Events

• February 8 - The Secret Storm airs its 5195th and final episode. The show is replaced ten days later by Tattletales, a game show hosted by Bert Convy.
• March 13 - The Execution of Private Slovik. A made for television film, it told the story of Pvt. Eddie Slovik, the only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the American Civil War.
• April 17 - Nakia which is a television movie starring Linda Evans is shown in the US.
• May 4 - Steve Frame (George Reinholt) marries Alice Matthews (Jacqueline Courtney) for the second time on a special hour-long broadcast of Another World, coinciding with the show's tenth anniversary.
• June 8 - Actor Jon Pertwee makes his final regular appearance as the Third Doctor in the concluding moments of Part 6 of the Doctor Who serial Planet of the Spiders. Actor Tom Baker briefly appears as the Fourth Doctor at the conclusion of this serial.
• August 5 - For the first time on a pre-school children's programme, the UK show Inigo Pipkin covers the death of the main character, Inigo, as the actor who played him (George Woodbridge) had died. The show is renamed Pipkins.
• August 8 - US President Richard Nixon resigns live on television.
• September 10 - The controversial TV movie Born Innocent, starring Linda Blair, was first screened on the NBC network in the United States. The film, which involved a fourteen-year-old being sent to what the television preview deemed a women's prison (when in reality it was a reform school), drew heavy criticism due to an all-female rape scene, the first ever seen on American television. The scene was deleted in subsequent re-airings after a group of girls assaulted an eight-year-old with a pop bottle, influenced by the scene in the film.
• December 28 - Actor Tom Baker makes his first full appearance as the Fourth Doctor in the Doctor Who serial Robot.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus, the popular British sketch comedy which aired its final episode this year, is first shown in the US on an educational TV station in Dallas, Texas.
• The children's special Free to Be... You and Me first airs on American television, produced by comedic actress Marlo Thomas.
• Meg Dale (Tudi Wiggins) calls her son Ben (Christopher Reeve) a "bastard" on the soap opera Love of Life, the first time a profanity was spoken on American daytime television.
• The documentary series Legacy for the Future first airs on NHK in Japan.

Debuts

• January 5 - Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands in the UK and the television show was not fully networked until 1979 (1974-1982).
• January 7 - How to Survive a Marriage debuts in a 90-minute special on NBC daytime. The episode shows the first nudity (which was merely simulated and not seen) on American daytime television.
• January 15 - Happy Days premieres on ABC (1974-1984).
• February 1 - Good Times, a spinoff of Maude, premieres on CBS (1974-1979).
• February 18 - Tattletales, hosted by Bert Convy, premieres on CBS daytime (1974-1978, 1982-1984).
• May 6 - $10,000 Pyramid" target="_blank" >^* moves to ABC with host Dick Clark entertainer hosts.
• September 7-Land of the Lost premieres (1974-1977).
• September 9 - Rhoda premieres on CBS (1974-1978).
• September 9 - ''$25,000 Pyramid" target="_blank" >^* premires in syndication with host Bill Cullen and gives 2 player the chance to win $25,000 in cash.
• September 11 - Little House on the Prairie starring Michael Landon (1974-1983).
• September 13 - Chico and the Man premieres (1974-1978).
• September 13 - The Rockford Files premieres (1974-1980).
• September - Police Woman premieres in the US (1974-1978).
• Countdown premieres in Australia (1974-1987).
• Derrick (1974-1998), German Krimi written by Herbert Reinecker, starring Horst Tappert.
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast premieres (1974-1984).
• Definition (TV series) premieres (1974-1989).
• Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins premieres (1974-1975).
• House of Pride premieres (1974-1976).
• Wish You Were Here...? premieres in the UK (1974-present).

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 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).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• 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).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968-1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).

1970s

• All My Children (1970-present).
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977).
• McCloud (1970-1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• All in the Family (1971-1979).
• Columbo (1971-1978).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• McMillan and Wife (1971-1977).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
• Emergency! (1972-1977).
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• Kung Fu (1972-1975).
• Maude (1972-1978).
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983).
• Sanford and Son (1972-1977).
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978).
• 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 '74 (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986).
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978).
• Superstars (UK) (1973-1985, 2003-2005).
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).

Ending this year

• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974).
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974), leaving Lucille Ball without a regular, weekly TV show for the first time in 12 years.
• Love, American Style (1969-1974).
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974).
• Room 222 (1969-1974).
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974).
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974).
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974).
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974).
• Colditz (UK) (1972-1974).
• The Animated Series (1973-1974).

Births

• January 2 - Tricia Helfer, Canadian actress and model.
• January 4 - Martixell Lavanchy, British actress.
• March 24 - Alyson Hannigan, actress.
• March 31 - Angela Dotchin, actress.
• May 27 - Denise van Outen, British actress and singer.
• July 26 - Genevieve Gorder.
• August 15 - Natasha Henstridge, Canadian actress and model.
• September 2 - Lisa Snowdon, British model, actress and television presenter.
• December 13 - Sara Cox, radio and television presenter.

Deaths

• March 20 - Chet Huntley, journalist, co-anchor of the NBC nightly newscast.
• April 17 - Frank McGee , journalist, NBC news.
• April 30 - Agnes Moorehead, actress (Endora on Bewitched).
• October 13 - Ed Sullivan, host of the Ed Sullivan Show.
• November 5 - Stafford Repp, actor.

1974 | Years in television

1974 à la télévision | TV-året 1974