1980 in television
|
|
See also: 1979 in television, other events of 1980, 1981 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
For the American network television schedule, please see 1980-81 American network television schedule.
| Contents |
Events
- February 1 - After a brief return, the soap opera Love of Life airs its last episode, after twenty-nine years on the air.
- February 14 - Walter Cronkite announces his retirement from the CBS Evening News.
- February 15 - New Zealand's Television One and Television Two go to air under the newly formed Television New Zealand.
- March 21 - On the season finale of the soap opera Dallas, the infamous character J.R. Ewing is shot by an unseen assailant leading to the catchphrase "Who Shot JR?"
- April 4 - Violet Carson makes her last appearance as Ena Sharples on Coronation Street.
- April 7 - The Oldest Living Graduate, a live drama on NBC, is broadcast; the network had not aired a program like it since 1962. The production is aired from Southern Methodist University and stars Henry Fonda, George Grizzard, and Cloris Leachman.
- June 1 - The Cable News Network begins broadcasting.
- August 1 - After a failed experiment, the soap opera Another World airs its last regularly scheduled ninety-minute episode. The show returns to sixty minutes on August 4.
- December 30 - After 26 years, the longest-running prime-time TV series Disney's Wonderful World is cancelled by NBC. It was picked up by CBS the next fall.
- The David Letterman Show debuts on NBC. Letterman's humor does not go over well with a morning audience, and the show is soon cancelled. Letterman would go on to host a late night show two years later.
- US viewers get caught up in the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff hanger on the soap opera series, Dallas, which is solved on a November 21 episode, drawing a record numbers of viewers.
- Armchair Thriller is taken off air (1978-1980, intermittently since 1956 as Armchair Theatre and Armchair Cinema) (UK).
Debuts
- January 29 - Kingswood Country premieres on ATN-7 in Australia (1980-1984).
- March 3 - That's Incredible! (1980-1984).
- April 11 - Fridays premieres on ABC (1980-1982).
- May 30 - The Other 'Arf premieres on ITV starring Lorraine Chase (1980-1984).
- August 4 - Texas, the first soap opera to air hour-long episodes from the beginning, debuts in the slot largely vacated by Another World (1980-1982).
- October 1 - This Old House (1980-present).
- October 30 - It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989).
- November 27 - Bosom Buddies (1980-1982).
- December 11 - Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988).
- Solid Gold (1980-1988).
- Too Close for Comfort (1980-1986).
Television shows
- Meet the Press (1947-present).
- Candid Camera (1948-present).
- Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
- Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
- Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
- Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
- American Bandstand (1952-1989).
- Guiding Light (1952-present).
- The Today Show (1952-present).
- Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
- The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
- Face the Nation (1954-present).
- The Tonight Show (1954-present).
- Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
- The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
- This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
- As the World Turns (1956-present).
- The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
- What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
- The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
- Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
- Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
- Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
- Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
- The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
- Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
- General Hospital (1963-present).
- The Doctors (1963-1982).
- Another World (1964-1999).
- Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
- Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
- Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
- World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
- Play School (1966-present).
- The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
- 60 Minutes (1968-present).
- One Life to Live (1968-present).
- Hee Haw (1969-1993).
- Sesame Street (1969-present).
- The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989).
- All My Children (1970-present).
- Monday Night Football (1970-present).
- Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
- Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
- Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
- Soul Train (1971-present).
- Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
- Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
- John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
- M*A*S*H (1972-1983).
- The Price Is Right (1972-present).
- The Waltons (1972-1981).
- Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
- Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
- Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
- Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986).
- Superstars (UK) (1973-1985, 2003-2005).
- The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982).
- The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
- Countdown (Australia) (1974-1987).
- Derrick (1974-1998).
- Happy Days (1974-1984).
- Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983).
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974-1984).
- Tiswas (UK) (1974-1982).
- Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
- Barney Miller (1975-1982).
- Good Morning America (1975-present).
- Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
- Match Game PM (1975-1981).
- One Day at a Time (1975-1984).
- Runaround (UK) (1975-1981).
- Ryan's Hope (1975-1989).
- Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
- The Don Lane Show (Australia) (1975-1983).
- the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
- The Jeffersons (1975-1985).
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
- Alice (1976-1985).
- Charlie's Angels (1976-1981).
- Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
- Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983).
- Quincy, M.E. (1976-1983).
- Second City Television (SCTV) (Canada) (1976-1984).
- The Muppet Show (UK) (1976-1981).
- The P.T.L. Club (1976-1987).
- CHiPs (1977-1983).
- Eight is Enough (1977-1981).
- Fantasy Island (1977-1984).
- In Search of... (1977-1982).
- Lou Grant (1977-1982).
- Soap (1977-1981).
- The Love Boat (1977-1986).
- Three's Company (1977-1984).
- 20/20 (1978-present).
- 3-2-1 (UK) (1978-1987).
- Battle of the Planets (1978-1985).
- Dallas (1978-1991).
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986).
- Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
- Mork & Mindy (1978-1982).
- Taxi (1978-1983).
- WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982).
- Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983).
- Benson (1979-1986).
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981).
- Disney's Wonderful World (1979-1981).
- Knots Landing (1979-1993).
- Real People (1979-1984).
- The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985).
- The Facts of Life (1979-1988).
- Trapper John, M.D. (1979-1986).
- You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
Ending this year
- Love of Life (1951-1980).
- Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
- Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
- Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
- The Rockford Files (1974-1980).
- King of Kensington (Canada) (1975-1980).
- Angie (1979-1980).
Births
- January 12 - Lucy Gaskell, English actress.
- January 30 - Wilmer Valderrama, US actor.
- March 7 - Laura Prepon, US actress.
- September 6 - Kerry McFadden, British television presenter.
- October 17 - Justin Shenkarow, voice actor ("Harold Berman" from Hey Arnold!).
- December 25 - Laura Sadler, British actress.
Deaths
- January 29 - Jimmy Durante, US actor, singer.
- February 13 - David Janssen, US actor.
- March 5 - Jay Silverheels, US actor (born in Canada).
- April 29 - Alfred Hitchcock, film director and TV host.
- August 14 - Dorothy Stratten, Canadian actress and Playboy model.