1968 in television

Events

March 25 - The 58th and final episode of The Monkees airs on US television.
April 4 - James Brown appears on national television, in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
April 9 - British singer Petula Clark appears on a US television special on NBC with Harry Belafonte as a guest. An innocent, affectionate gesture between the two during a song prompts concern from the show's sponsor (Plymouth Motors) due to the difference in their races, but the scene is aired intact.
May 4 - Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkins catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Beatle Paul McCartney. McCartney would soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records.
October 14 - First live network transmission of video from inside a manned US space capsule in orbit ("Apollo 7") There were six such broadcasts during their eleven-day mission.
December 3 - Elvis Presley's [['68 Comeback Special]] airs on NBC.
Joan Crawford makes a guest appearance on the soap opera The Secret Storm, filling in for her ailing daughter, Christina. However, Joan slurs her lines and is obviously intoxicated during the live broadcast.
Rosemary Prinz, one of the first big soap opera stars, leaves As the World Turns in a less-than-amicable departure.
CBS uses a portable minicam for political convention coverage.
Nearly 200 million households now own television sets, (78 million of which are in the US).

Debuts

January 22 - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In debuts on NBC (1968-1973)
July 15 - One Life to Live (created by Agnes Nixon) premieres on ABC (1968-present)
60 Minutes premieres (1968-present)
Hawaii Five-O premieres (1968-1980)
Here's Lucy premieres (1968-1974)
Julia premieres (1968-1971)
Magpie premieres in the UK (1968-1980)
Mayberry R.F.D. premieres (1968-1971)
The Mod Squad premieres (1968-1973)

Popular Television Shows

Meet the Press (1947-present)
Candid Camera (1948-present)
The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971)
Truth or Consequences (1950-1988)
Love of Life (1951-1980)
Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986)
American Bandstand (1952-1989)
The Guiding Light (1952-present)
The Honeymooners (1952-1970)
The Today Show (1952-present)
Panorama (UK) (1953-present)
The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983)
Face the Nation (1954-present)
The Secret Storm (1954-1974)
The Tonight Show (1954-present)
Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984)
Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976)
Gunsmoke (1955-1975)
The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982)
This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003)
As the World Turns (1956-present)
Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978)
The Edge of Night (1956-1984)
What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present)
The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present)
Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present)
Grandstand (UK) (1958-present)
Bonanza (1959-1973)
Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present)
My Three Sons (1960-1972)
The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981)
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969)
Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)
The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present)
Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978)
Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present)
General Hospital (1963-present)
Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)
The Doctors (1963-1982)
Another World (1964-1999)
Bewitched (1964-1972)
Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003)
Daniel Boone (1964-1970)
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964-1970)
Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
Peyton Place (1964-1969)
The Wednesday Play (UK) (1964-1970)
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present)
Days of Our Lives (1965-present)
Get Smart (1965-1970)
Green Acres (1965-1971)
Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)
The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)
World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985)
Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
Family Affair (1966-1971)
Play School (1966-present)
Star Trek (1966-1969)
That Girl (1966-1971)
The Newlywed Game (1966-1974)
Ironside (1967-1975)
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967-1973)
Mannix (1967-1975)
The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978)
The Flying Nun (1967-1970)
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1969)

Ending this Year

Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968)
The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)
The Fulton Sheen Program (1961-1968)
The Lucy Show (1962-1968)
Lost in Space (1965-1968)
Batman (1966-1968)
The Monkees (1966-1968)

Births

February 8 - Gary Coleman
March 29 - Lucy Lawless
April 24 - Stacy Haiduk
August 9 - Gillian Anderson
September 20 - Phillipa Forester, television presenter

Deaths

October 13 - Bea Benaderet, actress