1992 in television

For the American network television schedule, please see 1992-93 American network television schedule.

Events

January 10 - The Days of Our Lives nighttime special One Stormy Night airs on NBC.
May 11 - Criminal Behavior a television movie starring Farrah Fawcett is shown in the US.
May 22 - After 30 years, 66 year old Johnny Carson hosts The Tonight Show for the last time. By this time, NBC has announced that Carson's permanent guest host, Jay Leno, will replace him as host. Later, in 1993, David Letterman leaves for CBS.
May 27 - Jay Leno debuts as the host of The Tonight Show.
June 3 - US Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton appears on The Arsenio Hall Show. Clinton even plays the saxophone with the live band.
June 23 - Another World airs its first and only primetime episode, called Summer Desire, right before the Daytime Emmy Awards.
August 8 - In Latin America, Sábado Gigante turns 30 years old, with a new show every week. The Guinness Book of Records recognized it as the longest continuously running television show in history.
September 4 - In Australia, the Nine Network shows Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos, a spin-off from Australia's Funniest Home Video Show showing sexually explicit situations. Kerry Packer, who was told by friends the show was on, told the producers to "Get that shit off the air". Doug Mulray was dismissed as a a result of this fiasco.
October 1- Cartoon Network launches in the United States.
October 3 - Sinéad O'Connor stirs up controversy when she rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live.
October 31 - The controversial one-off drama Ghostwatch is broadcast on BBC1, a 'live' investigation into a haunted North London house.
October 2 - Zee TV, the first Hindi satellite channel, is launched in India.
November 1 - UK Gold is launched in the UK, a joint venture between the BBC and Thames Television.
November 18- NBC's Seinfeld airs its most infamous episode, "The Contest", in which the four friends agree to abstain from all sexually related activity and see who could go without "it" the longest. It is never said who won the contest, however it is assumed to be a tie between Jerry Seinfeld's character, Jerry and Jason Alexander's character, George.
December 1 - The Young and the Restless airs its milestone 5000th episode.
December 28 - As part of a theme night devoted to (rival) broadcaster Granada Television, BBC2 airs the first new edition of University Challenge in five years, paving the way for a full-scale revival.
In Belize, Channel 5 begins the nation's first daily news broadcast.
Texas billionaire Ross Perot buys blocks of U.S. television time for his Presidential campaign.
Growing Pains actress Tracey Gold loses a massive amount of weight due to anorexia nervosa and is placed in hospital care. As a result, she is written out of most of the final episodes.
Kalimera Ellada on ANT1 debuts as one of its first morning show in Greek language television history.

Debuts

February 27 - Us Girls premieres on BBC1.
March 7 - Sailor Moon - premieres on TV Asahi in Japan (1992-1997).
March 31 - Dateline NBC premieres on NBC (1992-present).
April 6 - Barney & Friends, a children's educational television show starring a giant purple dinosaur, premieres on PBS (1992-present).
May 11 - The soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten debuts on RTL Television in Germany (1992-present).
May 21 - The Real World premieres on PBS and MTV (1992-present). The show is one of the first popular "reality television" series.
August 15 - The Larry Sanders Show premieres on HBO (1992-1998).
August 27 - Martin premieres on FOX (1992-1997).
September 22- Hangin' with Mr. Cooper premieres on ABC (1992-1997).
September 23 - Mad About You premieres on NBC (1992-1999).
November 2 - Prime Time News replaces The National and The Journal on CBC television (1992-1995).
November 12 - Absolutely Fabulous premieres on BBC2 (1992-1996, 2001-2003).
Goof Troop premieres on PBS (1992-1993)
December - Spirit of Christmas 1992/1995 ''two episodes jesus vs frosty in 1992 jesus vs santa 1995 later replaced by South Park in 1997. (1992)

Television shows

1940s

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

1950s

Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
Guiding Light (1952-present).
The Today Show (1952-present).
Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
Face the Nation (1954-present).
The Tonight Show (1954-present).
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).
General Hospital (1963-present).
Another World (1964-1999).
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).

1970s

All My Children (1970-present).
Monday Night Football (1970-present).
Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
Soul Train (1971-present).
Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
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).
Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
20/20 (1978-present).
Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
Knots Landing (1979-1993).
Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
Nightline (1979-present).
This Old House (1979-present).

1980s

Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
What Now (1982-present)
Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
Cheers (1982-1993).
Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
Loving (1983-1995).
Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
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 Mother Nature's Son).
Sally (1985-2002).
Designing Women (1986-1993).
Double Dare (1986-1993).
Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
L.A. Law (1986-1994).
Matlock (1986-1995).
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
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! (UK) (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).
America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
The American Experience (1988-present).
Fair City (1988-present).
Home and Away (1988-present).
This Morning (1988-present).
Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
Children's Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
Electric Circus (1988-2003).
Empty Nest (1988-1995).
Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
Garfield and Friends (1988-1995).
Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
Roseanne (1988-1997).
The Wonder Years (1988-1993).
48 Hours (1988-present).
Baywatch (1989-2001).
Cops (1989-present).
Family Matters (1989-1998).
Life Goes On (1989-1993).
Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989-1994).
Press Gang (UK) (1989-1993).
Seinfeld (1989-1998).
Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996).
The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994).
The Simpsons (1989-present).

1990s

In Living Color (1990-1994).
Law & Order (1990-present).
America's Funniest Home Videos (1990-present).
America's Funniest People (1990-1994)
One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000).
Road to Avonlea (Canada) (1990-1996).
The Crystal Maze (UK) (1990-1995).
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984-1988, 1991-1994).
Doug (1991-1994, 1996-1999).
Blossom (1991-1995).
Home Improvement (1991-1999).
Rugrats (1991-2004).
Sisters (1991-1996).
The House of Eliott (UK) (1991-1994).
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992-1997)
The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
The Red Green Show (Canada) (1991-present).
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-1996).

Ending this year

April 25 - Growing Pains (1985-1992).
April 25 - Who's the Boss? (1984-1992).
April 30 - After an eight year run the last episode of The Cosby Show airs. One of the show's time-slot rivals, Fox's The Simpsons, pays tribute to it with a brief animated segment (1984-1992).
May 9 - The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
May 17 - The Adventures of Superboy (1988-1992).
May 21 - MacGyver (1985-1992).
May 31 - Night Court (1984-1992).
November 4 - Acropolis Now (Australia) (1989-1992).
November 26 - Fast Forward (Australia) (1989-1992).
Police 5 (UK) (1962-1992).
T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma and Take Off with T-Bag (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
The Big Gig (Australia) (1989-1992).