1989 in television

See also: 1988 in television, other events of 1989, 1990 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1989–90 American network television schedule.

Events

• February 5 – The world's first commercial DBS system, Sky Television goes on air.
• April 18 or 19 – Dragon Ball Z premieres on Japanese television.
• May – Donna Mills makes her final regular appearance as villainess Abby on Knots Landing.
• July 31 – Canadian cable television network CBC Newsworld is launched.
• September 29 – Susan Sullivan's character, Maggie Gioberti Channing, is killed off on the season premiere of Falcon Crest.
• December 6 – After 26 seasons, the original run of Doctor Who comes to an end on BBC1 with the broadcasting of episode three of the final serial, Survival. The show will resume in spring of 2005.
• December – a seldom-seen 1956 Christmas special episode of I Love Lucy re-airs on CBS.
• December 29 – Deirdre Barlow confronts her husband Ken on Coronation Street before infamously throwing him out, ending their decade-long television marriage.
• Talk show host Geraldo Rivera's nose is broken during a taping of his show, when a fight erupts on the set between guests. The theme of the episode was "Young Hate Mongers" and the fight originated between white supremacist Tom Metzger and civil rights activist Roy Innis.
• Chris Farley, David Spade, and Mike Myers join the cast of Saturday Night Live.
• Cliff and Nina Warner marry one another for the fourth (and seemingly final) time on All My Children, a record that has not been matched in the soap world.

Debuts

• January 3 – The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994) premieres on CBS. His first musical guest is Luther Vandross.
• March 11 – Cops premieres, which shows footage shot in real life situations with US police officers (1989-present).
• April – Fast Forward premieres in Australia (1989-1992).
• June 10 – Tales from the Crypt premieres on HBO (1989-1996).
• July 5 – The Seinfeld Chronicles premieres on NBC. The show would later be retitled Seinfeld and become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history (1989-1998).
• August – Acropolis Now premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
• September 12 – Life Goes On premieres (1989-1993).
• September 22 – Baywatch premieres on NBC (1989-2001).
• September 22 – Family Matters premieres on ABC (1989–1998).
• November 16 – Maid Marian and her Merry Men premieres on BBC1 (1989–1994).
• December 17 – The Simpsons premieres on FOX with a special Christmas episode (1989-present). The characters had first appeared two years earlier as a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show. The regular run begins January 14, 1990.
• Press Gang, a massively popular comedy/drama aimed at teenagers, begins its run on the ITV network in Britain (1989–1993).
• The Big Gig premieres in Australia (1989–1992).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).
• Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• 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 Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• All My Children (1970-present).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
• Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Derrick (1974-1998).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975–1994).
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
• 20/20 (1978-present).
• Dallas (1978-1991).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
• Knots Landing (1979-1993).
• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979–1990).
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
• Falcon Crest (1981–1990).
• Cheers (1982-1993).
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993).
• Newhart (1982–1990).
• The Journal (Canada) (1982–1992).
• Loving (1983-1995).
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984-present).
• Mother and Son (Australia) (1984–1994).
• Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996).
• Night Court (1984–1992).
• Santa Barbara (1984–1993).
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
• The Cosby Show (1984–1992).
• Who's the Boss? (1984–1992).
• 227 (1985-1990).
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
• Growing Pains (1985–1992).
• MacGyver (1985–1992).
• Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990).
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
• Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981–1983, 1985–1993, 1996-1997, 2001–2003).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• The Golden Girls (1985–1992).
• ALF (1986-1990).
• Amen (1986–1991).
• Designing Women (1986–1993).
• Double Dare (1986–1993).
• Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986–1994).
• L.A. Law (1986–1994).
• Mama's Family (1983–1984, 1986–1990).
• Matlock (1986–1995).
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991).
• Perfect Strangers (1986–1993).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• A Different World (1987-1993).
• Full House (1987–1995).
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
• Knightmare (UK) (1987–1994).
• Married... with Children (1987–1997).
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994).
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
• The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1990).
• thirtysomething (1987–1991).
• Children's Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
• Empty Nest (1988–1995).
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988–1995, 1999-present).
• Garfield and Friends (1988–1995).
• Murphy Brown (1988–1998).
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999).
• Roseanne (1988–1997).
• The Comedy Company (Australia) (1988–1990).
• The Magical World of Disney (1988–1990).
• The Wonder Years (1988–1993).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989–1990).

Ending this year

• January 13 – The last episode of the soap opera Ryan's Hope (1975–1989) airs on ABC; in the final scene, matriarch Maeve Ryan (Helen Gallagher) sings Danny Boy at Ryan's Bar for the last time.
• American Bandstand (1952–1989).
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969–1989).
• Dynasty (1981–1989).
• Family Ties (1982–1989).
• Webster (1983–1989).
• Highway to Heaven (1984–1989).
• Kate and Allie (1984–1989).
• Miami Vice (1984–1989).
• It's a Living (1980–1982, 1985–1989).
• Moonlighting (1985–1989).

Changes of network affiliation

• July 17 – Wheel of Fortune moves from NBC's daytime lineup to CBS's daytime schedule.

Births

• January 3 – Alex D. Linz, actor.

Deaths

• April 26 – Lucille Ball, actress, comedian.
• May 1 – Douglass Watson, soap opera actor.
• May 20 – Gilda Radner, actress, comedian.
• July 3 – Jim Backus, actor.
• July 10 – Mel Blanc, voice actor.
• October 4 – Graham Chapman, comedian.