1992 in television
For the American network television schedule, please see 1992-93 American network television schedule.*
January 10 - The
Days of Our Lives nighttime special
One Stormy Night airs on
NBC.
*
May 11 -
Criminal Behavior a television movie starring
Farrah Fawcett is shown in the US.
*
May 22 - After 30 years, 66 year old
Johnny Carson hosts
The Tonight Show for the last time. By this time,
NBC has announced that Carson's permanent guest host,
Jay Leno, will replace him as host. Later, in
1993,
David Letterman leaves for
CBS.
*
May 27 -
Jay Leno debuts as the host of
The Tonight Show.
*
June 3 - US Presidential Candidate
Bill Clinton appears on
The Arsenio Hall Show. Clinton even plays the saxophone with the live band.
*
June 23 -
Another World airs its first and only primetime episode, called
Summer Desire, right before the
Daytime Emmy Awards.
*
August 8 - In
Latin America,
Sábado Gigante turns 30 years old, with a new show every week. The
Guinness Book of Records recognized it as the longest continuously running television show in history.
*
September 4 - In
Australia, the
Nine Network shows
Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos, a
spin-off from
Australia's Funniest Home Video Show showing sexually explicit situations.
Kerry Packer, who was told by friends the show was on, told the producers to "Get that shit off the air".
Doug Mulray was
dismissed as a a result of this fiasco.
*
October 1-
Cartoon Network launches in the United States.
*
October 3 -
Sinéad O'Connor stirs up controversy when she rips up a picture of
Pope John Paul II on
Saturday Night Live.
*
October 31 - The controversial one-off drama
Ghostwatch is broadcast on BBC1, a 'live' investigation into a haunted North London house.
*
October 2 -
Zee TV, the first
Hindi satellite channel, is launched in
India.
*
November 1 -
UK Gold is launched in the UK, a joint venture between the
BBC and
Thames Television.
*
November 18- NBC's
Seinfeld airs its most infamous episode, "The Contest", in which the four friends agree to abstain from all sexually related activity and see who could go without "it" the longest. It is never said who won the contest, however it is assumed to be a tie between
Jerry Seinfeld's character,
Jerry and
Jason Alexander's character,
George.
*
December 1 -
The Young and the Restless airs its milestone 5000th episode.
*
December 28 - As part of a theme night devoted to (rival) broadcaster
Granada Television,
BBC2 airs the first new edition of
University Challenge in five years, paving the way for a full-scale revival.
*In
Belize, Channel 5 begins the nation's first daily news broadcast.
*
Texas billionaire
Ross Perot buys blocks of U.S. television time for his Presidential campaign.
Growing Pains actress Tracey Gold loses a massive amount of weight due to
anorexia nervosa and is placed in hospital care. As a result, she is written out of most of the final episodes.
Kalimera Ellada on
ANT1 debuts as one of its first
morning show in
Greek language television history.
*
February 27 -
Us Girls premieres on BBC1.
*
March 7 -
Sailor Moon - premieres on
TV Asahi in
Japan (1992-
1997).
*
March 31 -
Dateline NBC premieres on NBC (1992-present).
*
April 6 -
Barney & Friends, a children's educational television show starring a giant purple dinosaur, premieres on
PBS (1992-present).
*
May 11 - The soap opera
Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten debuts on
RTL Television in
Germany (1992-present).
*
May 21 -
The Real World premieres on
PBS and
MTV (1992-present). The show is one of the first popular "
reality television" series.
*
August 15 -
The Larry Sanders Show premieres on
HBO (1992-
1998).
*
August 27 -
Martin premieres on
FOX (1992-
1997).
*
September 22-
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper premieres on
ABC (1992-
1997).
*
September 23 -
Mad About You premieres on NBC (1992-
1999).
*
November 2 -
Prime Time News replaces
The National and
The Journal on
CBC television (1992-
1995).
*
November 12 -
Absolutely Fabulous premieres on
BBC2 (1992-
1996,
2001-
2003).
Goof Troop premieres on
PBS (1992-1993)
December - Spirit of Christmas 1992/1995 ''two episodes jesus vs frosty in
1992 jesus vs santa
1995 later replaced by
South Park in
1997. (1992)
1940s
Meet the Press (
1947-present).
Candid Camera (
1948-present).
Bozo the Clown (
1949-present).
Come Dancing (
UK) (
1949-1995).
1950s
Hallmark Hall of Fame (
1951-present).
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).
1960s
Coronation Street (UK) (
1960-present).
Four Corners (
Australia) (
1961-present).
It's Academic (1961-present).
The Late Late Show (
Ireland) (
1962-present).
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).
The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
60 Minutes (
1968-present).
One Life to Live (1968-present).
Hee Haw (
1969-
1993).
Sesame Street (1969-present).
1970s
All My Children (
1970-present).
Monday Night Football (1970-present).
Masterpiece Theatre (
1971-present).
Soul Train (1971-present).
Emmerdale (UK) (
1972-present).
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).
Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
Arena (UK) (
1975-present).
Good Morning America (1975-present).
Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-
1994).
Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
the fifth estate (
Canada) (1975-present).
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
20/20 (
1978-present).
Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
Knots Landing (
1979-1993).
Antiques Roadshow (UK) (
1979-present).
Nightline (1979-present).
This Old House (1979-present).
1980s
Entertainment Tonight (
1981-present).
What Now (1982-present)
Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
Cheers (
1982-1993).
Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
Loving (
1983-1995).
Jeopardy! (1964-1975,
1984-present).
Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
EastEnders (UK) (
1985-present).
Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983,
1985-1993, 1996-
1997, 2001-2003) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special
Mother Nature's Son).
Sally (1985-2002).
Designing Women (
1986-1993).
Double Dare (1986-1993).
Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
L.A. Law (1986-1994).
Matlock (1986-1995).
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
Beadle's About (UK) (1987-1996).
Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
A Different World (1987-1993).
Full House (1987-1995).
Going Live! (UK) (1987-1993).
Inspector Morse (1987-
2000).
Knightmare (UK) (1987-1994).
Married... with Children (1987-1997).
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).
The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
The American Experience (1988-present).
Fair City (1988-present).
Home and Away (1988-present).
This Morning (1988-present).
Red Dwarf (UK) (1988-1999).
Children's Ward (UK) (
1988-2000).
Electric Circus (1988-2003).
Empty Nest (1988-1995).
Family Feud (
1976-1985,
1988-1995, 1999-present).
Garfield and Friends (1988-1995).
Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
Roseanne (1988-1997).
The Wonder Years (1988-1993).
48 Hours (1988-present).
Baywatch (
1989-2001).
Cops (1989-present).
Family Matters (1989-1998).
Life Goes On (1989-1993).
Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989-1994).
Press Gang (UK) (1989-1993).
Seinfeld (1989-1998).
Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996).
The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994).
The Simpsons (1989-present).
1990s
In Living Color (
1990-1994).
Law & Order (1990-present).
America's Funniest Home Videos (1990-present).
America's Funniest People (1990-1994)
One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000).
Road to Avonlea (Canada) (1990-1996).
The Crystal Maze (UK) (1990-1995).
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984-1988,
1991-1994).
Doug (
1991-1994, 1996-1999).
Blossom (
1991-1995).
Home Improvement (1991-1999).
Rugrats (1991-
2004).
Sisters (1991-1996).
The House of Eliott (UK) (1991-1994).
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (
1992-1997)
The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
The Red Green Show (
Canada) (1991-present).
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-1996).
*
April 25 -
Growing Pains (1985-1992).
*April 25 -
Who's the Boss? (1984-1992).
*
April 30 - After an eight year run the last episode of
The Cosby Show airs. One of the show's time-slot rivals,
Fox's
The Simpsons, pays tribute to it with a brief animated segment (1984-1992).
*
May 9 -
The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
*
May 17 -
The Adventures of Superboy (1988-
1992).
*
May 21 -
MacGyver (1985-1992).
*
May 31 -
Night Court (1984-1992).
*
November 4 -
Acropolis Now (Australia) (1989-1992).
*
November 26 -
Fast Forward (Australia) (1989-1992).
Police 5 (UK) (1962-1992).
T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma and Take Off with T-Bag (There were various
T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
The Big Gig (Australia) (1989-1992).
Hi Honey, I'm Home! from
ABC to
Nick at Nite*
May 12 -
Kat Hanson, future star.
*
June 14 -
Daryl Sabara, actor.
*
January 7 -
Richard Hunt, 40,
Muppet performer.
*
January 26 -
José Ferrer, 83, actor.
*
February 2 -
Bert Parks, 77, longtime host of the
Miss America beauty pageant.
*
February 20 -
Dick York, 63, actor (Darren Stephens #1) on
Bewitched.
*
March 25 -
Nancy Walker, 69, actress (Ida on
Rhoda and Rosie the
Bounty lady).
*
March 26 -
Barbara Frum, 54, legendary Canadian television journalist.
*
April 20 -
Benny Hill, 68, British
comedian.
*
May 12 -
Robert Reed, 59,
actor (Mike Brady) on
The Brady Bunch, of
AIDS.
*
May 17 -
Lawrence Welk, 89, accordionist and bandleader.
*
June 22 -
Chuck Mitchell, 64, actor.
*
July 9 -
Eric Sevareid, 79, news commentator.
*
October 16 -
Shirley Booth, 94, actress who starred as the character
Hazel.
*
October 22 -
Cleavon Little, 53, actor.
*
November 10 -
Chuck Connors, 71, actor on
The Rifleman.
*
November 22 -
Sterling Holloway, 87, actor, voice of
Winnie-the-Pooh.
*
December 18 -
Mark Goodson, 77, prolific producer of game shows such as
Match Game and
The Price is Right.
*
December 24 -
Pierre Culliford, 64, also known as "Peyo"; Belgian creator of
The Smurfs.