The year 1990 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.
Events
- January 2 - All My Children airs its 20th anniversary special. The characters Joe and Ruth Martin sit down with Erica Kane, her mother Mona, and Phoebe Wallingford as they go through scrapbook pictures which segue into memorable clips from the show's past twenty years.
- January 21 - MTV Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze.
- February 17 - Aerosmith appears in the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, where they perform the Wayne's World theme song.
- March 25 - British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) launches on cable in the UK, a rival to Sky Television (which launched in February 1989).
- March - On All My Children, actress Debbi Morgan, one-half of the first black supercouple, leaves the role of Angie Baxter Hubbard.
- March 30 - Rush Limbaugh guest hosts The Pat Sajak Show and his controversial comments on abortion and affirmative action create a stir that causes the audience to be removed from the studio.
- April 12 - All three major American networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) simulcast Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, a TV special warning kids about the danger of drugs.
- April 29 - BSB launches on satellite television.
- April 30 - The long-lost pilot film to I Love Lucy airs on CBS as a special.
- May 11 - A trick backfires on J.R. when his enemy conspires to trap him inside an insane asylum on the season finale of Dallas.
- 7 June–16 July - The Cruise of Deception storyline airs on Days of Our Lives.
- June 27 - Genie Francis, in an attempt to shed her image as Laura Spencer, starts playing her third soap role, as Irishwoman Ceara Connor on All My Children which she will remain for two years until 1992.
- July 7 - In Rome, at the evening of the 1990 FIFA World Cup soccer the Three Tenors sing together for the first time. The event is broadcast live on television and watched worldwide by millions of people. Highlight is Luciano Pavarotti's performance of "Nessun Dorma" from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot.
- August 24 - Indonesian private with commercial television Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) began broadcasting.
- October 15 - Legislation is signed into United States law requiring closed captioning decoders in all large color TVs manufactured after July 1, 1993.
- November 2 - BSB merges with Sky Television, becoming British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
- CBS starts airing its daytime lineup in stereo sound, after competition from NBC and ABC necessitated the change in standard.
- Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Julia Sweeney join Saturday Night Live.
Debuts
Television shows
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
- Entertainment Tonight (1981— )
- What Now (1982— )
- Timewatch (UK) (1982— )
- Cheers (1982–1993)
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993)
- The Journal (Canada) (1982–1992)
- Loving (1983–1995)
- Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984— )
- Mother and Son (Australia) (1984–1994)
- Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996)
- Night Court (1984–1992)
- Santa Barbara (1984–1993)
- The Bill (UK) (1984— )
- The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
- Who's the Boss? (1984–1992)
- EastEnders (UK) (1985— )
- Growing Pains (1985–1992)
- MacGyver (1985–1992)
- Neighbours (Australia) (1985— )
- Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981–1983, 1985–1993, 1996–1997, 2001–2003)
- Sally (1985–2002)
- T-Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom and T-Bag's Christmas Ding Dong (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
- The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
- Amen (1986–1991)
- Designing Women (1986–1993)
- Double Dare (1986–1993)
- Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986–1994)
- L.A. Law (1986–1994)
- Matlock (1986–1996)
- Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991)
- Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)
- The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986— )
- Comic Relief (UK) (1986— )
- Casualty (UK) (1986— )
- A Different World (1987–1993)
- Beadle's About (UK) (1987–1996)
- ChuckleVision (UK) (1987— )
- Full House (1987–1995)
- Going Live! (UK) (1987–1993)
- Inspector Morse (1987–2000)
- Knightmare (UK) (1987–1994)
- Married... with Children (1987–1997)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996)
- The Bold and the Beautiful (1987— )
- thirtysomething (1987–1991)
- America's Most Wanted (1988— )
- The American Experience (1988— )
- Fair City (1988— )
- Home and Away (1988— )
- This Morning (1988— )
- Red Dwarf (UK) (1988–1999)
- Children's Ward (UK) (1988–2000)
- Empty Nest (1988–1995)
- Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999— )
- Garfield and Friends (1988–1995)
- Murphy Brown (1988–1998)
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999)
- Roseanne (1988–1997)
- The Wonder Years (1988–1993)
- 48 Hours (1988— )
- The Adventures of Superboy (1988–1992)
- Electric Circus (1988–2003)
- Acropolis Now (Australia) (1989–1992)
- Baywatch (1989–2001)
- Cops (1989— )
- Family Matters (1989–1998)
- Fast Forward (Australia) (1989–1992)
- Inside Edition (1989— )
- Life Goes On (1989–1993)
- Maid Marian and her Merry Men (UK) (1989–1994)
- Press Gang (UK) (1989–1993)
- Seinfeld (1989–1998)
- Tales from the Crypt (1989–1996)
- The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–1994)
- About Face (1989–1991)
- The Big Gig (Australia) (1989–1992)
- The Simpsons (1989— )
- Match Game (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999)
Ending this year
Cancelled, but eventually to return on air
Changes of network affiliation
Births
Deaths
- January 2 - Alan Hale, Jr., actor (Skipper Jonas Grumby on Gilligan's Island)
- January 9 - Northern Calloway, actor (David on Sesame Street)
- January 18 - Rusty Hamer, former child actor (Make Room For Daddy), suicide
- February 15 - Jack Fletcher, character actor
- March 24 - Ray Goulding, comedian, half of the comedy team Bob and Ray.
- May 10 - Susan Oliver, actress
- May 16 - Jim Henson, puppeteer
- May 21 - Franklyn Seales, actor (Dexter on Silver Spoons), AIDS
- May 25 - Vic Tayback, actor (Mel Sharples on Alice)
- June 2 - Jack Gilford, actor
- July 7 - Bill Cullen, game show host
- July 8 - Howard Duff, actor
- October 26 - William S. Paley, founder and longtime head of CBS
- November 3 - Mary Martin, actress/singer
- November 27 - David White, actor (Larry Tate on Bewitched)
- December 2 - Bob Cummings, actor
- December 28 - Kiel Martin, actor (Officer J.D. LaRue on Hill Street Blues)
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