1999 in television - Definition and Overview

See also: 1998 in television, other events of 1999, 2000 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• January 1 - On Coronation Street, four-decade resident Alf Roberts dies of a heart attack, just one month before the real-life death of his portrayer, Bryan Mosley.
• January 6 - Bob Newhart receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• February 14 - Elton John appears as himself in a special Valentine's Day episode of the animated series The Simpsons.
• July 18 - Actor Hank Azaria marries actress Helen Hunt. The couple divorced on December 18, 2000.
• December 7 - Channel 5 in the UK broadcasts the TV movie Winter Angel, a revival of the popular 1970s BBC science-fiction series Doomwatch.
• Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy.
• 10th anniversary of The Simpsons.
• Susan Lucci wins a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as Erica Kane on All My Children, after eighteen failed nominations in previous years.
• Big Brother (1999-present) premieres in the Netherlands, produced by Endemol.

Debuts

• March - The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn premieres (1999-2004).
• July 5 - Passions debuts in the slot vacated by Another World ten days before (1999-present).
• July 17 - SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon's most popular Nicktoon, releases it's first episode Bubblestand/Ripped Pants (1999-present).
• September - Judging Amy premieres (1999-present).
• September - The West Wing premieres (1999-present).
• September - Third Watch premieres (1999-present).
• October - Angel premieres (1999-2004).
• Family Guy premieres (1999-2002, 2005-present).
• Farscape premieres (1999-2003).
• Futurama (1999-2003).
• Home Movies premieres (1999, 2001-present).
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premieres (1999-present).
• Queer as Folk (UK) (1999-2000).
• Rocket Power premieres (1999-present).
• premiered (1999-present).
• Spongebob Squarepants premieres (1999-present).
• Tenacious D premieres on cable television (1999-present).
• The Sopranos premieres on cable television (1999-present).
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? premieres in the US, hosted by Regis Philbin. The show is based on a British show of the same name (1999-present).

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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present)
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present)
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present)
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present)
• Sally (1985-2002)
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present)
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present)
• The Ward (UK) (1988-2000)
• Baywatch (1989-2001)
• Cops (1989-present)
• The Simpsons (1989-present)
• Law & Order (1990-present)
• One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000)
• Rugrats (1991-2004)
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present)
• Barney & Friends (1992-2002)
• Dateline NBC (1992-present)
• The Real World (1992-present)
• Frasier (1993-2004)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present)
• NYPD Blue (1993-present)
• The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present)
• The X-Files (1993-2002)
• ER (1994-present)
• Friends (1994-2004)
• Touched by an Angel (1994-2003)
• JAG (1995-present)
• Sesame Park (Canada) (1995-2002)
• Sliders (1995-2000)
• The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004)
• The Wheezer Bros. (1995-2001)
• 7th Heaven (1996-present)
• Dexter's Laboratory (1996-present)
• Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-present)
• Hey Arnold! (1996-present)
• Judge Judy (1996-present)
• Spin City (1996-2002)
• The Daily Show (1996-present)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
• Daria (1997-2001)
• Dharma & Greg (1997-2002)
• Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997-2001)
• Johnny Bravo (1997-present)
• Just Shoot Me (1997-2003)
• King of the Hill (1997-present)
• South Park (1997-present)
• Stargate SG-1 (1997-present)
• The Practice (1997-2004)
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1997-present)
• Becker (1998-2004)
• Call For Help (1998-2004)
• CatDog (1998-2001)
• Dawson's Creek (1998-2003)
• Forgive or Forget (1998-2000)
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1998-2000)
• Sex and the City (1998-2004)
• That '70s Show (1998-present)
• The King of Queens (1998-present)
• The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK) (1998-present)
• Will & Grace (1998-present)
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present)

Ending this year

• June 25 - the American soap opera Another World airs its final episode (#8891) (1964-1999).
• September - Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
• Home Improvement (1991-1999).
• Mad About You (1992-1999).
• The Nanny (1993-1999).
• Pamela Wallin Live (Canada) (1995-1999).
• Doug (1991-1994, 1996-1999).
• Cow and Chicken (1997-1999).
• Sunset Beach (1997-1999).
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• The Sifl and Olly Show (1998-1999).

Deaths

• January 4 - Iron Eyes Cody, actor known for a popular anti-littering commercial from the 1970s.
• March 22 - David Strickland, actor on Suddenly Susan, suicide.
• March 30 - Gary Morton, producer, second husband of Lucille Ball.
• April 10 - Jean Vander Pyl, voice actor who voiced Wilma Flintstone on The Flintstones and Rosie the Robot Maid on The Jetsons.
• May 8 - Dana Plato, actress (Kimberly Drummond) on Diff'rent Strokes, age 34.
• June 11 - DeForest Kelley, actor (Bones McCoy) on Star Trek.
• July 20 - Sandra Gould, actress (the second Gladys Kravitz) on Bewitched.
• September 5 - Allen Funt, host of Candid Camera.
• December 29 - Gene Rayburn, television host (Match Game).