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.

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 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).
• 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).
• 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).
• Superstars (UK) (1975-1985, 2003-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.