1981 in television

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Debuts
3 Popular Television Shows
4 Ending this year
5 Births
6 Deaths

Events

January 20 - Comedian Andy Kaufman ruins sketches and starts a brawl live on the air during ABC's Friday's.
April 11 - Van Halen's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli
August 1 - The MTV network debuts on Cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day
Luke and Lauras's Wedding on General Hospital, becomes one of the most watched wedding in television history, second only to the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

Alice (1976-1985)
All My Children (1970-present)
Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983)
Barney Miller (1975-1982)
Dallas (1978-1991)
Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986)
Dr Who (1963-1989)
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985)
The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
Happy Days (1974-1984)
The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
Knots Landing (1979-1993)
Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983)
Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982)
Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
The Love Boat (1977-1986)
Magnum, P.I (1980-1988)
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
One Day at a Time (1975-1984)
Real People (1979-1984)
Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
Sesame Street (1969-present)
60 Minutes (1968-present)
Taxi (1978-1983)
That's Incredible (1980-1984)
Three's Company (1977-1984)
The Tonight Show (1954-present)
Trapper John, M.D (1979-1986)
WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982)
Walt Disney (1954-1983)
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)

Charlie's Angels (1976-1981)
Eight is Enough (1977-1981)
The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
Soap (1977-1981)
The Waltons (1972-1981)

? - Jamil Walker Smith, voice actor ("Gerald Martin Johanseen" and "Peapod Kid" from Hey Arnold)