See also: 1979 in television, other events of 1980, 1981 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1980-81 American network television schedule.

Events

• February 1 - The soap opera Love of Life airs its last episode, after twenty-nine years on the air.
• February 14 - Walter Cronkite announces his retirement from the CBS Evening News.
• February 15 - New Zealand's Television One and Television Two go to air under the newly formed Television New Zealand.
• March 21 - On the season finale of the soap opera Dallas, the infamous character J.R. Ewing is shot by an unseen assailant leading to the catchphrase "Who Shot JR?"
• April 4 - Violet Carson makes her last appearance as Ena Sharples on Coronation Street.
• April 7 - The Oldest Living Graduate, a live drama on NBC, is broadcast; the network had not aired a program like it since 1962. The production is aired from Southern Methodist University and stars Henry Fonda, George Grizzard, and Cloris Leachman.
• May 24 - The Not Ready For Prime Time Players appear in their final episode on Saturday Night Live, and many feel it is the end of an era for the venerable series.
• June 1 - The Cable News Network (CNN) begins broadcasting.
• Summer - SAG and AFTRA go out on strike, stalling television premieres in the United States for many months. Some television shows were permitted to begin airing in late October while still other shows were delayed until January 1981.
• July 18 - Brazil's TV Tupi network ends operations.
• August 1 - After a failed experiment, the soap opera Another World airs its last regularly scheduled ninety-minute episode. The show returns to sixty minutes on August 4.
• December 9 - The cult single drama The Flipside of Dominick Hide is first broadcast as part of the Play for Today series on BBC1.
• December 30 - After 26 years on the air and 20 seasons on one network, NBC announces that the longest-running prime-time TV series, Disney's Wonderful World, will not be on the network's fall 1981 schedule. It will be picked up by CBS.
• The David Letterman Show debuts on NBC. Letterman's humor does not go over well with a morning audience, and the show is soon cancelled. Letterman would go on to host a late night show two years later.
• US viewers get caught up in the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff hanger on the soap opera series, Dallas. The mystery is solved on a November 21 episode (Sue Ellen's cousin Kristin, played by Mary Crosby, did the deed), drawing a record number of viewers.
• Eddie Murphy joins Saturday Night Live.

Debuts

• January 14 - 3-2-1 Contact premieres on PBS
• January 29 - Kingswood Country premieres on ATN-7 in Australia (1980-1984).
• March 3 - That's Incredible! (1980-1984).
• April 11 - Fridays premieres on ABC (1980-1982).
• May 30 - The Other 'Arf premieres on ITV starring Lorraine Chase (1980-1984).
• August 4 - Texas, the first soap opera to air hour-long episodes from the beginning, debuts in the slot largely vacated by Another World (1980-1982).
• September 19 - Yes You Can premieres (1980-1983).
• October 30 - It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989).
• November 27 - Bosom Buddies (1980-1982).
• December 11 - Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988).
• ''Bizarre (1980-1985).
• ''Galactica 1980 (1980)
• ''Home Fires (1980-1982).
• Solid Gold (1980-1988).
• Too Close for Comfort (1980-1986).

Miniseries

• Beulah Land
• The Dream Merchants
• Shogun

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).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• 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).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• 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).
• 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).
• 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).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• 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).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• The Waltons (1972-1981).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• Match Game (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).
• Happy Days (1974-1984).
• Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983).
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974-1984).
• 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).
• 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).
• 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).
• CHiPs (1977-1983).
• Eight is Enough (1977-1981).
• Fantasy Island (1977-1984).
• In Search of... (1977-1982).
• Lou Grant (1977-1982).
• Soap (1977-1981).
• The Love Boat (1977-1986).
• Three's Company (1977-1984).
• 20/20 (1978-present).
• 3-2-1 (UK) (1978-1987).
• Battle of the Planets (1978-1985).
• Dallas (1978-1991).
• Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
• Mork & Mindy (1978-1982).
• Taxi (1978-1983).
• WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982).
• Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983).
• Benson (1979-1986).
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981).
• Disney's Wonderful World (1979-1981).
• Knots Landing (1979-1993).
• Real People (1979-1984).
• Tales of the Unexpected (UK) (1979-1985, 1987-1988)
• The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985).
• The Facts of Life (1979-1988).
• Trapper John, M.D. (1979-1986).
• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
• Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
• Nightline (1979-present).
• This Old House (1979-present).

Ending this year

• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
• The Rockford Files (1974-1980).
• King of Kensington (Canada) (1975-1980).
• Angie (1979-1980).
• Hello, Larry (1979-1980).
• Armchair Thriller (1978-1980, intermittently since 1956 as Armchair Theatre and Armchair Cinema) (UK).

Births

• January 12 - Lucy Gaskell, English actress.
• January 30 - Wilmer Valderrama, US actor.
• March 7 - Laura Prepon, US actress.
• September 6 - Kerry McFadden, British television presenter.
• October 17 - Justin Shenkarow, voice actor ("Harold Berman" from Hey Arnold!).
• December 25 - Laura Sadler, British actress.

Deaths

• January 29 - Jimmy Durante, US actor, singer.
• February 13 - David Janssen, US actor.
• March 5 - Jay Silverheels, US actor (born in Canada).
• April 29 - Alfred Hitchcock, film director and TV host.
• August 14 - Dorothy Stratten, Canadian actress and Playboy model.

1980 | Years in television

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