Chronology of Television

Copyright © 2008-2012 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: contact@worldtimeline.info
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to create web links
to this site, not to copy these pages to other web sites.
URL: http://worldtimeline.info/television/


References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2012 January 26.

1990

January 1
  • US Federal Communications Commission implements "SYNDEX" giving independent stations more rights over cable TV outlets for exclusive syndicated programs. [1]
  • Sports News Network begins operation on cable TV. [1]
January 15
  • 6th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Knots Landing wins. [1]
  • NBC TV begins airing the series Blue Bayou. [6]
February 5
  • Notre Dame becomes first team to sell its game to a major network (NBC). [1]
February 8
  • 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney suspended by CBS for racial remarks attributed to him by a gay magazine. [1]


February 9
  • The Bradys return to TV for six episodes on CBS TV. [1]
March 21
  • Normal Life starring Moon Unit and Dweezil Zappa premieres on CBS-TV. [1]
  • Sydney starring Valerie Bertinelli premieres on CBS-TV. [1]
March 27
  • The United States begins broadcasting TV Martí to Cuba. [42]
March 31
  • The NBC TV network begins airing the series Carol & Co.. [1] [6]
April 1
  • The Comedy Channel on cable TV begins transmitting. [1]
  • CBS fires sportscaster Brent Mussburger. [1]
April 4
  • The Marshall Chronicles premieres on ABC-TV. [1]
April 8
  • Twin Peaks with Peggy Lipton premieres on ABC-TV. [1]
April 9
  • Capital News starring Lloyd Bridges premieres on ABC-TV. [1]
April 13
  • Final episode of Pat Sajak's late night TV show on CBS. [1]
April 15
  • In Living Color premieres on FOX-TV. [1]
April 21
  • Cartoon All Stars to the Rescue shown on all four TV networks. [1]
May 18
  • Return To Green Acres TV movie airs. [1]
May 19
  • General Elvis, TV drama, last airs on ABC. [1]
May 21
  • Last episode of Newhart airs on CBS-TV; it was all a dream. [1]
May 28
  • Dave Thomas Comedy Show debuts on CBS-TV. [1]
May 31
  • Seinfeld starring Jerry Seinfeld, debuts on NBC-TV. [1]
June 1
  • The Cowboy Channel on cable TV begins transmitting. [1]
June 9
  • The NBC TV network begins airing the Singer & Sons show. [6]
June 23
  • A rally to save TV show Alien Nation from cancellation is held at the Statue of Liberty. [1]
  • TV Guide selects Arsenio Hall as TV personality of the year. [1]
June 25
  • NBC decides to air episodes of Quantum Leap for five straight days. [1]
June 27
  • The NBC TV network air the final Singer & Sons show. [6]
July 14
  • Howard Stern's Summer Show premieres on WWOR-TV. [1]
July 16
  • Rick Dee's Into the Night premieres on ABC-TV. [1]
August 31
  • The 570th and last episode of the show Win, Lose, or Draw is aired in syndication. [6]
September 1
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of Disney's Gummi Bears / Winnie the Pooh Hour. [6]
September 3
  • The TV series The Challengers first airs. [6]
September 4
  • Jerry Lewis' 25th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $44,172,186. [1]
September 8
  • NBC begins airing the Disney TV series The Fanelli Boys. [6]
  • The ABC TV network debuts the animated series New Kids on the Block. [6]
September 10
  • The 2-hour The Disney Afternoon syndicated TV show premieres. Included is a new series, Tale Spin. [6]
September 11
  • US President George H. W. Bush delivers a nationally televised speech in which he threatens the use of force to remove Iraqi soldiers from Kuwait. [42]
September 16
  • Iraq televises an 8-minute uncensored speech from US President George Bush. [1]
September 19
  • The CBS TV network debuts the Disney-produced series Lenny. [6]
September 20
  • Saddam Hussein demands US networks broadcast his message. [1]
September 23
  • The NBC TV network debuts the Disney-produced series Hull High. [6]
  • PBS begins an 11-hour miniseries on The US Civil War. [1]
  • The Disney Channel begins airing the series The Magical World of Disney. [6]
December 30
  • The NBC TV network cancels the show Hull High. The shows had cost US$325,000 each to produce. [6]
December 31
  • The Sci-Fi Channel on cable TV begins transmitting. [1]

1991

January 3
  • NBC TV begins airing the series Blossom. [6]
January 6
  • Real Life With Jane Pauley premieres on NBC-TV. [1]
January 7
  • Nia Peeples Party Machine premieres on TV. [1]
January 8
  • Davis Rules with Jonathan Winters and Randy Quaid premieres on ABC-TV. [1]
January 13
  • 12th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 25 awards. [1]
January 14
  • Barbara DeAngelis Show premieres on CBS-TV. [1]
January 16
  • 7th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Days of Our Lives wins. [1]
January 20
  • Iraq parades captured Allied airmen on TV. [1]
January 21
  • CBS News correspondent Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf. [1]
January 23
  • Second season of Seinfeld comedy TV show debuts on NBC-TV. [1]
January 25
  • TV soap opera Generations last episode after a 2.5 year run. [1]
January 28
  • A Closer Look TV show with Faith Daniels premieres on NBC-TV. [1]
February 16
  • NBC airs the last episode of the Disney TV series The Fanelli Boys. [6]
March 9
  • The CBS TV network airs the last show of the series Lenny. [6]
April 5
  • The NBC TV network begins airs the series The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage. [6]
April 6
  • The Disney Channel begins airing the animated series Darkwing Duck. [6]
April 11
  • New York City's Museum of Broadcasting becomes "Museum of Radio and Television". [1]
April 12
  • 2,500th episode of Entertainment Tonight airs on US TV. [1]
April 16
  • The Disney-produced TV series STAT first airs. [6]
April 22
  • Johnny Carson announces he will retire next year from The Tonight Show. [1]
  • Shalom America (Jewish cable network) is launched in Brooklyn and Queens. [1]
April 26
  • The ABC TV network begins airing the series Dinosaurs. [1] [6]
May 3
  • 356th and final episode of CBS-TV's second-longest-running series Dallas, second only to Gunsmoke. [1] [129]
May 9
  • Michael Landon appears on The Tonight Show to talk about his cancer. [1]
May 21
  • The last episode of STAT airs. [6]
May 26
  • The NBC TV network airs the last show of the series The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage. [6]
July 27
  • TV Guide publishes its 2000th edition. [1]
August 19
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of Carol & Co.. [6]
August 30
  • The last episode of the TV series The Challengers airs. [6]
August 31
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of the animated series New Kids on the Block. [6]
September 2
  • Jerry Lewis' 26th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises US$45 million. [1]
September 7
  • The animated Darkwing Duck TV series begins airing on ABC and in syndication. [6]
September 8
  • The Fox TV network begins airing the Herman's Head series. [6]
September 14
  • The NBC TV network debuts the series Nurses. [6]
September 15
  • The NBC TV network begins airing the series Pacific Station. [6]
  • The Party Machine with Nia Peeples final show. [1]
September 17
  • The ABC TV network debuts the Disney-produced TV show Home Improvement. [6]
September 21
  • The NBC TV network debuts the Disney TV show The Torkelsons. [6]
September 25
  • The ABC TV network premieres the Disney TV series Good and Evil. [1] [6]
September 27
  • Princesses premieres on CBS TV. [1]
October 7
  • The ABC TV network begins exclusive airing of Disney's Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. [6]
October 11
  • Redd Foxx, American actor/comedian (Sanford and Son), dies of a heart attack at age 68 on the set of The Royal Family. [1] [41] [467]
October 31
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of the Disney TV series Good and Evil. [6]
November 1
  • The CBS TV network airs the first episode of The Carol Burnett Show. The series started on NBC as Carol & Co.. [6]
November 8
  • The Carol Burnette Show premieres on CBS-TV. [1]
November 12
  • Full House 100th TV episode - the twins are born. [1]
November 14
  • Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video premieres on FOX TV. [1]
November 16
  • The NBC TV network begins airing the Walter and Emily show. [6]
December 17
  • Soap opera One Life to Live airs its 6,000th episode. [1]
December 27
  • Carol Burnett Show last airs on CBS-TV. [1]
  • The CBS TV network airs the last episode of The Carol Burnett Show. [6]

1992

January 3
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of the series Pacific Station. [6]
January 8
  • US President George H. W. Bush is televised falling violently ill at a state dinner in Japan, vomiting into the lap of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and fainting. [1] [33]
January 12
  • 13th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 27 awards. [1]
January 19
  • Cerebral Palsy telethon raises US$23,500,000. [1]
February 6
  • Late Night's 10th Anniversary Show At Radio City Music Hall airs on NBC. [1]
February 10
  • Final episode of Dangerous Women airs on WWOR-TV. [1]
February 15
  • 100th episode of Cops airs on the Fox Network. [1]
February 22
  • The NBC TV network airs the last Walter and Emily show. [6]
March 18
  • On CNN's Larry King Live, Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot announces that he will run for U.S. President as an independent, if volunteers put him on the ballot in all 50 states. [33] (February 20 [1])
March 20
  • Janice Pennington is awarded $1.3 million for accident on Price is Right TV show set. [1]
March 30
  • CBS TV premieres overnight news program Up To The Minute. [1]
April 15
  • Jay Leno's final appearance as permanent guest host of The Tonight Show. [1]
April 19
  • Characters Balki and Mary Ann wed on TV show Perfect Strangers. [1]
April 20
  • 100th episode of Murphy Brown TV show airs in USA. [1]
  • The Disney Channel premieres the animated TV series Goof Troop. [6]
  • The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, is televised live to over one billion people and raises millions of dollars for AIDS research. [1] [33]
April 26
  • Final episode of Growing Pains airs on ABC TV. [1]
  • Final episode of Who's The Boss airs after 8 years on ABC TV. [1]
April 30
  • 208th and final episode of The Cosby Show on NBC-TV. [1]
May 13
  • Final episode of Night Court airs on NBC-TV. [1]
May 19
  • US Vice President Dan Quayle cites Murphy Brown (ficticious TV show) as a poor example of family values. [1] [33]
May 22
  • Johnny Carson's final appearance as host of The Tonight Show. [1]
May 25
  • Jay Leno becomes the new host of NBC's The Tonight Show, following the retirement of Johnny Carson. [1] [33]
May 31
  • 5th Children's Miracle Network Telethon raises $1,060,000. [1]
June 20
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of the TV show The Torkelsons. [6]
August 1
  • NBC's Saturday Today premieres. [1]
September 4
  • The Disney Channel airs the last episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. [6]
September 12
  • The CBS TV network airs the first show of Disney's The Little Mermaid, entitled Whale of a Tail. [6]
  • The ABC TV network begins airing episodes of Goof Troop. [6]
  • The CBS TV network begins airing the animated TV series Raw Toonage. [6]
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of The Golden Girls. [6] (May 9 [1])
September 18
  • The CBS TV network begins airing the Disney show The Golden Palace, a sequel to The Golden Girls. [6]
September 27
  • The Fox TV network debuts the series Woops!. [6]
September 30
  • The ABC TV network debuts the series Laurie Hill. [6]
October 28
  • The ABC TV network airs the last Laurie Hill show. [6]
December 6
  • The Fox TV network airs the last episode of the series Woops!. [6]
December 8
  • NBC announces that Cheers will go off the air in May 1993. [1]

1993

January 1
  • The launch of United Kingdom morning TV show GMTV. [31]
  • TV show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman premieres on CBS in the US. [457]
January 5
  • Price is Right model Janice Pennington sues CBS for show accident. [1]
January 8
  • NBC offers The Tonight Show to David Letterman. [1]
January 14
  • David Letterman announces his show is moving from NBC to CBS. [1]
January 15
  • Soap opera Santa Barbara has final show aired on NBC TV. [1]
January 17
  • 14th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 32 awards. [1]
February 6
  • The NBC TV network airs the first episode of Almost Home. [6]
  • Tip Tipping, stuntman, dies while filming a segment for BBC's 999 TV show when his main parachute and two reserves fail to open. [467]
February 7
  • TV's Flintstones characters Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm Bamm Rubble get married [1]
February 8
  • General Motors sues NBC, after Dateline NBC allegedly rigged two crashes showing that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places. (NBC settles the lawsuit the following day.) [1] [31]
February 10
  • Michael Jackson Talks To Oprah Winfrey airs on ABC-TV and draws an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, 90 million people. [1]
March 5
  • The ABC TV network debuts the series Where I Live. [6]
March 12
  • Entertainment Tonight's 3,000th show airs. [1]
April 26
  • NBC announces Conan O'Brien to replace David Lettermann late night TV show. [1]
May 10
  • Last TV appearance of Mies Bouwman. [1]
May 11
  • Paramaribo Suriname TV studio destroyed by fire. [1]
May 12
  • Final episode of six year run of ABC's Wonder Years in Netherlands. [1]
May 13
  • CBS' TV show Knots Landing ends 14 year run with 334th show. [1] [129]
May 20
  • 274th and final episode of Cheers on NBC TV. [1]
June 11
  • The TV series Cutters first airs. [6]
July 3
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of Almost Home. [6]
July 9
  • The last show of the TV series Cutters airs. Five shows were produced in total. [6]
August 6
  • The CBS TV network airs the last episode of The Golden Palace. [6]
August 30
  • The Late Show with David Letterman premieres on CBS. [31]
September 3
  • The syndicated Disney TV show Going Bonkers airs. [6]
September 4
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. [6]
  • The CBS TV network airs the last episode of Raw Toonage. [6]
September 10
  • The syndicated TV series Bill Nye, the Science Guy begins. [6]
  • The TV series The Crusaders first airs. [6]
September 11
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of Goof Troop. [6]
  • The ABC TV network airs the last show of the Darkwing Duck series. [6]
September 13
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien premieres on NBC. [31]
September 14
  • The Fox TV network first airs the show Bakersfield P.D.. [6]
September 16
  • The Fox TV network begins airing Disney's The Sinbad Show. [6]
September 18
  • The CBS TV network debuts the animated TV series Marsupilami. [6]
September 24
  • The ABC TV network begins airing the series Boy Meets World. [6]
November 20
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of Where I Live. [6]
December 16
  • Shannen Doherty (Brenda) is fired from Beverly Hills 90210. [1]

1994

January 3
  • The ABC TV network premieres the Disney TV series The Good Life. [6]
January 4
  • The last episode of the TV show Bakersfield P.D. airs. [6]
January 11
  • The Fox TV network debuts the Monty show. [6]
January 15
  • 15th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 34 awards, Showtime wins 10. [1]
February 4
  • 10th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Days of Our Lives wins. [1]
February 5
  • Where On Earth Is Carmen San Diego debuts on Fox TV. [1]
February 6
  • The Disney Channel first airs the animated TV series Disney's Aladdin. [6]
February 15
  • The Fox TV network airs the final Monty show. [6]
March 9
  • The TV show Thunder Alley premieres. [6]
  • The ABC TV network debuts the series These Friends of Mine. [6]
March 14
  • The NBC TV network begins airing Disney's Someone Like Me show. [6]
April 11
  • The TV Show Mike & Maty debuts. [6]
April 12
  • The ABC TV network airs the last episode of the Disney TV series The Good Life. [6]
April 18
  • Arsenio Hall announces he will end his TV show in May. [1]
April 25
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of Disney's Someone Like Me show. [6]
May 1
  • Charles Kuralt retires as CBS newsman (On the Road). [1]
May 8
  • 500th commentary by Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. [1]
May 19
  • Final episode of TV show L.A. Law after 8 year run. [1]
May 27
  • Final broadcast of Arsenio Hall talk show. [1]
May 28
  • Cafe American last airs on NBC-TV. [1]
June 16
  • The Fox TV network airs the last episode of the Herman's Head show. [6]
June 17
  • NFL star O.J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings flee from police in Simpson's white Ford Bronco. The low speed chase, which unfolds live on television, ends up at Simpson's mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, where he then surrenders to police. [30]
June 18
  • The NBC TV network airs the last show of Nurses. [6]
July 20
  • The last show of the TV series Dinosaurs airs. [6]
July 28
  • The Fox TV network air the last episode of The Sinbad Show. [6]
September 2
  • The last syndicated episode of Tale Spin airs on TV. [6]
September 4
  • The Fox TV network airs the first episode of the Disney TV show Hardball. [6]
September 12
  • Disney's syndicated TV show Judge for Yourself first airs. [6]
September 22
  • The American TV sitcom Friends premieres on NBC. [30]
October 23
  • The Fox TV network airs the last episode of the Disney TV show Hardball. [6]
October 24
  • The animated TV series Gargoyles first airs. [6]
December 6
  • Warner Brothers announces a 5th TV network in the USA to begin on January 11, 1995. [1]
December 10
  • The ABC TV network airs the two-hour special Wonderful World of Disney: 40 Years of Television Magic. [6]
End of 1990-1994. Next: 1995.


The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author.

You can pay now directly via PayPal. When I receive notification from PayPal, I will email you the PDF file.
Solution Graphics
or send me an email to request my mailing address to mail payment.

Search the timeline
1925-1949 1950-1954 1955-1959 1960-1964 1965-1969 1970-1971 1972-1974 1975-1979 1980-1984 1985-1989
1990-1994 1995-2000 2001-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of Video Game Systems
  • Chronology of World History
  • Chronology of the Walt Disney Company
  • This Day in History
    Last updated: 2012 January 26.
    Copyright © 2008-2012 Ken Polsson (email: contact@worldtimeline.info).
    URL: http://worldtimeline.info/television/
    Link to Ken P's home page.

    Get $5 Off Any Order Over $30

     Hosted by Islandnet.com