1993 in television

Events

• February 10 - Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Jackson during a prime time special. It is Jackson's first interview in 15 years.
• April 12 - Actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Lenny Kravitz.
• April 29 - An animated version of Barry White appears on an episode of The Simpsons.
• May 20 - The television sitcom, Cheers ends an 11-year run on NBC (the show debuted on September 30, 1982).
• October 3 - Sinéad O'Connor stirs up controversy when she rips up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live
• Jay Leno becomes the new host for NBC's The Tonight Show

Debuts

• The Late Show with David Letterman premieres on CBS (1993-present)
• Beavis and Butthead begins airing on MTV. (1993-1997)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien premieres (1993-present)
• The Nanny premieres on CBS (1993-1999)
• Frasier premieres on NBC (1993-present)
• The controversial NYPD Blue premieres on ABC (1993-present)

Other Popular Television Shows

• All My Children (1970-present)
• Cops (1989-present)
• Full House (1987-1995)
• Home Improvement (1991-1999)
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
• Jeopardy! (1984-present)
• The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998)
• Law & Order (1990-present)
• Married with Children (1987-1997)
• Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996)
• 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)

Ending this year

• Cheers (1982-1993)
• Designing Women (1986-1993)
• A Different World (1987-1993)
• Hee Haw (1969-1993)
• Knots Landing (1979-1993)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993) (though Letterman will move to CBS)
• Life Goes On (1989-1993)
• The Wonder Years (1988-1993)

Notable Made for TV movies and events

• Gypsy — a $12 million production of the classic stage musical, starring Bette Midler

Births

Deaths

• January 20 - Audrey Hepburn, actress
• June 30 - George "Spanky" McFarland, actor
• November 21 - Bill Bixby, television actor
• December 4 - Frank Zappa, 42, actor/songwriter

Referenced By