1983 in American television

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The year 1983 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1983.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1983-84 United States network television schedule.

Contents 1 Events 2 Noted Debuts 3 Miniseries 4 Television shows 4.1 1940s 4.2 1950s 4.3 1960s 4.4 1970s 4.4.1 1970 4.4.2 1971 4.4.3 1972 4.4.4 1973 4.4.5 1974 4.4.6 1975 4.4.7 1976 4.4.8 1977 4.4.9 1978 4.4.10 1979 4.5 1980s 4.5.1 1980 4.5.2 1981 4.5.3 1982 5 Ending this year 6 Cancelled, but eventually to return to the air 7 Changes of network affiliation 8 Births 9 Deaths 10 References

Events

• January 3 – Plinko is added as a Pricing Game on The Price Is Right; it would become one of the most popular of all the show's games. Also on this date, 3 new game shows debut on rival NBC: $ale Of The Century, Just Men! and Hit Man. The two latter shows would be off the air after 13 weeks.
• February 23 - PBS airs The Operation, a live telecast of an actual open-heart surgery.
• February 28 – Over 125 million Americans tune in to watch the 251st and final episode of M*A*S*H on CBS, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".
• March 6- Country Music Television (CMT) launches in the United States.
• March 7 – The Nashville Network (TNN) (later known as The National Network; now known as Spike TV) begins broadcasting.
• March 10 – MTV airs the video to Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean" for the first time. The video is the first by a black artist to gain heavy airplay on MTV, and is credited with putting the fledgling cable channel on the map and helping the Thriller album the song appears on become the top-selling album of all time.
• March 19 – US First Lady Nancy Reagan makes a special appearance on an episode of Diff'rent Strokes, launching her Just Say No anti-drug campaign.
• April 4 – Archie Bunker's Place airs its last original episode; CBS would cancel the series after 4 seasons (and without a proper series finale), ending Carroll O'Connor's run as Archie Bunker, which began in 1971 with All in the Family.
• April 18 – The Disney Channel is launched on American cable TV.
• May 6 – A fire at Southfork threatens the lives of the Ewings on the season finale of Dallas.
• May 16 – Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever airs on NBC. Michael Jackson steals the show by singing and dancing to his hit single "Billie Jean" and performing for the first time his "moonwalk" dance .
• June 16 - Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland, with ABC and NBC airing his arrival live (CBS, hampered by budget cuts in its news division, airs The Price is Right instead).
• August 4 – The cast of NBC's Search for Tomorrow is forced to do a live show for the first time since the program moved to videotape in 1967; both the regular transmission tape and a backup were lost, something that is disputed by outside sources after the fact.
• August 30 – WKBS-TV in Philadelphia is closed after Field Enterprises failed to find a buyer—even though the station is still profitable.
• September 5 - 3 network news shows make major changes:
  • PBS' The MacNeil/Lehrer Report becomes The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, the first American network news show to expand from a half-hour to one hour in length.
  • Tom Brokaw becomes the sole head anchor of the NBC Nightly News, ending a 17 month stint co-anchoring the broadcast with Roger Mudd.
  • Peter Jennings becomes sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, following the death of Frank Reynolds 2 months earlier.
• September 8 - The comedy We Got it Made debuts, the first new show on NBC's fall slate to premiere—and the start of one of the least successful fall slates in history, as none of the shows would survive a 2nd season (the other shows being Manimal, Jennifer Slept Here, Mr. Smith, Bay City Blues, The Yellow Rose, Boone, For Love and Honor, and The Rousters).
• September 10 – The Littles, based on a series of children's novels by John Peterson, premieres on ABC's Saturday morning schedule.
• September 12 - The animated G.I. Joe mini-series based on the toy line of the same name debuts in syndication. It still spawn another mini-series the following year, with the ongoing show premiering in 1985.
• September 17 – Dungeons & Dragons, based on the tabletop role-playing game by TSR, Inc., is broadcast on CBS for 3 seasons.
• September 27–29 - NBC airs Live... and in Person, a live variety special airing over 3 nights. Sandy Gallin is host, and performers include Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt, and the cast of A Chorus Line.
• September 30 – Filmation's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, one of the most popular children's shows of the year, is broadcast in syndicated television.
• October 3 – During a live NBC news update, anchor Jessica Savitch appears incoherent, slurring her speech, deviating from her copy and ad-libbing her report. Savitch, dogged by rumors of drug abuse and instability, still has her contract renewed, but drowns in a car accident three weeks later.
• October 6 – American rock band R.E.M. makes its television debut on Late Night with David Letterman.
• October 10 - Adam, a TV-movie about the mysterious disappearance of Adam Walsh, makes its world premiere on NBC. The broadcast ends with a series of missing children's photographs and descriptions, along with a phone number viewers could call to provide any information on their disappearances.
• October 17 - The Sally Jessy Raphael Show debuts on NBC-affiliate KSDK-TV 5 in St. Louis, Missouri.
• October 31 - Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour debuts on NBC. The series runs for nine months.
• November 20 – An estimated 100 million people watch the controversial made-for-television movie The Day After, depicting the start of a nuclear war.
• November 24 – This day's episode of Sesame Street confronts the sensitive issue of death when Big Bird learns to grasp the concept as it relates to his late friend, Mr. Hooper (Will Lee, the actor who played Mr. Hooper, died of a heart attack in 1982).
• December 2 – Michael Jackson's world famous music video for "Thriller" is broadcast for the first time. It will become the most often repeated and famous music video of all time and increase his own popularity and the record sales of the album "Thriller".
• December 21 – Gerald Ford, Betty Ford, and Henry Kissinger make cameo appearances on Dynasty.^[1]

Also in 1983

• David Canary makes his first appearance on All My Children.
• Pam Long becomes co-head writer on Guiding Light.

Noted Debuts

• January 3 – A revival of Sale of the Century based on the then-current Australian version premieres on NBC (1983–1989)
  • Hit Man premieres for a 13 week trial with host Peter Tomarken who later hosts the CBS game show Press Your Luck.
• January 10- Fraggle Rock, a Jim Henson production, debuts on HBO (1983–1987).
• January 22 – Mama's Family, based on sketches from The Carol Burnett Show, debuts on NBC (1983–1984; 1986–1990).
• January 23 – The A-Team debuts on NBC (1983–1987).
• February 5 – The Dukes, an animated series based on The Dukes of Hazzard, debuts on CBS (1983–1984).
• April 1 – Baby Makes Five premieres on ABC (1983)
• April 10 – Casablanca, a short lived show based on the movie of the same name, debuts on NBC (1983)
• June 27 – Loving premieres on ABC (1983–1995).
• July 29 – Friday Night Videos premieres on NBC late night (1983–2002).
• September 16 – Webster debuts on ABC (1983–1989).
• September 18 – Hardcastle and McCormick debuts on ABC (1983–1986)
• September 19 – The daytime game show Press Your Luck premieres on CBS (1983–1986).
  • Wheel of Fortune premieres in syndication (Daytime 1975–1991; Synd. 1983—present).
  • Love Connection premieres with former Wheel of Fortune and future Scrabble host Chuck Woolery and is the first video dating game show.
• September 21 – Hotel premieres on ABC (1983–1988)
• September 26 – AfterMASH debuts on CBS (1983–1984).
• October 2 – The Yellow Rose premieres on NBC (1983–1984)
• October 3 – Scarecrow and Mrs. King premieres on CBS (1983–1987).
• October 5 – Whiz Kids premieres on CBS (1983–1984).

Miniseries

• Kennedy
• Malibu
• The Thorn Birds
• The Winds of War
• V (1983 miniseries)
• The Dismissal
• Scales of Justice
• Return to Eden
• All The Rivers Run

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947—present)
• Candid Camera (1948—2004)

1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951—present)
• American Bandstand (1952–1989)
• Guiding Light (1952—2009)
• The Today Show (1952—present)
• Face the Nation (1954—present)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992; overall series 1954–present)
• Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
• As the World Turns (1956—2010)
• The Edge of Night (1956–1984)

1960s

• General Hospital (1963—present)
• Another World (1964–1999)
• Days of our Lives (1965—present)
• 60 Minutes (1968—present)
• One Life to Live (1968—present)
• Hee Haw (1969–1993)
• Sesame Street (1969—present)

1970s

1970

• All My Children (1970—present)
• Monday Night Football (1970—present)

1971

• Masterpiece Theatre (1971—present)
• Soul Train (1971—2006)

1972

• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984)
• M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
• The Price Is Right (1972—present)

1973

• Match Game–Hollywood Squares Hour (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999)
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1986)
• The Young and the Restless (1973—present)

1974

• Derrick (1974–1998)
• Happy Days (1974–1984)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)

1975

• Good Morning America (1975—present)
• One Day at a Time (1975–1984)
• Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
• Saturday Night Live (1975—present)
• The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975–1991) which adds a nighttime syndication version in addition to the network daytime show

1976

• Alice (1976–1985)
• Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999—present)
• Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
• Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983)
• The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987)

1977

• CHiPs (1977–1983)
• Fantasy Island (1977–1984)
• The Love Boat (1977–1986)
• Three's Company (1977–1984)

1978

• 20/20 (1978–present)
• Battle of the Planets (1978–1985)
• Dallas (1978–1991)
• Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986)
• Taxi (1978–1983)

1979

• Benson (1979–1986)
• Knots Landing (1979–1993)
• Real People (1979–1984)
• The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985)
• The Facts of Life (1979–1988)
• Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986)
• Nightline (1979—present)
• This Old House (1979—present)

1980s

1980

• Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
• Solid Gold (1980–1988)
• That's Incredible! (1980–1984)
• Too Close for Comfort (1980–1986)

1981

• Dynasty (1981–1989)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981— )
• Falcon Crest (1981–1990)
• Gimme a Break! (1981–1987)
• Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
• Simon & Simon (1981–1988)
• The Fall Guy (1981–1986)

1982

• Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988)
• Capitol (1982–1987)
• Cheers (1982–1993)
• Fame (1982–1987)
• Family Ties (1982–1989)
• Knight Rider (1982–1986)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
• Newhart (1982–1990)
• Remington Steele (1982–1987)
• Silver Spoons (1982–1987)
• St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
• Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984)

Ending this year

• February 3 – The Greatest American Hero (1981–1983)
• February 28 – M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
• May 10 – Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
• May 31 – Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982–1983)
• June 1 – Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982–1983)
• June 24 – SCTV Network 90 (US) (1981–1983)
• July 7 – The Crystal Cube (1983)
• July 17 – CHiPs (1977–1983)
• July 20 – Taxi (1978–1983)
• September 5 –
  • Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
  • Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983)
• September 10 - Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1983).
• September 12 – Square Pegs (1982–1983)
• September 21 – Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983)

Cancelled, but eventually to return to the air

• September 24 – After 29 seasons, the Walt Disney anthology series goes off the air. It will be revived, however, from 1986 to 1990, on ABC.

Changes of network affiliation

• Fame moves from NBC to first-run syndication.
• Too Close for Comfort moves from ABC to first-run syndication.

Births

• March 10 – Carrie Underwood, singer
• April 22 – Francis Capra, actor
• May 30 – Jennifer Ellison, British actress and singer.
• May 11 – Holly Valance, New Zealand born actress and singer.
• August 14 – Mila Kunis, Ukraine actress (born in U.S.)
• December 12 – Mathew Valencia voice of Robin/Tim Drake.

Deaths

• March 16 – Arthur Godfrey, television host
• July 20 – Frank Reynolds, ABC journalist
• July 29 – Raymond Massey, star of Dr. Kildare
• August 3 – Carolyn Jones, actress, Morticia in The Addams Family
• August 28 – Jan Clayton, actress
• August 29 – Simon Oakland, actor
• October 23 – Jessica Savitch, NBC news anchor, age 36
• November 22 – Michael Conrad, actor, Sgt. Phil Esterhasz on Hill Street Blues
• November 28 – Christopher George, actor
• December 28 – William Demarest, actor, Uncle Charlie in My Three Sons

References