See also: 1978 in television, other events of 1979, 1980 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Contents

1 Events 2 Debuts 3 Popular Television Shows 4 Ending this year 5 Births 6 Deaths

Events

• February 3 - Dead Man's Curve , a made-for-TV-movie about surf-rock singers Jan & Dean, airs on US television.
• February 11 - In the US, 43 million viewers watch "Elvis!" on ABC, a made for TV movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis.
• March 5 - Another World becomes the first (and, to date, the only) soap opera to air regularly-scheduled ninety-minute telecasts. This does not last more than a year, however.
• August 10 - In the UK, the whole of the ITV network except in the Channel Islands, is affected by a technicians' strike for eleven weeks.
• September 7 - ESPN begins broadcasting sports 24/7 and was the first cable channel to be launched.
• October 24 - On ITV's first night back on air after the strike, Quatermass, the fourth and final serial featuring the heroic Professor Bernard Quatermass, begins its run on the network.
• October 25 - The long-running soap opera Love of Life is taken off the air for emergency retooling, due to falling ratings.
• Over 300 million households worldwide now own television sets.
• CFMT (now OMNI1 ) began launching Toronto's first multicultural channel.
• Un Pecado del Amor premieres in Guatemala.

Debuts

• February 3 - You Can't Do That on Television premieres on CTV affiliate CJOH-TV.
• Angie premieres (1979-1980)
• Benson a spinoff of Soap (1979-1986)
• Knots Landing', a spinoff of Dallas (1979-1993)
• Real People (1979-1984)
• The Dukes of Hazzard premieres (1979-1985)
• The Facts of Life, a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes (1979-1988)
• Trapper John, M.D. premieres (1979-1986)

Popular Television Shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present)
• Candid Camera (1948-present)
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988)
• Love of Life (1951-1980)
• 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)
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981)
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present)
• Dr Who (UK) (1963-1989)
• General Hospital (1963-present)
• The Doctors (1963-1982)
• Another World (1964-1999)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985)
• Play School (1966-present)
• 60 Minutes (1968-present)
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980)
• One Life to Live (1968-present)
• Hee Haw (1969-1993)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989)
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979) ends on September 2 to resume on September 9 as Disney's Wonderful World (1979-1981)
• 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)
• 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)
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980)
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present)
• Match Game '79 (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999)
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986)
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982)
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present)
• Derrick (1974-1998)
• Happy Days (1974-1984)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974-1984)
• The Rockford Files (1974-1980)
• Tiswas (UK) (1974-1982)
• Barney Miller (1975-1982)
• Fawlty Towers (UK) (1975-present)
• Good Morning America (1975-present)
• King of Kensington (Canada) (1975-1980)
• Match Game PM (1975-1981)
• One Day at a Time (1975-1984)
• Ryan's Hope (1975-1989)
• Runaround (UK) (1975-1981)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• Superstars (UK) (1975-1985, 2003-present)
• 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 and Mindy (1978-1982)
• Taxi (1978-1983)
• WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982)
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990)

Ending this year

• All in the Family (1971-1979)
• Good Times (1974-1979)
• Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)
• What's Happening!! (1976-1979)

Births

• January 1 - Suranne Jones , actress
• January 2 - Morena Boccarin , actress
• January 24 - Tatyana Ali, actress
• November 23 - Kelly Brook, British television presenter and model
• December 2 - Melissa Archer, actress

Deaths

• January 11 - Jack Soo , actor (Nick Yemana) on Barney Miller
• January 16 - Ted Cassidy, 6'9" actor (Lurch) on The Addams Family
• January 27 - Dick Wesson , actor, announcer on The Wonderful World of Disney
• February 28 - Mister Ed
• July 29 - Bill Todman, game show producer
• August 17 - Vivian Vance, actress (Ethel Mertz) on I Love Lucy