hill'', ''Fullmetal Alchemist (TV series), Fullmetal Alchemist'', ''Teen Titans (TV series), Teen Titans'', ''The O.C.'', ''That's So Raven'', Cog (advertisement), Cog (Honda), ''Chappelle's Show'', ''Reno 911!'', ''MythBusters'', ''Dirty Jobs'', Peugeot 206, Peugeot 206 Sculptor, ''Jojo's Circus'', ''Rubbadubbers'', ''Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks'', ''Red vs. Blue'', ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'', ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'', ''My Life as a Teenage Robot'', ''All In (TV series), All In'', ''Little Britain (sketch show), Little Britain'', ''Peep Show (British TV series), Peep Show'', ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'', ''Los Serrano'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''The Venture Bros.'', ''Transformers: Energon'', and ''Making Fiends (web series), Making Fiends'' (the web series); first appearance of iPod advertising#Silhouette style, Silhouette Style (iPod); Rooster Teeth Productions is founded. * 2004 in television, 2004: First broadcast of ''Bleach (TV series), Bleach'', ''Peppa Pig'', ''Drake & Josh'', ''LazyTown'', ''Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends'', ''The Backyardigans'', ''Toddworld'', ''Winx Club'', ''Maya & Miguel'', ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'', ''Phil of the Future'', ''House (TV series), House'', ''Lost (TV series), Lost'', ''Desperate Housewives'', ''Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series), Battlestar Galactica'', ''Ghost Hunters (TV series), Ghost Hunters'', ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'', ''The Angry Video Game Nerd'', ''Hassan and Habibah'', ''Samurai Champloo'', ''Sgt. Frog'', ''Monster (manga), Monster'', Citroën C4, Citroën C4 Dancing Robot, ''Super Girl (TV series), Super Girl'', ''Veronica Mars'', ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'', Joey (TV series), Joey, ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'', ''Hell's Kitchen (British TV series), Hell's Kitchen (UK)'', ''The Apprentice (British TV series), The Apprentice'', ''Danny Phantom'', ''Overhaulin''', ''The Biggest Loser (American TV series), The Biggest Loser'', ''Higglytown Heroes'', ''Atomic Betty'' and ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends''; first appearance of the GEICO Cavemen; Allstate begins its "Are you in good hands?" advertising campaign; Dove (toiletries), Dove launches the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty; Jetix is launched; ''Euro1080'' launches the first high-definition television broadcast. * 2005 in television, 2005: First broadcast of ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Sonic X'', ''Time Warp Trio'', ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia'', ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''Spiral (TV series), Spiral'', ''Noghtechin'', ''Dancing with the Stars'', ''My Name is Earl'', ''The Closer'', ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'', ''Krypto the Superdog'', ''Johnny Test'', ''My Gym Partner's a Monkey'', ''Camp Lazlo'', ''noitulovE'' (Guinness), ''Survivorman'', ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series), So You Think You Can Dance'', ''Catscratch'', ''Bones (TV series), Bones'', ''Hell's Kitchen (American TV series), Hell's Kitchen (US)'', ''MasterChef'' (independent international versions), ''The Colbert Report'', ''How It Should Have Ended'', ''Moral Orel'', ''The Boondocks (TV series), The Boondocks'', ''Robot Chicken'', ''American Dad!'', ''Squidbillies'', Erin Esurance, ''Everybody Hates Chris'', ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'' (U.S.), ''How I Met Your Mother'', ''Criminal Minds'', ''Zoey 101'', ''Deal or No Deal (American game show), Deal or No Deal'', ''Go, Diego, Go!'', ''Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island'', ''Little Einsteins'', Pocoyo, ''Pinky Dinky Doo'', Carlton Draught: Big Ad, ''Supernatural (American TV series), Supernatural'', ''Prison Break'', ''Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf'', ''My Lovely Sam Soon'', ''Sto Para Pente'', ''Ben 10 (2005 TV series), Ben 10'' and ''Puppy Bowl''; PBS Kids Sprout is launched. The Doctor Who (series 1), ''Doctor Who'' revival series begins, 16 years after the original show's cancellation in 1989. Toon Boom Animation, Toon Boom Harmony is released. * 2006 in television, 2006: First broadcast of ''Death Note'', ''High School Musical'', ''Türkisch für Anfänger'', ''Planet Earth (2006 TV series), Planet Earth'', ''Man vs. Wild'', ''Jumong (TV series), Jumong'', ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', ''Psych'', ''Dancing on Ice'', ''Dexter (TV series), Dexter'', ''Torchwood'', ''Friday Night Lights (TV series), Friday Night Lights'', ''Ugly Betty'', ''Hannah Montana'', ''The Upside Down Show'', ''El Hormiguero'', ''Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!'', ''Curious George (TV series), Curious George'', ''Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman'', ''WordGirl'', ''It's a Big Big World'', ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'', ''Handy Manny'', ''Squirrel Boy'', ''Class of 3000'', ''Kappa Mikey'', ''Wonder Pets'', ''Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes'', ''Top Chef'', ''The IT Crowd'', ''Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe'', ''Code Geass'' and ''30 Rock''; the Netherlands is the first country to move to digital television; France 24 launched; HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc launched; First appearance of The Most Interesting Man in the World (Dos Equis). The WB and UPN shut down and merge to become The CW. BabyFirst is launched. Discovery Times is relaunched as Investigation Discovery (ID). AT&T U-verse is launched. ''Cocomelon'' is launched (as ''ThatsMEonTV''). Crunchyroll is Launched. tvN (South Korean TV channel), tvN is launched. Luxembourg becomes the first country to complete a Digital television transition, wholesale switch from analog television to digital over-the-air (terrestrial television) broadcasting. * 2007 in television, 2007: First broadcast of ''Bakugan Battle Brawlers'', ''The Big Bang Theory'', ''Britain's Got Talent'', ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', ''Total Drama'', ''My Friends Tigger & Pooh'', ''Gossip Girl'', ''iCarly'', ''Captain Disillusion'', ''Nostalgia Critic'', ''Zero Punctuation'', ''Heartland (Canadian TV series), Heartland'', ''Shaun the Sheep'', ''The Naked Brothers Band (TV series), The Naked Brothers Band'', the John Lewis Christmas advert, ''Burn Notice'', ''The Golden Path (TV series), The Golden Path'', ''Pushing Daisies'', Monkey (character), Monkey and Al (PG Tips), ''Wizards of Waverly Place'', ''Super Why!'', ''Wordworld'', ''Phineas and Ferb'', ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', ''Chowder (TV series), Chowder'', ''Transformers: Animated'', ''Back at the Barnyard'', ''Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?'', ''Golden Bride'', ''The Killing (Danish TV series), The Killing'', ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'', ''Mad Men'', ''Damages (TV series), Damages'', and ''Storm Chasers (TV series), Storm Chasers''; first appearance of ''Gorilla (advertisement), Gorilla'' (Cadbury's Dairy Milk); a 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, writers' strike shuts down U.S. scripted programming in November. Hulu is launched. CNN/YouTube presidential debates, CNN and YouTube sponsor U.S. presidential debates. * 2008 in television, 2008: First broadcast of ''Breaking Bad'', ''The Mentalist'', ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series), Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', ''The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series), The Spectacular Spider-Man'', ''The Secret Saturdays'', ''Speed Racer: The Next Generation'', ''Iron Man: Armored Adventures'', ''The Penguins of Madagascar'', ''The Garfield Show'', ''Making Fiends (TV series), Making Fiends'' (the TV series), ''The Suite Life on Deck'', ''Imagination Movers (TV series), Imagination Movers'', ''Wipeout (2008 U.S. game show), Wipeout'', ''Martha Speaks (TV series), Martha Speaks'', ''Ni Hao, Kai-Lan'', ''Sid the Science Kid'', ''True Blood'', ''Simon's Cat'', ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe'', ''Dogs 101'', ''Time Warp (TV series), Time Warp'', ''Underbelly (TV series), Underbelly'', ''The Inbetweeners'', ''Radio Arvyla'', ''19 Kids and Counting'', ''The Yogscast'', ''Extra Credits'', ''The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack'', and ''Ben 10: Alien Force'', and Hole in the Wall (American game show), ''Hole in the Wall''; First appearance of the Progressive Insurance mascot Flo (Progressive), Flo; the launch of Discovery Channel's ''I Love the World'' ad campaign; the first 3D TV broadcasts; the historical miniseries ''John Adams (miniseries), John Adams'' premieres on HBO and wins a record-breaking thirteen Emmys. DIC Entertainment folds into
Cookie Jar Group Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. (also known as Cookie Jar Group and originally known as CINAR; renamed as DHX Cookie Jar Inc. from 2012 until 2014, or simply just Cookie Jar) was a Canadian media production and distribution company owned by DHX ...
. Amazon Unbox is renamed to Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Instant Video on Demand. * 2009 in television, 2009: First broadcast of ''Modern Family'', ''Special Agent Oso'', ''Jungle Junction'', ''Zeke and Luther'', ''Big Time Rush'', ''The Fresh Beat Band'', ''Aaron Stone'', ''The Troop'', ''The Super Hero Squad Show'', ''Pawn Stars'', ''American Ninja Warrior'', ''Cake Boss'', ''Tosh.0'', ''Jersey Shore (TV series), Jersey Shore'', ''Castle (TV series), Castle'', ''Horrible Histories (2009 TV series), Horrible Histories'', ''Dinosaur Train'', ''Cats 101'', Compare the Meerkat, ''The Vampire Diaries'', ''The Good Wife'', ''Cougar Town'', ''Archer (2009 TV series), Archer'', ''Toddlers and Tiaras'', ''16 and Pregnant'', ''Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'', ''The Middle (TV series), The Middle'', ''Glee (TV series), Glee'', ''Parks and Recreation'', ''Community (TV series), Community'', ''Misfits (TV series), Misfits'', ''Ancient Aliens'', ''Monsters Inside Me'', ''River Monsters'', ''Annoying Orange'', ''Fanboy and Chum Chum'', and ''Equals Three''; Discovery Kids Channel is re-launched as Discovery Family, The Hub through a joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery, Inc.; Toon Disney is rebranded as Disney XD; Nick Jr. and TeenNick are launched; Cartoon Network introduces "CN Real", a block of live-action reality shows including ''Destroy Build Destroy''.


2010s

* 2010 in television, 2010: First broadcast of ''Adventure Time'', ''Regular Show'', ''Fish Hooks'', ''Team Umizoomi'', ''Victorious'', ''Sym-Bionic Titan'', ''Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'', ''Mad (TV series), Mad'', ''Downton Abbey'', ''Glass Home'', ''Borgen (TV series), Borgen'', ''The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!'', ''Sherlock (TV series), Sherlock'', ''Solsidan (TV series), Solsidan'', ''Pretty Little Liars'', ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', ''Boardwalk Empire'', ''Parenthood (2010 TV series), Parenthood'', ''Louie (American TV series), Louie'', ''Conan (talk show), Conan'', ''The Great British Bake Off'', ''Octonauts'', ''Mike & Molly'', ''Treme (TV series), Treme'', ''Mysteries at the Museum'', ''My Strange Addiction'', ''Luther (TV series), Luther'', ''Zevo-3'', ''Storage Wars'', ''Through the Wormhole'', ''How the Universe Works'', ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', ''Young Justice (TV series), Young Justice'', ''Transformers: Prime'', ''Good Luck Charlie'', ''Pair of Kings'', ''Kick Buttowski'', ''The Jungle Book (2010 TV series), The Jungle Book'', ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'', ''Sidekick (TV series), Sidekick'', ''Ben 10: Ultimate Alien'' and ''The Voice of Holland, The Voice'' (Holland); first airing of "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" (Old Spice); 2010 Tonight Show conflict, ''Tonight Show'' conflict between Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. * 2011 in television, 2011: First broadcast of ''Game of Thrones'', ''Black Mirror'', ''Bob's Burgers'', ''The Looney Tunes Show'', ''Leyla ile Mecnun,'' ''Once Upon a Time (TV series), Once Upon a Time'', ''American Horror Story'', ''The Killing (American TV series), The Killing'', ''The Voice (American TV series), The Voice USA'', ''Austin & Ally'', ''Suits (American TV series), Suits'', ''Teen Wolf (2011 TV series), Teen Wolf'', ''Wild Kratts'' ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'', ''Justin Time (TV series), Justin Time'', ''My Babysitter's a Vampire (TV series), My Babysitter's a Vampire'', ''Impractical Jokers'', ''Brain Games (2011 TV series), Brain Games'', ''Tanked (TV series), Tanked'', ''Finding Bigfoot'', ''Call of the Wildman'', ''My Cat from Hell'', ''Too Cute (TV series), Too Cute'', ''The Amazing World of Gumball'', ''Episodes (TV series), Episodes'', ''Secret Mountain Fort Awesome'', ''The Problem Solverz'', ''ThunderCats (2011 TV series), ThunderCats'', ''LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'', ''Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness'', ''Last Man Standing (American TV series), Last Man Standing'', ''Shameless (American TV series), Shameless'', ''Grimm (TV series), Grimm'', ''2 Broke Girls'', ''Game Theory (series)'', ''New Girl'', ''Bubble Guppies'', ''Homeland (TV series), Homeland'', ''Almost Naked Animals'', ''A.N.T. Farm'', ''Kickin' It'', and ''Dan Vs.''; State Farm premieres its "State of..." advertising campaign, which includes the "State of Unrest" commercial (a.k.a. "Jake from State Farm"); Discovery HD Theater is re-launched as Velocity (TV network), Velocity; Disney Junior is launched; Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is launched; millions watch Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Prince William marry Kate Middleton; IBM's Watson (computer), Watson competes against former champions Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings on ''Jeopardy!''; The Yogscast formally incorporates as a company; Twitch (service), Twitch is launched; Barack Obama, President Obama announces the death of Osama bin Laden on live television. * 2012 in television, 2012: First broadcast of ''Gravity Falls'', ''Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series), Ultimate Spider-Man'', ''Lab Rats (American TV series), Lab Rats'', ''Dog with a Blog'', ''Doc McStuffins'', ''Marvin Marvin'', ''Ben 10: Omniverse'', ''The Legend of Korra'', ''The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange'', ''Game Grumps'', ''Did You Know Gaming?'', ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (TV series), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', ''Sword Art Online (2012 TV series), Sword Art Online'', ''Duck Dynasty'', ''Outrageous Acts of Science'', ''Satyamev Jayate (TV series), Satyamev Jayate'', ''Girls (TV series), Girls'', ''Scandal (TV series), Scandal'', ''Nashville (2012 TV series), Nashville'', ''Državni posao'', ''Motu Patlu'', ''Call the Midwife'', ''Mystery Diners'', ''Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States'', ''House of Lies'', ''Veep'', the Arrowverse#Television series, Arrowverse, ''Catfish: The TV Show'', ''Screen Junkies#Honest Trailers, Honest Trailers'', ''The Mindy Project'', ''Omar (TV series), Omar'', ''Key & Peele'', ''Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood'', ''Kitchen (TV series), Kitchen'', ''Hotel Impossible'', ''Here Comes Honey Boo Boo'', and ''My 600-lb Life''; ''Overhaulin''' receives a revival series. First appearance of Stressmannetje (De Lijn); The Red Bull Stratos jump; The 2012 London Olympics becomes the most-watched event of the year. * 2013 in television, 2013: First broadcast of ''Attack on Titan'', ''Rick and Morty'', ''Steven Universe'', ''Wander Over Yonder'', ''Uncle Grandpa'', ''Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures'', ''Sam & Cat'', ''Incredible Crew'', ''Teen Titans Go!'', ''PAW Patrol'', ''Sofia the First'', ''Henry Hugglemonster'', ''Liv and Maddie'', ''Sanjay and Craig'', ''The Thundermans'', ''The Haunted Hathaways'', ''The Americans'', ''Peaky Blinders (TV series), Peaky Blinders'', ''Avengers Assemble (TV series), Avengers Assemble'', ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', ''The Following'', ''House of Cards (American TV series), House of Cards'', ''Bates Motel (TV series), Bates Motel'', ''Pakdam Pakdai'', ''Gogglebox'', ''Broadchurch'', ''Hannibal (TV series), Hannibal'', ''Vikings (2013 TV series), Vikings'', ''Orange is the New Black'', ''The Goldbergs (2013 TV series), The Goldbergs'' and ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine''; First appearance of ''Epic Split'' (Volvo Trucks) and ''Mercedes Benz, Chicken'' (Mercedes Benz) * 2014 in television, 2014: First broadcast of ''True Detective (TV series), True Detective'', ''Black-ish'', ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'', ''Fargo (TV series), Fargo'', ''BoJack Horseman'', ''Gotham (TV series), Gotham'', ''Scorpion (TV series), Scorpion'', ''Gomorrah (TV series), Gomorrah'', ''The 100 (TV series), The 100'', ''Outlander (TV series), Outlander'', ''Lucha Underground'', ''Transparent (TV series), Transparent'', ''Broad City'', ''Over the Garden Wall'', ''Clarence (American TV series), Clarence'', ''Sonic Boom (TV series), Sonic Boom'', ''Star Wars Rebels'', ''Blaze and the Monster Machines'', ''Breadwinners (TV series), Breadwinners'', ''Silicon Valley (TV series), Silicon Valley'', ''The Leftovers (TV series), The Leftovers'', ''Jane the Virgin'', ''Chrisley Knows Best'', ''Girl Meets World'', ''I Didn't Do It (TV series), I Didn't Do It'', and ''Henry Danger''; CBS All Access is launched; Twitch (service), Twitch is bought by Amazon (company), Amazon. * 2015 in television, 2015: First broadcast of ''Better Call Saul'', ''Star vs. the Forces of Evil'', ''Game Shakers'', ''Empire (2015 TV series), Empire'', ''Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir'', ''Narcos'', ''Daredevil (TV series), Daredevil'', ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV series), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', Trivago#Marketing#The "Trivago girl", Trivago Girl, ''Lucifer (TV series), Lucifer'', ''Life in Pieces'', ''Fresh Off the Boat'', ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'', ''Love Island (2015 TV series), Love Island'', ''Mr. Robot'', ''Film Theory (series)'', ''Local 58'', ''We Bare Bears'', ''Harvey Beaks'', ''Pig Goat Banana Cricket'', ''Supernoobs'', ''Shimmer and Shine'', ''Guardians of the Galaxy (TV series), Guardians of the Galaxy'', ''Schitt's Creek'', ''Critical Role'', ''Master of None'', ''Deutschland 83'', ''Lip Sync Battle'', ''F is for Family'', ''The Man in the High Castle (TV series), The Man in the High Castle'' and ''Superstore (TV series), Superstore''; Super Bowl XLIX breaks the record for most-watched program in the history of American television; Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather–Pacquiao boxing match is history's biggest pay-per-view fight; Sling TV is founded; Amazon Instant Video becomes Amazon Video; Steve Harvey hosts the Miss Universe 2015 pageant in Las Vegas and mistakenly names the first runner-up, Miss Colombia (Ariadna Gutiérrez) as the winner, announcing shortly after that he had read the results incorrectly and that Miss Philippines (Pia Wurtzbach) was the new Miss Universe; ten are killed during Villa Castelli helicopter collision, a helicopter crash during filming of reality series ''Dropped (French TV series), Dropped''. * 2016 in television, 2016: First broadcast of ''The Haunted House (anime), The Haunted House'', ''Stranger Things'', ''My Hero Academia'', ''The Night Of'', ''The Loud House'', ''Elena of Avalor'', ''Bizaardvark'', The Lion Guard, ''Fleabag'', ''War & Peace (2016 TV series), War & Peace'', ''Roots (2016 miniseries), Roots'', ''Mann Mayal'', ''Chhoti Anandi'', ''Atlanta (TV series), Atlanta'', ''This Is Us'', ''The Good Place'', ''Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'', ''MatPat's Game Lab'', ''Escape the Night'', ''American Housewife'', ''American Crime Story'', ''Insecure (TV series), Insecure'', ''Degrassi: Next Class'', ''Westworld (TV series), Westworld'', ''Tales of Arcadia'', ''Victoria (British TV series), Victoria'', ''Ben 10 (2016 TV series), Ben 10'', ''The Crown (TV series), The Crown'', and ''Fuller House (TV series), Fuller House''; Amazon Prime Video is launched worldwide (except for Mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria), expanding its reach beyond the United States; ABC Family is re-launched as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform; Beam (website), Beam is launched and is bought by Microsoft in the same year. The last known company in the world to manufacture VHS equipment (VCR/DVD combos), Funai of Japan, ceases production, citing shrinking demand and difficulties procuring parts. * 2017 in television, 2017: First broadcast of ''Money Heist'', ''American Gods (TV series), American Gods'', ''Riverdale (2017 TV series), Riverdale'', ''Big Little Lies (TV series), Big Little Lies'', ''Young Sheldon'', ''Star Trek: Discovery'', ''DuckTales (2017 TV series), DuckTales'' (2017), ''Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Tangled: The Series'' (later known as ''Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure''), ''Spider-Man (2017 TV series), Marvel's Spider-Man'', ''Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid'', ''Hanazuki: Full of Treasures'', ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'', ''The End of the F***ing World'', ''Big Mouth (American TV series), Big Mouth'', ''Bill Nye Saves the World'', ''Mind Field'', ''The Handmaid's Tale (TV series), The Handmaid's Tale'', ''Big City Greens'', ''GLOW (TV series), GLOW'', ''Counterpart (TV series), Counterpart'', ''Legion (TV series), Legion'', ''A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series), A Series of Unfortunate Events'', and ''Petscop''; At the 89th Academy Awards, the film ''Moonlight (2016 film), Moonlight'' is announced the correct winner for Best Picture, after actors Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty announce ''La La Land (film), La La Land'', another acclaimed film, the winner by mistake on national television; Sprout is rebranded as Universal Kids; Beam is renamed to Mixer (service), Mixer. * 2018 in television, 2018: First broadcast of ''Cobra Kai'', ''Hilda (TV series), Hilda'', ''The Circle (British TV series), The Circle'', ''Bluey (2018 TV series), Bluey'', ''Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan'', ''Barry (TV series), Barry'', ''Killing Eve'', ''Bodyguard (British TV series), Bodyguard'', ''Pose (TV series), Pose'', ''Succession (TV series), Succession'', ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'', ''Total DramaRama'', ''Disenchantment (TV series), Disenchantment'', ''The Last O.G.'', ''Narcos: Mexico'', ''A.P. Bio'', ''Kidding (TV series), Kidding'', ''Lodge 49'', ''Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj'', ''Carpool Karaoke: The Series, Carpool Karaoke'', ''Cloak & Dagger (TV series), Cloak & Dagger'', ''Final Space'', ''Forever (2018 TV series), Forever'', ''Pop Team Epic'', ''Homecoming (TV series), Homecoming'', ''Manifest (TV series), Manifest'', ''Grown-ish'', ''Splitting Up Together'', and ''The Kids Are Alright (TV series), The Kids Are Alright''; Velocity is rebranded as Motor Trend (TV network), Motor Trend; millions watch Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, marry Meghan Markle. * 2019 in television, 2019: First broadcast of ''Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba'', ''Love, Death & Robots'', ''Chernobyl (miniseries), Chernobyl'', ''The Mandalorian'', ''Harley Quinn (TV series), Harley Quinn'', ''Watchmen (TV series), Watchmen'', ''His Dark Materials (TV series), His Dark Materials'', ''Hazbin Hotel'', ''The Slow Mo Guys, Planet Slow Mo'', ''The Masked Singer (American TV series), The Masked Singer'', ''The Boys (TV series), The Boys'', ''All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite'', ''Russian Doll (TV series), Russian Doll'', ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', ''Green Eggs and Ham (TV series), Green Eggs and Ham'', ''The Umbrella Academy (TV series), The Umbrella Academy'', ''Euphoria (American TV series), Euphoria'', ''Ramy (TV series), Ramy'', ''The Casagrandes'', ''What We Do in the Shadows (TV series), What We Do in the Shadows'', ''The Other Two (TV series), The Other Two'', ''Amphibia (TV series), Amphibia'', ''Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese'', ''Undone (TV series), Undone'', ''Black Monday (TV series), Black Monday'', ''Hanna (TV series), Hanna'', ''Sex Education (TV series), Sex Education'', ''When They See Us'', ''The Promised Neverland'', ''Dr. Stone'', ''Carmen Sandiego (TV series), Carmen Sandiego'', ''Good Omens (TV series), Good Omens'', ''The Morning Show (American TV series), The Morning Show'', ''Mixed-ish'' and ''Schooled (TV series), Schooled''; the Viacom (2005–2019), second incarnation of Viacom and the CBS Corporation, second incarnation of CBS Corporation 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom, merge to form ViacomCBS, ViacomCBS Inc.; The Walt Disney Company launches its streaming service, Disney+; HBO Max is launched.


2020s

* 2020 in television, 2020: First broadcast of ''Tiger King'', ''Ted Lasso'', ''Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist'', ''Avenue 5'', ''I May Destroy You'', ''Stargirl (TV series), Stargirl'', ''Dispatches from Elsewhere'', ''The Owl House'', ''Side Hustle'', ''The Great (2020 TV series), The Great'', ''Dash & Lily'', ''Solar Opposites'', ''Central Park (TV series), Central Park'', ''Close Enough'' and ''Utopia Falls''; the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television, COVID-19 pandemic shuts down production on many television programs; ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy in the Philippines; Peacock (streaming service), Peacock is launched. TVING is launched. * 2021 in television, 2021: First broadcast of ''Squid Game'', ''Invincible (TV series), Invincible'', ''Girls5eva'', ''Hacks (TV series), Hacks'', ''Reservation Dogs'', ''That Girl Lay Lay'', ''Only Murders in the Building'', ''Abbott Elementary'', ''It's a Sin (TV series), It's a Sin'', ''Mandela Catalogue'', and the first of the List of Marvel Cinematic Universe television series#Marvel Studios, Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ shows; Paramount+ is launched. * 2022 in television, 2022: First broadcast of ''Severance (TV series), Severance'', ''Dancing with Myself (TV series), Dancing with Myself'', ''Chainsaw Man'', ''Hamster & Gretel'', ''Smiling Friends'', ''The Baby (TV series), The Baby'', ''Don't Hug Me I'm Scared'', ''All American: Homecoming'', and ''Becoming A Popstar''; billions watch the state funeral of Elizabeth II, speculated to be the most watched television event in history * 2023 in television, 2023: First broadcast of ''Hazbin Hotel'', ''The Last of Us (TV series), The Last of Us''.


See also

* List of years in film * List of years in animation * Table of years in radio * Timeline of the BBC * Timeline of the introduction of television in countries * List of web television series * List of years in American television * List of years in Australian television * List of years in Austrian television * List of years in Belgian television * List of years in Brazilian television * List of years in British television * List of years in Canadian television * List of years in Croatian television * List of years in Czech television * List of years in Danish television * List of years in Dutch television * List of years in Estonian television * List of years in French television * List of years in German television * List of years in Greek television * List of years in Hong Kong television * List of years in Indian television * List of years in Indonesian television * List of years in Irish television * List of years in Israeli television * List of years in Italian television * List of years in Japanese television * List of years in Mexican television * List of years in New Zealand television * List of years in Norwegian television * List of years in Pakistani television * List of years in Philippine television * List of years in Polish television * List of years in Portuguese television * List of years in Scottish television * List of years in Singapore television * List of years in South African television * List of years in South Korean television * List of years in Spanish television * List of years in Swedish television * List of years in Thai television * List of years in Turkish television


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Television by year Culture-related timelines Television lists, Years Timelines by year Lists of years by topic