1975 in television

See also: 1974 in television, other events of 1975, 1976 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1975–76 American network television schedule.

Events

• January 6 – Another World becomes the first American soap opera to start airing hour-long telecasts.
• March 1 – Color television transmissions begin in Australia.
• April 3 – Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon) marries Hugh Mortimer (John Bentley) on the soap opera Crossroads.
• April 18 – Alice Cooper's first television special, Welcome To My Nightmare: The Making Of A Record Album airs.
• April 21 – Days of Our Lives becomes the second American soap opera to expand from thirty minutes to an hour in length.
• April 28 – Tom Snyder interviews John Lennon on The Tomorrow Show.
• May 24 – In the UK, Independent Television programs are blacked out by a strike.
• November 7 – The New Original Wonder Woman airs as a TV movie, leading to a weekly series, Wonder Woman, which debuts in 1976.
• November 10 – The producers of the long-running serial drama The Guiding Light change the show's name to Guiding Light, in an attempt to modernize the show's image.
• December 1 – Top-rated As the World Turns, bowing to competition from NBC, expands to one hour in length.
• Fred Silverman becomes the head of ABC Entertainment. Initiating an era of what is disparagingly called "T&A" or "jiggle television", his programming choices result in ABC achieving ratings dominance.
• Sony introduces the Betamax video recorder in the US.
• Andy Kaufman makes his debut on Saturday Night Live, lip syncing portions of the theme to Mighty Mouse

Debuts

• January 2 – The Sweeney premieres in the UK (1975-1978).
• January 6 – Wheel of Fortune premieres on NBC's daytime lineup (1975-1989).
• January 17 – Baretta premieres (1975–1978).
• January 18 – The Jeffersons, a spinoff of All in the Family, premieres on CBS (1975-1985).
• January 23 – Barney Miller debuts on ABC (1975-1982).
• April 4 – The Good Life premieres in the UK (1975–1978).
• April – Survivors debuts on BBC1 in the UK (1975-1977).
• May – The Don Lane Show premieres in Australia (1975-1983).
• May 31 – Jim'll Fix It premieres in the UK (1975–1994).
• July 7 – Ryan's Hope premieres on ABC's daytime lineup (1975–1989).
• September 9 – Welcome Back, Kotter premieres on ABC (1975–1979).
• October 11 – Saturday Night Live premieres with George Carlin hosting (1975-present).
• October 17 – Space: 1999 premieres in the UK (1975–1977).
• November 3 – Good Morning America premieres with co-anchors David Hartman and Nancy Dussault (1975-present).
• December 16 – One Day at a Time, produced by Norman Lear, premieres on CBS (1975-1984).
• Fawlty Towers premieres on the BBC (1975, 1979).
• the fifth estate debuts on CBC (1975-present).
• The Invisible Man debuts on US TV.
• King of Kensington debuts on CBC (1975-1980).
• Match Game PM (1975-1981).
• Pop Quest premieres in the UK (1975–1978).
• Runaround premieres in the UK (1975–1981).
• Supersonic debuts in the UK (1975–1977).
• Superstars debuts on BBC1 in the UK (1975–1985, 2003-present).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955–1976).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982) .
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956–1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956–1984).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• The Doctors (1963–1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001-2003).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• World of Sport (UK) (1965–1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968–1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980).
• Magpie (UK) (1968–1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969–1989).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–1979).
• All My Children (1970-present).
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970–1977).
• McCloud (1970–1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970–1984).
• All in the Family (1971-1979).
• Columbo (1971–1978).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• McMillan and Wife (1971–1977).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
• Emergency! (1972–1977).
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984).
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• Maude (1972–1978).
• M*A*S*H (1972–1983).
• Sanford and Son (1972–1977).
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978) .
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• The Waltons (1972–1981).
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
• Kojak (1973–1978, 2005-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• Match Game '75 (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1986).
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978).
• The Tomorrow Show (1973–1982).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Chico and the Man (1974-1978).
• Countdown (Australia) (1974–1987).
• Derrick (1974–1998).
• Good Times (1974–1979).
• Happy Days (1974–1984).
• Land of the Lost (1974–1977).
• Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983).
• Police Woman (1974–1978).
• Rhoda (1974–1978).
• Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984).
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974–1984).
• The Rockford Files (1974–1980).
• Tiswas (UK) (1974–1982).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982).

Ending this year

• Gunsmoke (1955–1975).
• Ironside (1967–1975).
• Mannix (1967–1975).
• The Odd Couple (1970–1975).
• Kung Fu (1972–1975).

Cancelled, but eventually to return to the air

• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984-present).

Changes of network affiliation

• The Edge of Night moves from CBS to ABC.