1990 in television

Template:TV years header

For the American network television schedule, please see 1990-91 American network television schedule.

Contents

1 Events 2 Debuts 3 Television shows 4 Ending this year 5 Cancelled, but eventually to return on air 6 Deaths

Events

• January 2 - All My Children airs its 20th anniversary special. The characters Joe and Ruth Martin sit down with Erica Kane, her mother Mona, and Phoebe Wallingford as they go through scrapbook pictures which segue into memorable clips from the show's past twenty years.
• January 21 - MTV Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze.
• February 17 - Aerosmith appears in the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, where they perform the Wayne's World theme song.
• March - On All My Children, actress Debbi Morgan, one-half of the first black supercouple, leaves the role of Angie Baxter Hubbard.
• April 30 - The long-lost pilot film to I Love Lucy airs on CBS as a special.
• May 11 - A trick backfires on J.R. when his enemy conspires to trap him inside an insane asylum on the season finale of Dallas.
• June 27 - Genie Francis, in an attempt to shed her image as Laura Spencer, starts playing her third soap role, as Irishwoman Ceara Connor on All My Children. *July - The Cruise of Deception storyline airs on Days of Our Lives.
• September 26 - The poorly received Cop Rock premieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
• October 15 - Legislation is signed into United States law requiring closed captioning decoders in all large color TVs manufactured after July 1, 1993.
• CBS starts airing its daytime lineup in stereo sound, after competition from NBC and ABC necessitated the change in standard.
• Chris Farley and Adam Sandler join Saturday Night Live.

Debuts

• January 7 - Road to Avonlea premieres, airing on CBC in Canada and on The Disney Channel in the US (1990-1996).
• January - One Foot in the Grave premieres on the BBC (1990-2000).
• September - America's Funniest People premieres (1990-1994).
• September 13 - Law & Order premieres (1990-present).
• September 16 - America's Funniest Home Videos premieres (1990-present).
• April 15- In Living Color premieres (1990-1994).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
• Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• 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 Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• 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).
• All My Children (1970-present).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
• Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Derrick (1974-1998).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
• 20/20 (1978-present).
• Dallas (1978-1991).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
• Knots Landing (1979-1993).
• This Old House (1980-present).
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
• What Now (1982-present)
• Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
• Cheers (1982-1993).
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
• The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
• Loving (1983-1995).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
• Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
• Night Court (1984-1992).
• Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992).
• Who's the Boss? (1984-1992).
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
• Growing Pains (1985-1992).
• MacGyver (1985-1992).
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
• Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
• Amen (1986-1991).
• Designing Women (1986-1993).
• Double Dare (1986-1993).
• Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
• L.A. Law (1986-1994).
• Matlock (1986-1995).
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991).
• Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
• Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
• Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
• A Different World (1987-1993).
• Full House (1987-1995).
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
• Knightmare (UK) (1987-1994).
• Married... with Children (1987-1997).
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994).
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
• thirtysomething (1987-1991).
• America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
• The American Experience (1988-present).
• Fair City (1988-present).
• Home and Away (1988-present).
• This Morning (1988-present).
• Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
• Children's Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
• Empty Nest (1988-1995).
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
• Garfield and Friends (1988-1995).
• Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
• Roseanne (1988-1997).
• The Wonder Years (1988-1993).
• Acropolis Now (Australia) (1989-1992).
• Baywatch (1989-2001).
• Cops (1989-present).
• Family Matters (1989-1998).
• Fast Forward (Australia) (1989-1992).
• Life Goes On (1989-1993).
• Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989-1994).
• Press Gang (UK) (1989-1993).
• Seinfeld (1989-1998).
• Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996).
• The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994).
• The Big Gig (Australia) (1989-1992).
• The Simpsons (1989-present).
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).

Ending this year

• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
• Falcon Crest (1981-1990).
• Newhart (1982-1990).
• 227 (1985-1990).
• Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990).
• ALF (1986-1990).
• Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990).
• The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990).
• T. and T. (1988-1990).
• The Comedy Company (Australia) (1988-1990).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).

Cancelled, but eventually to return on air

• The Magical World of Disney (1988-1990).

Deaths

• January 2 - Alan Hale Jr., actor on Gilligan's Island.
• May 10 - Susan Oliver, actress.
• July 7 - Bill Cullen, game show host.
• October 26 - William S. Paley, founder and longtime head of CBS.sv:TV-året 1990