1996 in American television
See also: 1995 in television, other events of 1996, 1997 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
Events
- January 28 - Chris Isaak makes a guest appearance on the television show Friends.
- The O.J. Simpson civil trial begins
- Zenith introduces the first HDTV-compatible front projection TV in the U.S.. Broadcasters, TV & PC manufacturers set industry standards for digital HDTV.
- Over a billion households worldwide now own television sets.
Popular Television Shows
- September 13 - Everybody Loves Raymond premieres (1996-present)
- Beavis and Butthead (1993-1997)
- Cops (1989-present)
- Friends (1994-2003)
- Home Improvement (1991-1999)
- Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
- Jeopardy! (1984-present)
- The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present)
- The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present)
- MTV (1981-present)
- One Foot in the Grave (1990-2000)
- The Real World (1992-present)
- Roseanne (1988-1997)
- Rugrats (1991-present)
- Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
- Seinfeld (1989-1998)
- Sesame Street (1969-present)
- The Simpsons (1989-present)
- The Tonight Show (1954-present)
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)