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The year '1987 in television' involved some significant events.
Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.
''For American TV schedule, see: 1987-88 United States network television schedule.''

Contents

Events

Debuts

Television shows

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Ending this year

Made for television movies

Changes of network affiliation

Births

Deaths

Events

★ January 5 - ''Remington Steele'' returns to NBC after a six-month hiatus during which series star Pierce Brosnan won the film role of James Bond, only to lose it when NBC unexpectedly renewed the series. ''Steele'' adopts a TV-movie length format but only runs for a few installments before being cancelled for good.

★ January 22 - R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a televised press conference. The decision by some broadcasters to air the footage leads to a debate over boundaries in journalism.

★ January–February - PBS broadcasts the critically-acclaimed ''Eyes on the Prize'' series.

★ February 8–February 15 - The miniseries ''Amerika'', showing life ten years after the United States is defeated and occupied by the USSR, is broadcast on ABC.

★ February 15 - The television movie event ''The Facts of Life Down Under'' airs on NBC.

★ April 5 - The Fox TV network makes its prime-time debut, marking the first time since 1955 that four networks filled the US prime-time television landscape.

★ April 19 - Matt Groening's ''The Simpsons'' debuts as a series of short animated segments on ''The Tracey Ullman Show''.

★ May - The sitcom ''Mr. Belvedere'' is canceled after three seasons. Heavy backlash causes ABC executives to rethink the decision and bring the show back. Since the fall programming schedules were already written, ''Mr. Belvedere'' doesn't premiere until late October.

★ May 15 - Pam Ewing's car speeds out of control, crashes into a tanker, and explodes on the season finale of ''Dallas''.

★ June 30–July 31 - U.S. daytime television is interrupted for the Iran-Contra hearings.

★ July 15 - Genie Francis, of ''General Hospital'' fame, starts a new soap role as Diana Colville on ''Days of Our Lives'', which she will play until 1989.

★ September 7 - Sylvester McCoy becomes the seventh actor to play the Doctor in BBC One's long-running ''Doctor Who''.

★ September 11 - Dan Rather of the ''CBS Evening News'' stomps out of the newscast when a televised tennis match runs two minutes over. He is missing for six minutes.

★ November 4–November 18 - ''Damon and Debbie'' becomes the first 'soap bubble'. It was a miniseries which took two characters from ''Brookside'' into new locations and their own story.

★ October 15 - Bob Barker, host of ''The Price Is Right'', stops dyeing his hair brown and appears on-stage for the first time with white hair. He is given a minute-long standing ovation by the audience.

★ November 13 - Sonny and Cher reunite for a performance on ''Late Night with David Letterman''.

★ November 22 - During a showing of the ''Doctor Who'' story "Horror of Fang Rock", Chicago PBS station WTTW-TV Channel 11 is interrupted for 88 seconds by a pirate television transmitter overriding the station's transmission signal to broadcast a video of himself in a Max Headroom mask being spanked. This incident has subsequently gained a degree of cult myth about it.

★ CBS becomes the last American network to cease a chime intonation at the beginning of telecasts; satellite feeds have made the tones obsolete (their job was to signal to the affiliates to start airing the network feed in sync with everyone else).

★ Televangelist Jim Bakker is involved in a sex scandal, which causes him to step down as the host of ''The P.T.L. Club''.

★ ''227'' star Jackée Harry changes her name to "Jackée," which she goes by until 1994.

Debuts

★ January 6 - ''Inspector Morse'' premieres on ITV (1987–2000).

★ February 11 - ''Hey Dad..!'' premieres on the Seven Network (1987–1994).

★ February 28 - ''Hikari Sentai Maskman'' premieres on TV Asahi (1987-1988)

★ March 23 - ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' premieres (1987— ).

★ April 5 -

★
★ ''Married... with Children'' premieres (1987–1997).

★
★ ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' premieres (1987–1990).

★ April 12 - ''21 Jump Street'' premiers (1987-1991).

★ May 1 - ''Matlock'' premieres on ITV (1987–1996).

★ May 4 - the revival of ''Classic Concentration'' premieres on NBC with host Alex Trebek, replacing ''Blockbusters'' (1987-1993)

★ July 5 - ''Watching'' premieres on ITV (1987–1993).

★ July 31 - ''E!'' (then known as ''Movietime'') debuts.

★ September 7 - ''Knightmare'' premieres on ITV (1987–1994).

★ September 11 - ''Duck Tales'' premieres in syndication (1987–1990)

★ September 22 - ''Full House'' premieres (1987–1995).

★ September 24 - ''A Different World'' premieres (1987–1993).

★ September 26 -

★
★ ''ChuckleVision'' premieres on BBC One (1987— ).

★
★ ''Going Live!'' premieres on BBC One (1987–1993).

★ September 28 - '' debuts in first-run syndication. A long-sought-after revival of the 1960s '', ''TNG'' would run for seven successful seasons and would launch one of the most successful series of programs in television history. Four consecutive series would run for the next 18 years, until the final episode of '' on May 13, 2005 (1987–1994).

★ September 29 - ''thirtysomething'' premieres on ABC (1987–1991).

★ December 10 - ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' premieres (1987–1996).

★ ''Beadle's About'' premieres on ITV (1987–1996).

Television shows

1940s

★ ''Meet the Press'' (1947— )

★ ''Candid Camera'' (1948— )

★ ''Come Dancing'' (UK) (1949–1995)

1950s

★ ''Truth or Consequences'' (1950–1988)

★ ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'' (1951— )

★ ''American Bandstand'' (1952–1989)

★ ''Guiding Light'' (1952— )

★ ''The Today Show'' (1952— )

★ ''Panorama'' (UK) (1953— )

★ ''Face the Nation'' (1954— )

★ ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992)

★ ''This Is Your Life'' (UK) (1955–2003)

★ ''As the World Turns'' (1956— )

★ ''What the Papers Say'' (UK) (1956— )

★ ''The Sky at Night'' (UK) (1957— )

★ ''Blue Peter'' (UK) (1958— )

★ ''Grandstand'' (UK) (1958-2007)

1960s

★ ''Coronation Street'' (UK) (1960— )

★ ''Four Corners'' (Australia) (1961— )

★ ''It's Academic'' (1961— )

★ ''The Late Late Show'' (Ireland) (1962-present).

★ ''Doctor Who'' (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005— )

★ ''General Hospital'' (1963— )

★ ''Another World'' (1964–1999)

★ ''Crossroads'' (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003)

★ ''Top of the Pops'' (UK) (1964-2006)

★ ''Days of Our Lives'' (1965— )

★ ''Play School'' (1966— )

★ ''The Money Programme'' (UK) (1966— )

★ ''60 Minutes'' (1968— )

★ ''One Life to Live'' (1968— )

★ ''Hee Haw'' (1969–1993)

★ ''Sesame Street'' (1969— )

★ ''The Benny Hill Show'' (UK) (1969–1989)

1970s

★ ''All My Children'' (1970— )

★ ''Monday Night Football'' (1970— )

★ ''Masterpiece Theatre'' (1971— )

★ ''Soul Train'' (1971— )

★ ''Emmerdale Farm'' (UK) (1972— )

★ ''John Craven's Newsround'' (UK) (1972— )

★ ''The Price Is Right'' (1972— )

★ ''Last of the Summer Wine'' (UK) (1973— )

★ ''The Young and the Restless'' (1973— )

★ ''Derrick'' (1974–1998)

★ ''Wish You Were Here...?'' (UK) (1974— )

★ ''Arena'' (UK) (1975— )

★ ''Good Morning America'' (1975— )

★ ''Jim'll Fix It'' (UK) (1975–1994)

★ ''The Krypton Factor'' (UK) (1977-1995)

★ ''Ryan's Hope'' (1975–1989)

★ ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975— )

★ ''the fifth estate'' (Canada) (1975— )

★ ''Wheel of Fortune'' (1975— )

★ ''20/20'' (1978— )

★ ''Blankety Blank'' (UK) (1979-1990,1997-2002)

★ ''Dallas'' (1978–1991)

★ ''Grange Hill'' (UK) (1978— )

★ ''Knots Landing'' (1979–1993)

★ ''The Facts of Life'' (1979–1988)

★ ''You Can't Do That on Television'' (Canada) (1979–1990)

★ ''Antiques Roadshow'' (UK) (1979— )

★ ''Nightline'' (1979— )

★ ''This Old House'' (1979— )

1980s

★ ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988)

★ ''Solid Gold'' (1980–1988)

★ ''Dynasty'' (1981–1989)

★ ''Entertainment Tonight'' (1981— )

★ ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–1990)

★ ''Simon & Simon'' (1981–1988)

★ ''What Now'' (1982— )

★ ''Timewatch'' (UK) (1982— )

★ ''Cagney & Lacey'' (1982–1988)

★ ''Cheers'' (1982–1993)

★ ''Family Ties'' (1982–1989)

★ ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (1982–1993)

★ ''Newhart'' (1982–1990)

★ ''St. Elsewhere'' (1982–1988)

★ ''The Journal'' (Canada) (1982–1992)

★ ''Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1988)

★ ''Loving'' (1983–1995)

★ ''Webster'' (1983–1989)

★ ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (UK) ('1984–1988', 1991–1994)

★ ''Highway to Heaven'' (1984–1989)

★ ''Jeopardy!'' (1964–1975, '1984— ')

★ ''Kate and Allie'' (1984–1989)

★ ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989)

★ ''Mother and Son'' (Australia) (1984–1994)

★ ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1984–1996)

★ ''Night Court'' (1984–1992)

★ ''Punky Brewster'' (1984–1988)

★ ''Santa Barbara'' (1984–1993)

★ ''Tales from the Darkside'' (1984–1988)

★ ''The Bill'' (UK) (1984— )

★ ''The Cosby Show'' (1984–1992)

★ ''Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1991)

★ ''227'' (1985–1990)

★ ''EastEnders'' (UK) (1985— )

★ ''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— )

★ ''Only Fools and Horses'' (UK) (1981–1983, '1985–1993', 1996–1997, 2001–2003) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special ''The Frog's Legacy'')

★ ''Sally'' (1985–2002)

★ ''T-Bag Bounces Back'' (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)

★ ''The Golden Girls'' (1985–1992)

★ ''The Twilight Zone'' (1959–1964, '1985–1988', 2002)

★ ''What's Happening Now!!'' (1985–1988)

★ ''ALF'' (1986–1990)

★ ''Amen'' (1986–1991)

★ ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993)

★ ''Double Dare'' (1986–1993)

★ ''L.A. Law'' (1986–1994)

★ ''Mama's Family'' (1983–1984, '1986–1990')

★ ''Matlock'' (1986–1995)

★ ''Pee-wee's Playhouse'' (1986–1991)

★ ''Perfect Strangers'' (1986–1993)

★ ''The Disney Sunday Movie'' (1986–1988)

★ ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' (1986— )

★ ''Casualty'' (UK) (1986— )

★ ''Comic Relief'' (UK) (1986— )

★ ''Tales of the Unexpected'' (UK) (1979–1985, '1987–1988')

★ ''Hey Dad..!'' (Australia) (1987–1994)

★ ''Crimewatch'' (1984— )

★ ''Bullseye'' (UK) ('1981–1995', 2005 special, 2006— , 2007 special)

Ending this year

★ February 7 - ''Too Close for Comfort'' (1980–1987)

★ March 3 - ''Silver Spoons'' (1982–1987)

★ March 8 - ''The A-Team'' (1983–1987)

★ March 20 - ''Capitol'' (1982–1987)

★ April 17 - ''Remington Steele'' (1982–1987)

★ May 1 - ''Blockbusters'' (1980-82, '1987')

★ May 12 - ''Gimme a Break!'' (1981–1987)

★ May 18 - ''Fame'' (1982–1987)

★ May 19 - ''Hill Street Blues'' (1981–1987)

★ May 28 - ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' (1983–1987)

★ October - ''The Jetsons'' (1962–1963, 1984–1985, '1987')

★ ''3-2-1'' (UK) (1978–1987)

★ ''Countdown'' (Australia) (1974–1987)

★ ''Whistle Test'' (UK) (1971–1987)

★ ''The P.T.L. Club'' (1976–1987)

★ ''Today's Special'' (Canada) (1981–1987)

★ ''Card Sharks'' (syndication), (1986-1987)

Made for television movies

★ ''Amerika''

★ ''Assault and Matrimony''

★ ''The Facts of Life Down Under''

★ ''

Changes of network affiliation

★ ''Punky Brewster'', formerly an NBC series, resumes after a 1-year production hiatus in first-run syndication.

★ ''Webster'' moves from ABC to first-run syndication.

Births

★ March 9 - Bow Wow, rapper

★ September 28 - Hilary Duff, actress (''Lizzie McGuire'') and singer

Deaths

★ February 22 - David Susskind, 66, commentator and producer

★ February 25 - James Coco, 56, actor

★ March 3 - Danny Kaye, 74, actor and comedian

★ March 21 - Dean Paul Martin, 35, actor on ''Misfits of Science'' and son of Dean Martin

★ March 28 - Patrick Troughton, 67, actor who is best known for playing the Second Doctor on the long-running science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' from 1966 to 1969.

★ April 17 - Dick Shawn, 63, comedian

★ May 4 - Cathryn Damon, 56, actress (Mary on ''Soap'' and Cassie on ''Webster'')

★ May 31 - Roy Winsor, 75, soap opera writer (''Search For Tomorrow'')

★ June 24 - Jackie Gleason, 71, comedian

★ August 6 - Quinn Martin, 65, producer

★ August 11 - Clara Peller, 85, Wendy's spokesperson (''Where's the Beef?'' ad campaign)

★ August 19 - Hayden Rorke, 76, actor (Dr. Bellows on ''I Dream of Jeannie'')

★ September 11 - Lorne Greene, 72, actor (Ben Cartwright on ''Bonanza'')

★ September 22 - Dan Rowan, 65, comedian, co-host of ''Laugh-In''