1975 in television - Definition and Overview

See also: 1974 in television, other events of 1975, 1976 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• January 6 - Another World becomes the first American soap opera to start airing hour-long telecasts.
• March 1 - Color television transmissions begin in Australia.
• April 18 - Alice Cooper's first television special, Welcome To My Nightmare: The Making Of A Record Album airs.
• April 21 - Days of Our Lives becomes the second American soap opera to expand from thirty minutes to an hour in length.
• April 28 - Tom Snyder interviews John Lennon on The Tomorrow Show.
• May 24 - In the UK, Independent Television programs are blacked out by a strike.
• November 10 - The producers of the long-running serial drama The Guiding Light change the show's name to Guiding Light, in an attempt to modernize the show's image.
• December 1 - Top-rated As the World Turns, bowing to competition from NBC, expands to one hour in length.
• Fred Silverman becomes the head of ABC Entertainment. Initiating an era of what is disparagingly called "T&A" or "jiggle television", his programming choices result in ABC achieving ratings dominance.
• Sony introduces the Betamax video recorder in the US.
• Andy Kaufman makes his debut on Saturday Night Live, lip syncing portions of the theme to Mighty Mouse

Debuts

• January 6 - Wheel of Fortune premieres on NBC's daytime lineup (1975-1989).
• January 23 - Barney Miller debuts on ABC (1975-1982).
• January - The Sweeney premieres in the UK (1975-1978).
• October 11 - Saturday Night Live premieres with George Carlin hosting (1975-present).
• October - Space: 1999 premieres in the UK (1975-1977).
• November 3 - Good Morning America premieres with co-anchors David Hartman and Nancy Dussault (1975-present).
• Baretta premieres (1975-1978).
• Fawlty Towers premieres on the BBC (1975, 1979).
• the fifth estate debuts on CBC (1975-present).
• The Jeffersons, a spinoff of All in the Family, premieres on CBS (1975-1985).
• King of Kensington debuts on CBC (1975-1980).
• Match Game PM (1975-1981).
• One Day at a Time, produced by Norman Lear, premieres on CBS (1975-1984).
• Pop Quest premieres in the UK (1975-1978).
• Runaround premieres in the UK (1975-1981).
• Ryan's Hope premieres (1975-1989).
• Supersonic debuts in the UK (1975-1977).
• Superstars debuts on BBC1 in the UK (1975-1985, 2003-present).
• Welcome Back, Kotter premieres on ABC (1975-1979).

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)
• 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)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985)
• Play School (1966-present)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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 '75 (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)
• Chico and the Man (1974-1978)
• Derrick (1974-1998)
• Good Times (1974-1979)
• Happy Days (1974-1984)
• Land of the Lost (1974-1977)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
• Rhoda (1974-1978)
• Tattletales (1974-1978, 1982-1984)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974-1984)
• The Rockford Files (1974-1980)
• Tiswas (UK) (1974-1982)
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present)

Ending this year

• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• Kung Fu (1972-1975).

Cancelled, but eventually to return to the air

• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).

Changes of network affiliation

• The Edge of Night moves from CBS to ABC.

Births

• January 1 - Jenni Falconer, British television presenter

Deaths