1961 in television
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See also: 1960 in television, other events of 1961, 1962 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
For the American network television schedule, please see 1961-62 American network television schedule.
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Events
- July 1 - The soap opera The Brighter Day airs its first episode after moving taping locations from New York City to Los Angeles. As a result, key character Babby Dennis and her love interest are mysteriously written out of the show; the actors who played them did not want to move.
- September - NBC begins its long-running Saturday Night at the Movies series with an airing of the 1953 Marilyn Monroe picture How to Marry a Millionaire.
- December 31 - RTÉ starts television broadcasts, bringing television to Ireland for the first time.
- John F. Kennedy holds the first live televised Presidential press conference.
- Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966) is cancelled due to lack of interest from American broadcasters. The series would be revived and revamped in 1964.
Debuts
- January 5 - Mister Ed debuts (1961-1966).
- January - The Avengers premieres in the UK (1961-1969).
- August 19 - Four Corners, Australia's first current affairs program, premieres (1961-present).
- Ben Casey premieres (1961-1966).
- The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1961-1966).
- The Fulton Sheen Program premieres (1961-1968).
- The Mike Douglas Show premieres (1961-1981).
Television shows
- Meet the Press (1947-present).
- Candid Camera (1948-present).
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
- Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
- Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
- The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963).
- The Jack Benny Show (1950-1965).
- Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
- What's My Line (1950-1967).
- Love of Life (1951-1980).
- Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
- American Bandstand (1952-1989).
- The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).
- The Guiding Light (1952-present).
- The Honeymooners (1952-1970).
- The Today Show (1952-present).
- Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
- The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
- Face the Nation (1954-present).
- The Brighter Day (1954-1962).
- The Milton Berle Show (1954-1967).
- The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
- The Tonight Show (1954-present).
- Zoo Quest (UK) (1954-1964).
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962).
- Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
- Cheyenne (1955-1962).
- Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
- Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
- The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
- This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
- Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968).
- As the World Turns (1956-present).
- Hancock's Half Hour (1956-1962).
- Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
- The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
- The Price Is Right (1956-1965).
- What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
- Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963).
- The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
- Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
- Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
- The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966).
- Walt Disney Presents (1958-1961) ends on September 17 to resume on September 24 on NBC as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969).
- Bonanza (1959-1973).
- Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963).
- Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959-1968)
- The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002).
- Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
- Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966)
- My Three Sons (1960-1972).
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
- The Flintstones (1960-1966).
Ending this year
- September - Peter Gunn (1958-1961).
- This Is Your Life (US) (1952-1961).
- The Army Game (UK) (1957-1961).
Changes of network affiliation
- Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color moves from ABC to NBC to take advantage of the latter network's color broadcasting abilities.
Births
- January 13 - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress
- April 6 - Gene Eugene Andrusco, actor, lead singer of Adam Again
- April 21, Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor
- June 9 - Michael J. Fox, actor
- July 27 - Gabrielle Glaister, actress