The year 1995 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.
For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.
Events
- January 1 - French Canadian cable television network Réseau de l'information is launched.
- January 5 - All My Children celebrates 25th Anniversary and airs a primetime special.
- January 11 - The WB Television Network is launched.
- January 16 - The United Paramount Network (UPN) is launched.
- January 24 - The O.J. Simpson trial begins live broadcasts on American daytime television; as a result, many of the network soap operas are partially pre-empted, more or less, for nine months. The trial also causes the ratings of all soaps to steadily decline.
- January 27 - The Golf Channel, a TV channel dedicated to the sport of golf, is launched in the United States.
- February 3 - In the UK, an edition of the live morning ITV discussion programme The Time, The Place is abruptly ended ten minutes early. After an item about men's fashion featured a black male model wearing a skirt, another black man in the audience starts complaining that the show is racist, eventually making his way onto the stage.
- February 19 - Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee marries Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson on a beach in Cancún. The bride wore a white bikini.
- April 12 - Drew Barrymore appears on The Late Show with David Letterman. In honor of Letterman's birthday, guest Barrymore dances on his desk and flashes him on-air.
- May 12 - As the World Turns airs its milestone 10,000th episode.
- May - ABC announces that an episode of the soap opera All My Children will be pulled from airing due to the recent Oklahoma City bombing; in the story, villainess Janet Green (Robin Mattson) was supposed to blow up the church in which her ex Trevor Dillon (James Kiberd) was to marry her rival Laurel Banning (Felicity LaFortune).
- July 31 - The Walt Disney Company announces that it will purchase ABC and ESPN; the deal is finalized in January 1996.
- August 22-23 - Larry Hagman, former star of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie, undergoes a liver transplant.
- October 1 - Six years after it was originally planned, a British version of the Disney Channel launches in the UK.
- November - Stone Cates dies of AIDS on General Hospital shortly after his lover, Robin Scorpio, confesses that he infected her with HIV.
- November 1 - Seven more satellite and cable channels launch in the United Kingdom: Euro Business News, Playboy TV, The Paramount Channel, The History Channel, Sky Sports Gold, and the Sci-Fi Channel.
- November 20 One Life to Live airs its 7,000th episode and showcases a new opening sequence.
- Television programs ROX and Computer Chronicles are broadcast via the Internet—these are the first Internet broadcasts in the history of television.
- Zee TV (Hindi television channel) launched in the UK.
- Will Ferrell joins Saturday Night Live.
- CBC Prime Time News reverts to The National.
- The Home and Away theme tune is changed. Now sung by Doug Williams and Erana Clark
- In the Winter of January 1995, Former SNL cast member, Ellen Cleghorne airs her television show, Cleghorne! on The WB (with other African American family sitcoms: The Wayans Bros., The Parent 'Hood, the show only airs for one entire season, it also stars Past Saturday Night Live cast member, Garrett Morris, who would be starring with Jamie Foxx on The Jamie Foxx Show which airs a year later.
- December 11 - The Today Show becomes the highest-rated morning news program in the United States where it remains to this day.
Debuts
Television shows
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
Ending this year
Changes of Network Affiliation
Note 1: Channel 4 later acquired the entire series of Friends in 2000
Births
Deaths
- February 5 - Doug McClure, actor.
- March 31 - Selena, Mexican American singer.
- April 4 - Kenny Everett, comedian, actor.
- April 23 - Howard Cosell, journalist.
- April 25 - Art Fleming, host of the original Jeopardy!
- May 18 - Elizabeth Montgomery, actress (Samantha Stephens on Bewitched).
- June 30 - Gale Gordon, actor (Mr. Mooney on The Lucy Show).
- July 4 - Eva Gabor, Hungarian-born actress (Lisa Douglas on Green Acres).
- August 3 - Ida Lupino, actress, director.
- August 11 - Phil Harris, actor.
- September 12 - Jeremy Brett, actor (Sherlock Holmes in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes).
- November 4 - Paul Eddington, actor.
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