Events
January 5 - Remington Steele returns to NBC after a six-month hiatus during which series star Pierce Brosnan won the film role of James Bond, only to lose it when NBC unexpectedly renewed the series. Steele adopts a TV-movie length format but only runs for a few installments before being cancelled for good.
January 22 - R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a televised press conference. The decision by some broadcasters to air the footage leads to a debate over boundaries in journalism.
January–February - PBS broadcasts the critically-acclaimed Eyes on the Prize series.
February 8–February 15 - The miniseries Amerika, showing life ten years after the United States is defeated and occupied by the USSR, is broadcast on ABC.
February 15 - The television movie event The Facts of Life Down Under airs on NBC.
April 5 - The Fox TV network makes its prime-time debut, marking the first time since 1955 that four networks filled the US prime-time television landscape.
April 19 - Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuts as a series of short animated segments on The Tracey Ullman Show.
May - The sitcom Mr. Belvedere is canceled after three seasons. Heavy backlash causes ABC executives to rethink the decision and bring the show back. Since the fall programming schedules were already written, Mr. Belvedere doesn't premiere until late October.
May 15 - Pam Ewing's car speeds out of control, crashes into a tanker, and explodes on the season finale of Dallas.
June 30–July 31 - US daytime television is interrupted for the Iran-Contra hearings.
July 15 - Genie Francis, of General Hospital fame, starts a new soap role as Diana Colville on Days of our Lives, which she will play until 1989.
September 5 - Dick Clark's American Bandstand airs for the 2,751st and last time on ABC, after 30 years on the network. It lives on in syndication for 2 more years.
September 7 - Sylvester McCoy becomes the seventh actor to play the Doctor in BBC One's long-running Doctor Who.
September 11 - Dan Rather of the CBS Evening News stomps out of the newscast when a televised tennis match runs two minutes over. He is missing for six minutes.
November 4–November 18 - Damon and Debbie becomes the first 'soap bubble'. It was a miniseries which took two characters from Brookside into new locations and their own story.
October 1 - Iceland introduces television on Thursdays for the first time.
October 15 - Bob Barker, host of The Price Is Right, stops dyeing his hair brown and appears on-stage for the first time with white hair. He is given a minute-long standing ovation by the audience.
November 13 - Sonny and Cher reunite for a performance on 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. This incident has subsequently gained a degree of cult myth about it.
CBS becomes the last American network to cease a chime intonation at the beginning of telecasts; satellite feeds have made the tones obsolete (their job was to signal to the affiliates to start airing the network feed in sync with everyone else).
Televangelist Jim Bakker is involved in a sex scandal, which causes him to step down as the host of The P.T.L. Club.
227 star Jackée Harry changes her name to "Jackée," which she goes by until 1994.
[edit]Debuts
January 6 - Inspector Morse premieres on ITV (1987–2000).
January 26 - Square One TV, a skit-based children's program aimed at teaching mathematic skills, premieres on PBS (1987-1994).
February 11 - Hey Dad..! premieres on the Seven Network (1987–1994).
February 28 - Hikari Sentai Maskman premieres on TV Asahi (1987-1988)
March 23 - The Bold and the Beautiful premieres (1987— ).
April 5 -
Married... with Children premieres (1987–1997).
The Tracey Ullman Show premieres (1987–1990).
April 12 - 21 Jump Street premiers (1987-1991).
May 1 -
After Dark premieres on Channel 4 (1987-1997, BBC 2003)
Matlock premieres on ITV (1987–1997).
May 4 - the revival of Classic Concentration premieres on NBC with host Alex Trebek, replacing Blockbusters (1987-1991, reran until 1993)
July 5 - Watching premieres on ITV (1987–1993).
July 31 - E! (then known as Movietime) debuts.
September 7 - Knightmare premieres on ITV (1987–1994).
September 11 - Duck Tales premieres in syndication (1987–1990)
September 22 - Full House premieres on ABC (1987–1995).
September 24 - A Different World premieres (1987–1993).
September 26 -
ChuckleVision premieres on BBC One (1987— ).
Going Live! premieres on BBC One (1987–1993).
September 28 - Star Trek: The Next Generation debuts in first-run syndication. A long-sought-after revival of the 1960s Star Trek: The Original Series, TNG would run for seven successful seasons and would launch one of the most successful series of programs in television history. Four consecutive series would run for the next 18 years, until the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise on May 13, 2005 (1987–1994).
September 29 - thirtysomething premieres on ABC (1987–1991).
December 10 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres (1987–1996).
Beadle's About premieres on ITV (1987–1996).
Unsolved Mysteries premieres on NBC (1987-1998, 2001-2002, 2008-present).
Television shows
1950s
Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951— )
American Bandstand (1952–1989)
Guiding Light (1952— )
The Today Show (1952— )
Panorama (UK) (1953— )
Face the Nation (1954— )
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003)
As the World Turns (1956— )
What the Papers Say (UK) (1956— )
The Sky at Night (UK) (1957— )
Blue Peter (UK) (1958— )
Grandstand (UK) (1958-2007)
1960s
Coronation Street (UK) (1960— )
Four Corners (Australia) (1961— )
It's Academic (1961— )
The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005— )
General Hospital (1963— )
Another World (1964–1999)
Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-2006)
Days of our Lives (1965— )
Play School (1966— )
The Money Programme (UK) (1966— )
60 Minutes (1968— )
One Life to Live (1968— )
Hee Haw (1969–1993)
Sesame Street (1969— )
The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969–1989)
1970s
All My Children (1970— )
Monday Night Football (1970— )
Masterpiece Theatre (1971— )
Soul Train (1971— )
The Price Is Right (1972— )
The Young and the Restless (1973— )
Derrick (1974–1998)
Good Morning America (1975— )
Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
Saturday Night Live (1975— )
Wheel of Fortune (1975— )
20/20 (1978— )
Dallas (1978–1991)
Knots Landing (1979–1993)
The Facts of Life (1979–1988)
Antiques Roadshow (1979— )
Nightline (1979— )
This Old House (1979— )
1980s
Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
Solid Gold (1980–1988)
Dynasty (1981–1989)
Entertainment Tonight (1981— )
Falcon Crest (1981–1990)
Simon & Simon (1981–1988)
What Now (1982— )
Timewatch (UK) (1982— )
Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988)
Cheers (1982–1993)
Family Ties (1982–1989)
Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
Newhart (1982–1990)
St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
The Journal (Canada) (1982–1992)
Loving (1983–1995)
Webster (1983–1989)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984–1988, 1991–1994)
Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)
Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984— )
Kate and Allie (1984–1989)
Miami Vice (1984–1989)
Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996)
Night Court (1984–1992)
Punky Brewster (1984–1988)
Santa Barbara (1984–1993)
Tales from the Darkside (1984–1988)
The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
Who's the Boss? (1984–1991)
227 (1985–1990)
Growing Pains (1985–1992)
It's a Living (1980–1982, 1985–1989)
MacGyver (1985–1992)
Moonlighting (1985–1989)
Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990)
Sally (1985–2002)
T-Bag Bounces Back
The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
The Twilight Zone (1959–1964, 1985–1988, 2002)
What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988)
ALF (1986–1990)
Amen (1986–1991)
Designing Women (1986–1993)
Double Dare (1986–1993)
L.A. Law (1986–1994)
Mama's Family (1983–1984, 1986–1990)
Matlock (1986–1996)
Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991)
Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)
The Disney Sunday Movie (1986–1988)
The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986— )
Casualty (UK) (1986— )
Comic Relief (UK) (1986— )
Tales of the Unexpected (UK) (1979–1985, 1987–1988)
Hey Dad..! (Australia) (1987–1994)
Crimewatch (1984— )
Bullseye (UK) (1981–1995, 2005 special, 2006— , 2007 special)
A Dream of Red Mansions(TV serial)(1987)
The Highwayman (TV series) (1987-09-20 - 1988-05-06)
TV Shows Ending this year - 1988:
March 3 - Silver Spoons (1982–1987)
March 8 - The A-Team (1983–1987)
March 20 - Capitol (1982–1987)
March 30 - Fraggle Rock (1983-1987)
April 17 - Remington Steele (1982–1987)
May 1 - Blockbusters (1980-82, 1987)
May 12 - Gimme a Break! (1981–1987)
May 18 - Fame (1982–1987)
May 19 - Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
May 28 - Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1987)
June 5 - Drummonds (1985-1987)
August 7 - Airwolf (1984-1987)
October - The Jetsons (1962–1963, 1984–1985, 1987)
The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987)
Today's Special (Canada) (1981–1987)
Card Sharks (syndication), (1986-1987)
1988 Made for television movies
Amerika
Assault and Matrimony
The Facts of Life Down Under
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story
[edit]Changes of network affiliation
Punky Brewster, formerly an NBC series, resumes after a 1-year production hiatus in first-run syndication.
Webster moves from ABC to first-run syndication.
1987 TV Entertainer/Producer Births
February 21 - Ellen Page, actress
March 9 - Bow Wow, rapper
September 28 - Hilary Duff, actress (Disney's Lizzie McGuire) and singer
October 18 - Zac Efron, actor High School Musical
December 4 - Orlando Brown, actor
1987 TV Entertainer/Producer Deaths:
February 22 - David Susskind, 66, commentator and producer
February 25 - James Coco, 56, actor
March 3 - Danny Kaye, 74, actor and comedian
March 21 - Dean Paul Martin, 35, actor on Misfits of Science and son of Dean Martin
March 28 - Patrick Troughton, 67, actor who is best known for playing the Second Doctor on the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969.
April 17 - Dick Shawn, 63, comedian
May 4 - Cathryn Damon, 56, actress (Mary on Soap and Cassie on Webster)
May 31 - Roy Winsor, 75, soap opera writer (Search For Tomorrow)
June 24 - Jackie Gleason, 71, comedian
August 6 - Quinn Martin, 65, producer
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 11 - Lorne Greene, 72, actor (Ben Cartwright on Bonanza)
September 22 - Dan Rowan, 65, comedian, co-host of Laugh-In
