1985 in television

Table of contents

1 Events 2 Debuts 3 Popular Television Shows 4 Births 5 Deaths

Events

• Sabado Gigante moves from Chile to Univision studios in Miami, Florida
• February 8 - After 6-1/2 years, the television series The Dukes of Hazzard goes off the air.
• August 19 - David Letterman interrupts the Today Show with a megaphone while both shows are on the air. Letterman leaned out the window of his building and announced "My name is Larry Grossman (then president of NBC News) and I'm not wearing any pants!". The Today Show was taping an interview several stories below.
• NBC becomes the first commercial television network to use satellite interconnection for its stations.

• EastEnders premieres on the BBC
• The Golden Girls premieres (1985-1992)
• Neighbours premieres in Australia (1985-present)

• The A-Team (1983-1987)
• Alice (1976-1985)
• All My Children (1970-present)
• Cheers (1982-1993)
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
• Dallas (1978-1991)
• Dr Who (1963-1989)
• Family Ties (1982-1989)
• Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
• Jeopardy (1984-present)
• Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993)
• Miami Vice (1984-1989)
• MTV (1981-present)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)

Deaths

• February 12 - Nicholas Colasanto, actor on Cheers
• May 8 - Dolph Sweet, actor on Gimme a Break
• May 13 - Selma Diamond, actress on Night Court, supposedly the inspiration for a character on The Dick Van Dyke Show
• October 2 - Rock Hudson, actor
• November 1 - Phil Silvers, actor, comedian
• November 29 - Bill Scott, voice actor of Bullwinkle the moose
• December 31 - Ricky Nelson, actor, musician, killed in a plane crash