1987 in American television

For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.

The year 1987 in television involved some significant events. This is a list of notable events in the United States.

Events

Date Event
January 5 Remington Steele is resumed by NBC after a six-month hiatus during which series main actor Pierce Brosnan won the movie role of James Bond, only to lose it when NBC unexpectedly renewed the television series. Remington Steele adopts a TV-movie length format but only runs for a few installments before being canceled permanently.
January 22 R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a televised press conference. The decision by some companies to broadcast the footage results in a debate concerning journalistic ethics.
February 2 PBS broadcasts the critically acclaimed series Eyes on the Prize.
February 8 Amerika, the science-fiction drama miniseries, showing life ten years after the United States is defeated and occupied by the USSR, was broadcast on ABC.
March 19 Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as the host of The PTL Club after involvement in a sex scandal.
March 27 The Price Is Right surpasses Concentration as the longest-running daytime game show in history.
April 5 The Fox TV network makes its prime-time debut, marking the first time since 1955 that there were four U.S. networks with prime-time programming. The network debuted two shows, Married... with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show, which are broadcast three times each during the night so that viewers watching other networks can switch over and sample the shows.
April 6 During an episode of the ABC late-night news program Nightline devoted to the upcoming 40th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut in Major League Baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis makes racially insensitive comments when asked about the scarcity of black field or general managers in MLB. Campanis would be fired two days later.
April 19 Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuts as a series of short animated segments as part of The Tracey Ullman Show.
May 6 Mr. Belvedere is canceled after three seasons. Criticism caused ABC executives to rethink the decision and resume the series. (Since the fall programming schedules were already set, Mr. Belvedere would not premiere until late October.)
May 15 Pamela Ewing's car speeds out of control, crashes into a tanker, and explodes on the season finale of Dallas.
June 4 CBS becomes the last American network to cease a chime intonation at the beginning of telecasts; satellite feeds have made the tones obsolete (their function was to signal to the affiliates to start broadcasting the network feed in synchronization with the others).
June 30 U.S. daytime television was interrupted for the Iran-Contra hearings.
July 15 Genie Francis, of General Hospital fame, starts a new soap opera role as Diana Colville for the series Days of Our Lives, which she will play until 1989.
July 31 Movietime, forerunner to E!, goes on the air.
September 5 Dick Clark's American Bandstand was broadcast for the 2,751st and last time by ABC, after 30 years on the network. (It continued in syndication for 2 more years.)
September 11 Dan Rather of the CBS Evening News leaves the newscast when a televised tennis match runs two minutes over. He is missing for six minutes.
October 12 Valerie Harper files a lawsuit against NBC and Lorimar for breach of contract after being dismissed from her sitcom Valerie.
October 15 Bob Barker stopped dyeing his hair brown and appears on The Price is Right for the first time with white hair. He is given a minute-long standing ovation by the audience.
November 13 Sonny & Cher reunite for a performance on the program Late Night with David Letterman.
November 22 During a showing of the Doctor Who story "Horror of Fang Rock", Chicago PBS station WTTW-TV Channel 11 is interrupted for 88 seconds by a pirate television transmitter overriding the station's transmission signal to broadcast a video of himself in a Max Headroom mask being spanked.

Programs

Debuts

Date Show Network
January 3 Unsolved Mysteries (as a special hosted by Raymond Burr) NBC
January 17 Ohara ABC
January 21 The Tortellis NBC
January 26 Square One TV, Mathnet, and Mathman PBS
February 9 Rescue 911 CBS
March 11 Houston Knights
March 13 Rags to Riches NBC
March 18 The Bronx Zoo
March 19 Roomies
March 20 The Charmings ABC
March 23 The Bold and the Beautiful CBS
March 31 Max Headroom ABC
April 2 Nothing in Common NBC
April 5 Married... with Children Fox
The Tracey Ullman Show
April 12 21 Jump Street
April 18 Sweet Surrender NBC
April 19 Bionic Six Syndication
Duet Fox
April 26 Down and Out in Beverly Hills
May 3 Mr. President
May 21 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd NBC
June 15 Home Shopping Game Syndication
July 11 Werewolf Fox
July 18 Karen's Song
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
August 8 Animal Crack-Ups ABC
September 7 Geraldo Syndication
September 12 My Pet Monster ABC
I'm Telling! NBC
The New Archies
Popeye and Son CBS
September 14 Dinosaucers Syndication
Frank's Place CBS
September 16 Wiseguy
September 17 Out of This World NBC
September 18 DuckTales Syndication
September 19 Once a Hero ABC
Marblehead Manor NBC
She's the Sheriff
September 20 The Highwayman
My Two Dads
September 22 Full House ABC
I Married Dora
September 23 Hooperman
The Slap Maxwell Story
September 24 A Different World NBC
Tour of Duty CBS
September 25 Beauty and the Beast
September 26 Jake and the Fatman
ALF: The Animated Series NBC
J.J. Starbuck
Second Chance (aka Boys Will Be Boys) Fox
September 27 Dolly ABC
The Law & Harry McGraw CBS
September 28 Star Trek: The Next Generation Syndication
September 29 thirtysomething ABC
October 3 Everything's Relative CBS
Leg Work
October 11 Women in Prison Fox
November 2 Finders Keepers Nickelodeon
November 5 Beverly Hills Buntz NBC
November 7 Sable ABC
November 30 CBS This Morning CBS
December 7 Remote Control MTV
December 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Syndication
December 11 The Wilton North Report Fox

Returning this year

Show Last aired Previous network Retitled as/Same New/Same network Return date
Charles in Charge 1985 CBS Same Syndication January 3
Blockbusters 1982 NBC Same January 5
Concentration 1978 Syndication Classic Concentration NBC May 4
We Got it Made 1984 NBC Same Same September 11
High Rollers 1980 Syndication September 14

Ending this year

Date Show Debut
February 27 The Love Boat 1977
March 3 Silver Spoons 1982
March 8 The A-Team 1983
March 12 The Wizard 1986
March 20 Capitol 1982
March 30 Fraggle Rock 1983
April 10 Amazing Stories 1985
April 17 Remington Steele 1982
April 24 Together We Stand 1986
April 29 Easy Street
May 1 Blockbusters 1980
May 2 Starman 1986
May 12 Gimme a Break! 1981
May 18 Fame 1982
May 19 Hill Street Blues 1981
May 28 Scarecrow and Mrs. King 1983
June 19 Nightlife 1986
July 2 Heart of the City
August 7 Airwolf 1984
September 7 The Ellen Burstyn Show 1986
November 7 Teen Wolf
November 11 The Transformers 1984
November 12 The Jetsons 1962
November 28 The New Adventures of Beans Baxter 1987
December 11 Dinosaucers
December 12 Popeye and Son
The P.T.L. Club 1976

Changes of network affiliation

Show Moved from Moved to
Punky Brewster NBC Syndication
Webster ABC

Made-for-TV movies and miniseries

Title Network Premiere date
LBJ: The Early Years NBC February 1
Amerika ABC February 8
The Facts of Life Down Under NBC February 15
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story November 16
Roman Holiday December 28

Births

Date Name Notability
January 2 Lauren Storm Actress (Flight 29 Down)
Shelley Hennig Actress (Days of our Lives, The Secret Circle, Teen Wolf)
January 5 Kristin Cavallari Actress (Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, The Hills)
January 7 Lyndsy Fonseca Actress (Nikita)
January 12 Naya Rivera Actress (The Royal Family, Glee)
January 15 Michael Seater Canadian actor (Strange Days at Blake Holsey High, Life with Derek)
February 1 Heather Morris Actress and singer (Glee)
February 5 Darren Criss Actor and singer (Glee, A Very Potter Musical)
February 9 Rose Leslie Scottish actress (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey)
February 21 Ashley Greene Actress
Ellen Page Actress (Pit Pony, hosted Saturday Night Live, 2008)
March 9 Bow Wow Rapper (host of 106 & Park)
March 14 Robert Clark Canadian actor (Strange Days at Blake Holsey High)
April 4 Sarah Gadon Canadian actress (Friends and Heroes)
April 9 Jesse McCartney Actor (Summerland)
April 10 Shay Mitchell Canadian actress (Pretty Little Liars)
April 12 Brooklyn Decker Actress (Friends with Better Lives, Grace and Frankie) and model
April 15 Samira Wiley Actress (Orange is the New Black)
April 19 Courtland Mead Voice actor (Recess, Lloyd in Space)
April 26 Jessica Lee Rose Actress (lonelygirl15, Sorority Forever, Hooking Up)
April 27 Emma Taylor-Isherwood Canadian actress (Strange Days at Blake Holsey High)
William Moseley English actor (The Royals)
May 9 Travis Turner Canadian actor
May 13 Candice Accola Actress (The Vampire Diaries) and singer
May 29 Noah Reid Canadian actor (Strange Days at Blake Holsey High)
June 3 Lalaine Actress (Lizzie McGuire)
June 12 Chris Galya Actor (Jessie)
June 16 Kelly Blatz Actor (Aaron Stone)
June 27 Ed Westwick English actor (Gossip Girl)
July 7 Julianna Guill Actress (My Alibi, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce)
July 16 AnnaLynne McCord Actress (American Heiress, 90210)
August 18 Mika Boorem Actress
August 25 Blake Lively Actress (Gossip Girl)
August 30 Johanna Braddy Actress (Greek, Video Game High School, UnREAL, Quantico)
September 7 Evan Rachel Wood Actress (Once and Again) and singer
September 9 Clayton Snyder Actor (Lizzie McGuire)
September 11 Elizabeth Henstridge Actress (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Tyler Hoechlin Actor (7th Heaven, Teen Wolf)
September 13 Erin Way Actress (I Heart Vampires, Alphas)
September 19 Danielle Panabaker Actress (Shark, The Flash)
September 28 Hilary Duff Actress (Lizzie McGuire) and singer
September 29 David Del Rio Actor (The Troop)
October 13 Ashley Newbrough Actress (Privileged)
October 18 Zac Efron Actor (Summerland)
November 5 Kevin Jonas Actor (Jonas L.A., Married to Jonas)
November 28 Karen Gillan Scottish actress (Doctor Who)
December 3 Michael Angarano American actor
December 4 Orlando Brown Actor (The Proud Family, Fillmore!, That's So Raven)
December 7 Aaron Carter Actor
December 12 Kate Todd Canadian actress
December 16 Hallee Hirsh Actress (ER, Flight 29 Down)
December 28 Thomas Dekker Actor (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Secret Circle)

Deaths

Date Name Age Notability
February 22 David Susskind 66 Commentator and producer (The David Susskind Show)
February 25 James Coco 56 Actor
March 3 Danny Kaye 76 Actor & comedian (The Danny Kaye Show)
March 21 Dean Paul Martin 35 Actor (Misfits of Science)
March 28 Patrick Troughton 67 Actor (the Second Doctor on Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969)
April 17 Dick Shawn 63 Actor
May 4 Cathryn Damon 56 Actress (Mary on Soap)
May 31 Roy Winsor 75 Soap opera writer (Search for Tomorrow)
June 24 Jackie Gleason 71 Actor (The Honeymooners, The Jackie Gleason Show)
August 11 Clara Peller 85 Wendy's spokesperson (Where's the Beef? ad campaign)
August 19 Hayden Rorke 76 Actor (Dr. Bellows on I Dream of Jeannie)
September 5 Quinn Martin 65 Executive producer (The Fugitive and many others)
September 11 Lorne Greene 72 Actor (Ben Cartwright on Bonanza)
September 22 Dan Rowan 65 Comedian (co-host of Laugh-In)
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