See also: 1967 in television, other events of 1968, 1969 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

• March 25 - The 58th and final episode of The Monkees airs on US television.
• April 4 - James Brown appears on national television, in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
• April 9 - British singer Petula Clark appears on a US television special on NBC with Harry Belafonte as a guest. An innocent, affectionate gesture between the two during a song prompts concern from the show's sponsor due to the difference in their races, but the scene is aired intact.
• May 4 - Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkins catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Beatle Paul McCartney. McCartney would soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records.
• October 14 - First live network transmission of video from inside a manned US space capsule in orbit ("Apollo 7") There were six such broadcasts during their eleven-day mission.
• Joan Crawford makes a guest appearance on the soap opera The Secret Storm, filling in for her ailing daughter, Christina . However, Joan slurs her lines and is obviously intoxicated during the live broadcast.
• Elvis Presley's 68 Comeback Special airs on NBC.
• CBS uses a portable minicam for political convention coverage.
• Nearly 200 million households now own television sets, (78 million of which are in the US).

Debuts

• January 22 - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In debuts on NBC (1968-1973)
• July 15 - One Life to Live (created by Agnes Nixon) premieres on ABC (1968-present)
• 60 Minutes premieres (1968-present)
• Hawaii Five-O premieres (1968-1980)
• Here's Lucy premieres (1968-1974)
• Julia premieres (1968-1971)
• Mayberry R.F.D. premieres (1968-1971)
• The Mod Squad premieres (1968-1973)

Popular Television Shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present)
• Candid Camera (1948-present)
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971)
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988)
• Love of Life (1951-1980)
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986)
• American Bandstand (1952-1989)
• 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 Secret Storm (1954-1974)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• 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)
• As the World Turns (1956-present)
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978)
• 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)
• Bonanza (1959-1973)
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present)
• My Three Sons (1960-1972)
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981)
• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969)
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999)
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present)
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978)
• Dr Who (UK) (1963-1989)
• General Hospital (1963-present)
• Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)
• The Doctors (1963-1982)
• Another World (1964-1999)
• Bewitched (1964-1972)
• Daniel Boone (1964-1970)
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964-1970)
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
• Peyton Place (1964-1969)
• The Wednesday Play (UK) (1964-1970)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• Get Smart (1965-1970)
• Green Acres (1965-1971)
• Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
• I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985)
• Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
• Family Affair (1966-1971)
• Play School (1966-present)
• Star Trek (1966-1969)
• That Girl (1966-1971)
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974)
• Ironside (1967-1975)
• Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967-1973)
• Mannix (1967-1975)
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978)
• The Flying Nun (1967-1970)
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1969)

Ending this Year

• Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968)
• The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)
• The Lucy Show (1962-1968)
• Lost in Space (1965-1968)
• Batman (1966-1968)
• The Monkees (1966-1968)

Births

• February 8 - Gary Coleman
• March 29 - Lucy Lawless
• August 9 - Gillian Anderson

Deaths

• October 13 - Bea Benaderet, actress