1978 in television

The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.

"For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule."

Events

*January 28 - The Doobie Brothers make a guest appearance on ABC's "What's Happening!!".
*February 22 - The Police appear in a television commercial for Wrigley's chewing gum.
*March 7–April 11 - Dennis Potter's groundbreaking drama serial "Pennies From Heaven" airs on BBC1.
*April 16–April 19 - "Holocaust", starring James Woods and Meryl Streep first aired on NBC.
*April 22 - The Blues Brothers make their first appearance on "Saturday Night Live". The duo of Jake & Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) was introduced by Paul Shaffer (as Don Kirshner) and performed "Hey Bartender".
*April 24 - The television game show "Card Sharks", hosted by Jim Perry, first aired on NBC.
*April 26 - Ringo Starr's, "Ringo", a musical version of "The Prince and the Pauper" airs on NBC. Starr's fellow former Beatle George Harrison provides the narration.
*May 1 - Beijing Television is renamed China Central Television.
*May 24 - The iconic skateboarding duck item first airs on BBC TV's "Nationwide".
*July 10 - The "ABC Evening News" is renamed "ABC World News Tonight" with Frank Reynolds as anchor.
*September - The soap opera "As the World Turns" is #1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings for the 20th and final consecutive year; no other serial has been at the top of the ratings for such an unbeaten yearly streak.
*November 17 - "The Star Wars Holiday Special" airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming "" sequel.
*March 22 - The Beatles spoof, "The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash" airs on NBC.
*January 7 - Abarembo Shogun premieres on the Asahi television network in Japan (1978-2003).
*Fred Silverman, who successfully programmed both CBS and ABC, moves to NBC to attempt to reverse their ratings decline.
*Knowlton Nash replaces Peter Kent as anchor of "The National" on CBC.
*Replacing Zara Cully and Damon Evans, Jay Hammer joins the cast of "The Jeffersons", for a short period of time.
*US television game show program "Match Game" is rated in the Top 3 of all game shows for the sixth year in a row.
*January 15 - The Super Bowl is played - and telecast - at night for the first time, on CBS.
*January 23 - "Roots - One Year Later", a special examining the impact and influence of the miniseries, airs on ABC.
*August 1 - Harry Reasoner returns to CBS after taking advantage of an oral escape-clause in his contract with ABC.
*September 17 - The ceremony formalizing the success of the peace talks between Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat - the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt - is televised live from the White House East Room.
*September 19 - The chairs on which Archie and Edith Bunker sat through 8 seasons of All in the Family are presented to the Smithsonian Institution.

Debuts

*January 2 - "Blake's 7" premieres on BBC One in UK (1978-1981).
*February 8 - "Grange Hill" premieres on BBC TV in the UK (1978-2008).
*April 2 - "Dallas" premieres on CBS (1978-1991).
*April 24 - "Card Sharks" premieres on NBC (1978-81).
*June 6- "20/20" premieres on ABC (1978-present).
*July 3 - "Tic Tac Dough", hosted by Wink Martindale, premieres on CBS (1978-1986).
*July 10 - "World News Tonight" premieres on ABC (1978-present).
*September 12 - "Taxi" premieres on ABC (1978-1983).
*September 14 - "Mork & Mindy" premieres on ABC (1978-1982).
*September 17 - "Battlestar Galactica" premieres on ABC (1978-1979).
*September 18 - "WKRP in Cincinnati" premieres on CBS (1978-1982).
*September - "Battle of the Planets" premieres (1978-1985).
*October 2 - "The All-New Jeopardy!" premieres on NBC (1978-1979).
*November 3 - "Diff'rent Strokes" premieres on NBC (1978-1986).
*"Canada After Dark" premieres on CBC (1978-1979).
*"Duplessis" airs on SRC.
*"3-2-1" starts on ITV in the United Kingdom (1978-1987).

Miniseries

*"Centennial"
*"Holocaust"
*"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry"
*"Against the Wind"
*"Once Upon a Time... Man"

Television shows

1940s

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

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).
*"To Tell the Truth" (1956-1978).
*"What the Papers Say" (UK) (1956-present).
*"The Sky at Night" (UK) (1957-present).
*"Blue Peter" (UK) (1958-present).
*"Concentration" (1958-1978).
*"Grandstand" (UK) (1958-2007).

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)

1970s

*"All My Children" (1970-present).
*"Monday Night Football" (1970-present).
*"Play for Today" (UK) (1970-1984).
*"All in the Family" (1971-1979).
*"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).
*"Kojak" (1973-1978, 2005-present).
*"Last of the Summer Wine" (UK) (1973-present).
*"Match Game '78" (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).
*"Good Times" (1974-1979).
*"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).
*"Runaround" (UK) (1975-1981).
*"Ryan's Hope" (1975-1989).
*"Saturday Night Live" (1975-present).
*"The Don Lane Show" (Australia) (1975-1983).
*"the fifth estate" (Canada) (1975-present).
*"The Jeffersons" (1975-1985).
*"Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975-1979).
*"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).
*"What's Happening!!" (1976-1979).
*"Wonder Woman" (1976-1979).
*"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).

Ending this year

*March 6 - "The Six Million Dollar Man" (1973-1978).
*March 29 - "The Carol Burnett Show" (1967-1978).
*March 30 - "Police Woman" (1974-1978).
*March 31 - "Tattletales" (1974-1978, 1982-1984).
*April 1 - "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-1978).
*April 29 - "Maude" (1972-1978).
*May 13 - "Columbo" (1971-1978).
** "The Bionic Woman" (1976-1978).
*May 18 - "Baretta" (1975-1978).
*June - "The Good Life" (UK) (1975-1978).
*July 21 - "Chico and the Man" (1974-1978).
*December 9 - "Rhoda" (1974-1978).
*"The Bobby Vinton Show"(1975-1978).
*"Lucan" (1977-1978).
*"The Naked Vicar Show" (Australia) (1977-1978).
*"Opportunity Knocks" (UK) (1956-1978).
*"Pop Quest" (UK) (1975-1978).
*"The Sweeney" (UK) (1975-1978).
*"Z-Cars" (UK) (1962-1978).

Births

*January 3 - Daryn Jones, entertainment personality in Canada.
*February 7 - Ashton Kutcher, US actor.
*April 13 - Kyle Howard, US actor.
*April 22 - Manu Intiraymi, US actor.
*June 2 - Nikki Cox, US actor.
*June 10 - Shane West, US actor.
*June 13 - Ethan Embry, US actor.
*June 27 - Anna Kumble, British television presenter.
*July 1 - Hillary Tuck, US actor.
*July 6 - Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, actresses.
*July 9 - Linda Park, US actor (born in Korea).
*July 12 - Topher Grace, US actor.
*August 23 - Kobe Bryant, NBA player Los Angeles Lakers.
*October 9 - Randy Spelling, US actor.
*October 14 - Usher Raymond, singer and entertainer
*November 10 - Eve, American rapper.
*December 18 - Katie Holmes, US actor.

Deaths

*February 28 - Zara Cully, US actor (Mother Olivia Jefferson) on "The Jeffersons".
*March 18 - Peggy Wood, US actor.
*April 22 - Will Geer, US actor (Grandpa Walton) on "The Waltons"
*May 21 - Bruce Geller, screenwriter, producer
*June 29 - Bob Crane, US actor (Col. Hogan on "Hogan's Heroes"), murdered.
*December 1, David Nixon, magician