See also: 1965 in television, other events of 1966, 1967 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1966-67 American network television schedule.

Events

• January 3 - Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out".
• January 8 - Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who.
• February 23 - Television is first broadcast in Greece when ERT went on the air.
• June 5 - A taped appearance by The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. The band debuts their music videos for "Rain" and "Paperback Writer".
• June 27 - The first episode of the supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows airs on ABC, introducing Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) to the viewing audience as she applies for a job at the Collinwood Manor.
• July 1 - First Canadian color television broadcast.
• Summer - Patrick McGoohan quits the popular spy series Danger Man (aired in the US as Secret Agent) after filming only two episodes of the fourth season, in order to produce and star in The Prisoner, which begins filming in September.
• September - ABC switches to the color standard, meaning that all three US networks are now broadcasting in color regularly.
• September 3 - The last new episode of the television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet airs.
• September 7 - The final episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show airs (the first episode aired on October 3, 1961).
• September 8 - The first Star Trek episode to air, "The Man Trap" premieres on CBS.
• October 2 - The four-part serial Talking to a Stranger, acclaimed as one of the finest British television dramas of the 1960s, begins transmission in the Theatre 625 strand on BBC2.
• October 27 - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs for the first time on CBS.
• October 29 - Actor William Hartnell makes his last regular appearance as the First Doctor in the concluding moments of Episode 4 of the Doctor Who serial The Tenth Planet. Actor Patrick Troughton briefly appears as the Second Doctor at the conclusion of the serial.
• November 5 - Actor Patrick Troughton appears in his first full Doctor Who serial The Power of the Daleks as the Second Doctor.
• November 16 - Cathy Come Home, possibly the best-known play ever to be broadcast on British television, is transmitted in BBC1's The Wednesday Play anthology strand.
• The 1951-1953 CBS sitcom Amos & Andy is pulled from circulation due to complaints from civil rights organizations.
• Macdonald Carey starts reciting the epigram "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives" at the beginning of his dramatic serial, Days of Our Lives, a tradition that continues today, over a decade after his passing.

Debuts

• January 12 - Batman debuts on ABC (1966-1968).
• April 5 - The Money Programme debuts on BBC2 (1966-present).
• September 12 - The Monkees premieres (1966-1968).
• October 9 - Rocket Robin Hood premieres (1966-1969).
• Dark Shadows premieres (1966-1971).
• Family Affair premieres (1966-1971).
• Play School premieres (1966-present).
• Star Trek premieres (1966-1969).
• That Girl premieres (1966-1971).
• The Newlywed Game premieres (1966-1974).
• W-FIVE premieres (1966-present).
• Wojeck premieres (1966-1968).

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• What's My Line (1950-1967).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Honeymooners (1952-1970).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Milton Berle Show (1954-1967).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
• Bonanza (1959-1973).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).
• The Bell Telephone Hour (1959-1968).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present)
• The Avengers (UK) (1961-1969).
• The Fulton Sheen Program (1961-1968).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969).
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• The Lucy Show (1962-1968).
• The Saint (UK) (1962-1969).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• Petticoat Junction (1963-1970).
• The Doctors (1963-1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Bewitched (1964-1972).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Daniel Boone (1964-1970).
• Gilligan's Island (1964-1967).
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964-1970).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Peyton Place (1964-1969).
• The Mavis Brampston Show (Australia) (1964-1968).
• The Wednesday Play (UK) (1964-1970).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• Get Smart (1965-1970).
• Green Acres (1965-1971).
• Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971).
• I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970).
• Lost In Space (1965-1968).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• Tom and Jerry (1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982).
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• United! (UK) (1965-1967)

Ending this year

• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).
• The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966).
• Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961; 1964-1966).
• The Flintstones (1960-1966).
• Ben Casey (1961-1966).
• Mister Ed (1961-1966).
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966).
• Ready Steady Go! (1963-1966).
• Shindig! (1964-1966).
• The Addams Family (1964-1966).
• The Munsters (1964-1966).
• This Hour Has Seven Days (1964-1966).
• Hullabaloo (1965-1966).

Births

• January 2 - Rosie Millard, UK television news reporter.
• January 9 - Giselle Blondet, Puerto Rican actress and show host.
• February 19 - Justine Bateman, actress on Family Ties.
• May 20 - Mindy Cohn, actress on The Facts of Life.
• June 26 - Sara Stewart, actress.
• July 11 - Debbe Dunning, actress.
• November 12 - David Schwimmer, actor, Friends.

Deaths

• March 3 - William Frawley, actor who co-starred in I Love Lucy and My Three Sons.
• March 3 - Alice Pearce, actress (Gladys Kravitz #1 on Bewitched)
• June 19 - Ed Wynn, comedian
• September 14 - Gertrude Berg, actress (The Goldbergs)
• December 15 - Walt Disney.

1966 | Years in television

1966 à la télévision | TV-året 1966