The year involved some significant events.
Below is a list of Television -related events in 2003 .
''For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States Network Television Schedule .''
- January 19 - The WB hit series Charmed , which debut in 1998 , reaches its 100th episode, which was rare for hour long dramas at that time.
- February 9 - After a long delay, BBC Choice is replaced by BBC Three . The opening night is Simulcast on BBC Two .
- February 9 - February 10 - ITV1 screens the controversial two-part drama '' The Second Coming '', set around the return to Earth of Jesus Christ in modern-day Manchester .
- February 16 - The 300th episode of '' The Simpsons '' airs the same night as the '' Married... With Children '' reunion special airs.
- Late February-March - Talk show host David Letterman is forced to take a few weeks off from his '' Late Show With David Letterman '' due to a bout of Shingles (subsequent Top Ten Lists would occasionally have entries that poked fun at this). A string of celebrities guest host for Letterman while he's away including Bruce Willis , Regis Philbin , Will Ferrell and Elvis Costello .
- February 24 to February 28 - Giant Robot Week airs on Cartoon Network , which includes 2 Heavily Edited Episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion . This is the first attempt to air the series on network TV (it has never been aired on network TV prior to this date) and ultimately fails due to the heavy edits.
- April 22 - On '' All My Children '', Bianca Montgomery ( Eden Riegel ) kisses Lena Kundera ( Olga Sosnovska ); this is the first Lesbian kiss on American daytime television.
- June 28 - The Game Show '' Judgement Day '' premieres on ITV1 , hosted by Brian Conley . It is cancelled after two episodes due to very low ratings, the second quickest cancellation in UK TV history; the first was Heil Honey I'm Home! in 1990, Cancelled After One Episode .
- September 5 - The much vaunted TV3 rival to RTÉ 's '' The Late Late Show '' ( Ireland ), Eamon Dunphy 's '' The Dunphy Show '' premieres and bombs, pulling in less than half the Late Late's viewership. The show is axed after December 12 after only 12 shows.
- '' launch a season-long story arc, the first time a full season of a ''Star Trek'' series has been devoted to one storyline. Three episodes into the new season, as a gesture to win back Trekkers , the series title is changed to the more traditional ''Star Trek: Enterprise''.
- September 24 - Jun Song is crowned the winner of the American version of '' Big Brother 4 '' and wins the $500,000 prize. Runner-Up Allison Irwin wins $50,000.
- September 29 - '' EastEnders '' brings ''Dirty Den'' back from the supposed dead after fourteen years.
- October 4 - A Live Action version of the popular '' Sailor Moon '' franchise premieres on Japan ese television. The show spreads around the world as fans of the Japanese Anime of the same name post whole episodes of the program onto the Internet .
- October 5 - '' Coronation Street '' shows its first Gay kiss.
- October 5 - Psychological Illusionist Derren Brown controversially plays Russian Roulette live on Channel 4 , though with a slight delay allegedly in case the stunt went wrong.
- October 23 - Longtime broadcaster on the BBC and ITN , and latterly news anchor on Sky News , Bob Friend retires.
- November 4 - The NFL Network launches in America.
- November 10 - The 4000th episode of '' Wheel Of Fortune '' since the pairing of host and hostess Pat Sajak and Vanna White airs.
- November 11 - BBC current affairs series '' Panorama '', launched in 1953, becomes the first UK television show to reach its 50th anniversary on air.
- .
- November 23 - 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of '' Doctor Who '' in the UK. In the weeks leading up to this milestone, the BBC announces that a new series of ''Doctor Who'' -- the show last aired as a weekly program in 1989 -- will debut in 2005 .
- January 12 - '' Andy Richter Controls The Universe '' (2002-2003).
- February 23 - '' Oz '' (1997-2003)
- March 21 - '' Farscape '' (1999-2003).
- April - '' Clone High '' (2002-2003).
- April 6 - '' Clocking Off '' (UK) (2000-2003).
- April 13 - '' My Big Fat Greek Life '' (2003).
- April 24 - '' Sabrina, The Teenage Witch '' (1997-2003).
- April 25 - '' Fastlane '' (2002-2003).
- '' (2001-2003).
- April 27 - '' Touched By An Angel '' (1994-2003).
- May 7 - '' Stargate Infinity '' (2002-2003).
- May 20 - '' Buffy The Vampire Slayer '' (1997-2003).
- May 21 - '' The Twilight Zone '' ( 1959 -1964, 1985-1988, ).
- May 28 - '' Dawson's Creek '' (1998-2003).
- May 30 - '' Crossroads '' (UK) ends for the second time. The last episode reveals that the entire 2003 series had been a dream, and that the characters were actually working in a Supermarket (1964-1988, ).
- June 2 - '' Even Stevens '' (2000-2003).
- August 8 - '' This Is Your Life '' (UK) ( 1955 -2003).
- August 10 - '' Futurama '' (1999-2003).
- August 16 - '' Just Shoot Me! '' (1997-2003).
- October 3 - The ABC Soap Opera '' Port Charles '', the spin-off of the popular '' General Hospital '' is cancelled due to low ratings after the show was nominated for its first Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Drama Series". It ended in a cliffhanger with characters Alison ( Erin Hershey Presley ) and Rafe ( Brian Gaskill ) getting married, Livvie ( Kelly Monaco ) and Caleb ( Michael Easton ) slept together and Jamal ( Kiko Ellsworth ) reveals that his girlfriend is a werewolf (1997-2003).
- '' (2000-2003).
- November 4 - '' Brookside '' (UK) (1982-2003).
- November 11 - '' The Angry Beavers '' (1997-2003)
- December 12 - '' Electric Circus '' (Canada) (1988-2003).
- December 19 - '' Fifteen To One '' (1988-2003).
- December 24 - '' Absolutely Fabulous '' (UK) (1992-1996, ).
- December 25 - '' Only Fools And Horses '' (UK) (1981- 1983 , 1985-1993, 1996-1997, ) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special ''Sleepless in Peckham'').
- December 27 - '' SMTV Live '' (UK) (1998-2003).
- January 12 - Maurice Gibb , 53, Actor /songwriter of the Bee Gees .
- January 23 - Nell Carter , 54, actress, singer, of '' Gimme A Break ''.
- February 27 - Fred Rogers , 74, TV's "Mister Rogers" of '' Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''.
- March 22 - Terry Lloyd , 50, news reporter, killed during Iraq War skirmish.
- March 30 - Gaby Rado , 48, news reporter, accidental death while covering Iraq War.
- April 2 - Pat Leavy , ''Hannah Finnegan'' in '' Fair City '' after being taken ill on set.
- September 11 - John Ritter , 54, known mostly as Jack Tripper from '' Three's Company '', but at the time was involved in the sitcom '' 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter '' and the cartoon '' Clifford The Big Red Dog ''.
- October 4 - James Forlong , 44, dismissed Sky News journalist accused of faking Iraq War report, commits suicide.
- October 21 - Fred Berry , 52, actor (Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs on '' What's Happening!! '').
- October 27 - Rod Roddy , 66, announcer on '' Press Your Luck '', '' Soap '', and, most famously, ''The Price Is Right''.
- November 9 - Art Carney , 85, actor.
- Don Taylor , 67, director.
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