1989 in television

Events

• Talk show host, Geraldo Rivera's nose is broken during a taping of his show, when a fight erupts on the set between guests.
• Chris Farley, David Spade and Mike Myers join the cast of Saturday Night Live
• Doctor Who ends after 26 years

Debuts

• January 3 - The Arsenio Hall Show premieres on CBS.
• April 18 or 19 - Dragonball Z premieres on Japanese television.
• July 31 - Canadian cable television network CBC Newsworld is launched.
• Cops premieres, which shows footage shot in real life situations with United States police officers (1989-present)
• The Seinfeld Chronicles premieres on NBC. The show would later be retitled Seinfeld and become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. (1989-1998)
• The Simpsons premieres on FOX. The characters had first appeared two years earlier as a segment on the Tracey Ullman Show. (1989-present)

Popular Television Shows in the United States

• ALF (1986-1990)
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
• Cheers (1982-1993)
• Dallas (1978-1991)
• Full House (1987-1995)
• The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
• Jeopardy! (1984-present)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993)
• The Magical World of Disney (1986-1990)
• Married with Children (1987-1997)
• Roseanne (1988-1997)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)

Ending this year

• The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989)
• Dr Who (1963-1989)
• Dynasty (1981-1989)
• Family Ties (1982-1989)
• Kate & Allie (1984-1989)
• Miami Vice (1984-1989)
• Ryan's Hope (1975-1989)
• Webster (1983-1989)

Births

• January 3 - Alex D. Linz, actor

Deaths

• April 26 - Lucille Ball, actress, comedian
• May 20 - Gilda Radner, actress, comedian
• July 3 - Jim Backus, actor
• July 10 - Mel Blanc, voice actor
• October 4 - Graham Chapman, comedian

Referenced By