See also: 1970 in television, other events of 1971, 1972 in television and the list of years in television.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1971-72 American network television schedule.

Events

• January 3 - BBC Open University broadcasts begin in the UK.
• January 27 - Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street.
• February 23 - The Selling of the Pentagon documentary airs on CBS.
• March 11 - ABC cancels The Lawrence Welk Show after sixteen years on the network. The show, however, returns to the airwaves in syndication in September, where it would run for another eleven years.
• May - CBS debuts its schedule for the fall 1971 season, and cancels, in the words of Max Baer, Jr., "every show that had a tree in it." Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry R.F.D., and Hee Haw all end production. The latter show continued on for two decades in syndication.
• June 7 - The UK children's magazine show Blue Peter buries a time capsule in the grounds of BBC Television Centre, due to be opened on the first episode of the year 2000.
• November - Top-rated As the World Turns loses the #1 slot in the daytime Nielsens for the first time since 1959.
• Michael Zaslow first appears as Roger Thorpe on The Guiding Light.

Debuts

• January 10 - Masterpiece Theatre debuts on PBS (1971-present).
• January 12 - All in the Family premieres (1971-1979).
• September 21 - The Old Grey Whistle Test premiered on BBC2 (1971-1987).
• October 2 - Soul Train, the African-American equivalent to American Bandstand, premieres (1971-present).
• October 10 - Upstairs Downstairs debuts in the UK on ITV.
• October 25 - The Electric Company, a skit-based children's program aimed at teaching reading skills, premieres on PBS (1971-1977).
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1971-1974).
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premieres (1971-1974).
• NBC Mystery Movie premieres (1971-1977) as a wheel show featuring:
  • McCloud (premiered in 1970);
  • McMillan and Wife (1971-1977);
  • Columbo (1971-1978).

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).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• 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).
• 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).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• The Doctors (1963-1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Bewitched (1964-1972).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• Tom and Jerry (1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967-1973).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968-1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974).
• Laugh-In (1968-1973).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• The Doris Day Show (1968-1973).
• The Mod Squad (1968-1973).
• Bright Promise (1969-1972).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Love, American Style (1969-1974).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1973).
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974).
• Room 222 (1969-1974).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989).
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
• The Clangers (UK) (1969-1972).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).
• Where the Heart Is (1969-1973).

1970s

• All My Children (1970-present).
• Doomwatch (UK) (1970-1972).
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977).
• McCloud (1970-1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974).

Ending this year

• June 6 - The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
• Green Acres (1965-1971).
• Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971).
• Dark Shadows (1966-1971).
• Family Affair (1966-1971).
• That Girl (1966-1971).
• Julia (1968-1971).
• Mayberry R.F.D. (1968-1971).
• The Johnny Cash Show (1969-1971).
• Josie and the Pussycats (1970-1971).
• UFO (UK) (1970-1971).

Changes of network affiliation

• The Lawrence Welk Show moves from ABC to first-run syndication.
• Hee Haw, from CBS to first-run syndication.

Births

• January 1 - Suzanne Virdee, British regional TV newscaster.
• January 2 - Catherine Jones, British television presenter.
• January 5 - Jayne Middlemiss, British television presenter.
• January 6 - Charlie Neil, British regional TV weather reader.
• February 16 - Amanda Holden.
• February 23 - Melinda Messenger, British television presenter and model.
• March 9 - Emmanuel Lewis.
• March 23 - Gail Porter, television presenter.
• April 27 - Tess Daly, British television presenter.
• July 9 - Dani Behr, television presenter and actress.
• July 17 - Peta Brady, actress.
• July 25 - Jessie Wallace, British actress.
• August 7 - Melanie Sykes, British television presenter.
• August 9 - Kate Sanderson
• September 8 - Brooke Burke.
• September 9 - Natasha Kaplinsky, British television presenter.
• September 13 - Louise Lombard, British actress.
• September 28 - Liza Walker, British actress.
• October 19 - Kacey Ainsworth, British actress.
• November 25 - Christina Applegate.
• December 5 - Justine Kerrigan, British actress.

Deaths

• March 11 - Philo Farnsworth, 64, television pioneer
• March 15 - Bebe Daniels, 70, actress.
• December 30 - Melba Rae, 49, soap opera actress (Search for Tomorrow).

1971 | Years in television

1971 à la télévision | 1971 בטלוויזיה | TV-året 1971