1982 In Television ,
Other Events Of 1983 ,
1984 In Television and the
List Of 'years In Television' .
''For the American network television schedule, please see 1983-84 American Network Television Schedule .''
- February 8 - '' Minipops '' premieres on Channel 4 in the UK . Though a ratings success, it is canceled after the first series due to heavy media criticism.
- February 23 - After months of "will she or won't she?" drama, Deirdre Barlow ( Anne Kirkbride ) makes the choice to break up with Mike Baldwin ( Johnny Briggs ) and reunite with her estranged husband Ken ( William Roache ) on '' Coronation Street ''. The episode was one of the highest-rated in the serial's history.
- February 28 - Over 125 million Americans tune in to watch the final episode of '' M---A---S---H ''.
- March 6 - Country Music Television (CMT) launches in the United States.
- March 7 - The Nashville Network (TNN) (later Spike TV ) begins broadcasting.
- April 18 - The Disney Channel is launched on American cable TV.
- May 6 - A fire at Southfork threatens the lives of the Ewings on the season finale of '' Dallas ''.
- May 11 - Peter Adamson makes his last appearance as Len Fairclough on ''Coronation Street''.
- August 4 - The cast of '' Search For Tomorrow '' is forced to do a live show for the first time since the program moved to videotape in 1968 ; both the regular transmission tape and a backup were lost, something that was disputed by outside sources after the fact.
- August 16 - ITV broadcasts ''Woodentop'' as part of its ''Storyboard'' series. It would later be turned into a series and re-titled '' The Bill ''.
- September 5
- ---The half-hour '' Robert MacNeil Report '' changes its name to the ''MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour'', becoming the first American hour-long network News show.
- --- Tom Brokaw becomes the sole head anchor of the '' NBC Nightly News ''.
- September 27 - '' Return To Eden '' mini-series premiere in Australia on 0-10 Network .
- October 3 - During a live NBC news update, anchor Jessica Savitch appears incoherent; her speech is slurred and she deviates from her copy and ad-libs her report. Miss Savitch, dogged by rumors of drug abuse and instability, still has her contract renewed anyway.
- October 12 - Doris Speed makes her last appearance as Annie Walker on ''Coronation Street''.
- November 20 - An estimated 100 million people watch the controversial made-for- Television movie '' The Day After '', depicting the start of a Nuclear War .
- November 23 - This day's episode of '' Sesame Street '' confronts the sensitive issue of death when Big Bird learns to grasp the concept as it relates to his late friend, Mr. Hooper .
- November 23 - 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of '' Doctor Who '' in the UK.
- David Canary first premieres on '' All My Children ''.
- Pam Long 's scripts first air on '' Guiding Light ''.
- Frank Reynolds of ABC 's '' World News Tonight '' dies, leaving co-anchor Peter Jennings as the newscast's sole head anchor.
- January 3 - A revival of '' Sale Of The Century '' based on the then-current Australian version premieres on NBC (1983- 1989 )
- January 3 - Hit Man premieres for a 13 week trial with host Peter Tomarken who later hosts the CBS game show Press Your Luck
- January 22 - '' Mama's Family '', based on sketches from '' The Carol Burnett Show '', debuts on NBC (1983- 1984 , 1986 - 1990 ).
- January 17 - '' Breakfast Time '', Britain's first breakfast show, launches on BBC1.
- January 23 - '' The A-Team '' debuts on NBC (1983- 1987 ).
- January - '' Fraggle Rock '', a Jim Henson production, debuts on HBO (1983- 1988 ).
- February 1 - TV-am launches, with '' Good Morning Britain ''
- February 5 - '' The Dukes '', an Animated Series based on '' The Dukes Of Hazzard '', debuts on CBS (1983-1984).
- April 30 - Australia's current affairs show '' Four Corners '' airs "The Big League"—a story which contains serious allegations against NSW Premier Neville Wran .
- June 15 - The first episode of ''The Black Adder'', the first in the successful '' Blackadder '' series of sitcoms, debuts on BBC One in the UK .
- June 27 - '' Loving '' premieres on ABC (1983- 1995 ).
- September 16 - '' Webster '' debuts on ABC (1983- 1989 ).
- September 19 - The game show '' Press Your Luck '' premieres on CBS (1983-1986).
- September 19 - '' Wheel Of Fortune '' premieres in syndication (Daytime 1975-1991; Synd. 1983-present).
- September 19 - '' Love Connection premieres with former Wheel Of Fortune and future Scrabble (game Show) host Chuck Woolery and is the 1st video dating game show.
- September - '' Australia, You're Standing In It '' debuts on ABC in Australia (1983-1984).
- October 31 - '' The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour '' (1983-1984) debuts on NBC. Criticism of co-host Jon ("Bowzer") Bauman and its running against '' General Hospital '' eventually doomed the show.
- October - '' Scarecrow And Mrs. King '' premieres (1983-1987).
- '' Tucker's Luck '', a spinoff of '' Grange Hill '', premieres in the UK (1983- 1985 ).
- ''Fame'' moves from NBC to first-run syndication.
- ''Too Close for Comfort'' moves from ABC to first-run syndication.
- March 16 - Arthur Godfrey , television host.
- July 29 - Raymond Massey , star of '' Dr. Kildare ''.
- August 3 - Carolyn Jones , actress, ''Morticia'' in '' The Addams Family ''.
- August 28 - Jan Clayton , actress.
- August 29 - Simon Oakland , actor.
- October 23 - Jessica Savitch , NBC news anchor, age 36.
- November 22 - Michael Conrad , actor, Sgt. Phil Esterhasz on ''Hill Street Blues''.
- November 28 - Christopher George , actor.
- December 28 - William Demarest , actor, Uncle Charlie in '' My Three Sons ''.
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