Online Encyclopedia
Categories: 1960s | 1961
1961 in television
See also: 1960 in television, other events of 1961, 1962 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
Contents |
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.
- John F. Kennedy holds the first live televised Presidential press conference.
Debuts
- January 5 - Mister Ed debuts (1961-1966)
- Ben Casey premieres (1961-1966)
- The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1961-1966)
- The Mike Douglas Show premieres (1961-1981)
Popular Television Shows
- Meet the Press (1947-present)
- Candid Camera (1948-present)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971)
- 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)
- 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)
- Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990)
- The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002)
- Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present)
- My Three Sons (1960-1972)
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)
- The Flintstones (1960-1966)
Ending this year
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
- June 9 - Michael J. Fox, actor
- July 27 - Gabrielle Glaister, actress
Categories: 1960s | 1961
Last updated: 11-05-2004 21:47:21