1996 in American television

The following is a list of events affecting American television in 1996. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.

Events

Debuts

Miniseries

• Profit
• Our Friends in the North (UK)

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947–present).
• Candid Camera (1948–2004).

1950s

• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present).
• Guiding Light (1952–2009).
• Hockey Night in Canada (1952–present).
• The Today Show (1952–present).
• Face the Nation (1954–present).
• The Tonight Show (1954–present).
• As the World Turns (1956–2010).

1960s

• General Hospital (1963–present).
• Another World (1964–1999).
• Days of our Lives (1965–present).
• 60 Minutes (1968–present).
• One Life to Live (1968–present).
• Sesame Street (1969–present).

1970s

• All My Children (1970–present).
• Monday Night Football (1970–present).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971–present).
• Soul Train (1971–2007).
• The Price Is Right (1972–present).
• The Young and the Restless (1973–present).
• Derrick (1974–1998).
• Good Morning America (1975–present).
• Saturday Night Live (1975–present).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975–present).
• This Week in Baseball (1977–1998, 2000–present)
• 20/20 (1978–present)
• Nightline (1979–present)
• SportsCenter (1979–present)
• This Old House (1979–present).

1980s

1980-1986

• Lou Dobbs Tonight (1980–2009).
• Entertainment Tonight (1981–present).
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present).
• Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996).
• Sally (1985–2002).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986–2011).

1987

• Married... with Children (1987–1997).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987–present).
• Unsolved Mysteries (1987–1998, 2001–2002, 2008–present).

1988

• America's Most Wanted (1988–present).
• The American Experience (1988–present).
• Fair City (1988–present).
• Home and Away (1988–present).
• Murphy Brown (1988–1998).
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999).
• Roseanne (1988–1997).

1989

• Baywatch (1989–2001).
• COPS (1989–present).
• Family Matters (1989–1998).
• Seinfeld (1989–1998).
• The Simpsons (1989–present).

1990s

1990

• America's Funniest Home Videos (1990–present).
• Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000)
• Law & Order (1990–present).
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996).

1991

• Home Improvement (1991–1999).
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991–present).
• The Red Green Show (1991–2006).
• The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991–1996).
• Sisters (1991–1996).

1992

• Barney & Friends (1992–present).
• Dateline NBC (1992–present).
• Mad About You (1992–1999).
• Martin (1992–1997).
• Melrose Place (1992–1999).
• The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998).
• The Real World (1992–present).

1993

• Animaniacs (1993–1998)
• Beavis and Butt-head (1993–1997)
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998)
• Frasier (1993–2004)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009)
• Living Single (1993–1998)
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997).
• NYPD Blue (1993–2005).
• Ricki Lake (1993–2004).
• Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996).
• seaQuest DSV (1993–1996).
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999).
• The Late Show with David Letterman (1993–present).
• The Nanny (1993–1999).
• The X-Files (1993–2002).
• WWF Monday Night RAW (1993–present).
• Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1993)

1994

• All That (1994–2005)
• Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
• Duckman (1994–1997).
• ER (1994–2009)
• Friends (1994–2004).
• Party of Five (1994–2000)
• The Magic School Bus (1994-1997).
• Touched by an Angel (1994–2003)
• Spider-Man (1994-1998).

1995

• The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004).
• KaBlam! (1995–2000).
• JAG (1995–2005).
• Modern Marvels (1995–present).
• The Puzzle Place (1995-1998).
• Sliders (1995–2000).
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001).
• What A Cartoon! (1995–2008).
• Timon and Pumbaa (1995–1998).

Returning this year

Ending this year

Changes of Network Affiliation

Births

• April 14 – Abigail Breslin, actress

Deaths

• February 3 – Audrey Meadows, actress (Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners)
• February 13 – Martin Balsam, actor (Murray on Archie Bunker's Place)
• February 15 – McLean Stevenson, actor (Lt. Col. Henry Blake on M*A*S*H)
• February 15 – Tommy Rettig, former child actor (Jeff on Lassie)
• March 4 – Minnie Pearl, comedian
• March 5 – Whit Bissell, character actor
• March 9 – George Burns, 100, comedian
• March 11 – Vince Edwards, actor (Ben Casey)
• April 21 – Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, sports commentator
• May 20 – Jon Pertwee, 76, former star of Doctor Who.
• June 2 – Ray Combs, 40, former host of Family Feud, (suicide)
• June 5 - Vito Scotti, 78, American character actor, Gilligan's Island
• June 16 – Mel Allen, sports commentator
• July 21 – Herb Edelman, actor (Stanley Zbornak on The Golden Girls)
• August 27 – Greg Morris, actor (Mission: Impossible)
• September 13 – Tupac Shakur, 25, actor/songwriter.
• September 29 – Leslie Crowther, 63, British TV comedian & game show host
• October 6 – Ted Bessell, actor (That Girl)
• October 13 - Beryl Reid, actress
• October 27 – Morey Amsterdam. actor and comedian (Buddy on The Dick Van Dyke Show)
• December 8 – Howard E. Rollins, Jr., actor (Tibbs on the TV version of In the Heat of the Night)
• December 11 – Willie Rushton, 59, comedian, actor, and performer.
• December 12 – Larry Gates, soap opera actor (Guiding Light)
• December 14 - Edward K. Milkis, 65, producer