1979 in television

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The year 1979 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.

Contents 1 Events 2 Debuts 3 Miniseries 4 Television shows 4.1 1940s 4.2 1950s 4.3 1960s 4.4 1970s 5 Ending this year 6 Births 7 Deaths

[edit] Events

• January 9 - The Music for UNICEF Concert is performed in New York City. The televised special airs the following night on NBC in the United States.
• February 11 - In the US, 43 million viewers watch "Elvis!" on ABC, a made for TV movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis.
• March 6 - Another World becomes the first (and, to date, the only) soap opera to air regularly-scheduled ninety-minute telecasts. The time extension coincides with the death of long-running character John Randolph (played by Michael M. Ryan) in a house fire. The show goes back to 60-minute episodes in August 1980.
• March 6 - Villain Roger Thorpe (played by Michael Zaslow) rapes his wife Holly (Maureen Garrett) on Guiding Light, the first time spousal rape was shown on U.S. television.
• March 19- C-Span. a United States cable channel is launched.
• 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.
• September 19 - On the two-hour TV-movie season premiere event on Eight is Enough, both David and Susan Bradford married their respective loves in a double ceremony. The premiere grabbed a 40 share across the two hours.
• October 24 - On ITV's first night back on air after the strike, Quatermass, the fourth and final serial featuring Professor Bernard Quatermass, begins its run on the network.
• Over 300 million households worldwide now own television sets.
• December 1 - The Movie Channel begins broadcasting movies 24/7.
• General Hospital tops the yearly daytime television ratings for the first time.
• CFMT, Toronto's first multicultural channel, launches.
• Un Pecado del Amor premieres in Guatemala.
• First color television broadcasts in Greece.
• BBC2 unveils the first computer-generated television presentation symbol in the world. US broadcaster NBC unveils their first computer-generated symbol later that year.
• Berlinda Tolbert and Mike Evans who both portray Lionel and Jenny Willis Jefferson, rejoins the cast of The Jeffersons, Mike Evans returns to the series, after his television he co-created, Good Times, was cancelled, Tolbert and Evans joins the cast until Spring of 1981.
• April 22 - Friendly Fire, a TV-movie starring Carol Burnett as a mother who wants to know how her son died in Vietnam, airs on ABC.

[edit] Debuts

• January 8 - Password Plus premieres on NBC (1979-1982).
• January 26 - The Dukes of Hazzard premieres on CBS (1979-1985).
  • Hello, Larry, the third series McLean Stevenson has done since leaving M*A*S*H, premieres on NBC (1979-1980).
• January 28 - Thomas & Sarah premiered on LWT. It lasted only one series.
  • You Can't Do That on Television premieres on CTV affiliate CJOH-TV (1979-1990).
• February 1 - Makin' It premiered on ABC. It lasted eight episodes.
• February 3 - Battle Fever J premieres on TV Asahi (1979-1980)
• February 7 - Supertrain premieres on NBC (1979).
• February 8 - Angie premieres on ABC (1979-1980).
• February 9 - Hana no Ko Lunlun premieres on TV Asahi (1979-1980)
• March 24 - Tales of the Unexpected, an Anglia Television series based on the short stories of Roald Dahl, debuts on ITV in the UK (1979-1985; 1987-1988).
• April 1 - Pinwheel premieres on Nickelodeon making it the first Nickelodeon show. (1979-1989)
• April 7 - Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-1980), the first part of Gundam anime metaseries (1979-present), airs in Japan
• April 18 - Real People premieres on NBC (1979-1984).
• August 24 - The Facts of Life, a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes, premieres on NBC (1979-1988).
• September 10 - Syndicated version of Match Game debuts. This version lasts until 1982 with the MG/Hollywood Squares Hour following it up in 1983-1984.
• September 13 - Benson, a spinoff of Soap, premieres on ABC (1979-1986).
• September 20 - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century premieres on NBC (1979-1981).
• September 23 - Archie Bunker's Place, a continuation of All in the Family, premieres on CBS (1979-1983).
  • Trapper John, M.D. premieres on CBS (1979-1986).
• December 27 - Knots Landing, a spinoff of Dallas, premieres on CBS (1979-1993).
• Antiques Roadshow premieres on BBC1 (1979-present).
• The Mad Dash premieres on CTV.
• The NewMusic premieres on CityTV.
• Nightline premieres on ABC (1979-present).
• Smith and Smith premieres (syndicated in Canada, 1979-1985).
• This Old House premieres on PBS (1979-present).

[edit] Miniseries

• Backstairs at the White House
• Roots: The Next Generations

[edit] Television shows

[edit] 1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

[edit] 1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• 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 Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• 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) (1958-2007).

[edit] 1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (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) (1964-2006).
• 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).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Magpie (UK) (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).

[edit] 1970s

• 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).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
• 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).
• Superstars (UK) (1973-1985, 2003-2005).
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Countdown (Australia) (1974-1987).
• Derrick (1974-1998).
• Dinah! (1974-1980).
• 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).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Arena (UK) (1975–present).
• Barney Miller (1975-1982).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
• 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).
• 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).
• Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (UK) (1976-1982).
• 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).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).

[edit] Ending this year

• March 2 - The All-New Jeopardy (1978-1979)
• March 16 - Makin' It (1979)
• April 8 - All in the Family (1971-1979) - continues as Archie Bunker's Place.
• April 20 - Match Game '79 (1973-79)
• April 28 - What's Happening!! (1976-1979).
• April 29 - Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979).
• June 8 - Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).
• August 1 - Good Times (1974-1979).
• September 11 - Wonder Woman (1976-1979).
• October 25 - Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979) (UK).

[edit] Births

• January 2 — Morena Baccarin, US actress (born in Brazil).
• January 2 — Suranne Jones, UK actress.
• January 4 - Lisa Huo
• January 16 — Aaliyah, US singer/actress.
• January 24
  • Tatyana Ali, US actress.
  • Kyle Brandt, US actor.
• January 26 — Sara Rue, US actress.
• February 11 — Brandy Norwood, US singer/actress.
• February 21 — Jennifer Love Hewitt, US actress.
• March 12 — John-Paul Lavoisier, US actor
• March 25 — Lee Pace, US actor
• April 4 - Heath Ledger, Australian actor (d. 2008)
• April 9 — Keshia Knight Pulliam, US actress.
• April 12 — Claire Danes, US actress.
• August 22 — Jennifer Finnigan, US actress (born in Canada).
• September 24 — Justin Bruening, US actor
• October 8 — Kristanna Loken, US actress and model.
• October 23 - Rebecca Loudonsack, British actress
• November 23 — Kelly Brook, British television presenter and model.
• December 2 — Melissa Archer, US actress.
• December 15 — Adam Brody, US actor.
• December 26 - Chris Daughtry, US singer.

[edit] 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.
• July 29 - Bill Todman, game show producer.
• August 17 - Vivian Vance, actress (Ethel Mertz) on I Love Lucy.