1998 in television

The year 1998 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1998-99 United States network television schedule.

Events

• March 29 - BBC America launches in the United States.
• March 31 Sky Scottish ceases broadcasting.
• March 31 CMT Europe ceases broadcasting.
• April 3 The Children's Channel ceases broadcasting in the UK after fourteen years.
• April 6 Cable and Wireless viewers see the Nordic version of The Children's Channel. It ceased broadcasting 6 months later.
• April 7 - ntv7 starts broadcasting in Malaysia.
• April 9 - The Price is Right airs its 5,000th episode on CBS.
• April 16- CITV was supposed to air the tenth episode of ReBoot's third season. The episode was not aired. Timmy Mallett aired instead. ReBoot hasn't aired since.
• April 18 - Toon Disney, a United States cable network devoted to playing Disney cartoons 24 hours a day, launches.
• April 24 - A second special episode of Dallas airs on CBS seven years after the original series finished, titled Dallas: War of the Ewings.
• May 11 - ZDTV, a technology based cable channel (later TechTV, then G4techTV, now G4), is launched in the US.
• May 18 - The British Academy Television Awards are awarded in the separate ceremony to the British Academy Film Awards for the first time.
• May 31 - Sky Scottish, Part of The Sky network was closed. the channel was now Sky Sports News.
• July 15 - Zee TV, a Hindi television channel is launched in the USA.
• July 31 - Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver in a California shopping mall.
• August 31 - PAX TV launches.
• September 23 - BBC Choice, the UK's first digital-only TV station, launches. BBC Parliament also launches on the same day.
• September 26 - Cupid premieres on US television.
• October 1 - Digital satellite television launches in the UK, operated by Sky Digital. This sees the start of UK channels transmitting in 16:9 widescreen.
• October 2 - Kimberlin Brown makes her final contractual appearance as the villainess Sheila Carter on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Brown will return for non-contractual encores to reprise the character in 2002 and 2003.
• November 1 - FilmFour launches in the UK. The opening night is simulcast on Channel 4.
• November 15 - Digital terrestrial television launches in the UK, operated by ONdigital.
• December 7 - ITV2 launches in the UK.
• December 14 - After a world-record-breaking 75 consecutive victories, Ian Lygo makes his final appearance on the UK game show 100%, after being forced to retire by the show's producers.

Debuts

• January 8 - WCW Thunder premieres on TBS Superstation (1998-2001).
• January 20 – Dawson's Creek premieres on The WB (1998-2003).
• February 6 - Power Rangers in Space premieres on FOX (1998).
• February 24 - All Saints premieres on Seven Network in Australia.
• March 16- Love Connection revival premieres on SYN (1998-2000).
• March 17 - For Your Love premieres on NBC (1998-2002)
• May 11 - Call For Help premieres on ZDTV (1998-2004).
• June 1 - Sailor Moon premieres on Cartoon Network (1998-2001).
• June 6 - Sex and the City premieres on HBO (1998-2004).
• June - Forgive or Forget, hosted by Mother Love, premieres on syndication (1998-2000).
• July 13 - The Sifl and Olly Show premieres on MTV (1998-1999).
• July 19 - Oh Yeah! Cartoons premieres on Nickelodeon (1998-2001).
• August 18 - Maggie premieres on Lifetime Television (1998-1999).
• August 23 - That '70s Show premieres on FOX (1998-2006).
• August 26 - Oh Baby debuts on Lifetime (1998-2000).
• August 29 - SMTV Live premieres on ITV in the UK (1998-2003).
• August 31 - Dragonball Z premieres on Cartoon Network (1998-2003).
• September 4 - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (1998-present) premieres on ITV. In 1999, an American version premiered.
• September 5 - Ultraman Gaia premieres in TBS in Japan (1998-1999)
• September 8 - Pokémon premieres in syndication.
• September 9 - First Wave premieres on Sci Fi Channel (1998-2000).
• September 14 - Histeria! premieres on the WB. (1998-2001)
• September 21 - The King of Queens premieres on CBS (1998-2007).
• September 21 - Will & Grace premieres on NBC (1998-2006).
• September 21 - Felicity premieres on The WB (1998-2002)
• September 22 - Sports Night premieres on ABC
• October 5 - CatDog premieres on Nickelodeon (1998-2001).
• October 7 - Charmed premieres on The WB (1998-2006).
• November 2 - Becker premieres on CBS (1998-2004).
• November 18 - The Powerpuff Girls premieres on Cartoon Network (1998-2005).
• December 26 - Rolie Polie Olie premieres on Playhouse Disney (1998-2002)

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-Now).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).

1950s

• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• Guiding Light (1952–present)
• Hockey Night in Canada (1952–present)
• The Today Show (1952–present)
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The National (Canada) (1954-present)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1954–present under various titles)
• 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) (1958-2007).

1960s

• Coronation Street, UK (1960-present).
• Four Corners, Australia (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present).
• The Late Late Show, Ireland (1962–present)
• Professional Bowlers Tour (1962–1997)
• General Hospital (1963–present)
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Top of the Pops, UK (1964-2006).
• Days of our Lives (1965-present).
• Play School, Australia (1966-present).
• Shoten, Japan (1966-present).
• The Money Programme, UK (1966-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-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).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Arena (UK) (1975-present).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
• 20/20 (1978-present).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-2008).
• Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
• Nightline (1979-present).
• This Old House (1979-present).
• Hollywood Squares (1971-2004)

1980s

• Moneyline (1980–present)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
• What Now (1982-present)
• Brookside, UK (1982-2003)
• Timewatch, UK (1982-present)
• Taggart, UK (1983-present)
• The Bill, UK (1984–present)
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present)
• SportsDesk, Canada (1984–present)
• EastEnders, UK (1985-present).
• Neighbours, Australia (1985-present).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
• Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
• ChuckleVision (UK) (1987-present).
• Inspector Morse (UK) (1987-2000).
• The American Experience (1988-present).
• America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
• The Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
• Electric Circus (Canada) (1988-2003).
• Fair City, Ireland (1988–present)
• Les Guignols de l'info, France (1988–present)
• Home and Away, Australia (1988–present)
• Inside Edition (1988–present)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999)
• Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
• This Morning (UK) (1988-present).
• Baywatch (1989-2001).
• COPS (1989-present).
• The Simpsons (1989-present).
• Hollywood Squares (1986-2004).

1990s

• America's Funniest Home Videos (1990–present)
• Doug (1991-1999)
• Law & Order (1990–present)
• One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990–2000)
• Home Improvement (1991–1999)
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991–present)
• The Red Green Show (1991–2006)
• Rugrats (1991–2004)
• Barney & Friends (1992-present).
• Dateline NBC (1992-present).
• Mad About You (1992-1999).
• The Real World (1992-present).
• Frasier (1993-2004).
• Iron Chef, Japan (1993–1999)
• NYPD Blue (1993–2005)
• Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009)
• The Late Show with David Letterman (1993–present)
• The Nanny (1993–1999)
• Ricki Lake (1993–2004)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001)
• WWF RAW Is War/WWF War Zone (1993-present).
• The X-Files (1993-2002).
• All That (1994-2005)
• ER (1994–2009)
• Friends (1994–2004)
• Inside the Actors Studio (1994–present)
• Time Team, UK (1994–present)
• Touched by an Angel (1994-2003).
• The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004).
• JAG (1995–2005)
• Modern Marvels (1995–present)
• Pamela Wallin Live, Canada (1995-1999).
• Pokémon, Japan/US (1997,1998-present).
• Sesame Park (Canada) (1995-2002).
• Sliders (1995-2000).
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001).
• WCW Monday Nitro (1995-2001)
• 7th Heaven (1996–2007)
• Access Hollywood (1996-present)
• Après Match, Ireland (1996–present)
• Arthur (1996-present)
• Dexter's Laboratory (1996-2003).
• Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)
• Hannity & Colmes (1996–2009)
• Hey Arnold! (1996-2004).
• Judge Judy (1996-present).
• Nash Bridges (1996-2001).
• Spin City (1996-2002).
• The Daily Show (1996-present).
• 100% (game show) (UK) (1997-2001).
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
• Y Clwb Rygbi, Wales (1997–present)
• Cow and Chicken (1997–1999)
• The Crocodile Hunter (1997–2004)
• Daria (1997-2001).
• Dharma & Greg (1997-2002).
• Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997-2001).
• Dream Team, UK (1997–2007)
• Family Affairs, UK (1997-2005).
• I Am Weasel (1997-1999).
• Johnny Bravo (1997-2003).
• Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003).
• King of the Hill (1997-2006).
• La Femme Nikita (1997-2001).
• Port Charles (1997-2003).
• South Park (1997-present).
• Stargate SG-1 (1997-present).
• Sunset Beach (1997-1999).
• The Practice (1997-2004)
• Teletubbies (UK) (1997-2001).
• Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001).

Ending this year

• January 1 - Living Single (1993-1998)
• January 22 - The Demon Headmaster (UK) (1996-1998).
• January 25 - The NFL on NBC (1939-1998, with numerous interruptions)
• May 1- Father Ted (UK) (1995-1998).
• May 14 - Seinfeld (1989-1998).
• May 18 – Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
• May 31 - The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998).
• June 26 – Step by Step (1991-1998).
• July 2 - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK) (1988-1998)
• July 17 – Family Matters (1989-1998).
• July 25 - Weird Science (1994-1998).
• August 22 - The Chart Show (1986-1998) (Revived twice in 2003 and 2008)
• August 29 - Ultraman Dyna (Japan) (1997-1998)
• October 16 - Derrick (Germany) (1974-1998).
• November 21 - Power Rangers in Space (1998)
• November 25 - Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
• December 9 - Is It Legal? (UK) (1995-1998)
• Timon and Pumbaa (1995-1998).
• Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
• The Statler Brothers Show (1991-1998)
• This Week in Baseball (1977–1998, 2000–present)
• Unsolved Mysteries (1987-1998, 2001-2002, 2008-present).

Returning this year

• September 14 - Hollywood Squares (1966-1981, 1986-1989, 1998-2004)

Changes of network affiliation

Deaths

• January 21 - Jack Lord, 77, star of Hawaii Five-O.
• February 19 - Grandpa Jones, 84, star of Hee Haw, comedian and musician.
• February 28 - Dermot Morgan, 45, star of Father Ted.
• May 28 - Phil Hartman, 49, actor/comedian (Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, Newsradio), shot by his wife in a murder/suicide.
• September 23 - Mary Frann, 55, actress (Joanna on Newhart).
• September 28 - Eric Malling, 52, Canadian television journalist.
• October 17 - Joan Hickson, 92, actress, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.
• November 17 - Esther Rolle, 78, actress (Florida on Maude and Good Times).
• Dick O'Neill, 70, recurring actor (Family Matters, Home Improvement)
• December 6 - Michael Zaslow, 56, actor (Roger Thorpe, Guiding Light)
• December 22 - Michelle Thomas, 30, actress (Myra on Family Matters, Justine on The Cosby Show).
• December 28 - Richard Paul, 58, American actor (Carter Country, Match Game)

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