1972 in television

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The year 1972 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of notable television-related events.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1972–73 United States network television schedule.

Events

• January 3 – Show Boat is aired for the first time on network television, on NBC
• January 21 – The first convention of Star Trek fans is held in New York City's Statler-Hilton hotel
• Mid-February – John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-host an entire week on The Mike Douglas Show
• February 19 – Sammy Davis Jr. makes a guest appearance on All in the Family
• March 18 – After losing a 15-year court battle over the legality of its business relationship with The Herald-Traveler, CBS' Boston, Massachusetts affiliate WHDH-TV Channel 5 signs off the air. At 3 a.m. on March 19, WCVB takes over the Channel 5 frequency, simultaneously switching affiliations to the ABC network following CBS' loss of interest in the channel during the long legal wrangle.
• April 4 – After a three-year courtship, Emily Nugent married Ernest Bishop on Coronation Street.
• May – The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson permanently relocates its production from New York City to the NBC studios in Burbank, California. (The Tonight Show would remain there until relocating back to New York in February 2014)
• July 21 – Victoria Wyndham makes her first appearance as vixen (and later, good girl) Rachel Davis on the soap opera Another World.
• August 1 – Three years after it was first filmed, the Israel Broadcasting Authority finally agrees to screen Barricades, a controversial documentary film that offered a sympathetic portrayal of Palestinians expelled from their homes in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
• August 26 – Effective with this issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome, saving a lot of printer's ink in the process. At the time about half of the TV households in the U.S. had color sets.
• September 4 – The Price Is Right premieres on CBS. As of 2016, it is the longest running game show on American television.
• September 9 – The Lawrence Welk Show opens its 18th season on location in Hawaii.
• October 27 – The 5000th episode of Captain Kangaroo airs.
• November 8 – Home Box Office (HBO) is launched, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
• November 21 – In the second part of a two-part story which began the previous week, Beatrice Arthur's character, Maude Findlay, on the television sitcom Maude, decides to go through with an abortion, in a move that shocked CBS executives and Maude advertisers. (Rue McClanahan made her first appearance as Vivian Cavender in this two-parter; she would become a regular cast member the following season.)
• December 31
  • ORTF 3ème Chaîne launches in France for the first time.
  • The first installment of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve airs on NBC, beginning a yearly tradition of Dick Clark-hosted New Years specials.

Programs/programmes

• 60 Minutes (1968–)
• All in the Family (1971–1979)
• All My Children (1970–2011)
• American Bandstand (1952–1989)
• Another World (1964–1999)
• As the World Turns (1956–2010)
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958–)
• Bonanza (1959–1973)
• Bozo the Clown (1949–)
• Candid Camera (1948–)
• Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
• Columbo (1971–1978)
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949–95)
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960–)
• Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968–1977)
• Days of Our Lives (1965–)
• Devilman (Japan) (1972–1973)
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955–1976)
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–)
• Emmerdale Farm (1972–)
• Face the Nation (1954–)
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961–)
• General Hospital (1963–)
• Grandstand (UK) (1958–2007)
• Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–)
• Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980)
• Hee Haw (1969–1993)
• Here's Lucy (1968–1974)
• Ironside (1967–1975)
• It's Academic (1961–)
• Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–)
• Kashi no Ki Mokku (Adventures of Pinocchio) (Japan) (1972)
• Kimba the White Lion (1966–1967), re-runs
• Laugh-In (1968–1973)
• Leave It To Beaver (1957–1963)
• Lost In Space (1965–1968)
• Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967–73)
• Love of Life (1951–1980)
• Love, American Style (1969–1974)
• Magpie (UK)(1968–1980)
• Mannix (1967–1975)
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976)
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970–77)
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971–)
• McCloud (1970–1977)
• McMillan & Wife (1971–1977)
• Meet the Press (1947–)
• Mission: Impossible (1966–1973)
• Monday Night Football (1970–)
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969–1974)
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971–1987)
• One Life to Live (1968–2012)
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956–78)
• Panorama (UK) (1953–)
• Play for Today (UK) (1970–1984)
• Play School (1966–)
• Rainbow (1972–1992)
• Room 222 (1969–1974)
• Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
• Sesame Street (1969–)
• Soul Train (1971–)
• The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989)
• The Brady Bunch (1969–1974)
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978)
• The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974)
• The Doctors (1963–1982)
• The Doris Day Show (1968–1973)
• The Edge of Night (1956–1984)
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970–1974)
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983)
• The Guiding Light (1952–2009)
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962–)
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982)
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
• The Mod Squad (1968–1973)
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966–)
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971–1974)
• The Newlywed Game (1966–1974)
• The Odd Couple (1970–75)
• The Partridge Family (1970–1974)
• The Secret Storm (1954–1974)
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957–)
• The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971–1974)
• The Today Show (1952–)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–1979)
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003)
• Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982)
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964–2006)
• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956–)
• Where the Heart Is (1969–1973)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965–1985)
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962–1978)

Debuts

• January 4 – Des chiffres et des lettres on ORTF 2ème Chaîne in France (1972–)
• January 13 – Me and the Chimp on CBS (1 season)
• January 14 – Sanford and Son on NBC (1972–1977)
• January 15 – Emergency! on NBC (1972–1977)
• March 13 – Number 96 on Australia's 0–10 Network (1972–1977)
• April 4 – John Craven's Newsround (now titled Newsround) on BBC1
• April 7 – Ultraman Ace on TBS in Japan (1972–73)
• June 21 – The Super (1972–1972) on ABC.
• June 22 – The first Tattslotto draw on HSV-7 Melbourne
• July 8 – Android Kikaider on TV Asahi (formerly NET) (1972–1973)
• September 4 – The New Price Is Right (1972–present), The Joker's Wild (1972–1975, 1977–1986), and Gambit (1972–1976) all on CBS. Any Number, Bonus Game, and Double Prices were the three games played on the first episode of The New Price Is Right, which loses the "New" by mid-1973, and is currently television's longest running game show in history, having started its 43rd season in September 2014.
• September 8 – Are You Being Served? (1972–1985) on BBC1
• September 9
  • Runaround on NBC (1972–1973)
  • Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984) and The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972–1973) both on CBS
• September 11 – Mastermind (1972–97, 2002–) on BBC1; The Rookies (1972–1976) on ABC
• September 12
  • Maude, a spinoff of All in the Family on CBS (1972–1978)
  • Temperatures Rising on ABC (1972–1974)
• September 13 – The Julie Andrews Hour on ABC; although only on for one season, it won seven Emmy Awards including Best Musical Variety Series
• September 14 – The Waltons on CBS (1972–1981)
• September 15 – Ghost Story on NBC (1972–1973)
• September 16
  • The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978) and Bridget Loves Bernie (1972–1973) on CBS
  • The Streets of San Francisco on ABC (1972–1977)
• September 17 – M*A*S*H on CBS (1972–1983), The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972–74) on ITV
• October 3 – 4 Country Reporter on then-CBS affiliate KDFW Channel 4 (now a Fox O&O station); in 1986, the show moves into first-run syndication under the new name Texas Country Reporter, eventually airing nationally on the RFD-TV satellite/cable channel (As of October 2007, the show will mark 35 years on television)
• October 14 – Kung Fu on ABC (1972–75)
• October 16 – Emmerdale Farm starts transmissions in the daytime on ITV (1972–)
• October 19 – Prisoner-of-war drama
  • Colditz on BBC1
  • The Beachcombers (1972–1989) and This Is the Law (1972–1976) both on CBC
  • Canada AM on CTV (1972–)
• November 4 – Great Performances on PBS (1972–)

Ending this year

Date	Show	Debut
March 1	The Courtship of Eddie's Father (US)	1969
March 10	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	1971
March 25	Bewitched (US)	1964
March 31	Bright Promise (US)	1969
	The Return of Ultraman (Japan)	1971
April 27	Me and the Chimp (US)	1972
August 14	Doomwatch (UK)	1970
August 23	The Super (US)	1972
August 24	My Three Sons (US)	1960
November 10	Clangers (UK)	1969
November 29	Kate (UK)	1970

Births

Date	Name	Notability
January 11	Amanda Peet	Actress (Jack & Jill)
January 13	Nicole Eggert	Actress (Charles in Charge)
January 27	Nic Testoni	Actor (Home and Away)
February 7	Robyn Lively	Actress (Savannah, Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street)
February 16	Sarah Clarke	Actress (24, Bosch)
March 6	Shaquille O'Neal	Basketball player, actor (Shaq Vs.)
March 26	Leslie Mann	Actress (Allen Gregory)
April 3	Jennie Garth	Actress (Beverly Hills, 90210)
April 6	Jason Hervey	Actor (The Wonder Years)
April 17	Jennifer Garner	Actress (Alias) and singer
April 19	Jennifer Taylor	Actress (Two and a Half Men)
April 20	Carmen Electra	Actress (Baywatch)
May 1	Julie Benz	Actress (Dexter, No Ordinary Family, Defiance)
May 2	Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock")	Professional wrestler (WWE) and actor
May 20	Busta Rhymes	Rapper, actor (The Boondocks)
June 2	Wayne Brady	Actor (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), host (Let's Make a Deal)
June 15	Poppy Montgomery	Actress (Relativity, Without a Trace, Unforgettable)
June 23	Selma Blair	Actress (Anger Management)
July 23	Marlon Wayans	Actor (The Wayans Bros.)
July 28	Elizabeth Berkley	Actress (Saved by the Bell)
July 29	Wil Wheaton	Actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
August 9	Liz Vassey	Actress (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
August 10	Angie Harmon	American actress (Law & Order)
August 30	Cameron Diaz	Actress (Saturday Night Live)
September 26	Melanie Paxson	Actress (Notes from the Underbelly) and Red Robin spokesperson
September 27	Gwyneth Paltrow	Actress and singer
October 5	Grant Hill	Basketball player
November 1	Toni Collette	Actress (United States of Tara) and singer
November 14	Josh Duhamel	Actor (Las Vegas)
December 19	Alyssa Milano	Actress (Charmed)

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Notability
January 16	Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.	52	Composer, creator of (The Alvin Show)
May 12	Steve Ihnat	37	Actor (Star Trek)
May 13	Dan Blocker	43	Actor (Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza)