| List of years in American television: |
|---|
| 2005–06 United States network television schedule |
| 2006–07 United States network television schedule |
| List of American television programs currently in production |
InAmerican television in 2006, notable events include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel initiations.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | NBCUniversal ends the channel programTrio and in its place beginsSleuth, a 24-hour entertainment cable TV channel dedicated to the crime, mystery and suspense genres. |
| The final episode of the originalNFL Primetime airs onESPN, followed by the network's finalSunday Night Football game. | |
| 2 | After several years as part ofThe WB's weekday programming sequence, The WB ends its weekday afternoonKids' WB animation sequence. Kids' WB is relegated to Saturday mornings, and the weekday block is replaced byDaytime WB. |
| 4 | TheRose Bowl Game between theTexas Longhorns andUSC Trojans is broadcast onABC. Now considered by many to not only be the greatest college football national championship game of all time, but the greatest Division 1-A college football game ever played,[1][2][3] this Rose Bowl also has the distinction of being the final game ever called by longtime broadcasterKeith Jackson. It was also the final Rose Bowl to be telecast underABC Sports branding; the2007 Rose Bowl would be anESPN on ABC presentation. |
| 12 | Dari Alexander (anchor of afternoon portions ofFox News Live on weekends) andRick Folbaum (anchor ofFox Report Weekend) are transferred fromFox News Channel to theFox flagship stationWNYW/New York City. They are replaced byJamie Colby andTrace Gallagher, respectively (the latter effective on February 4, when the network introduced the weekend editions ofStudio B). Folbaum, however, would return to the network in 2009. |
| The second live episode of the programWill & Grace is broadcast byNBC on both the East and West coasts of the United States. | |
| 14 | TheNHL on NBC returned for the first time since broadcasting the1994 NHL All-Star Game, featuring a regional tripleheader. It marked NBC's first non-All-Star Game broadcast of the NHL since the1975 Stanley Cup Finals. |
| 24 | CBS Corporation andWarner Bros. announce the initiation ofThe CW Television Network for the 2006–2007 season. This network is, in a sense, a merger ofThe WB andUPN and is designed to replace both of those networks.[4] |
| NFL playerBob Griese donated a total of $114,310 (including the standard $100,000 grand prize) on his appearance inWheel of Fortune to his charity forJudi's House (founded by his sonBrian, also an NFL alumnus).[5][6] The winning puzzle, "Brains and Brawn", would later be reprised on December 16, 2010, where another contestant, Hillary Light, solved the exact same puzzle with a similar result.[7] | |
| 28 | TheDirectors Guild of America name Tony Croll andJ. Rupert Thompson as best reality television directors for the programsThree Wishes andFear Factor, respectively. Best director of a dramatic series isMichael Apted forRome. Television comedy series director isMarc Buckland forMy Name Is Earl. DirectorsJoseph Sargent (Warm Springs) andGeorge C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues) share best television movie awards.General Hospital'sOwen Renfroe is named best daytime television serial director. |
| 29 | World News Tonight co-anchorBob Woodruff andABC News cameramanDoug Vogt are injured. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 | Mad Linx returns to hostRap City after a 4-month absence, while J-Nicks leaves the show to work as a radio DJ. |
| 5 | After 36 years,ABC broadcasts its finalNational Football League game when thePittsburgh Steelers defeat theSeattle Seahawks 21–10 inSuper Bowl XL. NFL football will not be seen on the network for 9 years until January 9, 2016, and again on January 7, 2017. |
| 22 | Fox announces plans for a new network, namedMyNetworkTV. The network was planned to be broadcast byUPN andWB affiliates which are not included in the initiation ofThe CW. |
| 24 | My Gym Partner's a Monkey officially premieres onCartoon Network after its sneak peek aired on December 26, 2005. |
| 28 | The Bold and The Beautiful actorJack Wagner along with contestant Christine Denos won $142,550 inWheel of Fortune, setting a record for its one-episode winnings total in the show, and the second-largest winnings record since Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen in 1996. Both of these records would later be first surpassed on October 14, 2008, when Michelle Lowenstein won $1,026,080. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 8 | Bravo's premiere of one of its most popular shows to date,Top Chef. |
| 16 | SportsNet New York is begun. It is home of theNew York Mets andNew York Jets. |
| 17 | United States premiere of the new series ofDoctor Who onSci-Fi's Friday-night sequence. |
| 20 | Meg Oliver is named the new anchor ofCBS News'Up to the Minute, replacingMelissa McDermott. |
| 26 | The last first-run episodes to date of the long-running TV seriesSoul Train air in syndication. Reruns of the previous season are broadcast until October, when "The Best of Soul Train" reruns from the 1970s and 1980s begin being broadcast instead of new episodes. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | TheKids' Choice Awards ceremony is broadcast byNickelodeon, with hostJack Black and featuringRobin Williams as the unfortunate victim of the network's trademarkslime. |
| 4 | Pepper Dennis starringRebecca Romijn premieres. It has the distinction of being the final show to premiere onThe WB before its transition toThe CW network later that fall.[8] |
| 28 | The33rd Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony is broadcast byABC. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 | The popularDisney Junior (then known asPlayhouse Disney) showMickey Mouse Clubhouse premiered onDisney Channel after the network's premiere ofFinding Nemo. |
| 21 | A pair of finales: OnCBS,Mike Wallace makes his last appearance on60 Minutes, while theWB airs the series finale ofCharmed, "Forever Charmed", ending the series after eight seasons. |
| 24 | OnFox,Taylor Hicks winsAmerican Idolseason five. |
| 25 | A press conference by PresidentGeorge W Bush and Prime MinisterTony Blair, the broadcast aired live simultaneously on C-Span, as well as several local affiliates for FOX, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. The combined ratings for these broadcasts coincidentally made the event one of the most-watched events in every single media market inGeorgia,Alabama,Tennessee,South Carolina,Wyoming,South Dakota,North Dakota,Indiana,Idaho,Wisconsin,New Jersey and the Pennsylvania regions ofNorthwestern Pennsylvania,Greater Pittsburgh,Northeastern Pennsylvania andSouth Central Pennsylvania.[9][10] |
| 31 | Katie Couric's final episode as co-host of theToday Show airs onNBC. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 | Richard Karn hosted his final episode ofFamily Feud and was replaced byJohn O'Hurley. |
| 26 | MSG Network debutedSummerBall, a basketball series dedicated to the well-known summerstreetball leagues in New York City. This was the first program ever broadcast by the network that was strictly dedicated tostreetball in New York City.[citation needed] |
| 28 | After 19 years,Charles Gibson's final episode as co-host ofGood Morning America airs onABC. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 | In anticipation of the launch ofMyNetworkTV in September,Fox affiliate WUFX (nowWLOO) andWB affiliateWDBD swap affiliations, returning Fox to WDBD after a 5-year absence and clearing the way for WUFX's impending switch to MyNetworkTV. |
| 10 | Terrence andRocsi, winners fromBET's "New Faces" talent search, become the new hosts of106 & Park, replacing the temporary hostsBig Tigger andJulissa. |
| 24 | The programAquaman, previously not broadcast, becomes available for download on theiTunes Music Store. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 14 | Rap City host Mad Linx quits the show and is replaced byQ45. |
| 21 | Stargate SG-1 is canceled officially bySci Fi Channel after the premiere broadcast of the show's 200th episode after just five low-rated episodes. The tenth, and possibly final, season makes the show the longest broadcast science fiction series in American television history. |
| Fox gains two new affiliates: In theDelmarva Peninsula,Salisbury-basedCBS affiliateWBOC-TV'sDT2 subchannel switches from lame-duckUPN to Fox, giving the Delmarva Peninsula its first-ever Fox affiliate. Meanwhile, inJackson, Tennessee,UPN affiliateWJKT reunites with Fox after 11 years with UPN.[11] | |
| 25 | The Cheetah Girls 2, a sequel toThe Cheetah Girls premieres on theDisney Channel and becomes the highest-rated Disney Channel original movie at that time, with ratings more than 8.1 million, exceeding that ofHigh School Musical. |
| 27 | TheNBC comedyThe Office winsOutstanding Comedy Series and theFox drama24 also wins forOutstanding Drama Series at the58th Primetime Emmy Awards onNBC. |
| 28 | InFort Smith, Arkansas,NBC affiliateKFTA-TV becomes aFox affiliate, despite protests from Fox's outgoing affiliateKPBI-CA (which eventually joinsMyNetworkTV).Nexstar Broadcasting Company, KFTA-TV's owners, also announces they are selling KFTA-TV toMission Broadcasting (a company whose stations are operated by Nexstar), but that too is challenged by KPBI-CA. KFTA-TV's satellite inRogers,KNWA-TV, remains with Nexstar and continues as the market's sole NBC affiliate. |
| 31 | Nine UPN affiliates, all of them owned by Fox, disaffiliate from UPN in preparation for the launch of MyNetworkTV. |
| After 1 year of the row,Bob Schieffer's final episode as an anchor ofCBS Evening News. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | InLima, Ohio, lame-duckUPN affiliateWLQP-LP leaves the network to joinABC, giving the area its first full-time ABC affiliate. This in turn gives Lima in-market of all four major commercial broadcast networks. |
| 2 | ESPN takes over production ofABC Sports broadcasts, rebranding them asESPN on ABC. Both networks are owned byThe Walt Disney Company. |
| 4 | UPN affiliateWSWG inValdosta, Georgia, having planned to be aMyNetworkTV affiliate withCBS on DT2, does an about-face and becomes a semi-satellite of sister station andThomasville-based CBS affiliateWCTV, moving MyNetworkTV (when it debuts the following night) to DT2. This gives theAlbany market its first full-time CBS affiliate. |
| MTV en Español is relaunched asMTV Tres. | |
| 5 | The debut of the newNews Corp-owned broadcast networkMyNetworkTV occurs on this date with the premiere of two prime-time telenovelas,Desire andFashion House. |
| OnCBS,Katie Couric becomes the first female sole anchor of theCBS Evening News, replacing the temporary anchorBob Schieffer. | |
| 6 | The longest-broadcast television drama program,Guiding Light, broadcasts its 15,000th televised episode onCBS. |
| 7 | NBC broadcast its firstNFL regular season or playoff game sinceSuper Bowl XXXII in1997, taking over the rights to theNFL Kickoff Game. Three days later, it broadcast its first regular seasonSunday Night Football game. |
| 9 | Qubo debuts as a Saturday morning block on NBC as well as a Spanish-dubbed version onTelemundo and a Friday afternoon programming block oni: Independent Television. The block is broadcast on Saturdays and a Spanish block on Saturdays and Sundays onNBC andTelemundo. The block replaced two former weekend morning blocks on NBC and Telemundo -Discovery Kids on NBC andTelemundo Kids. |
| KOHD inBend, Oregon signs on the air, giving the Bend market its first full-timeABC affiliate. | |
| 11 | Wheel of Fortune andJeopardy! become the first game shows to be broadcast in High Definition. |
| John O'Hurley replacesRichard Karn as the host ofFamily Feud. | |
| 12 | OnCBS, Mike Malin is named the winner ofBig Brother: All-Stars and wins the $500,000 prize. Runner-Up Erika Landin wins $50,000. |
| Fox officially shuts downFoxnet, a cable service for television markets that did not have a local Fox affiliate. This prompts stations in the few markets that still carry Foxnet to launch Fox-affiliated subchannels:CBS affiliateWAGM-TV inPresque Isle, Maine moves its affiliation toDT2 on this day and joins Fox. Meanwhile, inBowling Green, Kentucky, ABC affiliateWBKO-TV launches a Fox-affiliated DT2 subchannel at around the same time, returning Fox to Bowling Green for the first time since Fox left now-NBC affiliateWNKY in 2001 in a dispute.[12][13] | |
| 13 | Meredith Vieira begins co-hosting duties of theNBC programToday, replacing Katie Couric. |
| Two newFox affiliates hit the air due to the shutdown ofFoxnet. In theBeckley-Bluefield-Oak Hill area,Lewisburg-basedCBS affiliateWVNS-TV adds a Fox affiliation on itsDT2 subchannel, returning Fox to the market for the first time since WVNS-TV itself dropped the network in 2001 to join CBS (and giving the area in-market affiliates of all four major commercial broadcast networks). Meanwhile, in theMississippi Delta,Greenville-basedABC affiliateWABG-TV also launches a Fox affiliation on itsDT2 subchannel. | |
| 16 | Following the Viacom/CBS split, theNick Jr. on CBS block is replaced byKOL Secret Slumber Party, a female-oriented Saturday morning block produced byDiC Entertainment. Rebrandings took place a year later when it became KEWLopolis, and with the merge toCookie Jar Entertainment in the fall of 2009,Cookie Jar TV. |
| 18 | The CW network debuts as the sixth broadcast network, merging with UPN (owned byCBS which split in the original Viacom, three days after UPN ceased operations) and The WB (owned byWarner Bros., a day after The WB ceased operations). |
| Vickyann Sadowski wins $147,517 worth of cash and prizes for her performance on the season 35 premiere ofThe Price Is Right onCBS. This not only made Sadowski (at the time) the biggest winner of the daytime show's history, it also surpassedPress Your Luck contestantMichael Larson, making her then-thebiggest one day winner in the history of American network daytime game shows in general (Sadowski's record has since surpassed by five other contestants as of 2019, with the first being Sheree Heil on December 30, 2013, who won $170,345;[14] the current record holder was Michael Stouber on October 14, 2019, who won $262,743[15]). | |
| 20 | Top Gear presenterRichard Hammond is seriously injured after crashing a jet-powered car at 280 mph. |
| 25 | Fox & Friends co-anchorE.D. Hill quits the show and is replaced byGretchen Carlson. |
| Outdoor Life Network is relaunched as Versus. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 | Barney & Friends broadcasts its 200th episode. |
| 19 | NBC Universal announces a major restructuring is in order to save US$750 million after several years of decreasing ratings. Among the changes is the announcement thatNBC will no longer broadcast scripted dramas or comedies during the first hour of prime time, emphasizing instead less-expensive reality and game shows during those hours. Itsnews division is also trimmed. The announcement is made despite the early success of several new NBC series such asHeroes.[16] |
| 26 | Wheel of Fortune introduced a new gameplay element calledWild Card which allows contestants to play an extra letter on the same cash value it landed on (the card was not used until November 20 episode), or providing an extra, fourth consonant in the Bonus Round (this was first used on November 15 episode). |
| 27 | Game 5 of theWorld Series is broadcast onFox. TheSt. Louis Cardinals defeat theDetroit Tigers, winning their first title since1982. |
| 31 | Bob Barker announces that he will be retiring from his hosting duties forThe Price Is Right after 35 years in June 2007. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 | Nickelodeon broadcasts a 24-hour marathon ofSpongeBob SquarePants starting at 8:00 PM leading tothe new episode the following day. The marathon increased Nickelodeon's ratings to an average of more than 6.7 million viewers and became the network's highest-rated day ever.[17] |
| 16 | OnABC'sGeneral Hospital,Luke and Laura Spencer remarry to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first nuptials, which was the highest-rated hour in U.S.daytime television history. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 | The2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is broadcast onCBS. 6.8 million people tune in.[18][19][20][21] |
| Show | Previous network | Last aired | New network | Returning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time of Your Life | Fox | 2000 | TBS | March 4 |
| Celebrity Deathmatch | MTV | 2002 | MTV2 | June 10 |
| Jakers! Adventures of Piggley Winks | PBS | 2005 | Same | September 18 |
The following shows will air new episodes on a different network than previous first-run episodes.
| Date | Show | Channel | Debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | What Should You Do? | Lifetime | 2003 | Cancelled |
| January 6 | Boohbah | PBS Kids | ||
| January 15 | NBA Inside Stuff (returned in 2013) | ABC | 1990 | |
| January 19 | The Crocodile Hunter Diaries | Animal Planet | 2002 | |
| January 20 | The Book of Daniel | NBC | 2006 | |
| January 21 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | 2005 | ||
| January 25 | Party/Party | Bravo | 2005 | |
| January 28 | Strange Days at Blake Holsey High | Discovery Kids | 2002 | |
| February 1 | E-Ring | NBC | 2005 | |
| February 5 | Strong Medicine | Lifetime | 2000 | |
| February 6 | Surface | NBC | 2005 | |
| February 7 | Meet the Barkers | MTV | ||
| Crumbs | ABC | 2006 | ||
| Love Monkey | CBS | |||
| February 10 | Arrested Development (returned in 2013) | Fox | 2003 | |
| February 15 | Yes, Dear | CBS | 2000 | |
| February 21 | Auto-B-Good | Syndication | 2005 | |
| February 22 | South Beach | UPN | 2006 | |
| Clifford's Puppy Days | PBS Kids | 2003 | ||
| February 24 | Wildboyz | MTV2 | ||
| February 27 | Monster House | Discovery Channel | ||
| March 7 | Twins | The WB | 2005 | |
| March 8 | Still Standing | CBS | 2002 | |
| March 16 | Four Kings | NBC | 2006 | |
| March 18 | Darcy's Wild Life | Discovery Kids | 2004 | |
| March 19 | Number 1 Single | E! | 2006 | |
| March 20 | Related | The WB | 2005 | |
| March 24 | Living with Fran | |||
| The FBI Files | Discovery Channel | 1998 | ||
| What I Like About You | The WB | 2002 | ||
| March 25 | Soul Train | Syndication | 1971 | |
| March 29 | Courting Alex | CBS | 2006 | |
| March 31 | In Justice | ABC | ||
| April 9 | Free Ride | Fox | 2006 | |
| April 12 | Freddie | ABC | 2005 | |
| April 14 | The Bernie Mac Show | Fox | 2001 | |
| April 19 | Heist | NBC | 2006 | |
| April 24 | Beautiful People | ABC Family | 2005 | |
| Get Ed | ||||
| O'Grady | The N | 2004 | ||
| April 28 | Bear in the Big Blue House | Playhouse Disney | 1997 | |
| Modern Men | The WB | 2006 | ||
| May 2 | Teachers | NBC | ||
| Thief | FX | |||
| Hope & Faith | ABC | 2003 | ||
| May 9 | 8th & Ocean | MTV | 2006 | |
| May 10 | The Bedford Diaries | The WB | ||
| May 11 | Eve | UPN | 2003 | |
| Love Inc. | 2005 | |||
| May 13 | Justice League Unlimited | Kids' WB | 2004 | |
| Xiaolin Showdown | 2003 | |||
| May 14 | The Surreal Life (returned in 2012) | VH1 | ||
| The West Wing (returned in 2020) | NBC | 1999 | ||
| Malcolm in the Middle (returning in 2026 asMalcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair) | Fox | 2000 | Ended | |
| So NoTORIous | VH1 | 2006 | Cancelled | |
| May 15 | Half & Half | UPN | 2002 | |
| One on One | 2001 | |||
| May 18 | That '70s Show (returned in 2023 asThat '90s Show) | Fox | 1998 | Ended |
| Will & Grace (returned in 2017) | NBC | |||
| May 19 | Conviction | 2006 | Cancelled | |
| Wonder Showzen | MTV2 | 2005 | ||
| May 21 | Charmed | The WB | 1998 | Ended |
| May 22 | Alias | ABC | 2001 | Cancelled |
| May 24 | ElimiDate | Syndication | ||
| Starting Over | 2003 | |||
| May 26 | The Tony Danza Show | 2004 | ||
| May 27 | The Buzz on Maggie | Disney Channel | 2005 | |
| Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island | Kids' WB | |||
| June 5 | Everwood | The WB | 2002 | |
| June 6 | Less than Perfect | ABC | 2002 | |
| Rodney | 2004 | |||
| June 11 | WWE Velocity | Webcast on WWE.com | 2002 | |
| June 12 | Monster Garage | Discovery Channel | ||
| June 14 | Commander in Chief | ABC | 2005 | |
| June 17 | Weekends with Maury and Connie | MSNBC | 2006 | |
| June 25 | Huff | Showtime | 2004 | |
| June 27 | Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi | Cartoon Network | ||
| June 30 | Family Business | Showtime | 2003 | |
| July 1 | The Evidence | ABC | 2006 | |
| July 4 | Call to Greatness | MTV | ||
| Pepper Dennis | The WB | |||
| Great Hotels | Travel Channel | 2001 | ||
| July 5 | Celebrity Poker Showdown | Bravo | 2003 | |
| July 6 | BET Style | BET | 2004 | |
| July 7 | BET.com Countdown | 2001 | ||
| July 11 | The Save-Ums! | Discovery Kids | 2003 | |
| July 14 | I Love the '70s: Volume 2 | VH1 | 2006 | |
| July 15 | Time Warp Trio | Discovery Kids | 2005 | |
| July 21 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Cartoon Network | 2002 | |
| July 23 | Chappelle's Show | Comedy Central | 2003 | |
| Romeo! | Nickelodeon | |||
| July 24 | Minoriteam | Adult Swim | 2005 | |
| July 26 | Blue Collar TV | The WB | 2004 | |
| July 29 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Disney Channel | 2003 | |
| The Adventures of Chico and Guapo | MTV2 | 2006 | ||
| Where My Dogs At? | ||||
| August 5 | While You Were Out (returned in 2019) | TLC | 2002 | |
| August 6 | Blue's Clues (returned in 2019) | Nickelodeon | 1996 | Ended |
| August 13 | Just for Kicks | 2006 | Cancelled | |
| August 19 | Phil of the Future | Disney Channel | 2004 | |
| Invader Zim | Nickelodeon | 2001 | ||
| August 21 | Tabloid Wars | Bravo | 2006 | |
| August 23 | Joey | NBC | 2004 | |
| August 25 | Brandy & Mr. Whiskers | Disney Channel | ||
| August 26 | Filter | G4/G4techTV | 2002 | |
| August 27 | Lucky Louie | HBO | 2006 | |
| Deadwood | 2004 | |||
| September 1 | Blow Out | Bravo | ||
| Date My Mom | MTV | |||
| September 2 | Saved | TNT | 2006 | |
| September 8 | The Chelsea Handler Show | E! | ||
| September 10 | Just Legal | The WB | 2005 | |
| September 13 | Blind Date (returned in 2019) | Syndication | 1999 | |
| September 15 | Teen Titans | Kids' WB | 2003 | |
| September 22 | DaySide | Fox News Channel | ||
| September 25 | Tom Goes to the Mayor | Adult Swim | 2004 | |
| October 3 | Smith | CBS | 2006 | |
| October 15 | Runaway | The CW | ||
| October 28 | G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 | 4Kids TV | 2005 | |
| October 29 | Scariest Places on Earth | Fox Family | 2000 | |
| November 1 | Twenty Good Years | NBC | 2006 | |
| November 2 | Happy Hour | Fox | ||
| November 8 | Beef: The Series | BET | ||
| November 10 | Reading Rainbow | PBS | 1983 | |
| November 13 | The Upside Down Show | Noggin | 2006 | |
| November 14 | As Told by Ginger | Nicktoons | 2000 | |
| November 15 | Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County | MTV | 2004 | |
| November 16 | Freak Show | Comedy Central | 2006 | |
| The Underground | Showtime | |||
| November 18 | A.T.O.M. | Jetix | 2005 | |
| November 19 | NASCAR on NBC (NBC only) | NBC | 1999 | |
| Battlefield Detectives | History Channel | 2003 | ||
| November 20 | House of Carters | E! | 2006 | |
| November 23 | American Eats | History Channel | ||
| November 25 | The Fairly OddParents (returned in 2008) | Nickelodeon | 2001 | |
| The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius | 2002 | |||
| The X's | 2005 | |||
| November 28 | 3 lbs | CBS | 2006 | |
| December 5 | Desire | MyNetworkTV | ||
| Fashion House | ||||
| December 8 | Vanished | Fox | ||
| December 9 | Cake | CBS | ||
| Fear Factor (returned in 2011 and 2017 and will also return again in 2026) | NBC | 2001 | ||
| December 12 | Al TV | VH1 | 1984 | |
| Help Me Help You | ABC | 2006 | ||
| December 13 | The Lost Room | Syfy Channel | 2006 | |
| December 15 | Krypto the Superdog | Cartoon Network | 2005 | |
| December 16 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Jetix | 2004 | |
| December 17 | Breaking Bonaduce | VH1 | 2005 | |
| Sleeper Cell | Showtime | |||
| December 23 | W.I.T.C.H. | ABC Kids | 2004 | |
| December 25 | Happy Tree Friends | G4 | 2006 | |
| December 26 | Danger Rangers | PBS Kids | 2005 |
| Show | Seasons | In Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| According to Jim | 5 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| American Idol | 5 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| CSI: Miami | 4 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| One on One | 5 | No | [citation needed] |
| Scrubs | 5 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| The Shield | 4 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| Still Standing | 4 | No | [citation needed] |
| Without a Trace | 4 | Yes | [citation needed] |
| Premiere date | Title | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| January 6 | Drake & Josh Go Hollywood | Nickelodeon |
| January 20 | High School Musical | Disney Channel |
| January 30 | Flight 93 | A&E |
| March 24 | Cow Belles | Disney Channel |
| June 16 | Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior | |
| July 21 | Read It and Weep | |
| August 25 | The Cheetah Girls 2 | |
| September 10–11 | The Path to 9/11 | ABC |
| September 16 | Mrs. Harris | HBO |
| October 20 | Return to Halloweentown | Disney Channel |
| November 23 | Good Wilt Hunting | Cartoon Network |
| December 8 | Re-Animated |
| Network | Type | Launch date | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championship Sports Network | Cable television | Unknown | ||
| Music: High Definition | Cable television | January 16 | ||
| Documentary Channel | Cable television | January 26 | ||
| Mega TV | Cable television | March 1 | ||
| RetroPlex | Cable television | April 3 | ||
| BabyFirst | Cable television | May 11 | ||
| LAT TV | Cable television | May 19 | ||
| MountainWest Sports Network | Cable television | September 1 | ||
| MTV Tres | Cable television | September 4 | ||
| MyNetworkTV | Cable television | September 5 | ||
| Retirement Living TV | Cable television | September 5 | ||
| VeNeMovies | Cable television | September 6 | ||
| The CW | Cable television | September 18 | ||
| ReelzChannel | Cable television | September 27 | ||
| Gems TV | Cable television | November 29 | ||
| France 24 | Cable television | December 6 |
| Old network name | New network name | Type | Conversion date | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trio | Sleuth | Cable television | January 1 | ||
| PBS YOU | Create | Cable television | January 9 | ||
| BET Jazz | BET J | Cable television | March 1 | ||
| Spike TV | Spike | Cable television | May 9 | ||
| VH1 Country | CMT Pure Country | Cable television | May 27 | ||
| Outdoor Life Network | Versus | Cable television | September 25 |
| Network | Type | Closure date | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPN | Cable television | September 15 | ||
| The WB | Cable television | September 17 | ||
| MasMusica TeVe | Cable television | September 25 | ||
| MTV en Espanol | Cable television | September 25 |
| Date | Name | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| January 16 | Telci Huynh | Actress (Drama Club) |
| January 21 | Lex Lumpkin | Actor (All That) |
| February 2 | Preston Oliver | Actor (Secrets of Sulphur Springs) |
| March 14 | Chinguun Sergelen | Actor (All That) |
| April 9 | Sophie Grace | Actress (The Baby-Sitters Club) |
| April 10 | Dana Heath | Actress (Danger Force) |
| April 12 | Trinitee Stokes | Actress (K.C. Undercover) |
| April 18 | Beatrice Kitsos | Actress (Are Your Afraid of the Dark?) |
| April 26 | Andy Walken | Actor (The Kids Are Alright) |
| April 30 | Xochitl Gomez | Actress (The Baby-Sitters Club) |
| June 12 | Sofia Rosinsky | Actress (Fast Layne) |
| Caleb Brown | Actor (That Girl Lay Lay) | |
| June 25 | Mckenna Grace | Actress (Crash & Bernstein,The Young and the Restless,Fuller House) |
| June 29 | Sam Lavagnino | Actor (Puppy Dog Pals) |
| August 7 | Luca Luhan | Actor (Danger Force) |
| August 25 | Reece Caddell | Actress (All That) |
| September 7 | Dannielynn Birkhead | Daughter ofAnna Nicole Smith |
| Ian Chen | Actor (Fresh Off the Boat) | |
| September 28 | Momona Tamada | Actress (The Baby-Sitters Club) |
| October 5 | Jacob Tremblay | Canadian actor |
| October 11 | Chance Hurstfield | Actor (Are Your Afraid of the Dark?) |
| October 15 | Marcus Cornwall | Actor (Star Falls) |
| October 17 | Maxwell Simkins | Actor (Bizaardvark,The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) |
| October 25 | Dallas Young | Actor (Cousins for Life,Cobra Kai) |
| November 27 | Aria Brooks | Actress (All That) |
| December 5 | Ava Kolker | Actress (Sydney to the Max) |
| December 18 | Malia Baker | Actress (The Baby-Sitters Club,Are You Afraid of the Dark?) |
| Date | Name | Age | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 6 | Lou Rawls | 72 | Actor (Baywatch Nights,Hey Arnold!) and singer |
| January 12 | Anne Meacham | 80 | Actress (Louise onAnother World) |
| January 14 | Shelley Winters | 85 | Actress (Nana Mary onRoseanne) |
| February 3 | Al Lewis | 82 | Actor (Grandpa onThe Munsters, Leo Schnauser onCar 54, Where Are You?) |
| February 5 | Franklin Cover | 77 | Actor (Tom Willis onThe Jeffersons) |
| Norma Candal | 78 | Actress (Petunia inLa criada malcriada) | |
| February 24 | Dennis Weaver | 81 | Actor (Sam McCloud onMcCloud, Chester Good onGunsmoke) |
| Don Knotts | 81 | Actor (Barney Fife onThe Andy Griffith Show, Ralph Furley onThree's Company) | |
| February 25 | Darren McGavin | 83 | Actor (Hammer onMike Hammer) |
| March 13 | Peter Tomarken | 63 | Game show host (Press Your Luck,Hit Man,Wipeout) |
| March 17 | Bob Papenbrook | 50 | Voice actor (Power Rangers,Big Bad Beetleborgs,VR Troopers,Masked Rider) |
| March 25 | Buck Owens | 76 | Musician, host of (Hee Haw) |
| March 27 | Dan Curtis | 78 | Creator of (Dark Shadows) |
| April 17 | Henderson Forsythe | 88 | Actor (As the World Turns) |
| April 30 | Jay Bernstein | 68 | Producer (Mike Hammer); also manager toSuzanne Somers andFarrah Fawcett |
| May 23 | Lloyd Bentsen | 85 | Politician who appeared in the1988 vice presidential debate, among other appearances[22] |
| May 29 | James Brolan | 42 | CBS News sound technician, killed by a car bomb in Iraq |
| Paul Douglas | 48 | CBS news cameraman, killed by a car bomb in Iraq | |
| May 30 | Robert Sterling | 88 | Actor (George Kerby onTopper) |
| June 6 | Billy Preston | 59 | Musician |
| June 23 | Aaron Spelling | 83 | Producer (Dynasty,Beverly Hills, 90210,7th Heaven) |
| June 28 | Lennie Weinrib | 71 | Actor (H.R. Pufnstuf,The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan,Inch High, Private Eye) |
| July 3 | Benjamin Hendrickson | 55 | Actor (As the World Turns) |
| July 19 | Jack Warden | 85 | Actor (Harry Fox onCrazy Like a Fox, George Halas inBrian's Song) |
| Tudi Wiggins | 70 | Actress (Love of Life) | |
| July 21 | Mako | 72 | Voice actor (Samurai Jack,Avatar: The Last Airbender) |
| J. Madison Wright Morris | 21 | Actress (Earth 2) | |
| August 11 | Mike Douglas | 86 | Talk show host (The Mike Douglas Show) |
| September 4 | Steve Irwin | 44 | Australian actor (The Crocodile Hunter) |
| September 10 | Daniel Wayne Smith | 20 | Actor and son ofAnna Nicole Smith |
| September 15 | Pablo Santos | 19 | Mexican actor (David Tiant onGreetings from Tucson) |
| October 20 | Jane Wyatt | 96 | Actress (Margaret Anderson onFather Knows Best) |
| November 1 | Bettye Ackerman | 82 | Actress (Dr. Maggie Graham onBen Casey) |
| November 9 | Ed Bradley | 65 | CBS News journalist (60 Minutes) |
| November 11 | Belinda Emmett | 32 | Actress (Rebecca Nash inHome and Away) |
| December 12 | Peter Boyle | 71 | Actor (Frank Barone onEverybody Loves Raymond) |
| December 14 | Mike Evans | 57 | Actor (Lionel Jefferson onAll in the Family,The Jeffersons) |
| December 18 | Joseph Barbera | 95 | Animator (The Flintstones and many others) |
| December 26 | Gerald Ford | 93 | 38thPresident of the United States |
| December 28 | Jared Nathan | 21 | Child actor (ZOOM) |