- January 1 - The U.S. channel package "PT East", originally created by the New York, New York, company PrimeTime 24, and used by satellite TV viewers where over-the-air TV is unavailable, changes its ABC station from WKRN -TV ( Nashville, Tennessee ) to WABC-TV ( New York, New York ).
- --- DirecTV drops the Trio Channel from its lineup. The network loses two-thirds of its 20 million viewers, putting in doubt the future of the NBC Universal channel.
- January 5 - The 35th anniversary episode of '' All My Children '' airs on ABC . The special episode, which brought back former characters Mark Dalton ( Mark LaMura ) and Nick Davis ( Larry Keith ), was also unique in that it was the last appearance of ailing Actress Ruth Warrick . She died less than two weeks after the episode aired.
- January 8 - CBS airs the first episode of '' The Will '', a reality series. Ratings for the show are so low, it becomes one of only a handful of series in American TV history to be Cancelled After Only One Episode . Later in 2005, FOX also cancels '' Who's Your Daddy '', another realty series, after a single episode.
- ''. Soon after, fan efforts begin in order to save the show, climaxing in a campaign that raises more than $3 million (US) towards funding further production, an offer Paramount ultimately rejects.
- February 6 - '' American Dad! '' Pilot episode aired on FOX .
- February 8 - Teachers' TV , run by the Department For Education And Skills , launched on Sky Digital (channel 686) and Freeview.
- February 19 - '' EastEnders '' celebrates its twentieth anniversary on the air, airing a special episode in which Dirty Den Watts is killed by his new wife Chrissie. 14.34 million watch, the UK's second highest rated programme of 2005 (the first was an episode of '' Coronation Street '' three days later).
- February 23 - UKTV Style Gardens , a channel dedicated to gardening programmes, launched.
- February 26 - Sound TV , known pre-launch as ''The Great British Television Channel'', launched on Sky Digital (588). It closed in the Autumn.
- March 7 - ABC Australia launches its second TV station, available only to digital viewers, ABC2 .
- March 9 - Dan Rather retires as head anchor of the '' CBS Evening News '' and is succeeded by Bob Schieffer in interim basics.
- March 26 - Nine years after its last new episode and sixteen years since its last regular run, '' Doctor Who '' returns to BBC1 for a new season, the twenty-seventh in total since 1963 . Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper star. An average 10.81 million viewers, over 40% of the watching audience, tune in, winning its timeslot and making it No. 3 BBC show and No. 7 across all channels for the week. The episode went on to become the UK's 6th highest rated programme of 2005.
- April 1 - ABC newsanchor Peter Jennings hosts what will turn out to be his final '' World News Tonight '' telecast.
- April 2 - Digital channel BBC Four broadcasts a live re-make of the famous 1953 science-fiction drama '' The Quatermass Experiment ''. The production is the first live drama broadcast by the BBC for over twenty years, and draws BBC Four's second highest audience to date, with an average of 482,000 viewers.
- April 5 - The North American premiere of the new ''Doctor Who'' series occurs on the CBC in Canada , the first channel outside of BBC One in the UK to air the new show.
- April 8 - 12.9 million viewers watched Ken Barlow tie the knot with Deirdre Rachid on '' Coronation Street '', one day before Prince Charles 's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles (8.7 million viewers watched). The scheduling move echoed Ken and Deirdre's first marriage, which occurred two days before Charles's nuptials to Diana, Princess Of Wales , and which also beat the Royal wedding in the television ratings (see 1981 In Television ).
- April 12 - Canadian LGBT channel PrideVision is rebranded as OUTtv .
- April 8 - Live broadcast of the Funeral Of Pope John Paul II .
- May 1 - '' Family Guy '' returns on FOX after three years off the schedule. This return was brought about after the unexpected popularity of the series' cable reruns and DVD releases.
- May 2 - Hunter Tylo returns to '' The Bold And The Beautiful '' (arguably the most-watched television series in the world) after her character, Dr. Taylor Forrester, was "killed off" three years ago. The revelation that she was alive shocked many viewers and publications as it had not been hinted by any other sources, print or online.
- '' series dating back to 1987 .
- June 25 - '' The Girl In The Café '', a comedy-drama by Richard Curtis made as part of the global Make Poverty History campaign, is shown by both BBC One in the United Kingdom and HBO in the United States on the same day.
- June 30 :
- --- LOGO , a TV channel aimed at Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender adults, is launched in the United States.
- --- MTV Canada and MTV2 cease to broadcast in Canada; owner CHUM Limited rebrands them as Razer and PunchMuch .
- July 1 - The PAX network rebrands itself as '' I ''.
- July 17 - After forty-one years broadcasting on BBC One , music show '' Top Of The Pops '' is switched to the less mainstream BBC Two channel due to declining audiences.
- July 27 - '' Neighbours '' celebrates its twentieth anniversary on air with a special episode featuring video messages from a variety of departed characters.
- August 1 - Current TV , a 24-hour youth-oriented news channel owned by the former U.S. vice president Al Gore , is launched.
- August 7 - ABC 's acclaimed newsanchor Peter Jennings dies of Lung Cancer . He is succeeded by Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas on '' World News Tonight ''.
- August 29 and after - Hurricane Katrina strikes the Greater New Orleans area, causing major disruption of the region's television broadcasts. Local television news programs relocate to other cities in order to cover the story, though most are knocked off the air by the storm; some continue to broadcast reports over the Internet .
- September 2 - While presenting on the NBC '' Concert For Hurricane Relief '', music producer and rapper Kanye West strayed from his script and addressed what he perceived as the racism of both the government and of the media, stating: "George Bush doesn't care about black people", and called for the media to stop labelling African-American families as "looters" while white families were depicted as "looking for food".
- September 8 - Faze TV , a British digital channel aimed at gay men, cancels its launch after failing to secure sufficient funding to deliver "sufficient quality." {Link without Title}
- September 18 - The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out at the Shrine Auditorium on CBS .
- September 26 & 27 - '' No Direction Home '', Martin Scorsese 's documentary on Bob Dylan , receives its broadcast premiere on BBC Two in the UK, under the '' Arena '' banner.
- September - ITV celebrates its 50th anniversary with a collection of special programmmes, under the name ''ITV50''.
- October 1 - NBC 's Saturday Night Live begins broadcasting in HDTV .
- October 10 - More4 , a digital channel from Channel 4 offering factual content, launches.
- October 22 - Tina Fey returns from Maternity Leave to resume her duties on Saturday Night Live 's Weekend Update skit.
- October 24 - Sky News moves to new studios, with a new schedule and on-air look.
- October 25 - The relaunched ''Doctor Who'' is the major winner at the annual National Television Awards in the UK, taking the Most Popular Drama award, with its stars Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper winning Most Popular Actor and Most Popular actress.
- October 31 -
- ---The first episode of Deal Or No Deal is aired in the UK , relaunching the career of Noel Edmonds and bringing Channel Four a surprise daytime hit.
- --- Sky Three is launched on British digital terrestrial and satellite platforms. On the same day Sky Mix is rebranded as Sky Two. On the same day, Sky Travel ceases transmission on Freeview .
- November 1 - ITV4 , a digital channel aimed at men, is launched in the UK. It is launched on Sky Digital Channel 120 on November 7 .
- November 7 - November 28 - BBC One broadcasts ShakespeaRe-Told , a series of four adaptations of William Shakespeare 's plays based in 21st century Britain. The plays in order are Much Ado About Nothing , Macbeth , The Taming Of The Shrew , and A Midsummer Night's Dream .
- November 8 - '' Days Of Our Lives '' celebrates its fortieth anniversary on the air.
- November 18 - BBC One broadcasts this years annual Children In Need appeal. It contained several highlights including Catherine Tate in Eastenders , the BBC Newsreaders performing Bohemian Rhapsody , and a brand new Doctor Who adventure. The first to fully star David Tennant as the Doctor, the 7 minute episode directly follows on from The Parting Of The Ways and directly leads on to The Christmas Invasion .
- November 22 - Ted Koppel steps down as host of ABC's " Nightline " after 25 years.
- December 1 - Oprah Winfrey appears on the Late Show With David Letterman , joining host David Letterman for the first time in sixteen years.
- December 7 - December 16 - '' Space Cadets '' is shown on Channel 4 , a Hoax Reality TV show where the contestants believe they are in a Space Shuttle orbiting Earth , when in fact they are in a set in a disused aircraft hangar in Suffolk .
- December 15 - Sir Trevor McDonald makes his final ITN news broadcast after over 25 years. As a tribute, the closing theme tune for the News At Ten Thirty that night is replaced with the News At Ten theme used from 1992 to 1999 , McDonald having presented the show during that time.
- December 16 - NBC Universal Global Networks launches Sci Fi Channel (France) .
- December 23 - ITV News Channel closed. {Link without Title}
- December 25 - BBC One airs the '' Doctor Who '' Christmas Special, " The Christmas Invasion "
- January 3 - '' Medium '' on NBC (2005-present).
- January 4 - '' Committed '' on NBC (2005).
- January 6 - '' Wickedly Perfect '' on CBS (2005).
- January 8 - '' Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide on Nickelodeon (UK).(2005-present)''
- January 13 - '' Tilt '' on ESPN (2005).
- '' a Disney Channel original animated series.
- January 14 - '' Battlestar Galactica '' on SciFi in the US (2005-present).
- January 23 - '' NUMB3RS '' on CBS (2005-present).
- February 14 - '' Kudlow & Company '' on CNBC (2005-present)
- February 19 - ''Mew Mew Power'' ('' Tokyo Mew Mew '' in Japan and the manga version) debuts on 4Kids TV in the US (2005-present).
- '' starts airing on Nickelodeon .
- '' on NBC (2005).
- March 7 - '' Fat Actress '' premieres on Showtime .
- March 14 - '' Mad Money '' on CNBC (2005-present)
- March 24 - '' The Office '' (US version) premieres on NBC (2005-present).
- March 27 - '' Grey's Anatomy '' premieres on ABC (2005-present).
- April 1 - '' The Eyes Of Nye ''
- May 1 - '' American Dad! '' on FOX (2005-present).
- May- '' Kept '', '' Game Show Moments Gone Bananas '', '' BSTV '', and '' Strip Search '' on VH1
- May 30 - '' The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee '', a series from cartoonist/former '' Real Worlder '' Judd Winick , premieres on Cartoon Network (2005-present)
- June - '' Weeds '' on Showtime .
- June 2 - '' Beauty And The Geek '' premieres on The WB .
- June 5 - '' The Comeback '' premieres on HBO .
- June 20 -'' Wildfire '' premieres on ABC Family (2005-present)
- July 8 - '' Camp Lazlo '' starts airing on Cartoon Network (2005-Present)
- July 9 - '' Catscratch '' starts airing on Nickelodeon USA .
- July 20 So You Think You Can Dance premieres on Fox
- August 8 - '' Roobarb And Custard Too '' on Five .
- September 10 '' G.I. Joe Sigma 6 '' starts airing on 4Kids TV
- September 20 - '' Naruto '', (a popular Anime Series from Japan ), makes its North American debut on Cartoon Network 's Toonami block.
- ---'' My Name Is Earl '' premieres on NBC (2005-present).
- September 22 - '' Everybody Hates Chris '' premieres on UPN (2005-present).
- September 24 - '' Afterlife '' premieres on ITV1 in the UK. However, despite being a British series, it had actually had its world premiere some weeks earlier on Australia's ABC network.
- September 27 - '' Commander In Chief '' premieres on ABC (2005-present).
- October 18 - '' Da Vinci's City Hall '', a sequel to '' Da Vinci's Inquest '', premieres on CBC
- October 27 - '' Bleak House '' (UK), a 15-episode adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name designed to capture a Soap Opera -style audience by using Dickens's original Serial structure in half-hour episodes, debuts on BBC One . It ends on December 16 .
- October 31 - The UK version of '' Deal Or No Deal '' premieres on Channel 4 (2005-present).
- November 5 - '' IGPX '', the first Toonami original series, debuts on Cartoon Network (US) .
- November 6 - The Boondocks , based on the popular yet controversal American Comic Strip , debuts on Cartoon Network (US) .
- November 25 - The X's , started airing on Nickelodeon
- December 19 - The U.S. version of '' Deal Or No Deal '' debuts on NBC as a week-long event. It returned for another week on February 27 , 2006 before running a weekly shift that currently runs 3 nights a week.
- January 2 - Cyril Fletcher , 91, British Comedian , star of '' That's Life! ''
- January 23 - Johnny Carson , 79, American comedian, host of '' The Tonight Show '' for 30 years.
- March 10 - Dave Allen , 68, Irish comedian, host of solo shows on BBC1 and ITV .
- March 25 - Paul Henning , 93, producer of '' The Beverly Hillbillies '', '' Petticoat Junction '', and '' Green Acres ''.
- April 5 - Debralee Scott , a former panelist of the 70's version of the Match Game , dies of unknown causes.
- May 26 - Eddie Albert , 99, star of ''Green Acres''.
- June 26 - Richard Whiteley , 61, presenter, host of ''Countdown'' .
- July 11 - Gretchen Franklin , 94, actress.
- '')
- August 7 - Peter Jennings , 67, ABC news anchor
- August 8 - Barbara Bel Geddes , 82, actress ("Miss Ellie") on '' Dallas '', of Lung Cancer
- August 23 - Brock Peters , 78, actor.
- September 2 - Bob Denver , 70, actor ('' Gilligan's Island '', '' The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis '')
- September 25 - Don Adams , 82, actor ('' Get Smart '', '' Tennessee Tuxedo '', and '' Inspector Gadget '')
- October 2 - Nipsey Russell , actor/comedian.
- October 3 - Ronnie Barker , 76, comedian, half of The Two Ronnies
- October 7 - Charles Rocket , 56, actor ('' Saturday Night Live '')
- October 31 - Mary Wimbush , 81, actress ('' Poldark '', '' Jeeves And Wooster '', '' Century Falls '')
- December 16 - John Spencer , 58, actor ('' The West Wing '', '' L.A. Law '')
|
