1961 in television

See also: 1960 in television, other events of 1961, 1962 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1961-62 American network television schedule.

Events

• July 1 - The soap opera The Brighter Day airs its first episode after moving taping locations from New York City to Los Angeles. As a result, key character Babby Dennis and her love interest are mysteriously written out of the show; the actors who played them did not want to move.
• September - NBC begins its long-running Saturday Night at the Movies series with an airing of the 1953 Marilyn Monroe picture How to Marry a Millionaire.
• December 31 - RTÉ starts television broadcasts, bringing television to Ireland for the first time.
• John F. Kennedy holds the first live televised Presidential press conference.
• Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966) is cancelled due to lack of interest from American broadcasters. The series would be revived and revamped in 1964.

Debuts

• January 5 - Mister Ed debuts (1961-1966).
• January - The Avengers premieres in the UK (1961-1969).
• August 19 - Four Corners, Australia's first current affairs program, premieres (1961-present).
• Ben Casey premieres (1961-1966).
• The Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1961-1966).
• The Fulton Sheen Program premieres (1961-1968).
• The Mike Douglas Show premieres (1961-1981).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963).
• The Jack Benny Show (1950-1965).
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• What's My Line (1950-1967).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).
• 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 Brighter Day (1954-1962).
• The Milton Berle Show (1954-1967).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• Zoo Quest (UK) (1954-1964).
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Cheyenne (1955-1962).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956-1968).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956-1962).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• The Price Is Right (1956-1965).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
• The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966).
• Walt Disney Presents (1958-1961) ends on September 17 to resume on September 24 on NBC as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969).
• Bonanza (1959-1973).
• Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963).
• Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1979, 1989-1990).
• The Bell Telephone Hour (1959-1968)
• The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002).
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Danger Man (UK) (1960-1961, 1964-1966)
• My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
• The Flintstones (1960-1966).

Ending this year

• September - Peter Gunn (1958-1961).
• This Is Your Life (US) (1952-1961).
• The Army Game (UK) (1957-1961).

Changes of network affiliation

• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color moves from ABC to NBC to take advantage of the latter network's color broadcasting abilities.

Births

• January 13 - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress.
• April 6 - Gene Eugene Andrusco, actor, lead singer of Adam Again.
• June 9 - Michael J. Fox, actor.
• July 27 - Gabrielle Glaister, actress.