1990 in television

Categories: 1990 | Years in television

This is a list of television-related events in 1990.

Related year entries:

List of years in film 1989 in film 1990 in film 1991 in film

List of years in home video 1989 in home video 1990 in home video 1991 in home video

List of years in television 1989 in television 1990 in television 1991 in television

For the United States network television schedule, please see 1990-91 United States network television schedule.

Contents 1 Events 2 Debuts 3 Television shows 4 Ending this year 5 Cancelled, but eventually to return on air 6 Births 7 Deaths

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.
• March 25 - British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) launches on cable in the UK, a rival to Sky Television.
• March - On All My Children, actress Debbi Morgan, one-half of the first black supercouple, leaves the role of Angie Baxter Hubbard.
• April 29 - BSB launches on satellite television.
• April 30 - The long-lost pilot film to I Love Lucy airs on CBS as a special.
• May 11 - A trick backfires on J.R. when his enemy conspires to trap him inside an insane asylum on the season finale of Dallas.
• June 27 - 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 which she will remain for two years until 1992.
• July - The Cruise of Deception storyline airs on Days of Our Lives.
• September 26 - The poorly received Cop Rock premieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
• October 15 - Legislation is signed into United States law requiring closed captioning decoders in all large color TVs manufactured after July 1, 1993.
• November 2 - BSB merges with Sky Television, becoming British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
• 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.

Debuts

• January 7 - Road to Avonlea premieres, airing on CBC in Canada and on The Disney Channel in the US (1990-1996).
• January - One Foot in the Grave premieres on the BBC (1990-2000).
• February - The Crystal Maze premieres on Channel 4 (1990-1995).
• April 15 - In Living Color premieres (1990-1994).
• August 23 - Ferris Bueller premieres (1990-1991).
• September - America's Funniest People premieres (1990-1994).
• September 13 - Law & Order premieres (1990-present).
• September 16 - America's Funniest Home Videos premieres (1990-present).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• 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).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-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).
• The Money Programme (UK) (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).
• Arena (UK) (1975–present).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
• 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).
• Antiques Road Show (UK) (1979-present).
• Nightline (1979-present).
• This Old House (1979-present).
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
• What Now (1982-present)
• Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
• Cheers (1982-1993).
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
• The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
• Loving (1983-1995).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
• 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).
• Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
• Amen (1986-1991).
• Designing Women (1986-1993).
• Double Dare (1986-1993).
• Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
• L.A. Law (1986-1994).
• Matlock (1986-1995).
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991).
• Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
• Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
• A Different World (1987-1993).
• Beadle's About (UK) (1987-1996).
• Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
• Full House (1987-1995).
• Going Live! (UK) (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-present).
• thirtysomething (1987-1991).
• America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
• The American Experience (1988-present).
• Fair City (1988-present).
• Home and Away (1988-present).
• This Morning (1988-present).
• Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
• 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).
• 48 Hours (1988-present).
• The Adventures of Superboy (1988-1992).
• Acropolis Now (Australia) (1989-1992).
• Baywatch (1989-2001).
• Cops (1989-present).
• Family Matters (1989-1998).
• Fast Forward (Australia) (1989-1992).
• Life Goes On (1989-1993).
• Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989-1994).
• Press Gang (UK) (1989-1993).
• Seinfeld (1989-1998).
• Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996).
• The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994).
• About Face(1989-1991).
• The Big Gig (Australia) (1989-1992).
• 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).
• T. and T. (1988-1990).
• The Comedy Company (Australia) (1988-1990).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).

Cancelled, but eventually to return on air

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

Births

• March 23 - Luke Tarsitano, actor (Fudge (television))

Deaths

• January 2 - Alan Hale Jr., actor on Gilligan's Island.
• May 10 - Susan Oliver, actress.
• July 7 - Bill Cullen, game show host.
• October 26 - William S. Paley, founder and longtime head of CBS.sv:TV-året 1990