1986 in American television
For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.
| List of years in American television: |
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| 1985–86 United States network television schedule |
| 1986–87 United States network television schedule |
| List of American television shows currently in production |
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events. This is a list of notable events in the United States.
Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 6 | A Vicks Formula 44 cough medicine advertisement premieres, featuring Peter Bergman from All My Children, in which he told the viewing audience "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV". This phrase, first used during the early 1970s by actor Robert Young of the series Marcus Welby, M.D. fame, was subsequently parodied by many popular culture references. |
| January 25 | HBO's scrambling service begins. |
| January 28 | NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger spacecraft disintegrates live on CNN. |
| February 9 | Helen Martin joins the cast of the series 227, after appearing every episode in the 1985–86 season, replacing Kia Goodwin, who was dismissed from the cast after the first season, who portrayed Rose's (Alaina Reed) daughter, Tiffany, before written off the show initially during 1988. |
| February 11 | Culture Club's main singer Boy George appears on an episode of the program The A-Team. |
| February 14 | Frank Zappa appears on an episode of the popular television series Miami Vice. Zappa plays a crime boss named "Mr. Frankie". |
| February 22 | In honor of the 20th anniversary of the first episode of the television series The Monkees, MTV broadcasts "Pleasant Valley Sunday", a 22-hour marathon of Monkees episodes. |
| March 9 | On the soap opera Search for Tomorrow, the entire town of Henderson is washed away in a flood. Main character Joanne Tourneur's motel is the only structure in town left standing. |
| March 20 | After four seasons, NBC cancels Remington Steele. This announcement results in Pierce Brosnan being named the newest portrayer of James Bond. As a result of the media frenzy concerning Brosnan's appointment, as well as the corresponding increase of Steele's ratings, NBC reverses its decision and announces Steele will return midway through the 1986–87 season. This results in Bond movie producers withdrawing their offer to Brosnan, though he would take on the role of Bond in 1995. |
| April 3 | Merv Griffin sells his company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to The Coca-Cola Company for $250,000,000. |
| April 21 | Geraldo Rivera hosts a live two-hour syndicated special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, famously coming up empty-handed. |
| April 27 | A man calling himself Captain Midnight jams HBO's signal to protest its monthly fee of $12.95. |
| May 10 | Tommy Lee of rock group Mötley Crüe marries actress Heather Locklear. |
| May 12 | NBC unveils its new Peacock logo during its 60th anniversary special. |
| May 16 | Bobby Ewing is revealed to be alive and showering in his ex-wife Pam's bathroom in the season finale of the series Dallas; in the September 26 season premiere, it was shown that the entire 1985–86 season was a dream of hers the night after they agreed to remarry. |
| May 22 | Cher calls David Letterman an "asshole" during a taping of Late Night with David Letterman. |
| July 18 | A tornado is broadcast live by KARE-TV in Minneapolis when the station's helicopter pilot makes a chance encounter. |
| August 15 | Rod Roddy becomes permanent announcer of the long-running CBS daytime game series The Price Is Right, replacing the deceased Johnny Olsen. |
| September 1 | For one week, CBS Evening News anchorman Dan Rather attempts to initiate the use of the word "Courage" as a slogan. The attempt is a failure, and is noticed by other members of the press. |
| Disney Channel, at the time a premium cable network, begins broadcasting a 24-hour-a-day schedule. | |
| September 8 | Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based talk show goes national. |
| September 17 | ABC becomes the second American network to discontinue use of chime intonations at the beginning of telecasts, switching to satellite feed activation. |
| September 27 | On The Facts of Life, Charlotte Rae quits the role of Mrs. Garrett (who marries her old friend Bruce Gaines, played by Robert Mandan), and is replaced by Cloris Leachman, who played Beverly Ann Stickle, Mrs. Garrett's sister. |
| October 9 | The Fox Broadcasting Company launches as the United States' fourth commercial broadcast television network, the first to do since 1967. |
| November 8 | Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon join Saturday Night Live. |
| November 30 | The Disney Channel signs off for the last time. From 7 a.m. on December 1, 1986, the channel broadcasts 24 hours a day. |
Programs
- 20/20 (1978–present)
- 60 Minutes (1968–present)
- 227 (1985–1990)
- ABC World News (1978–present)
- All My Children (1970–2011)
- America This Morning (1982–present)
- America Undercover (1983–present)
- American Bandstand (1952–1989)
- American Masters (1983–present)
- Another World (1964–1999)
- As the World Turns (1956–2010)
- Benson (1979–1986)
- Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988)
- Candid Camera (1948–2004)
- Capitol (1982–1987)
- CBS News Sunday Morning (1979–present)
- Cheers (1982–1993)
- College Basketball on CBS (1981–present)
- Dallas (1978–1991)
- Days of Our Lives (1965–present)
- Derrick (1974–1998)
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986)
- Dynasty (1981–1989)
- Entertainment Tonight (1981–present)
- Face the Nation (1954–present)
- Falcon Crest (1981–1990)
- Fame (1982–1987)
- Family Ties (1982–1989)
- Fraggle Rock (1983–1988)
- Frontline (1983–present)
- General Hospital (1963–present)
- Gimme a Break! (1981–1987)
- Good Morning America (1975–present)
- Growing Pains (1985–1992)
- Guiding Light (1952–2009)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
- Hee Haw (1969–1993)
- Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)
- Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
- It's a Living (1980–1982, 1985–1989)
- Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present)
- Kate and Allie (1984–1989)
- Knight Rider (1982–1986)
- Knots Landing (1979–1993)
- Larry King Live (1985–2010)
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
- Lou Dobbs Tonight (1980–2009)
- Loving (1983–1995)
- MacGyver (1985–1992)
- Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
- Masterpiece Theatre (1971–present)
- Meet the Press (1947–present)
- Miami Vice (1984–1989)
- Monday Night Football (1970–present)
- Moonlighting (1985–1989)
- Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990)
- Muppet Babies (1984–1991)
- Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996)
- Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (1963–1988, 2002–present)
- Mystery! (1980–present)
- National Geographic Explorer (1985–present)
- Nature (1982–present)
- NBC Nightly News (1970–present)
- Newhart (1982–1990)
- Night Court (1984–1992)
- Nightline (1979–present)
- Nova (1974–present)
- One Life to Live (1968–2012)
- Press Your Luck (1983–1986)
- Punky Brewster (1984–1988)
- Remington Steele (1982–1987)
- Riptide (1983–1986)
- Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
- Sally (1985–2002)
- Santa Barbara (1984–1993)
- Saturday Night Live (1975–present)
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1987)
- Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
- Sesame Street (1969–present)
- Silver Spoons (1982–1987)
- Simon & Simon (1981–1988)
- Solid Gold (1980–1988)
- Soul Train (1971–2006)
- SportsCenter (1979–present)
- St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
- Star Search (1983–1995, 2003)
- Tales from the Darkside (1984–1988)
- The A-Team (1983–1987)
- The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
- The Facts of Life (1979–1988)
- The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
- The Joker's Wild (1977–1986)
- The Love Boat (1977–1986)
- The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour (1975–present)
- The Merv Griffin Show (1972–1986)
- The Price Is Right (1972–present)
- The Today Show (1952–present)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
- The Twilight Zone (1985–1988)
- The Young and the Restless (1973–present)
- This Old House (1979–present)
- This Week (1981–present)
- Tic Tac Dough (1978–1986)
- Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986)
- Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
- Webster (1983–1989)
- What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988)
- Wheel of Fortune (1983–present)
- Wheel of Fortune, daytime version (1975–1991)
- Who's the Boss? (1984–1992)
- Wide World of Sports (1961–1997)
Debuts
Returning this year
| Show | Last Aired | Previous Network | Retitled as/Same | New/Returning/Same Network | Returning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card Sharks | 1981 | NBC | Same | CBS | January 6 |
| Too Close for Comfort | 1985 | Syndication | The Ted Knight Show | Same | April 21 |
| 9 to 5 | 1983 | ABC | Same | Syndication | September 13 |
| Hollywood Squares | 1984 | NBC | September 15 | ||
| Mama's Family | September 26 |
Ending this year
| Date | Show | Debut |
|---|---|---|
| March 7 | Diff'rent Strokes | 1978 |
| April 4 | Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak | 1986 |
| April 8 | Foley Square | 1985 |
| Mary | ||
| April 19 | Benson | 1979 |
| May 2 | The Fall Guy | 1981 |
| May 23 | The Joker's Wild (returned in 1990) | 1972 |
| The All-New Let's Make a Deal | 1963 | |
| Tic Tac Dough (returned in 1990) | 1956 | |
| May 28 | T. J. Hooker | 1982 |
| June 6 | The Merv Griffin Show | 1972 |
| June 18 | Bertha | 1985 |
| August 8 | Knight Rider | 1982 |
| August 22 | Riptide | 1983 |
| September 4 | Trapper John, M.D. | 1979 |
| September 26 | Press Your Luck | 1983 |
| December 5 | Ghostbusters | 1986 |
| December 26 | The Canned Film Festival | |
| Rambo: The Force of Freedom | ||
| Search for Tomorrow | 1951 |
Changes of network affiliation
| Show | Moved from | Moved to |
|---|---|---|
| Card Sharks | NBC | CBS |
| Mama's Family | Syndication | |
| Silver Spoons | ||
| The Wuzzles | CBS | ABC |
Made-for-TV movies and miniseries
| Title |
|---|
| The Last Frontier |
| North and South: Book II |
Births
| Date | Name | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| January 24 | Ricky Ullman | Actor (Phil of the Future) |
| April 2 | Christopher Walberg | Voice actor, (Stinky Peterson on Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!) |
| April 3 | Amanda Bynes | Actress (What I Like About You) |
| May 9 | Grace Gummer | Actress (American Horror Story) |
| May 17 | Tahj Mowry | Actor (Smart Guy) |
| May 24 | Mark Ballas | Dancer, choreographer (Dancing with the Stars) |
| June 11 | Shia LaBeouf | Actor (Even Stevens) |
| June 27 | Drake Bell | Actor (Drake & Josh) |
| July 2 | Lindsay Lohan | Actress (4-time host of Saturday Night Live) |
| September 16 | Kyla Pratt | Actress (One on One) |
| November 10 | Josh Peck | Actor (Drake & Josh) |
| November 18 | Joseph Ashton | Voice actor (Otto Rocket on Nickelodeon's Rocket Power) |
| December 11 | Condola Rashad | Actress (Steel Magnolias) |
Deaths
| Date | Name | Age | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 14 | Donna Reed | 64 | Actress (The Donna Reed Show, Dallas) |
| January 24 | Gordon MacRae | 64 | Actor, singer |
| January 29 | Leif Erickson | 74 | Actor (The High Chaparral) |
| May 28 | Don MacLaughlin | 79 | Actor (Chris Hughes on As the World Turns) |
| June 14 | Marlin Perkins | 81 | Zoologist, host of (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom) |
| July 15 | Florence Halop | 63 | Actress (Florence on Night Court) |
| August 26 | Ted Knight | 62 | Actor (Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) |
| October 25 | Forrest Tucker | 67 | Actor (F Troop) |
| November 2 | Paul Frees | 66 | Voice actor (Boris Badenov on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, 1st voice for the Pillsbury Doughboy) |
| December 2 | Desi Arnaz | 69 | Actor, musician (Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy) |