1978 in television

List of years in television (table)
	… 1968 . 1969 . 1970 . 1971 . 1972 . 1973 . 1974 …; 1975 1976 1977 -1978- 1979 1980 1981; … 1982 . 1983 . 1984 . 1985 . 1986 . 1987 . 1988 …In home video: 1975 1976 1977 -1978- 1979 1980 1981 ; In film : 1975 1976 1977 -1978- 1979 1980 1981

The year 1978 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.

Events[]

January 15 – Super Bowl XII airs on CBS, the first time the NFL's championship event is played and telecast at night.
January 28 – The Doobie Brothers make a guest appearance on ABC's What's Happening!!
January 23 – "Roots – One Year Later", a special examining the impact and influence of the miniseries, airs on ABC.
February 5 - ABC celebrates its silver anniversary with a retrospective special.
February 22 – The Police appear in a television commercial for Wrigley's chewing gum.
March 7 – April 11 – Dennis Potter's groundbreaking drama serial Pennies From Heaven airs on BBC1.
March 22 – The Beatles spoof The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash airs on NBC.
March 26-April 1 - CBS commemorates its golden anniversary in radio and TV broadcasting with CBS: On the Air, a 9½-hour retrospective special airing over 7 nights.
April 16 – April 19 – Holocaust, starring James Woods and Meryl Streep first aired on NBC.
April 22 – The Blues Brothers make their first appearance on Saturday Night Live; the duo of Jake & Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) are introduced in a skit by Paul Shaffer (as Don Kirshner) and performs "Hey Bartender".
April 26 – Ringo Starr's, Ringo, a musical version of The Prince and the Pauper, airs on NBC, with Starr's fellow former Beatle, George Harrison, providing the narration.
May 1 – Beijing Television is renamed China Central Television.
May 24 – The iconic skateboarding duck item first airs on BBC One's Nationwide.
July 10 – The ABC Evening News is revamped and becomes ABC World News Tonight, employing a unique three-anchor setup (Frank Reynolds serving as lead anchor from Washington, Max Robinson presenting national news from Chicago, and Peter Jennings with international news from London).
August 1 – Taking advantage of an oral escape-clause in his contract with ABC, Harry Reasoner returns to CBS, eventually rejoining 60 Minutes.
September – The soap opera As the World Turns is #1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings for the 20th and final consecutive year; no other serial has been at the top of the ratings for such an unbeaten yearly streak.
September 17 – The ceremony formalizing the success of the peace talks between Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat—the Camp David accords—is televised live from the White House East Room.
September 19 – The chairs on which Archie and Edith Bunker sat through 8 seasons of All in the Family are presented to the Smithsonian Institution.
November 17 – The Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming Star Wars sequel.

Also in 1978

Fred Silverman, who successfully programmed both CBS and ABC, moves to NBC to attempt to reverse their ratings decline.
Knowlton Nash replaces Peter Kent as anchor of The National on CBC Television.
Replacing Zara Cully and Damon Evans, Jay Hammer joins the cast of The Jeffersons, for a short period of time.
US television game show program Match Game is rated in the Top 3 of all game shows for the sixth year in a row.

Debuts[]

January 2 – Blake's 7 premieres on BBC One in the UK (1978–1981).
January 7 – Abarembo Shogun premieres on the Asahi television network in Japan (1978–2003).
January 14 – Fantasy Island premieres on ABC (1978–1984).
January 14 – The South Bank Show premieres on ITV in the UK (1978–2010).
February 8 – Grange Hill premieres on BBC TV in the UK (1978–2008).
March 10 – The Incredible Hulk (TV series) premieres on CBS (1978–1981).
April 2 – Dallas premieres on CBS (1978–1991).
April 24 – Card Sharks premieres on NBC (1978–81).
June 6- 20/20 premieres on ABC (1978–present).
July 3 – Tic Tac Dough, hosted by Wink Martindale, premieres on CBS (1978–1986).
July 10 – World News Tonight premieres on ABC (1978–present).
July 29 – 3-2-1 starts on ITV in the United Kingdom (1978–1988).
September 1 – Battle of the Planets premieres (1978–1986).
September 12 – Taxi premieres on ABC (1978–1983).
September 14 – Mork & Mindy premieres on ABC (1978–1982).
September 17 – Battlestar Galactica premieres on ABC (1978–1979).
September 18 –
- WKRP in Cincinnati premieres on CBS (1978–1982).
- Canada After Dark premieres on CBC (1978–1979).
October 2 – The All-New Jeopardy! premieres on NBC (1978–1979).
November 3 – Diff'rent Strokes premieres on NBC (1978–1986).
Duplessis airs on SRC.

Miniseries[]

Centennial
Holocaust
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Against the Wind
Once Upon a Time... Man

Television shows[]

1940s[]

Meet the Press (1947–present).
Candid Camera (1948–present).
Bozo the Clown (1949–present).
Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995).

1950s[]

Truth or Consequences (1950–1988).
Love of Life (1951–1980).
Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986).
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present).
American Bandstand (1952–1989)
Guiding Light (1952–2009)
Hockey Night in Canada (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; 1962–1992 as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson)
The Wonderful World of Disney (1954–present; 1969–1979 under this title)
Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984).
The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982).
This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003).
As the World Turns (1956–2010).
The Edge of Night (1956–1984).
To Tell the Truth (1956–1978).
What the Papers Say (UK) (1956–present).
The Sky at Night (UK) (1957–present).
Blue Peter (UK) (1958–present).
Concentration (1958–1978).
Grandstand (UK) (1958–2007).

1960s[]

Coronation Street (UK) (1960–present).
ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961–1997)
Four Corners (Australia) (1961–present).
It's Academic (1961–present).
The Late Late Show, Ireland (1962–present).
The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present).
The Doctors (1963–1982).
General Hospital (1963–present).
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (1963–1988, 2002–present)
Another World (1964–1999).
Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003).
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964–2006).
Days of our Lives (1965–present).
World of Sport (UK) (1965–1985).
Play School (1966–present).
The Money Programme (UK) (1966–present).
60 Minutes (1968–present).
Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980).
Magpie (UK) (1968–1980).
One Life to Live (1968–present).
Hee Haw (1969–1993).
Sesame Street (1969–present).
The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969–1989).

1970s[]

All My Children (1970–present).
Monday Night Football (1970–present).
Play for Today (UK) (1970–1984).
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977).
All in the Family (1971–1979).
Masterpiece Theatre (1971–present).
Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971–1987).
Soul Train (1971–2006; reruns until 2008)
Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972–1985).
Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972–present).
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984).
John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972–present).
M*A*S*H (1972–1983).
The Price Is Right (1972–present).
The Waltons (1972–1981).
Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).
Kojak (1973–1978, 2005–present).
Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973–present).
Match Game '78 (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999).
Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1986).
Superstars (UK) (1973–1985, 2003–2005).
The Tomorrow Show (1973–1982).
The Young and the Restless (1973–present).
Countdown (Australia) (1974–1987).
Derrick (1974–1998).
Dinah! (1974–1980).
Good Times (1974–1979).
Happy Days (1974–1984).
Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983).
Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974–1984).
The Rockford Files (1974–1980).
Tiswas (UK) (1974–1982).
Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974–present).
Arena (UK) (1975–present).
Barney Miller (1975–1982).
Good Morning America (1975–present).
Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975–1994).
King of Kensington (Canada) (1975–1980).
Match Game PM (1975–1981).
One Day at a Time (1975–1984).
Runaround (UK) (1975–1981).
Ryan's Hope (1975–1989).
Saturday Night Live (1975–present).
The Don Lane Show (Australia) (1975–1983).
the fifth estate (Canada) (1975–present).
The Jeffersons (1975–1985).
Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979).
Wheel of Fortune (1975–present).
Alice (1976–1985).
Charlie's Angels (1976–1981).
Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999–present).
Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983).
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (UK) (1976–1982).
Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983).
Second City Television (SCTV) (Canada) (1976–1984).
The Muppet Show (UK) (1976–1981).
The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987).
What's Happening!! (1976–1979).
Wonder Woman (1976–1979).
CHiPs (1977–1983).
Eight is Enough (1977–1981).
Fantasy Island (1977–1984).
In Search of... (1977–1982).
Lou Grant (1977–1982).
The Love Boat (1977–1986)
Soap (1977–1981)
This Week in Baseball (1977–1998, 2000–present)
Three's Company (1977–1984).
The Amazing Spider-Man (1977–1979).

Ending this year[]

March 6 – The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978).
March 20 – Opportunity Knocks (UK) on ITV (1956–1978).
March 29 – The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978).
March 30 – Police Woman (1974–1978).
March 31 – Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984).
April 1 – The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978).
April 5 – Pop Quest (UK) (1975–1978).
April 29 – Maude (1972–1978).
May 13 – Columbo (1971–1978).
- The Bionic Woman (1976–1978).
May 18 – Baretta (1975–1978).
June 10 – The Good Life (UK) (1975–1978).
July 21 – Chico and the Man (1974–1978).
September 20 – Z-Cars (UK) (1962–1978).
December 4 - Lucan (1977–1978).
December 9 – Rhoda (1974–1978).
December 28 – The Sweeney (UK) (1975–1978).
The Bobby Vinton Show (1975–1978).
The Naked Vicar Show (Australia) (1977–1978).

Births[]

January 3 – Daryn Jones, entertainment personality in Canada.
January 5 – Daisy Lewis, English actress.
February 7 – Ashton Kutcher, US actor.
March 1 – Donovan Patton, Guamanian actor Blue's Clues.
April 13 – Kyle Howard, US actor.
April 22 – Manu Intiraymi, US actor.
June 2 – Nikki Cox, US actor.
June 2 – Justin Long, US actor.
June 6 – Judith Barsi, American actress (d.1988)
June 7 – Bill Hader, actor
June 10 – Shane West, US actor.
June 13 – Ethan Embry, US actor.
June 27 – Anna Kumble, British television presenter.
July 1 – Hillary Tuck, US actor.
July 6 – Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, actresses.
July 9 – Linda Park, US actor (born in Korea).
July 12 – Topher Grace, US actor.
July 12 – Michelle Rodriguez, US actor.
August 23 – Kobe Bryant, NBA player Los Angeles Lakers.
October 14 – Usher, singer and entertainer
November 10 – Eve, American rapper.
December 18 – Katie Holmes, US actor.

Deaths[]

February 28 – Zara Cully, US actor (Mother Olivia Jefferson) on The Jeffersons.
March 18 – Peggy Wood, US actor.
April 22 – Will Geer, US actor (Grandpa Walton) on The Waltons
May 21 – Bruce Geller, screenwriter, producer
June 29 – Bob Crane, US actor (Col. Hogan on Hogan's Heroes), murdered.
December 1, David Nixon, magician

Years in television: 1978
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