1979 in television

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."

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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.
*March 31 - Full-time colorcasts are introduced in New Zealand for the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, held in Israel.
*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.

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, lasting 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)
*February 26 - "Flatbush" premieres on CBS, lasting three episodes
*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 on Nagoya Broadcasting Network.
*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).
*September 25 - "California Fever" premieres, lasting 10 episodes
**"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).

Miniseries

*"Backstairs at the White House"
*""

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).
*"What the Papers Say" (UK) (1956-present).
*"The Sky at Night" (UK) (1957-present).
*"Blue Peter" (UK) (1958-present).
*"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) ends on September 2 to resume on September 9 as "Disney's Wonderful World" (1979-1981).

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).

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).

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. (d. 2001)
* January 24 - Tatyana Ali, US actress.
* 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.
* May 5 - Vincent Kartheiser, American actor.
* 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 13 - Ron Artest, American basketball player.
* 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.

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".