1988 in television

See also: 1987 in television, other events of 1988, 1989 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• February 26 - Tom Hardy marries Simone Ravelle on General Hospital. It is a milestone for the genre as it is the first interracial wedding between two characters on American daytime television.
• September 1 - YTV launches in Canada.
• October 4 - Following in Cher's footsteps, actress Shirley MacLaine calls David Letterman an "A**hole", on the air during a taping of Late Night with David Letterman.
• October 27 - The last of Harding Lemay's "comeback" episodes air on Another World. In the final minutes of the episode, Australian actress Carmen Duncan took over the role of the legendary bitch Iris Cory Wheeler, after the role had been vacated for many years by Beverlee McKinsey.
• The song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.
• Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart is the focus of a sex scandal, and later admits to being with prostitutes and steps down from his television ministry.
• The Young and the Restless tops the daytime ratings (deposing longtime winner General Hospital), starting an unbeaten streak of #1 victories that still continue to this day.

Debuts

• September 17 - Garfield and Friends, a Saturday-morning animation series based on the popular comic strip character, debuts on CBS (1988-1995)
• Children's Ward, a popular children's series produced by Granada Television, begins its long run on the ITV network in the UK (1988-2000)
• Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls, premieres on NBC (1988-1995)
• Roseanne premieres (1988-1997)

Popular Television Shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present)
• Candid Camera (1948-present)
• American Bandstand (1952-1989)
• Guiding Light (1952-present)
• The Today Show (1952-present)
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present)
• Face the Nation (1954-present)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003)
• As the World Turns (1956-present)
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present)
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present)
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present)
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present)
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present)
• Dr Who (UK) (1963-1989)
• General Hospital (1963-present)
• Another World (1964-1999)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
• Play School (1966-present)
• 60 Minutes (1968-present)
• One Life to Live (1968-present)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989)
• All My Children (1970-present)
• Monday Night Football (1970-present)
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present)
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present)
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present)
• The Price Is Right (1972-present)
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present)
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present)
• Derrick (1974-1998)
• Fawlty Towers (UK) (1975-present)
• Good Morning America (1975-present)
• Ryan's Hope (1975-1989)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)
• Dallas (1978-1991)
• Knots Landing (1979-1993)
• You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990)
• Dynasty (1981-1989)
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present)
• Falcon Crest (1981-1990)
• Cheers (1982-1993)
• Family Ties (1982-1989)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993)
• Newhart (1982-1990)
• The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992)
• Webster (1983-1989)
• Highway to Heaven (1984-1989)
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
• Kate and Allie (1984-1989)
• Miami Vice (1984-1989)
• Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996)
• Night Court (1984-1992)
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present)
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
• Who's the Boss? (1984-1992)
• 227 (1985-1990)
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present)
• Growing Pains (1985-1992)
• It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989)
• MacGyver (1985-1992)
• Moonlighting (1985-1989)
• Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990)
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present)
• The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
• The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002)
• ALF (1986-1990)
• Amen (1986-1991)
• Designing Women (1986-1993)
• Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990)
• Matlock (1986-1995)
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)
• The Disney Sunday Movie (1986-1988) ends on September 11 to resume as The Magical World of Disney (1988-1990) on October 9
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present)
• Full House (1987-1995)
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
• Married with Children (1987-1997)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present)
• The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990)
• thirtysomething (1987-1991)
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present)

Ending this year

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988)
• The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
• Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988)
• Solid Gold (1980-1988)
• Simon and Simon (1981-1988)
• Cagney & Lacey (1982-1988)
• St. Elsewhere (1982-1988)
• Fraggle Rock (1983-1988)
• Punky Brewster (1984-1988)
• Tales from the Darkside (1984-1988)
• What's Happening Now!! (1985-1988)

Births

• November 15 - Zena Grey, actress

Deaths

• February 1 - Heather O'Rourke, actress, age 12
• March 10 - Andy Gibb, 30, actor/songwriter of the Bee-Gees
• May 8 - Daws Butler, prolific voice actor
• July 31 - Trinidad Silva, actor on Hill Street Blues, in a car accident
• October 31 - John Houseman, actor
• December 12 - Dick Clair, television comedy writer, who asked to be cryogenically frozen
• December 20 - Max Robinson, ABC News correspondent, from AIDS
• December 27 - Jess Oppenheimer, comedy writer credited as having created I Love Lucy