1961 in television

See also: 1960 in television, other events of 1961, 1962 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1961–62 American network television schedule.

Events

• July 1 – The soap opera The Brighter Day airs its first episode after moving taping locations from New York City to Los Angeles. As a result, key character Babby Dennis and her love interest are mysteriously written out of the show; the actors who played them did not want to move.
• September – NBC begins its long-running Saturday Night at the Movies series with an airing of the 1953 Marilyn Monroe picture How to Marry a Millionaire.
• December 31 – RTÉ starts television broadcasts, bringing television to Ireland for the first time.
• John F. Kennedy holds the first live televised Presidential press conference.
• Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966) is cancelled due to lack of interest from American broadcasters. The series would be revived and revamped in 1964.

Debuts

• January 5 – Mister Ed debuts (1961–1966).
• January – The Avengers premieres in the UK (1961-1969).
• August 19 – Four Corners, Australia's first current affairs program, premieres (1961-present).
• Ben Casey premieres (1961–1966).
• The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1961–1966).
• The Fulton Sheen Program premieres (1961-1968).
• The Mike Douglas Show premieres (1961-1981).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
• The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963).
• The Jack Benny Show (1950-1965).
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• What's My Line (1950-1967).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Honeymooners (1952-1970).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Brighter Day (1954-1962).
• The Milton Berle Show (1954–1967).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• Zoo Quest (UK) (1954–1964).
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Cheyenne (1955–1962).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1962).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956–1984).
• The Price Is Right (1956–1965).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
• The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966).
• Walt Disney Presents (1958–1961) ends on September 17 to resume on September 24 on NBC as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961–1969).
• Bonanza (1959-1973).
• Hawaiian Eye (1959–1963).
• Juke Box Jury (1959–1967, 1979, 1989-1990).
• The Bell Telephone Hour (1959–1968)
• The Twilight Zone (1959–1964, 1985-1988, 2002).
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Danger Man (UK) (1960–1961, 1964–1966)
• My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968).
• The Flintstones (1960–1966).

Ending this year

• September – Peter Gunn (1958–1961).
• This Is Your Life (US) (1952–1961).
• The Army Game (UK) (1957-1961).

Changes of network affiliation

• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color moves from ABC to NBC to take advantage of the latter network's color broadcasting abilities.

Births

• January 13 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress.
• April 6 – Gene Eugene Andrusco, actor, lead singer of Adam Again.
• June 9 – Michael J. Fox, actor.
• July 27 – Gabrielle Glaister, actress.