1993 in television

Events

• January 1 – Carlton Television takes over the ITV London Weekday franchise at midnight, replacing Thames Television after 24 years. Additionally, Meridian Broadcasting takes over the South of England franchise from TVS, Westcountry Television takes over the South West England franchise from TSW, and GMTV takes over the breakfast television franchise from TV-am.
• January 1 – The ITC removed the limit on the value of prizes which could be given away on ITV game shows in the UK (set at £6000 per episode since 1981), paving the way for the big money game shows of the late 1990s and 2000s.
• January 31 – Michael Jackson is the only singer to perform at the Super Bowl XXVII, where he performs a medley of hits, including " Jam", and " Billie Jean". Here, his performance began with him popping ouit each four giant screens, and the main stage, where, dressed in a military-styled suit, froze for several minutes, where he took off his glasses, and started to perform, it is considered the best Super Bowl Halftime Show in history.
• February 10 – Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Jackson during a prime time special. It is Jackson's first interview since a 1979 interview with Barbara Walters on 20/20.
• February 24 – Ten days after the infamous interviews with Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson receives the Grammy Legend Award at the 35th Grammy Awards, presented by his little sister, Janet.
• February 26 – The Days of our Lives nighttime special Night Sins airs on NBC.
• March 6 – An IRA bomb scare at BBC Television Centre means the live Saturday night programme Noel's House Party cannot be shown. Instead, after a repeat of the previous years Noel's Christmas Presents, host Noel Edmonds is forced to introduce a Tom and Jerry cartoon in its place, The Zoot Cat.
• March 26 – CBS broadcasts the last new episode of Family Feud with host Ray Combs. The show would go into reruns the following Monday until September 10.
• April 12 – Actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Lenny Kravitz.
• April 29 – An animated version of Barry White appears on an episode of The Simpsons.
• May 5 – Senior As the World Turns cast member Don Hastings hosts a memorial tribute to Douglas Marland, who died suddenly after a botched abdominal surgery procedure. Marland had won the show many Emmy Awards as well as critical acclaim during his eight-year tenure as Head Writer.
• May 14 – Jaimee Foxworth ( Judy) and Telma Hopkins ( Rachel) leaves Family Matters. Telma Hopkins made frequent appearances, while the infamous disappearance from Judy is not resolved, alongside from this, the late Michelle Thomas joins the cast fan-favorite antagonist Myra Monkhouse in the the series' fifth season.
• May 20 – the final episode of Cheers airs and 80 million people watch it.
• May 21 – The fourth season finale of Seinfeld features an hour-long episode with the story arc of the television pilot that Jerry and George wrote coming to fruition.
• September 1 – Sky Multichannels launches in the UK. CMT, Challenge TV, Nickelodeon UK and UK Living launch.
• September 12 - Famed Perry Mason actor Raymond Burr dies after a long fight with Liver cancer at his ranch home in Califorina at the age of 76.
• September 16 – Marc Wilmore, Reggie McFadden, Jay Leggett, Carol Rosenthal and Anne-Marie Johnson join the cast of In Living Color for its final season.
• September 24 – Raven-Symone, Nell Carter and Saundra Quarterman join the cast of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper on ABC.
• October 1 – QVC UK launches in the United Kingdom, becoming the UK's first home shopping channel. The channel had originally launched in the United States in 1986.
• October 15 – Jewelry TV launches in America as American Collectable Network, a home shopping network.
• October 20 – Kirsty Wark debuts as anchor on BBC2's Newsnight.
• October 25 – The Rocky Horror Picture Show makes its TV debut intercut with a performance by a cast on the Fox Network.
• November 8 – The first advert for an undertakers is broadcast on British television, during an early evening episode of Take the High Road on ITV.
• November 15- Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera joins the cast of The New Mickey Mouse Club.
• November 23 – 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of Doctor Who in the UK.
• December 18 – CBS (which had been home to National Football League games for 38 years) lost their rights to the then fledging Fox Network. Fox offered a then-record $1.58 billion to the NFL over four years for the rights to the National Football Conference package, significantly more than the $290 million per year CBS was willing to pay.
• December 23 – BBC 2 broadcasts the Arena special "Radio Night", an ambitious simulcast with BBC Radio 4.

Debuts

Ending this year

Changes of Network Affiliation

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947–present).
• Candid Camera (1948–present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995).

1950s

• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present).
• I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
• Guiding Light (1952–2009).
• 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) (1958–2007).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960–present).
• Family (1976–1980)
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961–present).
• It's Academic (1961–present).
• The Late Late Show ( Ireland) (1962–present).
• General Hospital (1963–present).
• Bewitched (1964–1972)
• Another World (1964–1999).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964–2006).
• The Munsters (1964–1966)
• I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970)
• 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).
• The Brady Bunch (1969–1974)
• 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).
• The Young Doctors (1976–1983)
• The Sullivans (1976–1983)
• 20/20 (1978–present).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978–2008).
• Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979–present).
• Nightline (1979–present).
• This Old House (1979–present).
• (1979–1986)

1980s

• Entertainment Tonight (1981–present).
• What Now (1982–present)
• Timewatch (UK) (1982–present)
• Taggart, UK (1983–present)
• Loving (1983–1995).
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present).
• Santa Barbara (1984–1993)
• Mother and Son (Australia) (1984–1994).
• Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996).
• 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 Fatal Extraction).
• Sally (1985–2002).
• Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986–1994).
• L.A. Law (1986–1994).
• Matlock (1986–1996).
• 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).
• Inspector Morse (1987–2000).
• Knightmare (UK) (1987–1994).
• Married... with Children (1987–1997).
• (1987–1994).
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987–present).
• Unsolved Mysteries (1987–1998, 2001–2002, 2008–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).
• Roseanne (1988–1997).
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999).
• Baywatch (1989–2001).
• (1989–1991)
• Cops (1989–present).
• Family Matters (1989–1998).
• Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989–1994).
• Seinfeld (1989–1998).
• Tales from the Crypt (1989–1996).
• The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–1994).
• The Simpsons (1989–present).

1990s

• Major League Baseball on CBS (April 14, 1990 – October 23, 1993).
• In Living Color (1990–1994).
• Law & Order (1990–present).
• America's Funniest Home Videos (1990–present).
• America's Funniest People (1990–1994)
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
• 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).
• (1991–1993)
• Doug (1991–1994, (1996–1999).
• '' California Dreams, (1992–1996).
• Home Improvement (1991–1999).
• Rugrats (1991–2004).
• Sisters (1991–1996).
• The House of Eliott (UK) (1991–1994).
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991–present).
• The Red Green Show (Canada) (1991–present).
• The X-Files (U.S.) (1993–2002).
• The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991–1996).
• Absolutely Fabulous (UK) (1992–1996, 2001–2003).
• Barney & Friends (1992–present).
• The Busy World of Richard Scarry (1993–1996).
• Shortland Street ( NZ) (1992–present).
• Dateline NBC (1992–present).
• Mad About You (1992–1999).
• Prime Time News (Canada) (1992–1995).
• The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998).
• The Real World (1992–present).
• Us Girls (1992 – April 14, 1993).
• Martin (1992–1997).
• TriBeCa (1993).

Notable made for TV movies and events

• September 12 – seaQuest DSV – a two hour pilot episode starring Roy Scheider and Jonathan Brandis, produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Irvin Kershner. It was hyped as "The Television Event of the Year" and was followed by a television series that lasted for three seasons on NBC.
• December 6 – — a $12 million production of the classic stage musical, starring Bette Midler, airs on CBS.

Births

Deaths

• January 20 – Audrey Hepburn, actress.
• January 27 – André the Giant, wrestler.
• March 6 – Douglas Marland, writer (As the World Turns).
• March 12 – Ed Jurist, comedy writer ( Bewitched)
• March 17 – Helen Hayes, actress.
• March 27 – Kate Reid, actress (Lillian Trotter on Dallas)
• April 1 – Jerry Hausner, actor (Jerry the agent on I Love Lucy and the voice of Waldo in the Mr. Magoo cartoons)
• April 3 – Pinky Lee, comedian.
• June 11 – Ray Sharkey, actor.
• June 30 – George "Spanky" McFarland, actor ( Our Gang comedies).
• July 2 – Fred Gwynne, actor ( The Munsters, Car 54, Where Are You?)
• August 16 – Tom Fuccello, actor (Dave Culver on Dallas)
• September 4 – Hervé Villechaize, actor (Tattoo on Fantasy Island)
• September 12 – Raymond Burr, actor 76 ( Perry Mason)
• October 12 – Leon Ames, actor.
• October 25 – Vincent Price, actor.
• November 21 – Bill Bixby, actor ( The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Incredible Hulk).
• November 28 – Garry Moore, Game show host and TV personality ( I've Got a Secret). (b. 1915)
• December 4 – Frank Zappa, 52, actor/songwriter.
• December 16 – Moses Gunn, actor ( Good Times).