The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1999. For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule. [edit] Events - January 1 - On Coronation Street, four-decade resident Alf Roberts dies of a heart attack, just one month before the real-life death of Bryan Mosley, the actor who portrayed him.
- January 6 - Bob Newhart receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- February 2 - The cable network Noggin is launched.
- February 4 - The Nanny shuts down with a final goodbye after 5 years. With the sitcom axed due to low ratings, its' demise was finally announced on January 21.
- February 14 - Elton John appears as himself in a special Valentine's Day episode of the animated series The Simpsons.
- March 5 - After 32 years, what is billed as the last ever News at Ten is broadcast on ITV, hosted as usual by Trevor McDonald. It is replaced with the ITV Nightly News from Monday. In the event, News at Ten returns in 2001, axed again in 2004, and resurrected in 2008.
- May 21 - Shemar Moore presents Susan Lucci wins a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as Erica Kane on All My Children, after eighteen failed nominations in previous years.
- May 25 - Bostock's Cup a single comedy drama airs on ITV. Home Improvement finishes its run after 8 years.
- June 1 - The educational channel BBC Knowledge launches in the UK.
- June 2 - The ban on television in Bhutan is lifted, with the launch of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service. A cable service launches in English, Dzongkha, and Nepali in September that year.
- July 18 - Actor Hank Azaria marries actress Helen Hunt. The couple divorced on December 18, 2000.
- August 18 - Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy.
- September 6 - The ITV London Weekday franchise Carlton drops the on-air branding of the Central and Westcountry ITV regions, replacing them with Carlton.
- September 11 - The first of Channel 4's '100 Greatest' programmes air, 100 Greatest TV Moments.
- September 20 - After a four year hiatus, the hit game show Family Feud returns with new host, Louie Anderson, along with a new set and a new theme.
- October 4-November 8 - The six part documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs airs on BBC One, using computer-generated imagery and animatronics to show life in the Mesozoic Era.
- November 8 - ITV launches a generic look for the second time (the first being in 1989), with most regions adopting idents based around a heart theme. The exceptions are the three Carlton owned regions, the SMG plc owned Scottish and Grampian, and UTV.
- November - Test Card J and Test Card W debut on the BBC, replacing Test Card F which is retired after 32 years.
- December 7 - Channel 5 in the UK broadcasts the TV movie Winter Angel, a revival of the popular 1970s BBC science-fiction series Doomwatch.
- December 17 - 10th anniversary of the first half-hour episode of The Simpsons.
- December 21 - Average Life debutes at 8/7c on NBC.
- December 24 - Ian Woodley becomes the first person on British television to win a million pounds, on a segment of the Channel 4 show TFI Friday called Someone's Going to be a Millionaire (a reference to ITV's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which at the time had not had a million pound winner).
- December 25 - ITV beats BBC One in the Christmas Day ratings for the first time since 1984, airing a mixture of soaps, the drama A Touch of Frost and three episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
- December 31 - Over 60 countries take part in 2000 Today, a program seeing in the start of the new millennium.
[edit] Debuts [edit] Miniseries [edit] Television shows - Moneyline (1980–present)
- Entertainment Tonight (1981–present)
- What Now (1982–present)
- Timewatch, UK (1982–present)
- Brookside, UK (1982-2003)
- Taggart, UK (1983–present)
- The Bill, UK (1984–present)
- Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present).
- SportsDesk, Canada (1984–present)
- EastEnders, UK (1985–present)
- National Geographic Explorer (1985–present)
- Neighbours, Australia (1985–present)
- Sally (1985–2002)
- Comic Relief, UK (1986–present)
- Casualty, UK (1986–present)
- The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986–present)
- ChuckleVision, UK (1987–present)
- Inspector Morse, UK (1987–2000)
- The Bold and the Beautiful (1987–present)
- America's Most Wanted (1988–present)
- The American Experience (1988–present)
- Fair City, Ireland (1988–present)
- Les Guignols de l'info, France (1988–present)
- Home and Away, Australia (1988–present)
- This Morning, UK (1988–present)
- Children's Ward, UK (1988–2000)
- Electric Circus, Canada (1988–2003)
- Baywatch (1989–2001)
- COPS (1989–present)
- The Simpsons (1989–present)
- Law & Order (1990–present)
- America's Funniest Home Videos (1990–present)
- Beverly Hills 90210 (1990–2000)
- One Foot in the Grave, UK (1990–2000)
- Rugrats (1991-2004)
- The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
- The Red Green Show (1991–2006)
- Barney & Friends (1992-present).
- Redwall (1999-present).
- Dateline NBC (1992–present)
- The Real World (1992–present)
- Frasier (1993-2004).
- Ricki Lake (1993-2004).
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present).
- The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present).
- NYPD Blue (1993-2005).
- The X-Files (1993-2002).
- WWF RAW Is War/WWF War Zone (1993–present)
- All That (1994-2005)
- Chicago Hope (1994–2000)
- ER (1994–2009)
- Friends (1994–2004)
- Party of Five (1994–2000)
- Time Team, UK (1994–present)
- Touched by an Angel (1994–2003)
- The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004)
- JAG (1995–2005)
- Modern Marvels (1995–present)
- Sesame Park, Canada (1995–2002)
- Sliders (1995–2000)
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
- WCW Monday Nitro (1995–2001)
- 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001)
- 7th Heaven (1996–2007)
- Access Hollywood (1996–present)
- Après Match, Ireland (1996–present)
- Arthur (1996-present)
- KaBlam! (1995-2000)
- Angry Beavers (1997-2001)
- The Daily Show (1996–present)
- Dexter's Laboratory (1996–2003)
- Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005)
- Hey Arnold! (1996–2004)
- Judge Judy (1996–present)
- Nash Bridges (1996–2001)
- Spin City (1996–2002)
- Suddenly Susan (1996–2000)
- Rescue 77 (1997-1997)
- 100% (game show), UK (1997-2001).
- Ally McBeal (1997-2002).
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
- Y Clwb Rygbi, Wales (1997–present)
- Daria (1997-2001).
- Dharma & Greg (1997-2002)
- Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997–2001)
- Dream Team, UK (1997–2007)
- Family Affairs, UK (1997–2005)
- Johnny Bravo (1997-2003).
- Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003).
- King of the Hill (1997-2006).
- La Femme Nikita (1997–2001)
- Port Charles (1997-2003).
- The Practice (1997-2004).
- South Park (1997-present).
- Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007)
- Teletubbies, UK (1997–2001)
- Average Life (1997–present)
- Becker (1998-2004).
- Call For Help (1998-2004).
- CatDog (1998-2006).
- Charmed (1998-2006).
- Dawson's Creek (1998-2003).
- Forgive or Forget (1998-2000).
- The King of Queens (1998–2007)
- The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1999-2002).
- Oh Baby (1998-2000).
- Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1998-2001).
- The Powerpuff Girls (1998–2005)
- Sex and the City (1998-2004).
- SMTV Live (UK) (1998-2003).
- That '70s Show (1998-2006).
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK) (1998-present).
- Will & Grace (1998-2006).
- Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
[edit] Ending this year [edit] Changes of Network Affiliation [edit] Births [edit] Deaths - January 4 - Iron Eyes Cody, 94, actor known for a popular anti-littering commercial from the 1970s.
- February 20 - Gene Siskel, 53, critic for the Chicago Tribune and co-host of the television movie show, Siskel & Ebert.
- March 21 - Ernie Wise, 73, surviving half of UK comedy duo, Morecambe and Wise.
- March 22 - David Strickland, 29, actor on Suddenly Susan, (suicide).
- March 30 - Gary Morton, 74, producer, second husband of Lucille Ball.
- April 10 - Jean Vander Pyl, 79, voice actor who voiced Wilma Flintstone on The Flintstones and Rosie the Robot Maid on The Jetsons.
- April 26 - Jill Dando, 37, presenter (co-host of Crimewatch).
- May 8 - Dana Plato, 34, actress (Kimberly Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes).
- May 23 - Owen Hart, 34, wrestler Superstar on WWF RAW is WAR
- June 11 - DeForest Kelley, 79, actor (Bones McCoy on Star Trek).
- July 12 - Bill Owen, 85, actor (Compo Simmonite) on Last of the Summer Wine.
- July 20 - Sandra Gould, 72, actress (Gladys Kravitz #2 on Bewitched).
- September 5 - Allen Funt, 84, host of Candid Camera.
- December 28 - Clayton Moore, 85, actor (The Lone Ranger)
- December 29 - Gene Rayburn, 81, television host (Match Game).
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