1974 in television - Definition and Overview

See also: 1973 in television, other events of 1974, 1975 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• February 8 - The Secret Storm airs its 5195th and final episode. The show is replaced ten days later by Tattletales, a game show hosted by Bert Convy.
• August 8 - US President Richard Nixon resigns live on television.
• September 10 - The controversial TV movie Born Innocent, starring Linda Blair, was first screened on the NBC network in the United States. The film, which involved a fourteen-year-old being sent to what the television preview deemed a women's prison (when in reality it was a reform school), drew heavy criticism due to an all-female rape scene, the first ever seen on American television. The scene was deleted in subsequent re-airings after a group of girls assaulted an eight-year-old with a pop bottle, influenced by the scene in the film.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus, the popular British sketch comedy which aired its final episode this year, is first shown in the US on an educational TV station in Dallas, Texas.
• The children's special Free to Be... You and Me first airs on American television, produced by comedic actress Marlo Thomas.
• Meg Dale (Tudi Wiggins) calls her son Ben (Christopher Reeve) a "bastard" on the soap opera Love of Life, the first time a profanity was spoken on American daytime television.

Debuts

• January 5 - Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands in the UK and the television show was not fully networked until 1979 (1974-1982).
• January 7 - How to Survive a Marriage debuts in a 90-minute special on NBC daytime. The episode shows the first nudity (which was merely simulated and not seen) on American daytime television.
• January 15 - Happy Days premieres on ABC (1974-1984).
• February 1 - Good Times, a spinoff of Maude, premieres on CBS (1974-1979).
• February 18 - Tattletales, hosted by Bert Convy, premieres on CBS daytime (1974-1978, 1982-1984).
• September 9 - Rhoda premieres on CBS (1974-1978).
• Chico and the Man premieres (1974-1978).
• Derrick (1974-1998), German Krimi written by Herbert Reinecker, starring Horst Tappert.
• Land of the Lost premieres (1974-1977).
• Little House on the Prairie starring Michael Landon (1974-1983).
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast premieres (1974-1984).
• The Rockford Files premieres (1974-1980).
• Wish You Were Here...? premieres in the UK (1974-present).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present)
• Candid Camera (1948-present)
• 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 Today Show (1952-present)
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present)
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983)
• Face the Nation (1954-present)
• 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)
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present)
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981)
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present)
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978)
• 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)
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985)
• Play School (1966-present)
• Ironside (1967-1975)
• Mannix (1967-1975)
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978)
• 60 Minutes (1968-present)
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980)
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980)
• One Life to Live (1968-present)
• Hee Haw (1969-1993)
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989)
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979)
• All My Children (1970-present)
• Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)
• McCloud (1970-1977)
• Monday Night Football (1970-present)
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984)
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975)
• All in the Family (1971-1979)
• Columbo (1971-1978)
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present)
• McMillan and Wife (1971-1977)
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987)
• Soul Train (1971-present)
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985)
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present)
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present)
• Kung Fu (1972-1975)
• Maude (1972-1978)
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
• Sanford and Son (1972-1977)
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)
• The Price Is Right (1972-present)
• The Waltons (1972-1981)
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980)
• Kojak (1973-1978)
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present)
• Match Game '74 (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999)
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986)
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978)
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982)
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present)

Ending this year

• The Secret Storm (1954-1974)
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974)
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974), leaving Lucille Ball without a regular, weekly TV show for the first time in 12 years.
• Love, American Style (1969-1974)
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974)
• Room 222 (1969-1974)
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974)
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974)
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974)
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974)

Births

• January 1 - Lisa Snowdon, British model, actress and television presenter.
• January 2 - Tricia Helfer, Canadian actress and model.
• January 3 - Suzanne Virdee, British regional TV newscaster.
• March 24 - Alyson Hannigan, actress.
• March 31 - Angela Dotchin, actress.
• May 27 - Denise Van Outen, British actress and singer.
• July 26 - Genevieve Gorder.
• August 15 - Natasha Henstridge, Canadian actress and model.
• December 13 - Sara Cox, radio and television presenter.

Deaths

• March 20 - Chet Huntley, journalist.
• April 30 - Agnes Moorehead, actress.
• November 5 - Stafford Repp, actor.