1988 in television

This is a list of television-related events in 1988.

For the United States network television schedule, please see 1988-89 United States network television schedule.

Events

• February 5 - Comic Relief airs its Red Nose Day fundraiser on BBC1.
• February 26 - Tom Hardy marries Simone Ravelle on General Hospital. It is a milestone for the genre as it is the first interracial wedding between two characters on American daytime television.
• April 3 - The Woman He Loved, a single drama starring Jane Seymour airs on US television.
• April 28 - ITV in the UK broadcasts Death on the Rock, a hugely controversial episode of Thames Television's This Week current affairs strand, investigating Operation Flavius, which resulted in the SAS killing three members of the IRA in Gibraltar.
• May 13 - J.R. Ewing pushes Nicholas Pierce over the railing of his high-rise office building, and Sue Ellen is so enraged that she fires three shots at him, on the season finale of Dallas.
• May 16 - The youth strand DEF II is launched on BBC2 in the UK.
• July 4 - The hit game show Family Feud returns to the air after a 3 year hiatus. Ray Combs is the new host, replacing original host Richard Dawson.
• July 19 - The Bill broadcasts the first episode of its fourth season and switches to a year-round serial format.
• September 1 - Children's cable network YTV launches in Canada.
• October 4 - Following in Cher's footsteps, actress Shirley MacLaine calls David Letterman an "asshole", on the air during a taping of Late Night.
• October 27 - The last of Harding Lemay's "comeback" episodes air on Another World. In the final minutes of the episode, Australian actress Carmen Duncan took over the role of the legendary bitch Iris Cory Wheeler, after the role had been vacated for many years by Beverlee McKinsey.
• November 3 - Talk show host Geraldo Rivera's nose is broken during a taping of his show, when a fight erupts on the set between guests. The theme of the episode was "Young Hate Mongers" and the fight originated between white supremacist Tom Metzger and civil rights activist Roy Innis.
• The song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart is the focus of a sex scandal, and later admits to being with prostitutes and steps down from his television ministry.
• The Young and the Restless tops the daytime ratings (deposing longtime winner General Hospital), starting an unbeaten streak of #1 victories that still continue to this day.
• Ana Alicia's character, Melissa Agretti, dies in a house fire on Falcon Crest.
• After rejecting an offer to join CBS News, Peter Mansbridge replaces Knowlton Nash as anchor of CBC's The National.

Debuts

• January 19- 48 Hours (1988— ).
• January 31 - The Wonder Years premieres (1988–1993).
• February 7 - America's Most Wanted debuts (1988— ).
• February 15 - Red Dwarf debuts in the UK (1988–1999).
• February 27 - Choujuu Sentai Liveman premieres on TV-Asahi (1988-1989)
• April 26- China Beach premieres on ABC (1988-1991)
• July 4 - Family Feud makes a comeback on CBS at 10:00 am EDT with host Ray Combs and announcer Gene Wood following its cancellation from ABC daytime 3 years earlier.
• September 10-A Pup Named Scooby Doo premieres on ABC (1988-1991)
• September 16 - The popular Canadian dance music series Electric Circus debuts on MuchMusic (1988–2003).
• September 17 - Garfield and Friends, a Saturday morning cartoon series based on the popular comic strip character, debuts on CBS (1988–1995).
• October 8 - Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls, premieres on NBC (1988–1995).
• October 18 - Roseanne premieres (1988–1997).
• November 14 - Murphy Brown premieres (1988–1998).
• November - Mystery Science Theater 3000 has its TV premiere on KTMA TV 23 (1988–1999). The show moved to the Comedy Channel in 1989.
• Children's Ward, a popular children's series produced by Granada Television, begins its long run on the ITV network in the UK (1988–2000).
• The Comedy Company debuts on 0-10 Network in Australia (1988–1990).
• The American Experience (1988— ).
• Fair City premieres (1988— ).
• Home and Away (1988— ).
• This Morning debuts (1988— ).
• The Adventures of Superboy (1988–1992).
• T. and T. (1988–1990).
• Apex predator (unknown date)

Miniseries

• Dadah is Death
• War and Remembrance

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947— )
• Candid Camera (1948— )
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)

1950s

• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951— )
• American Bandstand (1952–1989)
• Guiding Light (1952— )
• The Today Show (1952— )
• Panorama (UK) (1953— )
• Face the Nation (1954— )
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003)
• As the World Turns (1956— )
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956— )
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957— )
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958— )
• Grandstand (UK) (1958— )

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960— )
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961— )
• It's Academic (1961— )
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962— )
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005— )
• General Hospital (1963— )
• Another World (1964–1999)
• Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964— )
• Days of Our Lives (1965— )
• Play School (1966— )
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966— )
• 60 Minutes (1968— )
• One Life to Live (1968— )
• Hee Haw (1969–1993)
• Sesame Street (1969— )
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969–1989)

1970s

• All My Children (1970— )
• Monday Night Football (1970— )
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971— )
• Soul Train (1971— )
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972— )
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972— )
• The Price Is Right (1972— )
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973— )
• The Young and the Restless (1973— )
• Derrick (1974–1998)
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974— )
• Arena (UK) (1975— )
• Good Morning America (1975— )
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975–1994)
• Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
• Saturday Night Live (1975— )
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975— )
• Wheel of Fortune (1975— )
• 20/20 (1978— )
• Dallas (1978–1991)
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978— )
• Knots Landing (1979–1993)
• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979–1990)
• Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979— )
• Nightline (1979— )
• This Old House (1979— )

1980s

• Dynasty (1981–1989)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981— )
• Falcon Crest (1981–1990)
• What Now (1982— )
• Timewatch (UK) (1982— )
• Cheers (1982–1993)
• Family Ties (1982–1989)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
• Newhart (1982–1990)
• The Journal (Canada) (1982–1992)
• Loving (1983–1995)
• Webster (1983–1989)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984–1988, 1991–1994)
• Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984— )
• Kate and Allie (1984–1989)
• Miami Vice (1984–1989)
• Mother and Son (Australia) (1984–1994)
• Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996)
• Night Court (1984–1992)
• Santa Barbara (1984–1993)
• The Bill (UK) (1984— )
• The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
• Who's the Boss? (1984–1992)
• 227 (1985–1990)
• EastEnders (UK) (1985— )
• Growing Pains (1985–1992)
• It's a Living (1980–1982, 1985–1989)
• MacGyver (1985–1992)
• Moonlighting (1985–1989)
• Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990)
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985— )
• Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981–1983, 1985–1993, 1996–1997, 2001–2003) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special Dates)
• Sally (1985–2002)
• Turn on to T-Bag and T-Bag's Christmas Cracker (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
• The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
• The Twilight Zone (1959–1964, 1985–1988, 2002)
• ALF (1986–1990)
• Amen (1986–1991)
• Designing Women (1986–1993)
• Double Dare (1986–1993)
• Hey Dad...! (1986–1994)
• L.A. Law (1986–1994)
• Mama's Family (1983–1984, 1986–1990)
• Matlock (1986–1995)
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991)
• Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)
• The Disney Sunday Movie (1986–1988) ends on September 11 to resume as The Magical World of Disney (1988–1990) on October 9
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986— )
• Comic Relief (UK) (1986— )
• Casualty (UK) (1986— )
• Beadle's About (UK) (1987–1996)
• ChuckleVision (UK) (1987— )
• A Different World (1987–1993)
• Full House (1987–1995)
• Going Live! (1987–1993)
• Inspector Morse (1987–2000)
• Knightmare (UK) (1987–1994)
• Married... with Children (1987–1997)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996)
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987— )
• The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1990)
• thirtysomething (1987–1991)
• Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999— )

Ending this year

• Button Moon (1980–1988)
• February 12 - Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988)
• May 1 - Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
• May 7 - The Facts of Life (1979–1988)
• May 13 - Tales of the Unexpected (UK) (1979–1985, 1987–1988)
• May 16- Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988)
• May 25-St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
• May 27-Punky Brewster (1984–1988)
• July 23 - Tales from the Darkside (1984–1988)
• December 31 - Simon & Simon (1981–1988)
• Solid Gold (1980–1988)
• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988)

Births

• November 15 - Zena Grey, actress

Deaths

• February 1 - Heather O'Rourke, actress from Poltergeist and Happy Days, age 12
• March 10 - Andy Gibb, 30, actor/songwriter of the Bee-Gees
• May 8 - Daws Butler, prolific voice actor
• July 31 - Trinidad Silva, actor on Hill Street Blues, in a car accident
• October 31 - John Houseman, actor
• December 12 - Dick Clair, television comedy writer, who asked to be cryogenically frozen
• December 20 - Max Robinson, ABC News correspondent, from AIDS
• December 27 - Jess Oppenheimer, comedy writer credited as having created I Love Lucy

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