1981 in American television

none March 2016 1981 In 1981, television in the United States saw a number of significant events, including the debuts, finales, and cancellations of television shows; the launch, closure, and rebranding of channels; changes and additions to network affiliations by stations; controversies, business transactions, and carriage disputes; and the deaths of individuals who had made notable contributions to the medium. Events Date EventJanuary 12The television series Dynasty begins a nine-year run on the ABC network. The prime time soap opera, described by New York Times television critic Tom Buckley as "An embarrassingly obvious knockoff of Dallas",Premiere of 'Dynasty', A TV Series on an Oil Family Tom Buckley The New York Times January 12, 1981 stars John Forsythe as Blake Carrington. Dynasty would be the #1 rated television program in the United States during the 1983–84 television season.David Mansour From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century Andrews McMeel Publishing 2005 135January 15Hill Street Blues, described as "one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed television shows in recent television history"Museum of Broadcast Communications, Encyclopedia of Television (2d.Ed) (CRC Press, 2004) pp. 1089–1091 and a program that "set an entirely new standard for television drama"Robert J. Thompson, Television's Second Golden Age: From Hill Street Blues to ER (Syracuse University Press, 1997) p. 30 debuts on NBC at 10:00 pm EST.January 20Former actor and governor Ronald Reagan is sworn in as President of the United States. It is the most watched presidential inauguration in American history.2021-04-20 Biden oath second only to Reagan and Obama with TV viewers https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-new-york-ronald-reagan-television-cebdb622a8d8e93fd01f4820d559c9d3 2023-02-28 AP NEWS enGordon Brian Fact check: Joe Biden's inauguration didn't have the lowest-ever TV ratings https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/01/28/fact-check-joe-bidens-inauguration-viewership-ranks-3rd-since-1981/4302498001/ 2023-02-28 USA TODAY en-USFebruary 6The cast of The Brady Bunch reunites for the television movie The Brady Girls Get Married. Although scheduled to be shown in its original full-length movie format, NBC at the last minute divides it into half-hour segments. NBC shows one part per week for three weeks, and the fourth week debuts a spin-off sitcom, titled The Brady Brides. This proves to be the only time the entire cast worked together on a single project, following the cancellation of the original series. February 14Funky 4 + 1 performs "That's the Joint" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. This makes them the first hip-hop act to perform on primetime (late night) television. Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry hosts (and performs on) this episode, shortly after the release of "Rapture", which later hits the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, thus becoming the first number-one song to feature rap vocals.February 20Comedian Andy Kaufman disrupts sketches and starts a brawl while broadcasting during ABC's sketch series Fridays, an occurrence that was later disclosed to have been entirely staged.LaBrecque Jeff 'Fridays': What really happened the night Andy Kaufman melted down on live TV http://www.ew.com/article/2013/08/05/fridays-dvd-andy-kaufman Entertainment Weekly August 5, 2013 February 5, 2016February 21During an improvised segment at the end of a Saturday Night Live telecast on NBC, hosted by actress Charlene Tilton, Charles Rocket uses the word "fuck". As a result of the ensuing controversy, he is later fired, along with producer Jean Doumanian and most of his fellow cast members, bringing an early end to a season that had been heavily criticized and sunk in the ratings.How Bad Can It Be? Case File #23: Saturday Night Live's aborted 1980-81 season http://www.avclub.com/article/how-bad-can-it-be-case-file-23-isaturday-night-liv-84591 A.V. Club September 5, 2012 February 5, 2016February 27The made-for-television film The Munsters' Revenge is broadcast on NBC. Based on 1964–1966 sitcom The Munsters, the film reunites original cast members Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, and Al Lewis. This was the last production to be made with most of the original actors from the 1960s television series. March 1Miracle on Ice, a hastily made docudrama about the United States men's national ice hockey team's gold medal victory in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York from the year prior, airs on ABC. The film stars Karl Malden as head coach Herb Brooks, Steve Guttenberg as goaltender Jim Craig, and Andrew Stevens as captain Mike Eruzione. This would not be the last time that the event, known as the "Miracle on Ice", would be depicted in a film. Twenty-three years later, Disney would release Miracle, which would star this time Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks.March 4CBS Sports pays $48,000,000 for the rights to broadcast the NCAA men's basketball tournament for three years, outbidding the NBC network, which had built the popularity of the playoffs since 1969. Bryant Gumbel would later comment, "I thought, How weird. We make the tournament a big deal and basically give it away."Seth Davis, When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball (Macmillan, 2009) p244; "N.C.A.A. Title Basketball Sold to CBS for $48 Million", New York Times, March 5, 1981, pD-19March 6After a nineteen-year run, Walter Cronkite resigns as main anchorman of The CBS Evening News, and is succeeded the next Monday by Dan Rather.March 9Dan Rather begins a nearly twenty-four-year tenure as lead anchorman for the CBS Evening News, lasting until he would be pressured to retire on March 9, 2005.James S. O'Rourke, The Business Communication Casebook: A Notre Dame Collection (Cengage Learning, 2007) pp27-33March 17Norman Fell and Audra Lindley make their final appearances as Stanley and Helen Roper on the ABC sitcom Three's Company.March 18Independent television station KGCT-TV signs on the air in Tulsa, Oklahoma.March 17, 1981 Director Rene Clair Dies in His Sleep A-14 Tulsa World https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-director-rene-clair-dies-in/181924044/ January 5, 2026 Newspapers.comThe television show The Greatest American Hero premieres on ABC, starring William Katt as Ralph Hinkley, an ordinary teacher who is given super powers, but not the knowledge of how to control them. Less than two weeks later, after John Hinckley Jr. shot U.S. President Ronald Reagan, the character would be renamed "Ralph Hanley" for episodes already filmed, and then "Mr. H." for the rest of the season. The show's theme song, "Believe It or Not" (sung by Joey Scarbury) later became a hit single, rising to No. 2 on the Billboard Top 40. March 20The sitcom Dennis the Menace begins its first transmission in Ireland, when the series goes on the air on RTÉ Television.March 30An assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC, in which the President and several other people would be wounded, interrupts daytime soap operas on the three major networks (One Life to Live on ABC, As the World Turns (the same soap which was interrupted to announce the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963) on CBS and Another World on NBC) and CNN by 3 pm. Millions of viewers then witness footage of the shooting and the chaos that followed. ABC News is flooded with unconfirmed reports, which pesters the chief anchor Frank Reynolds, one of which falsely states that the President's press secretary James Brady had died in the shooting. This is also reported by Dan Rather at CBS News. Coverage of the assassination attempt continues for hours on the big three networks, and for two days on CNN. As a result, programmes such as General Hospital (then at its height of popularity) and The Edge of Night on ABC, Guiding Light, a daytime rerun of One Day at a Time, and a rerun of primetime series The White Shadow on CBS, and Texas on NBC are preempted for the day, while the Academy Awards would be postponed for a day.NBC broadcasts its final NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, having done so since 1969. The tournament then moves to CBS the following year. Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, and Al McGuire called that game for NBC.April 1Berlinda Tolbert and Michael Jonas Evans makes their final appearances as Lionel and Jenny Willis Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons as series regulars.A videotape is shown on CNN, reportedly made during a January 6, 1981 broadcast of The Dick Maurice Show, showing psychic Tamara Rand's appearance on the talk show seen on KTNV in Las Vegas, and her prediction of a March 30, 1981 event. On the tape, shown again the next day on NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America, Rand is seen telling Maurice that "the last few days of March or early April" would be "a crisis time" for U.S. President Ronald Reagan; that when she had the vision she felt "a thud" in her chest but that she also perceived "gunshots all over the place". Rand then added that "It has to do with somebody young and radical... The only thing I can attach to it is Humbley, and maybe Jack, or something like that.""Psychic 'Saw' President's Narrow Escape", Associated Press report in Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1981, p. I-7 Five days later, after the authenticity of the tape came into dispute, Rand and Maurice admits that the prediction sequence had been taped the day after the March 30 attempted assassination of Reagan by John W. Hinckley, Jr."TV host, psychic admit Reagan hoax", Chicago Tribune, April 6, 1981, p.1-1Museum of Hoaxeshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=ddB7do2jUx8C&dat=19810402&printsec=frontpage Psychic 'shocked' Spokane Daily Chronicle April 2, 1981 1Doubt cast on authenticity of psychic's TV taping Chronicle April 3, 1981 1Columnist admits psychic hoax Milwaukee Journal April 7, 1981 1April 11Van Halen's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli, who appears on the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time.April 12The Alpha Repertory Television Service (also known as ARTS) launches, right after the Nickelodeon time period.April 21"Weird Al" Yankovic makes his first television appearance on NBC's The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder.May 1The season-four finale of Dallas, entitled "Ewing-Gate", airs on CBS.May 5–14The NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets is broadcast on CBS. This is the last NBA Finals to be broadcast on tape-delay, with weeknight games airing after the late local news in most cities except in Boston and Houston. Games 3 and 4 are played back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, to give CBS two live Finals games. Game 3 is the last Finals contest played on a Saturday until Game 5 in 2021. Game 4 tipps off at noon Central (1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific) on Mother's Day for CBS to telecast golf following the game. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at 1 pm Eastern. All in all, the Finals drews a 6.7 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Consequently, this is the lowest-rated NBA Finals in history prior to 2003.May 7Stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, of Massapequa, New York, performs for a national audience for the first time, introduced by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show on NBC. His routine, taped in the evening, airs an hour into that night's show. Seinfeld's national television debut had been in 1980 on three episodes of sitcom Benson.Jerry Oppenheimer, Seinfeld: The Making of an American Icon(HarperCollins, 2002) p181, 189May 15The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island, the third and final made-for-television film that reunited the cast of the 1964–1967 sitcom Gilligan's Island, airs on NBC.June 2On ABC's 20/20, Barbara Walters asks Katharine Hepburn, "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?" June 24The series finale of Charlie's Angels airs on ABC.June 30Fred Silverman is dismissed as president of NBC, after failing to improve that network's third-place rating, and is replaced by Grant Tinker.July 4Showtime ends its part-time status and inaugurates a 24/7 schedule.July 10The final episode of Sanford is broadcast on NBC. A sequel to the original 1972–1977 sitcom Sanford and Son, this officially marks the end of Redd Foxx's run as Fred G. Sanford.July 29A worldwide television audience of over 750 million people watches the Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.Charles, Diana Wed In Splendor — All World Watches Ceremony Pittsburgh Press July 29, 1981 1August 1The MTV network debuts on cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles is the first video broadcast on the network.August 9Following a two-month-long players strike, Major League Baseball resums with the All-Star Game, from Cleveland on NBC. During the strike (which began on June 12 and lasted through July 31),June 27, 1981 BASEBALL STRIKE FORCES TV TO IMPROVISE https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/27/arts/baseball-strike-forces-tv-to-improvise.html The New York Times NBC used its Saturday Game of the Week time-slot to show a 20-minute strike update, followed by a sports anthology series hosted by Bruce JennerLeibovitz Annie Introducing Caitlyn Jenner http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz/ Vanity Fair June 1, 2015 June 1, 2015 called NBC Sports: The Summer Season.July 30, 1994 Networks bracing for baseball strike https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19940730&id=4c0zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fOoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5474,8535691&hl=en Gainesville Sunhttp://www.itsabouttv.com/2014/08/this-week-in-tv-guide-august-1-1981.html This week in TV Guide: August 1, 1981 Hadley Mitchell August 2, 2014 It's About TV!August 14The NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives broadcasts its 4,000th episode.RADIO-TELEVISION: NOTES FROM BROADCAST MARKETS IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD: NEW YORK August 5, 1981 48 Variety https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1981-08-05_304_1/page/48/mode/2up February 24, 2026August 15The Eternal Word Television Network, devoted to spreading the Roman Catholic faith in the United States and founded by Mother Angelica, makes its cable television debut at 6:00 p.m. Central Time, on the date of the Feast of the Assumption. Based in Irondale, Alabama, EWTN would later become the largest religious cable network in the world by 2000, shown on 1,500 systems in 38 nations.Chester Gillis, Roman Catholicism in America (Columbia University Press, 1999) p229; "Nun's Eternal World Network Debuts Tonight on Cable TV", Gainesville (FL) Sun - August 15, 1981, pB-1August 30In Baltimore, Maryland, CBS affiliate WMAR-TV swaps affiliations with NBC affiliate WBAL-TV, marking the first affiliation switch in that city. CBS cites weak ratings for WMAR-TV's newscasts and heavy pre-emptions of network programming for programs of local interest as the reason they chose to switch affiliations. (However, the NBC affiliation would return to WBAL-TV on January 2, 1995, with WMAR-TV switching to ABC, and WJZ-TV, which had been the city's only ABC affiliate at this point, switching to CBS.)September 7During the course of the year, several soap operas produced by Procter & Gamble changes title sequences and theme songs. On this day, new title sequences debuts for Another World on NBC and Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow, both on CBS.The People's Court makes its syndicated television debut on thirty-nine television stations in the United States. Created by producer Ralph Edwards, the show presents real small claims court cases, with the litigants agreeing to dismiss court proceedings and to go before retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Wapner. Of the $800 provided by the producers for each case, the amount not awarded to the plaintiff ($750 maximum) would be divided evenly between both sides. The series' first case sees a landlady receive an award of $614."TV: 'People's Court', 'Reality' in the Morning", New York Times, September 8, 1981; "Law: Oyez! Don't Touch That Dial", TIME Magazine, September 7, 1981September 11The Pee-wee Herman Show, a stage show starring Paul Reubens as his fictional comic character, Pee-wee Herman airs as a special on HBO. Taped at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California, this marks one of the first significant appearances of the Pee-wee Herman character. The nightclub show notably has more adult humor than the later children's television series Pee-wee's Playhouse.September 12The Smurfs begins a nine-season run on NBC Saturday morning television.IMDbSeptember 13The 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards is broadcast on CBS. For the third consecutive year, the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series went to Taxi. The top show on the drama side was Hill Street Blues which, in its first season, tied the record for most major nominations (14) and wins (6) by a non-miniseries. NBC's Shōgun received eight major nominations, but only won one, for Outstanding Limited Series. Also, history was made when Isabel Sanford, star of The Jeffersons, became the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.September 14Entertainment Tonight makes its syndicated debut in various television markets."Two magazine series to debut", Milwaukee Journal, September 13, 1981September 26Elvira's Movie Macabre, hosted by Cassandra Peterson, airs for the first time on KHJ-TV in Los Angeles.September 28WRGB in Schenectady, New York, NBC's first television affiliate, ends its forty-two-year relationship with the network (dating back to its days as experimental station W2XB) and swaps affiliations with CBS affiliate WAST, which changed its call letters to the current WNYT to mark the new affiliation.September 29Spectrum is initiated.October 6Priscilla Barnes makes her first appearance as Terri Alden on the ABC sitcom Three's Company. Alden was brought in as the full-time replacement for Chrissy Snow, following the departure of Suzanne Somers. Barnes would stay on Three's Company through the end of its run in 1984.CBS broadcasts Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, which reunites most of the surviving cast members of the 1962–1971 sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies.October 8Cagney & Lacey is first telecast as a made-for-television movie on CBS, and attracts a Nielsen rating of 42.Robert J. Thompson Robert Thompson (media scholar) Television's second golden age: from Hill Street blues to ER Syracuse University Press 1997 102October 10SIN broadcasts the final of the 4th National OTI-SIN Festival live from the Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel in Miami Beach.October 12CBS Cable is initiated.October 19WPBT's news program Nightly Business Report becomes national, launching on over 125 public television stations.1981-10-19 Going national. 64 Broadcasting Magazine https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/81-OCR/1981-10-19-BC-OCR-Page-0064.pdf 2023-07-20October 29The situation comedy Gimme a Break! begins a six-season run on NBC, as one of the few new hit shows of the 1981–82 season."2 NBC Comedies Have Premieres", New York Times October 29, 1981 TV.comOctober 30John Carpenter's 1978 horror film Halloween makes its broadcast network television premiere on NBC (the same day that its first sequel is released in theaters and the day before star Donald Pleasence guest-hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live). To fill the two-hour time slot, Carpenter filmed 12 minutes of additional material during the production of Halloween II. The newly filmed scenesNBC Commercials/Extra Scenes - Halloween (Oct. 30, 1981) 66hEHiXXo8Y include Dr. Loomis at a hospital board review of Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis talking to a then-6-year-old Michael at Smith's Grove, telling him, "You've fooled them, haven't you, Michael? But not me." Another extra scene featured Dr. Loomis at Smith's Grove examining Michael's abandoned cell after his escape and seeing the word "Sister" scratched into the door. Finally, a scene was added in which Lynda comes over to Laurie's house to borrow a silk blouse before Laurie leaves to babysit, just as Annie telephones asking to borrow the same blouse. The new scene had Laurie's hair hidden by a towel, since Jamie Lee Curtis was by then wearing a much shorter hairstyle than she had worn in 1978.October 31The punk rock band Fear's appearance on Saturday Night Live includes a group of slamdancers, among them John Belushi, Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat (and later Fugazi), Tesco Vee of the Meatmen, Harley Flanagan and John Joseph of the Cro-Mags, and John Brannon of Negative Approach. The show's director originally wanted to prevent the dancers from participating, so Belushi offered to be in the episode if the dancers were allowed to stay. The result is the shortening of Fear's appearance on television. Fear played "I Don't Care About You", "Beef Bologna", and "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones", and started to play "Let's Have a War" when the telecast faded into commercial. The slamdancers left ripe pumpkin remains on the set. Cameras, a piano, and other property were damaged.November 1The NBC soap opera The Doctors broadcasts its 5,000th episode.November 2The CBS soap opera As the World Turns debuts a new opening sequence and theme song for the first time in its twenty-five-year history.November 8ESPN televises its first live flag-to-flag NASCAR race, the Atlanta Journal 500, which was won by Neil Bonnett.November 9The Incredible Hulk is cancelled immediately, despite and executive producer Kenneth Johnson's attempts to convince CBS to buy six additional episodes to fill season five.November 11Joan Collins makes her first appearance as Alexis Carrington Colby on the ABC drama Dynasty. During her stint with the programme, Collins would briefly bring back the popularity of women's wear with padded shoulders.November 16–17Luke and Laura's wedding on the ABC soap opera General Hospital becomes one of the most-watched weddings in American television history, second only to the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.November 30Financial News Network goes on the air.December 6NBC affiliate KARD in West Monroe, Louisiana, and ABC affiliate KTVE in El Dorado, Arkansas swaps affiliations.Network Switch Effective, Monroe News-Star-World, December 6, 1981Interviewed by satellite in Tripoli by the ABC News program This Week With David Brinkley, Libya's President Muammar Gaddafi denies a U.S. State Department report that he had sent a "hit squad" to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Speaking in English, Gaddafi said "We are sure we haven't sent any people to kill Reagan or any other people in the world... if they have evidence, we are ready to see this evidence." He added, "How you are silly people! You are superpower, how you are afraid? Oh, it is silly this administration, and this president.""Khadafy: Libya not trying to kill Reagan", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 7, 1981, p1 Despite rumors that a 5, 10 or 14 member death squad had landed in the U.S. the previous weekend, nothing was ever confirmed and no person was ever arrested or detained.Geoff Simons, Libya: The Struggle for Survival (Palgrave Macmillan, 1993) p328December 11KJAA in Lubbock, Texas, signs on the air as an independent station. It adopted its current call letters KJTV in 1985 and became a charter Fox affiliate the next year.December 14WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida, signs on the air as an independent station.Otto Steve Channel 28 makes its debut today December 14, 1981 4B Tampa Times https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67914231/ January 5, 2026 Newspapers.com February 5, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074331/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67914231/channel-28-makes-its-debut-today/ live It eventually became a Fox station in 1988,Froelich Janis D. Fox switching stations July 19, 1988 7D St. Petersburg Times https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67938086/ January 5, 2026 Newspapers.com February 5, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074410/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67938086/fox-switching-stations/ live and an ABC affiliate via an agreement with Scripps-Howard in 1994.Stevenson Jennifer L. ABC switching channels in bay area June 16, 1994 1A, 17A St. Petersburg Times https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68960825/ January 5, 2026 Newspapers.com February 5, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074413/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68960825/abc-switching-channels-in-bay-area/ liveDecember 18Raleigh's first independent station WLFL-TV goes on the air.Wise Jim Channel 22 Plans First Show Today December 18, 1981 11C The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina) https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121798155/channel-22-plans-first-show-today/ January 6, 2026 Newspapers.com March 28, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230328073247/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121798155/channel-22-plans-first-show-today/ liveNew TV station gets positive feedback December 22, 1981 11 The News & Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121798172/new-tv-station-gets-positive-feedback/ January 6, 2026 Newspapers.com March 28, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230328073253/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121798172/new-tv-station-gets-positive-feedback/ live It became a charter Fox affiliate in 1986,Fox network begins to take shape August 4, 1986 44–45 Broadcasting & Cable https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-08-04.pdf January 6, 2026 March 8, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210308024154/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-08-04.pdf live moving to The WB in 1998,Johnson Adrienne M. Changing channels June 28, 1998 1G, 8G The News and Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92409426/changing-channels/ January 6, 2026 Newspapers.com March 30, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230330192910/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92409426/changing-channels/ live and finally with The CW in 2006.Ranii David WB 22 to get new newscasts May 4, 2006 1D, 3D The News and Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92825049/wb-22-to-get-new-newscasts/ January 6, 2026 Newspapers.com January 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220118205843/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92825049/wb-22-to-get-new-newscasts/ liveTom Brokaw signs off from the NBC morning program The Today Show. Bryant Gumbel would succeed him as anchor some weeks later. Brokaw would go on to anchor NBC Nightly News with Roger Mudd for most of 1982, before becoming sole anchor.December 19KVEO-TV in Brownsville, Texas, signs on the air, returning primary NBC service to the Rio Grande Valley market for the first time since KRGV-TV in Weslaco left the network in 1976 to become a full-time ABC affiliate.December 24HBO begins broadcasting 24 hours a day.December 25Chuck Woolery hosts his last episode of the NBC game show Wheel of Fortune, quitting after a salary dispute with series producer and creator Merv Griffin. The next Monday, December 28, Pat Sajak beings hosting.December 31Cable News Network 2, later called CNN Headline News and now HLN, first appears on American cable television.Michael D. Murray, Encyclopedia of Television News (Greenwood Publishing, 1999) p47 Programs Debuting this year Date Show Network January 12 Dynasty ABC January 15 Hill Street Blues NBC January 16 Harper Valley PTA Nero Wolfe January 31 Walking Tall CBS February 6 The Brady Brides NBC February 12 The Gangster Chronicles March 18 The Greatest American HeroABC April 6 Private Benjamin CBS April 9 Checking In May 16 SCTV Network 90 NBC July 17 Comedy Theater August 7 The Krypton FactorABC August 21 RosieCBS September 10 Best of the West ABC September 12 Goldie Gold and Action Jack The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!NBC The Smurfs Space Stars Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends The Kwicky Koala Show CBS Trollkins Spider-Man Syndication September 14 Entertainment Tonight October 7 Mr. Merlin CBS October 9 Behind the Screen October 10 Laverne & Shirley in the Army ABC October 24 Fitz and Bones NBC October 25 Today's F.B.I. ABC October 26 Battlestars NBC October 28 Love, Sidney October 29 Gimme a Break Lewis & Clark November 1 Code Red ABC November 3 Father Murphy NBC November 4 The Fall Guy ABC November 11 Shannon CBS November 13 Strike Force ABC November 15 This Week November 20 McClain's Law NBC November 24 Simon & Simon CBS November 27 Darkroom ABC November 28 Open All Night December 1 Bret Maverick NBC December 4 Falcon Crest CBS You Can't Do That on Television Nickelodeon Ending this year Date Show DebutMarch 7The Tim Conway Show1980April 10Hollywood Squares (returned in 1983)1966April 16Buck Rogers in the 25th Century1979April 20Soap1977May 23Eight Is EnoughJune 10The Muppet Show1976July 10Sanford1980July 21Flo1980August 19Charlie's Angels1976June 4The Waltons1972August 28Comedy Theater1981August 29Eight is Enough1977September 1CBN Satellite ServiceOctober 23Card Sharks (returned in 1986)1978October 24Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (returned in 1984)1972October 31Super Friends (returned in 1983)1973November 30The Mike Douglas Show1961December 5 Heathcliff1980December 15Peanuts (cancellation not announced by CBS until July 12, 1983; returned in 2023)1969December 17Tomorrow Coast to Coast1973 Changing networks Show Moved from Moved toWalt Disney anthology series NBCCBSSCTVSyndicationNBC Made-for-TV movies and miniseries Title Network Date(s) of airing Dark Night of the Scarecrow CBS October 24 Fallen Angel February 24 Miracle on Ice ABC March 1 Masada April 5–8 The Adventures of Nellie Bly NBC June 11 The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island NBC May 15 The Five of Me CBS May 12 Return of the Beverly Hillbillies CBS October 6 Family Reunion NBC October 11 & 12 Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy ABC October 14 Skokie CBS November 17 Bill December 22 Networks and services Launches Network Type Launch date Notes Source Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network Cable television Unknown Star Satellite television Unknown Take 2 Cable television January 31 Alpha Repertory Television Service Cable television April 12 Spotlight Cable television May 28 MTV Cable television August 1 EWTN Cable television August 15 Catholic religious ASPN Cable television October 1 CBS Cable Cable television October 12 PRISM Sports New England Cable television November 6 Financial News Network Cable television November 30 Conversions and rebrandings Old network name New network name Type Conversion Date Notes SourceCBN Satellite NetworkCBN Cable NetworkCable televisionSeptember 1 Closures There are no closures for Cable and satellite television channels in this year. Television stations Station launches Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref. January 13 Cleveland, Ohio WCLQ-TV 61 Independent Detroit, Michigan WRHT 31 January 26 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas KTWS-TV 27 February 8 Clarksburg, West Virginia WLYJ 46 Religious independent February 15 Jacksonville, Florida WAWS-TV 30 Independent March 6 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KTBO-TV 14 TBN March 18 Tulsa, Oklahoma KGCT-TV 41 Independent April Santa Rosa, California KFTY 50 Currently licensed to Fremont, California April 6 Poughkeepsie/New York City, New York WFTI-TV 51 Now licensed in Jersey City, New Jersey Washington, D.C. WCQR 50 May 5 Lake Charles, Louisiana KLTL-TV 18 PBS Part of Louisiana Public Broadcasting May 8 Albuquerque/Santa Fe, New Mexico KGSW-TV 14 Independent May 9 Greensboro, North Carolina WGGT-TV 33 May 13 Lafayette, Louisiana KLPB-TV 24 PBS Part of Louisiana Public Broadcasting May 29 Princeton/Atlantic City, New Jersey WWAC-TV 44 Independent May 31 San Jose, California (San Francisco/Oakland, California) KSTS 48 June 1 Fayetteville/Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina WKFT 40 June 15 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WWSG-TV 57 July 13 WRBV 65 August 16 Marion, Illinois WDDD-TV 27 August 22 Atlanta, Georgia WVEU 69 September 1 Columbia, South Carolina WCCT-TV 57 September 18 Chicago, Illinois WFBN 66 October 11 Reno, Nevada KAME-TV 21 October 18 Boise, Idaho KTRV 12 November 1 Salinas/Monterey, California KCBA 35 SIN November 15 Arecibo, Puerto Rico WATX-TV 54 Independent November 20 San Jose, California K42DT 42 TBN November 21 KECH 22 Independent December 4 Seaford/Dover, Delaware (Salisbury, Maryland) WDPB 64 PBS Satellite of WHYY-TV/Wilmington, Delaware December 7 North Pole/Fairbanks, Alaska KJNP-TV 4 Religious Independent December 11 Lubbock, Texas KJAA 34Independent December 14 Tampa, Florida WFTS-TV 28 December 18 Raleigh, North Carolina WLFL 22 Independent December 19 Brownsville, Texas (McAllen/Harlingen, Texas) KVEO-TV 23 NBC Network affiliation changes Date City of License/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref. August 30 Baltimore, Maryland WMAR-TV 2 CBS NBC WBAL-TV 11 NBC CBS September 28 Albany, New York WRGB 6 NBC CBS WNYT 13 CBS NBC December 6 El Dorado, Arkansas (Monroe, Louisiana) KTVE 10 ABC NBC West Monroe/Monroe, Louisiana (El Dorado, Arkansas) KLAA 14 NBC ABC Unknown date Cheyenne, Wyoming KGWN-TV 5 ABC CBS Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (Brownsville/Harlingen/McAllen, Texas) XHRIO-TV 2 English independent Spanish independent Scottsbluff, Nebraska KSTF 10 ABC CBS Station closures Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation First air date Notes/Ref. Unknown date Berlin, New Hampshire WEDB-TV 40 PBS April 30, 1969 Part of the New Hampshire Public Television network Births Date Name Notability January 1Eden RiegelActress (All My Children, The Young and the Restless), voice actress (Stitch!, The Lion Guard)January 5Brooklyn SudanoActress (My Wife and Kids)January 8Genevieve CorteseActress (Wildfire)January 13Shad GaspardActor and pro wrestler (d. 2020)Diana PerezAmerican television reporterGinger ZeeTV personalityJanuary 15PitbullSinger and actorHowie DaySingerJanuary 17Ray JSinger and actor (Moesha)January 19Bitsie TullochActress (lonelygirl15, Grimm)January 20Daniel CudmoreActorJanuary 22 Beverley MitchellActress (7th Heaven)January 23Julia JonesActressJanuary 24Carrie CoonActress (The Leftovers, Fargo)January 25Alicia KeysSinger, songwriter and actress (The Voice)Charlie BewleyActorJanuary 26Colin O'DonoghueIrish actor (Once Upon a Time)January 28 Elijah WoodActor (Wilfred, Tron: Uprising, Over the Garden Wall)January 29Tenoch HuertaActorJanuary 31 Justin TimberlakeSinger (NSYNC) and actor (The Mickey Mouse Club, frequent Saturday Night Live host)February 1John GemberlingActorConor KnightonActorFebruary 2Emily RoseActress (Haven)February 3Alisa ReyesActress (All That, The Proud Family)February 5Sara FosterActress (90210)February 6Alison HaislipActress and TV personality (Attack of the Show!, The Morning After, Battleground)February 8Jim ParrackActorFebruary 10Uzo AdubaActress (Orange Is the New Black, Steven Universe)Stephanie BeatrizArgentine-born American actress (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)Holly WilloughbyTelevision presenter who cameoed with Phillip Schofield, in Ted Lasso in Season 2February 11Kelly RowlandSinger (Destiny's Child) and actressFebruary 11Olivia LongottSingerFebruary 17 Joseph Gordon-LevittActor (Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun)Paris Hilton Actress and TV personality (The Simple Life)February 20Majandra DelfinoActress and singer (Roswell)Jocko SimsActorStephanie Wittels WachsActressFebruary 23Josh GadActor (1600 Penn)February 27Josh GrobanActorMarch 1Adam LaVorgnaActor (7th Heaven)March 2Lance CadePro wrestler (d. 2010)Bryce Dallas HowardActress (HitRecord on TV) and daughter of Ron HowardMarch 3P. J. BlackPro wrestlerMarch 6Ellen MuthActress (Dead Like Me)March 7Jason LatimerAmerican illusionistMarch 8Vinita NairAmerican journalistMarch 10Michael PittAmerican actorMarch 11David AndersActor (Alias, Heroes, The Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time, iZombie)LeToya LuckettSinger (Destiny's Child) and actressMarch 14Ryan CartwrightActorMarch 18Chris GeereActorMarch 19Dan LevyActorMarch 21Juju CastanedaActressMarch 22Tiffany DupontActress (Greek)March 23Jenn BrownAmerican sports broadcaster and television hostMarch 24Philip WinchesterActor (Law and Order: SVU)Neil GraystonActorMarch 27Ashley BankActressMarch 28Julia StilesActress (Dexter)March 29Megan HiltyActressMarch 30Katy MixonActress (Eastbound & Down, American Housewife)March 31Ryan BinghamActorApril 2Bethany Joy LenzActress (Guiding Light, One Tree Hill) and singerApril 6Eliza CoupeActress (Scrubs, Happy Endings, Benched)April 7Vanessa OlivarezSingerApril 8Taylor KitschActor (Friday Night Lights)April 11Laura Bell BundyActressApril 12Tulsi GabbardPolitician and Commentator (Fox News)April 13Courtney PeldonActress (Harry and the Hendersons, Boston Public)April 19Hayden ChristensenActorApril 19Catalina Sandino MorenoActressApril 28 Jessica AlbaActress (Dark Angel)Alex RileyPro wrestlerApril 28Catherine ReitmanActressApril 30Kunal NayyarBritish-Indian actor (The Big Bang Theory, Sanjay and Craig)Rose RollinsActressMay 2Robert BuckleyActor (One Tree Hill)May 3Farrah FranklinSinger (Destiny's Child) and actressMay 5 Danielle FishelActress (Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World)Zach McGowanActor (Black Sails, The 100)Soren ThompsonAmerican épée fencerMay 8Stephen AmellCanadian actor (Arrow)May 11JP KarliakActor, voice actor and comedian (The Boss Baby: Back in Business, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz)May 15 Jamie-Lynn SiglerActress (The Sopranos)May 16Joseph MorganEnglish actor (The Vampire Diaries)Athena KarkanisActressMay 17R. J. HeltonSingerMay 22Bryan DanielsonPro wrestlerPullar III Sid 2024-09-26 Bryan Danielson: Bio, News, Videos, Socials & More https://www.si.com/fannation/wrestling/bryan-danielson-profile 2024-11-05 Sports Illustrated en-USMay 23Tim RobinsonActor and comedian (Saturday Night Live)May 29Chris VioletteCanadian actor (Power Rangers S.P.D.)Justin ChonActor (Just Jordan)Anders HolmActorJune 1Amy SchumerActress and comedian (Inside Amy Schumer)Johnny PembertonActor (Pickle and Peanut, Superstore, Son of Zorn)June 2Velvet SkyWrestlerJune 4T.J. MillerActor (Gravity Falls, Silicon Valley)Zhubin ParangWriterJune 6Johnny PacarActor (Flight 29 Down)June 7Larisa OleynikActress (The Secret World of Alex Mack, Winx Club)June 9Natalie PortmanActress (Saturday Night Live host in 2006)June 15Jordi VilasusoActorMarie HarfAmerican political commentatorJune 17Jared CotterSingerJune 18Scooter BraunAmerican media proprietor, record executive, and investorJune 19Robin McLeavyActressJune 20Alisan PorterActressJune 21Christina CeweSingerNicola Correia-DamudeActressJune 22Porsha WilliamsActressJune 24Vanessa RayActress (As the World Turns, Blue Bloods)June 26Adrianna CostaAmerican television personalityJuly 1Kym JacksonActressTeddi Mellencamp ArroyaveAmerican television personalityJuly 4Safaree SamuelsAmerican hype man and reality television actorJuly 5Ryan HansenActor (Veronica Mars)July 8Lance GrossActorJuly 9Michelle CollinsComedian and talk show hostJuly 13Michael MandoActorJuly 15Taylor KinneyActor (Chicago Fire)July 16Michelle MorganCanadian actress (Heartland)July 18Michiel HuismanActorJuly 21Blake LewisSinger (American Idol)Blake Lewis on Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/blake-lewis/256088329 2024-02-20 Apple Music - Web Player en-USChrishell StauseActress (All My Children, Days of Our Lives, Youthful Daze)July 22FandangoPro wrestlerClive StandenActorJuly 24Summer GlauActress (Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Sequestered)July 28Billy Aaron BrownActor (8 Simple Rules)Neil CaseyActorJuly 29Dyana LiuActress (Tower Prep), voice actress (Fanboy & Chum Chum, Pig Goat Banana Cricket)July 30Lisa GoldsteinActress (One Tree Hill)Lisa WilhoitActress (My So-Called Life, Family Guy)July 31Alexander TorrenegraInvestorEric LivelyActorAugust 2Dylan DreyerAmerican television meteorologistAugust 4Amanda CongdonActress and video blogger (Rocketboom)Meghan MarkleActress (Suits)Abigail SpencerActress (All My Children, Burning Love, Rectify)August 5Jesse WilliamsActor (Grey's Anatomy)August 6Leslie Odom Jr.ActorAugust 7Randy WayneActorAugust 8Meagan GoodActress (Cousin Skeeter)August 14Kofi KingstonPro wrestler2019-09-16 WWE Profile - Kofi Kingston https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/17173532/wwe-profile-page-kofi-kingston 2024-11-05 ESPN.com enAugust 15Brooke AndersonTelevision actressAugust 17Kristin AdamsTelevision personalityAugust 19Nate BurlesonHostAugust 21Erin KellyActress (Beyond the Break)August 22Ross MarquandActorAugust 23Jaime Lee KirchnerActressAugust 24Chad Michael MurrayActor (Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Chosen, Agent Carter)August 25 Rachel BilsonActress (The O.C., Hart of Dixie)Andrew ChamblissWriterAugust 27Karla MosleyActressPatrick J. AdamsActorAugust 29 Jay RyanAustralian actor (Beauty & the Beast)August 31Joshua CloseActorSeptember 1Boyd HolbrookActorSeptember 4 BeyoncéSinger (Destiny's Child) and actressSeptember 5Aaron Bay-SchuckAmerican music industry executiveSeptember 7 Athena KarkanisActressSeptember 8 Jonathan Taylor ThomasActor (Home Improvement)September 9Julie GonzaloArgentine-American actress (Veronica Mars, Eli Stone, Dallas)September 10Ben AaronNew York City-based media personalitySeptember 12Hosea ChanchezActor (The Game)Jennifer HudsonSinger (American Idol, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Voice US)September 13EJay DaySingerSeptember 15Ben SchwartzActor (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, DuckTales, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinky Malinky)September 16Alexis BledelActress (Gilmore Girls)September 18Jennifer TisdaleActress and sister of Ashley TisdaleArie Luyendyk Jr.Television personalitySeptember 20Mandy BrunoActress (Guiding Light)September 21Nicole RichieActress and TV personality (The Simple Life)September 22Ashley EcksteinActress (That's So Raven, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sofia the First, Ultimate Spider-Man, Star Wars Rebels)September 24Fernanda UrrejolaActressSeptember 25Lee NorrisActor (Boy Meets World, One Tree Hill, Girl Meets World)Dan MintzVoice actor (Bob's Burgers)Victor BlackwellNews anchorSeptember 26Christina MilianActress (Grandfathered)September 28Melissa Claire EganActress (All My Children, The Young and the Restless)Jerrika HintonActress (Grey's Anatomy)Rebecca JarvisAmerican journalistSeptember 29Kelly McCrearyActress (Grey's Anatomy)October 3Seth GabelActor (Fringe, Salem)October 8Ben LyonsSportcasterOctober 9Zachery Ty BryanActor (Home Improvement)Rupert FriendActorOctober 12Brian J. SmithActor (Stargate Universe)Dan OsterComedic actor (Mad TV)October 15Keyshia ColeSingerOctober 16Brea GrantActress (Heroes)Caterina ScorsoneActress (Missing, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice)October 18Gabrielle DennisActress (The Game, Blue Mountain State, Rosewood)October 22Michael FishmanActor (Roseanne)John BoydActor (24, Bones)October 30Shaun SiposActor (Complete Savages)Fiona DourifActressOctober 31Ivanka TrumpTV personalityNovember 1Matt JonesActor (Breaking Bad, Mom), voice actor (Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Sanjay and Craig, Pig Goat Banana Cricket)LaTavia RobersonSinger (Destiny's Child)November 8 Azura SkyeActress (Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane)November 9Scottie ThompsonActress (NCIS, Trauma)November 10RybackNovember 11Susan Kelechi WatsonActress (Louie, This Is Us)Alex Sim-WiseTV presenterNovember 14Vanessa BayerActress (Saturday Night Live)November 15Daniel CaseyScreenwriterNovember 16Zerlina MaxwellTV hostNovember 18Allison TolmanActress (Fargo)Christina VidalActress (Taina)Nasim PedradActress and comedian (Saturday Night Live, Scream Queens)November 24Krystal BallAmerican political commentatorNovember 25Jenna Bush HagerAmerican news personalityAmy SeimetzAmerican actressNovember 26Natasha BedingfieldSingerNovember 28Erick RowanPro wrestlerNovember 29Kimberly CullumActressJohn MilhiserActor and comedian (Saturday Night Live)November 30Billy LushActorDecember 2 Britney SpearsSinger (The Mickey Mouse Club)December 3Brian BonsallActor (Family Ties, Star Trek: The Next Generation)Liza LapiraActressElliott KalanWriterDecember 11Jason KennedyEntertainment journalistDecember 12Eddie KingstonPro wrestlerDecember 13Chelsea HertfordActress (Major Dad)December 15Michelle DockeryEnglish actress (Downton Abbey, Good Behavior)December 16Krysten RitterActress (Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23, Jessica Jones)December 27Jay EllisActor (The Game, Insecure)Emilie de RavinActress (Roswell, Lost, Once Upon a Time)December 28Sienna MillerActressDecember 31Ricky WhittleEnglish actor (The 100) Deaths Date Name Age Notability January 25Adele Astaire 84ActressApril 26 Jim Davis 71Actor (Jock Ewing on Dallas)June 9 Allen Ludden 63Game show host (Password)July 3Ross Martin61Polish-born actor (Artemus Gordon on The Wild Wild West)August 1 Paddy Chayefsky 58Writer (Marty)September 27 Robert Montgomery 77Actor, host (Robert Montgomery Presents)November 25 Jack Albertson 74Actor (Chico and the Man)November 29Natalie Wood43Actress (The Pride of the Family, The Public Defender) See also 1981 in the United States List of American films of 1981 References External links List of 1981 American television series at IMDb 1981