1990 in television - Definition and Overview

See also: 1989 in television, other events of 1990, 1991 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• January 2 - All My Children airs its 20th anniversary special. The characters Joe and Ruth Martin sit down with Erica Kane, her mother Mona, and Phoebe Wallingford as they go through scrapbook pictures which segue into memorable clips from the show's past twenty years.
• January 21 - MTV Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze.
• February 17 - Aerosmith appears in the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, where they perform the Wayne's World theme song.
• April 30 - The long-lost pilot film to I Love Lucy airs on CBS as a special.
• July - The Cruise of Deception storyline airs on Days of Our Lives.
• CBS starts airing its daytime lineup in stereo sound, after competition from NBC and ABC necessitated the change in standard.
• Chris Farley and Adam Sandler join Saturday Night Live.
• The poorly received Cop Rock preimieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
• Legislation is signed into United States law requiring close captioning decoders in all large color TVs manufactured after July 1, 1993.
• Genie Francis, in an attempt to shed her image as Laura Spencer, starts playing her third soap role, as Irishwoman Ceara Connor on All My Children. On the same show, actress Debbi Morgan, one-half of the first black supercouple, leaves the role of Angie Baxter Hubbard.

Debuts

• January - One Foot in the Grave premieres on the BBC (1990-2000).
• January - Road to Avonlea premieres, airing on CBC in Canada and on The Disney Channel in the US (1990-1996).
• October - Law & Order premieres (1990-present).
• In Living Color premieres (1990-1994).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present)
• Candid Camera (1948-present)
• Guiding Light (1952-present)
• The Today Show (1952-present)
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present)
• Face the Nation (1954-present)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003)
• As the World Turns (1956-present)
• 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 Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present)
• General Hospital (1963-present)
• Another World (1964-1999)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• Play School (1966-present)
• 60 Minutes (1968-present)
• One Life to Live (1968-present)
• Hee Haw (1969-1993)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• All My Children (1970-present)
• Monday Night Football (1970-present)
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present)
• Soul Train (1971-present)
• Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present)
• Newsround (UK) (1972-present)
• The Price Is Right (1972-present)
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present)
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present)
• Derrick (1974-1998)
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present)
• Good Morning America (1975-present)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)
• 20/20 (1978-present)
• Dallas (1978-1991)
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present)
• Knots Landing (1979-1993)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present)
• Cheers (1982-1993)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993)
• The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992)
• Loving (1983-1995)
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
• Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996)
• Night Court (1984-1992)
• Santa Barbara (1984-1993)
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present)
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
• Who's the Boss? (1984-1992)
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present)
• Growing Pains (1985-1992)
• MacGyver (1985-1992)
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present)
• Sally (1985-2002)
• The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
• Amen (1986-1991)
• Designing Women (1986-1993)
• Double Dare (1986-1993)
• L.A. Law (1986-1994)
• Matlock (1986-1995)
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)
• Perfect Strangers (1986-1993)
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present)
• A Different World (1987-1993)
• Full House (1987-1995)
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
• Married... with Children (1987-1997)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996)
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present)
• thirtysomething (1987-1991)
• Children's Ward (UK) (1988-2000)
• Empty Nest (1988-1995)
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present)
• Garfield and Friends (1988-1995)
• Murphy Brown (1988-1998)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999)
• Roseanne (1988-1997)
• The Wonder Years (1988-1993)
• Baywatch (1989-2001)
• Cops (1989-present)
• Family Matters (1989-1998)
• Life Goes On (1989-1993)
• Press Gang (UK) (1989-1993)
• Seinfeld (1989-1998)
• Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996)
• The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994)
• The Simpsons (1989-present)
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999)

Ending this year

• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
• Falcon Crest (1981-1990).
• Newhart (1982-1990).
• 227 (1985-1990).
• Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990).
• ALF (1986-1990).
• Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990).
• The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).

Cancelled, but eventually to return to the air

• The Magical World of Disney (1988-1990).

Deaths

• January 2 - Alan Hale Jr., actor on Gilligan's Island.
• July 7 - Bill Cullen, game show host.
• October 26 - William S. Paley, founder and longtime head of CBS.