1988 in television

For the United States network television schedule, please see 1988-89 United States network television schedule.

Events

February 5 - Comic Relief airs its red nose day fundrasier on BBC1.
February 26 - Tom Hardy marries Simone Ravelle on General Hospital. It is a milestone for the genre as it is the first interracial wedding between two characters on American daytime television.
April 28 - ITV in the UK broadcasts Death on the Rock, a hugely controversial episode of Thames Television's This Week current affairs strand, investigating Operation Flavius, which resulted in the SAS killing three members of the IRA in Gibraltar.
May 13 - J.R. Ewing pushes Nicholas Pierce over the railing of his high-rise office building, and Sue Ellen is so enraged that she fires three shots at him, on the season finale of Dallas.
May 16 - The youth strand DEF II is launched on BBC2 in the UK.
July 19 - The Bill broadcasts the first episode of its fourth season and switches to a year-round serial format.
September 1 - Children's cable network YTV launches in Canada.
October 4 - Following in Cher's footsteps, actress Shirley MacLaine calls David Letterman an "asshole", on the air during a taping of Late Night.
October 27 - The last of Harding Lemay's "comeback" episodes air on Another World. In the final minutes of the episode, Australian actress Carmen Duncan took over the role of the legendary bitch Iris Cory Wheeler, after the role had been vacated for many years by Beverlee McKinsey.
November 3 - Talk show host Geraldo Rivera's nose is broken during a taping of his show, when a fight erupts on the set between guests. The theme of the episode was "Young Hate Mongers" and the fight originated between white supremacist Tom Metzger and civil rights activist Roy Innis.
The song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart is the focus of a sex scandal, and later admits to being with prostitutes and steps down from his television ministry.
The Young and the Restless tops the daytime ratings (deposing longtime winner General Hospital), starting an unbeaten streak of #1 victories that still continue to this day.
Ana Alicia's character, Melissa Agretti, dies in a house fire on Falcon Crest.

Debuts

January 19- 48 Hours (1988-present).
January 31 - The Wonder Years premieres (1988-1993).
February 7-America's Most Wanted debuts (1988-present).
February 15 - Red Dwarf debuts in the UK (1988-1999).
July 4 - Family Feud makes a comeback on CBS at 10:00 am EDT with host Ray Combs and announcer Gene Wood following its cancellation from ABC daytime 3 years earlier.
September 16 - The popular Canadian Dance music series Electric Circus debuts on MuchMusic (1988-2003).
September 17 - Garfield and Friends, a Saturday-morning animation series based on the popular comic strip character, debuts on CBS (1988-1995).
October 8 - Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls, premieres on NBC (1988-1995).
October 18 - Roseanne premieres (1988-1997).
November 14 - Murphy Brown premieres (1988-1998).
November - Mystery Science Theater 3000 has its TV premiere on KTMA TV 23 (1988-1999). The show moved to the Comedy Channel in 1989.
Children's Ward, a popular children's series produced by Granada Television, begins its long run on the ITV network in the UK (1988-2000).
The Comedy Company debuts on 0-10 Network in Australia (1988-1990).

The American Experience (1988-present).
Fair City premieres (1988-present).
Home and Away (1988-present).
This Morning debuts (1988-present).
The Adventures of Superboy (1988-1992).
T. and T. (1988-1990).
Unknown date: Apex predator

Miniseries

Television shows

1940s

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

1950s

Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
American Bandstand (1952-1989).
Guiding Light (1952-present).
The Today Show (1952-present).
Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
Face the Nation (1954-present).
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
As the World Turns (1956-present).
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 Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
General Hospital (1963-present).
Another World (1964-1999).
Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
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).
Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
Soul Train (1971-present).
Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
The Price Is Right (1972-present).
Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
Derrick (1974-1998).
Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
Arena (UK) (1975–present).
Good Morning America (1975-present).
Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
Ryan's Hope (1975-1989).
Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
20/20 (1978-present).
Dallas (1978-1991).
Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
Knots Landing (1979-1993).
You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
Nightline (1979-present).
This Old House (1979-present).

1980s

Dynasty (1981-1989).
Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
Falcon Crest (1981-1990).
What Now (1982-present)
Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
Cheers (1982-1993).
Family Ties (1982-1989).
Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
Newhart (1982-1990).
The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
Loving (1983-1995).
Webster (1983-1989).
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984-1988, 1991-1994).
Highway to Heaven (1984-1989).
Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
Kate and Allie (1984-1989).
Miami Vice (1984-1989).
Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
Night Court (1984-1992).
Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
The Cosby Show (1984-1992).
Who's the Boss? (1984-1992).
227 (1985-1990).
EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
Growing Pains (1985-1992).
It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989).
MacGyver (1985-1992).
Moonlighting (1985-1989).
Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990).
Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special Dates).
Sally (1985-2002).
Turn on to T-Bag and T-Bag's Christmas Cracker (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002).
ALF (1986-1990).
Amen (1986-1991).
Designing Women (1986-1993).
Double Dare (1986-1993).
Hey Dad...! (1986-1994).
L.A. Law (1986-1994).
Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990).
Matlock (1986-1995).
Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991).
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
The Disney Sunday Movie (1986-1988) ends on September 11 to resume as The Magical World of Disney (1988-1990) on October 9.
The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
Beadle's About (UK) (1987-1996).
Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
A Different World (1987-1993).
Full House (1987-1995).
Going Live! (1987-1993).
Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
Knightmare (UK) (1987-1994).
Married... with Children (1987-1997).
The Next Generation (1987-1994).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).
The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990).
thirtysomething (1987-1991).
Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).