1997 in television
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Events
- January 3 - NBC's The Today Show Bryant Gumbel signs off for the last time.
- January - The US television networks adopt ratings systems for their programming, similar to those used for motion pictures.
- February 9 - The Simpsons surpasses The Flintstones as the longest-running prime-time animated series.
- March 30 - Channel 5, the UK's fifth & last terrestrial channel launches.
- June 6 - Actress Farrah Fawcett makes a bizarre appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Fawcett tells long, rambling stories without a point, fails to understand simple questions, and gets easily distracted by things like blinking lights on the set.
- July 15 - A tribute episode is aired on Another World in honor of core cast member Victoria Wyndham's twenty-five years with the program.
- August 31 - BBC1 continues to air through the whole night in the UK for the first time to bring news updates of Diana, Princess of Wales's car accident. Now BBC1 no longer closes down for the night.
- October 13 - Canadian cable channels like Comedy Network, Food Network, HGTV, Prime, Teletoon began launching, Speedvision was introduced there.
- November 2 - a third production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's version of Cinderella airs on ABC. This version, starring Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston, is produced by The Walt Disney Company, who made their own version of the story as an animated film in 1950.
- November 8 - God Save The Queen last played at closedown on BBC1 in the UK.
- November 9 - BBC News 24 launched.
- Elton John performs "Candle In The Wind" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
- Sailor Moon ends in Japan (1992-1997).
Debuts
- January 6 - Sunset Beach premieres on NBC (1997-1999).
- January 12 - King of the Hill (1997-present).
- March 3 - Daria premieres (1997-2001).
- March 4 - Just Shoot Me premieres on NBC (1997-2003).
- March 4 - The Practice premieres (1997-2004).
- March 10 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
- July 14 -Johnny Bravo (1997-present).
- July 15 - Cow and Chicken (1997-1999).
- July 27 - Stargate SG-1 (1997-present).
- August 23 - South Park (1997-present).
- September 8 - Ally McBeal premieres on Fox (1997-2002).
- September 23 - Dharma & Greg premieres on ABC (1997-2002).
- September 28 -The Wonderful World of Disney is on television again after a seven year break (1997-present).
- September - Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997-2002) features Disney's Recess and Pepper Ann.
Television shows
- Meet the Press (1947-present).
- Candid Camera (1948-present).
- 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 (1966-present).
- 60 Minutes (1968-present).
- One Life to Live (1968-present).
- 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).
- Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
- the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
- 20/20 (1978-present).
- Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
- This Old House (1980-present).
- Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
- What Now (1982-present)
- Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
- Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
- The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
- EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
- Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
- Sally (1985-2002).
- The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
- Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
- Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
- Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
- Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
- The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
- 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).
- Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
- The Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
- Baywatch (1989-2001).
- Cops (1989-present).
- Family Matters (1989-1998).
- Seinfeld (1989-1998).
- The Simpsons (1989-present).
- Law & Order (1990-present).
- America's Funniest Home Videos (1990-present).
- One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000).
- Home Improvement (1991-1999).
- Rugrats (1991-2004).
- The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
- Barney & Friends (1992-2002).
- Dateline NBC (1992-present).
- Mad About You (1992-1999).
- The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998).
- The Real World (1992-present).
- Frasier (1993-2004).
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present).
- NYPD Blue (1993-present).
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999).
- The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present).
- The Nanny (1993-1999).
- The X-Files (1993-2002).
- WWF RAW Is War/WWF War Zone (1993-present).
- ER (1994-present).
- Friends (1994-2004).
- Touched by an Angel (1994-2003).
- JAG (1995-present).
- Pamela Wallin Live (Canada) (1995-1999).
- Sesame Park (Canada) (1995-2002).
- Sliders (1995-2000).
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001).
- The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004).
- The Wheezer Bros. (1995-2001).
- Timon and Pumbaa (1995-1998).
- 7th Heaven (1996-present).
- Dexter's Laboratory (1996-present).
- Doug (1991-1994, 1996-1999).
- Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005).
- Hey Arnold! (1996-2004).
- Judge Judy (1996-present).
- Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003) (the only episode aired this year was a 10-minute special appeal Comic Relief 1997 Sketch).
- Spin City (1996-2002).
- The Daily Show (1996-present).
- The Newsroom (Canada) (1996-1997, 2003-2004).
Ending this year
- Married... with Children (1987-1997).
- Roseanne (1988-1997).
- Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997).
Deaths
- February 26 - David Doyle, actor.
- April 15 - Donald Bexley, actor on Sanford & Son.
- May 4 - Alvy Moore, actor on Green Acres.
- May 11 - Howard Morton, character actor.
- June 8 - Reid Shelton, actor.
- June 24 - Brian Keith, actor.
- July 4 - Charles Kuralt, journalist.
- August 27 - Brandon Tartikoff, former president of NBC.
- September 9 - Burgess Meredith, actor.
- September 17 - Red Skelton, comedian.
- October 16 - Audra Lindley, actress on Three's Company.
- October 24 - Don Messick, voice actor.
- December 18 - Chris Farley, accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine.
- December 25 - Denver Pyle, actor.