1987 in American television
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1987 in American television
| List of years in American television: 1984 1985 1986 – 1987 – 1988 1989 1990 |
| 1987-88 United States network television schedule |
The year 1987 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.
For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.
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Contents
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Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| February 2 | PBS broadcasts the critically acclaimed Eyes on the Prize series. |
| February 8 | 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. |
| March 19 | Televangelist Jim Bakker is involved in a sex scandal, which causes him to step down as the host of The PTL Club. |
| March 27 | The Price is Right surpasses Concentration as the longest running daytime game show in history. |
| March 30 | 227 star Jackée Harry changes her name to "Jackée," which she goes by until 1994. |
| 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. The network debuts 2 shows, Married... with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show, which air 3 times each during the night so that viewers watching other networks can switch over and sample the shows. |
| 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 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 job was to signal to the affiliates to start airing the network feed in sync with everyone else). |
| June 30 | 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. |
| July 31 | Launch of the movie-based channel Movietime. |
| 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 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. |
| October 12 | Valerie Harper files a lawsuit against NBC and Lorimar for breach of contract after being fired from her sitcom Valerie. |
| 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 & 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. |
Debuts
| Date | Show |
|---|---|
| January 3 | Unsolved Mysteries on NBC. |
| January 17 | Ohara on ABC. |
| January 21 | The Tortellis on NBC. |
| January 26 | Square One TV on PBS. |
| February 9 | Rescue 911 on CBS. |
| March 11 | Houston Knights on CBS. |
| March 13 | Rags to Riches on NBC. |
| March 18 | The Bronx Zoo on NBC. |
| March 19 | Roomies on NBC. |
| March 20 | The Charmings on ABC. |
| March 23 | The Bold and the Beautiful on CBS. |
| March 31 | Max Headroom on ABC. |
| April 2 | Nothing in Common on NBC. |
| April 5 | Married... with Children on FOX. |
| The Tracey Ullman Show on FOX. | |
| April 12 | 21 Jump Street on FOX. |
| April 18 | Sweet Surrender on NBC. |
| April 19 | Bionic Six in Syndication |
| Duet on FOX. | |
| April 26 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills on FOX. |
| May 3 | Mr. President on FOX. |
| May 21 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd on NBC. |
| June 15 | Home Shopping Game in Syndication |
| July 11 | Werewolf on FOX. |
| July 18 | Karen's Song on FOX. |
| The New Adventures of Beans Baxter on FOX. | |
| August 8 | Animal Crack-Ups on ABC |
| September 7 | Geraldo in Syndication. |
| September 12 | I'm Telling! on NBC. |
| My Pet Monster on ABC. | |
| The New Archies on NBC. | |
| Popeye and Son on CBS. | |
| September 14 | Dinosaucers in Syndication |
| Frank's Place on CBS. | |
| September 16 | Wiseguy on CBS. |
| September 17 | Out of This World on NBC O&Os. |
| September 18 | DuckTales in Syndication |
| September 19 | Marblehead Manor on NBC O&Os. |
| Once a Hero on ABC. | |
| She's the Sheriff on NBC O&Os. | |
| September 20 | The Highwayman on NBC. |
| My Two Dads on NBC. | |
| September 22 | Full House on ABC. |
| I Married Dora on ABC. | |
| September 23 | Hooperman on ABC. |
| The Slap Maxwell Story on ABC. | |
| September 24 | A Different World on NBC. |
| Tour of Duty on CBS. | |
| September 25 | Beauty and the Beast on CBS. |
| September 26 | ALF: The Animated Series on NBC. |
| Jake and the Fatman on CBS. | |
| J.J. Starbuck on NBC. | |
| Second Chance (aka Boys Will Be Boys) on FOX. | |
| September 27 | Dolly on ABC. |
| The Law & Harry McGraw on CBS. | |
| September 28 | Star Trek: The Next Generation in Syndication |
| September 29 | thirtysomething on ABC. |
| October 3 | Everything's Relative on CBS. |
| Leg Work on CBS. | |
| October 11 | Women in Prison on FOX. |
| November 2 | Finders Keepers on Nickelodeon. |
| November 5 | Beverly Hills Buntz on NBC. |
| November 7 | Sable on ABC. |
| December 7 | Remote Control on MTV. |
| December 10 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Syndication |
| December 11 | The Wilton North Report on FOX. |
Television shows
1940s
- Meet the Press (1947—present)
- Candid Camera (1948—2004)
1950s
- Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951—present)
- American Bandstand (1952–1989)
- Guiding Light (1952—2009)
- The Today Show (1952—present)
- Face the Nation (1954—present)
- As the World Turns (1956—2010)
1960s
- Wide World of Sports (1961–1997)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
- General Hospital (1963—present)
- Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (1963–1988, 2002–present)
- Another World (1964–1999)
- Days of our Lives (1965—present)
- 60 Minutes (1968—present)
- One Life to Live (1968—present)
- Hee Haw (1969–1993)
- Sesame Street (1969—present)
1970s
- All My Children (1970—2011)
- Monday Night Football (1970—present)
- Masterpiece Theatre (1971—present)
- NBC Nightly News (1970–present)
- Soul Train (1971—2006)
- The Price Is Right (1972—present)
- The Young and the Restless (1973—present)
- Derrick (1974–1998)
- Nova (1974–present)
- Good Morning America (1975—present)
- Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
- Saturday Night Live (1975—present)
- The McNeil/Leather Newshour (1975–present)
- Wheel of Fortune, daytime version (1975—1991)
- ABC World News (1978–present)
- 20/20 (1978—present)
- Dallas (1978–1991)
- CBS News Sunday Morning (1979–present)
- Knots Landing (1979–1993)
- The Facts of Life (1979–1988)
- Nightline (1979—present)
- SportsCenter (1979–present)
- This Old House (1979—present)
1980s
1980
- Lou Dobbs Tonight (1980–2009)
- Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
- Mystery! (1980–present)
- Solid Gold (1980–1988)
1981
- Dynasty (1981–1989)
- Entertainment Tonight (1981—present)
- Gimme a Break! (1981–1987)
- Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
- Falcon Crest (1981–1990)
- Simon & Simon (1981–1988)
- This Week (1981–present)
1982
- America This Morning (1982–present)
- Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988)
- Capitol (1982–1987)
- Cheers (1982–1993)
- Family Ties (1982–1989)
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
- Nature (1982–present)
- Newhart (1982–1990)
- Remington Steele (1982–1987)
- Silver Spoons (1982–1987)
- St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
1983
- America Undercover (1983–present)
- American Masters (1983–present)
- The A-Team (1983–1987)
- Fraggle Rock (1983–1987)
- Frontline (1983–present)
- Loving (1983–1995)
- Webster (1983–1989)
- Wheel of Fortune (1983–present)
1984
- Airwolf (1984–1987)
- Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)
- Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984—present)
- Kate & Allie (1984–1989)
- Miami Vice (1984–1989)
- Muppet Babies (1984–1991)
- 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? (1984–1992)
1985
- 227 (1985–1990)
- Growing Pains (1985–1992)
- It's a Living (1980–1982, 1985–1989)
- Larry King Live (1985–2010)
- MacGyver (1985–1992)
- Moonlighting (1985–1989)
- Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990)
- National Geographic Explorer (1985–present)
- Sally (1985–2002)
- The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
- The Twilight Zone (1959–1964, 1985–1988, 2002)
- What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988)
1986
- 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 (1986–1990)
- Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)
- The Disney Sunday Movie (1986–1988)
- The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986—2011)
Returning this year
| Show | Last Aired | Previous Network | Retitled as/Same | New/Returning/Same Network | Returning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles in Charge | 1985 | CBS | Same | Syndication | January 3 |
| Blockbusters | 1982 | NBC | Same | Same | January 5 |
| Concentration | 1978 | Syndication | Classic Concentration | NBC | May 4 |
| We Got it Made | 1984 | NBC | Same | Same (on some O&O stations) | September 11 |
| High Rollers | 1980 | NBC | Same | Syndication | September 14 |
Ending this year
| Date | Show | Debut |
|---|---|---|
| March 3 | Silver Spoons | 1982 |
| March 8 | The A-Team | 1983 |
| March 20 | Capitol | 1982 |
| March 30 | Fraggle Rock | 1983 |
| April 17 | Remington Steele | 1982 |
| May 1 | Blockbusters | 1980 |
| May 12 | Gimme a Break! | 1981 |
| May 18 | Fame | 1982 |
| May 19 | Hill Street Blues | 1981 |
| May 28 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | 1983 |
| August 7 | Airwolf | 1984 |
| November 11 | The Transformers | 1984 |
| November 12 | The Jetsons | 1962 |
| November 28 | The New Adventures of Beans Baxter | 1987 |
| December 11 | Dinosaucers | 1987 |
| December 12 | Popeye and Son | 1987 |
- The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987)
Made for television movies
- Amerika
- Assault and Matrimony
- Roman Holiday
- The Facts of Life Down Under
- Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story
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.
Births
- February 5 - Darren Criss, actor Glee A Very Potter Musical
- February 21 – Ellen Page, actress
- March 9 – Bow Wow, rapper
- June 5 – Charlie Clements, Actor
- September 28 – Hilary Duff, actress (Disney's Lizzie McGuire) and singer
- October 18 – Zac Efron, actor High School Musical
- December 4 – Orlando Brown, actor
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 6 - Fulton Mackay, actor (Porridge)
- 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
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