# 1955 in television

The year 1955 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1955.

## Events

* January 10 – Minuto de Dios begins airing on television in Colombia; it will still be running more than 60 years later.
* March 5 – Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time. The program is Louisiana Hayride, televised locally in Shreveport, Louisiana.
* March 12 – The first Flemish children's TV show, Kom Toch Eens Kijken, is broadcast, hosted by Bob Davidse (Nonkel Bob) and Terry Van Ginderen (Tante Terry).
* March 15 – The play No Time for Sergeants is broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company in The United States Steel Hour series, starring Andy Griffith in his television debut.
* April 1 – The DuMont Television Network in the United States drastically decreases its programming; just eight series keep the network operating, in anticipation of its eventual shutdown sixteen months later.
* May 9 – In the United States:
** Harpo Marx makes a memorable appearance on I Love Lucy.
** Jim Henson's puppet show Sam and Friends first airs on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.
* May 10 – The first episode of the long-running and popular Flemish TV sitcom Schipper naast Mathilde is broadcast.
* June 7 – The quiz show craze begins with the premiere of The 64,000 Dollar Question in the U.S. The series spawns many imitations, including Twenty-One the next year, which will later be the focus of a quiz show scandal that results in congressional hearings.
* June 24 – Channel 4 Bang Khum Phron is launched by Thai Thorathat (Thai Television, predecessor of MCOT HD), the first official television station in Thailand.
* June 29 – Life with the Lyons, one of the first successful British sitcoms (starring British-domiciled American couple Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels), premieres on the BBC Television Service, having previously been broadcast only on radio. It will later transfer to ITV.
* July 19 – Eesti Televisioon begins broadcasting from Tallinn in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.
* August 1 – Austrian ORF Television, predecessor of ORF eins, an officially regular broadcasting service, starts in Vienna.
* September 22 – Commercial television starts in the United Kingdom with the Independent Television Authority's first ITV franchise beginning broadcasting in London – Associated-Rediffusion on weekdays, ATV during weekends, ending the previous BBC monopoly. The rest of the UK receives its regional ITV franchises during the next seven years. The first advertisement shown is for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
* September 28 – World Series baseball is broadcast in color for the first time in the U.S. WITN-TV in Washington, North Carolina, signs on the air with game 1 of the 1955 World Series as their first telecast.
* December 10 – The first Saturday morning cartoon series debuts on U.S. television, The Mighty Mouse Playhouse on CBS.
* December 24 – The Lennon Sisters make their television debut on The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC in the U.S.
* December 25 – After being broadcast by radio since 1932, the Royal Christmas Message is broadcast on British television for the first time, in sound only at 3.00pm on both television channels, live from Sandringham House. The first visual Christmas message is shown in 1957.

## Programs/programmes

* Adventures of Superman (1952–1958)
* American Bandstand (1952–1989)
* Annie Oakley (1954–1957)
* Aubrey and Gus (1955–1956)
* Beau temps, mauvais temps (1955–1958)
* Bim Bam Boom (1955–1956)
* Bozo the Clown (1949–present)
* Candid Camera (1948–present)
* Cap-aux-sorciers (1955–1958)
* Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
* Climax! (1954–1958)
* Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
* Country Canada (1955–2007)
* Cross-Canada Hit Parade (1955–1960)
* Death Valley Days (1952–1975)
* Disneyland (1954–1958)
* Dragnet (1951–1959)
* Face the Nation (1954–present)
* Father Knows Best (1954-1960)
* General Motors Theatre (Can) (1953–1956, 1958–1961)
* Fury (1955-1960)
* Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (1946–1960)
* Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
* Hockey Night in Canada (1952–present)
* Howdy Doody (1947–1960)
* I Love Lucy (1951–1960)
* Junior Magazine (1955–1962)
* Kraft Television Theater (1947–1958)
* Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947–1957)
* Life is Worth Living (1952–1957)
* Love of Life (1951–1980)
* Maggie Muggins (1955–1962)
* Meet the Press (1947–present)
* Musical Chairs (1955) – game show hosted by Bill Leyden
* Our Miss Brooks (1952-1956)
* Panorama (UK) (1953–present)
* Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
* Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955-1958)
* Talent Varieties (1955) – country music variety show
* The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966)
* The Brighter Day (1954–1962)
* The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950-1955)
* The Danny Thomas Show (1953-1964)
* The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
* The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950–1958)
* The Goldbergs (1949–1956)
* The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983)
* The Grove Family (UK) (1954–1957)
* The Guiding Light (1952–present)
* The Jack Benny Program (1950–1965)
* The Jane Wyman Show, Fireside Theatre (1949-1958)
* The Jimmy Durante Show (1954–1956)
* The Milton Berle Show (1954–1967)
* The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957)
* The Secret Storm (1954–1974)
* The Today Show (1952–present)
* The Tonight Show (1954–present)
* The Voice of Firestone (1949–1963)
* This Is Your Life (US) (1952–1961)
* Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
* What's My Line (1950–1967)
* Your Hit Parade (1950–1959)
* Zoo Quest (UK) (1954–1964)

### Debuts

* January 2 – The Bob Cummings Show (also known as Love That Bob) on NBC (1955–1959)
* January 3 – Hollywood Today on NBC (1955)
* January 5 – Norby on NBC (1955), first regular weekly series broadcast by NBC in its new all-electronic compatible color system
* January 15 – The Benny Hill Show (UK) on BBC Television (later moving to ITV; 1955–1989)
* January 22 – Ozark Jubilee, the first popular country music series on American network television, on ABC (1955–1960), featuring Red Foley
* April 9 – Science Fiction Theater also known as Beyond the Limits during syndication in the 1960s (1955–1957)
* May 9 – Jim Henson's First Muppet Series: Sam and Friends on WRC-TV (1955–1961)
* May 10 – Schipper naast Mathilde (Belgium) on N.I.R. (1955–1963)
* June 25 – The Soldiers, an 11-episode live military comedy, aired on NBC through September 3.
* June 28 – Talent Varieties on ABC through November 1
* June 29 – Life With The Lyons (UK), one of the first successful British sitcoms (though starring an American, Ben Lyon), on BBC Television (1955–1960)
* July 2 – The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC (1955–1982)
* July 9 – Dixon of Dock Green (UK) on BBC Television (1955–1976)
* July 20 – Frankie Laine Time on CBS (1955–1956)
* July 29 – This Is Your Life (UK) on BBC Television (1955–2003)
* September 10
** Gunsmoke on CBS (1955–1975)
** It's Always Jan, starring Janis Paige, on CBS (1955–1956)
* September 12 – Medical Horizons on ABC (1955–1956)
* September 20
** Cheyenne on ABC (1955–1962)
** Joe and Mabel on CBS (1955–1956)
* September 26 – Jungle Jim in syndication (1955–1956)
* September 28 – Brave Eagle on CBS (1955–1956)
* September 29 – Sergeant Preston of the Yukon on CBS (1955-1958)
* October 1 – The Honeymooners on CBS, starring Jackie Gleason (1955–1956)
* October 2 – Alfred Hitchcock Presents on CBS (1955–1962)
* October 3
** Captain Kangaroo on CBS (1955–1984)
** Mickey Mouse Club on ABC, featuring "Mouseketeer" Annette Funicello (1955–1959)
* October 20 – Wanted, a crime documentary on CBS (only ran for three months) (1955–1956)
* October 22 – Quatermass II (UK), sequel to 1953's The Quatermass Experiment, on BBC Television (ends on November 26)
* October 31 – Matinee Theatre on NBC, a five-days-a-week live dramatic anthology, with most of the plays in the series broadcast in color (lasted until 1958)

### Programs ending

| Date | Show | Debut |
| January 27 | So You Want to Lead a Band | 1954 |
| March 11 | The Jack Carson Show Stories of the Century | 1954 |
| April 6 | Norby | 1955 |
| April 8 | Dear Phoebe | 1954 |
| April 22 | The Ray Bolger Show | 1953 |
| June 4 | The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan | 1954 |
| June 16 | Willy | 1954 |
| June 23 | The Public Defender | 1954 |
| June 25 | The Imogene Coca Show | 1954 |
| June 26 | The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse | 1953 |
| July 1 | Hawkins Falls | 1951 |
| July 15 | Flash Gordon | 1954 |
| July 26 | Who Said That? | 1948 |
| August 24 | My Little Margie | 1952 |
| September 1 | Life with Elizabeth | 1952 |
| September 13 | Place the Face | 1953 |
| September 17 | Musical Chairs | 1955 |
| Unknown | Frankie Laine Time | 1955 |
| Unknown | Muffin the Mule (UK) | 1946 |
| Unknown | The Jo Stafford Show | 1954 |
| Unknown | That's My Boy | 1954 |

## Births

| Date | Name | Notability |
| January 6 | Rowan Atkinson | English comic actor (Mr. Bean, Blackadder) |
| January 9 | J. K. Simmons | Actor (The Closer, Oz, Law & Order) |
| January 10 | Jimmy Vivino | Band leader |
| January 14 | Bill Flanagan | Radio host |
| January 18 | Kevin Costner | Actor |
| January 20 | Wyatt Knight | Actor (died 2011) |
| January 20 | Lisa Zeno Churgin | Film editor |
| January 21 | Jeff Franklin | Producer |
| January 22 | John Wesley Shipp | Actor (The Flash, Dawson's Creek) |
| February 2 | Michael Talbott | Actor (Miami Vice) |
| February 2 | Kim Zimmer | Actress (Guiding Light, One Life to Live) |
| February 7 | Miguel Ferrer | Actor (Crossing Jordan, NCIS: Los Angeles) (d. 2017) |
| February 7 | Rolf Benirschke | American former professional football player |
| February 8 | Ethan Phillips | Actor (Benson, Star Trek: Voyager) |
| February 10 | Jim Cramer | American television personality |
| February 11 | Bianca Ferguson | Actress |
| February 14 | James Eckhouse | Actor (Beverly Hills, 90210) |
| February 15 | Christopher McDonald | Actor (Family Law) |
| February 19 | Jeff Daniels | Actor |
| February 21 | Kelsey Grammer | Actor, comedian (Cheers, Frasier) |
| February 28 | Adrian Dantley | NBA basketball player |
| February 28 | Gilbert Gottfried | Actor, comedian (Saturday Night Live, Aladdin, Cyberchase) (died 2022) |
| March 3 | Darnell Williams | British-born soap opera actor (All My Children) |
| March 3 | Andy Breckman | Writer |
| March 6 | James Saito | Actor (Eli Stone) |
| March 7 | Anupam Kher | Actor |
| March 17 | Gary Sinise | Actor, producer, director (CSI: NY) |
| March 17 | Mark Boone Junior | Actor |
| March 18 | Jeff Stelling | TV presenter |
| March 19 | Bruce Willis | Actor (Moonlighting) |
| March 23 | Moses Malone | NBA basketball player (died 2015) |
| March 28 | Reba McEntire | Singer, actress (Reba) |
| March 29 | Marina Sirtis | Actress (Star Trek: The Next Generation) |
| March 29 | Christopher Lawford | Actor (died 2018) |
| March 29 | Brendan Gleeson | Actor |
| April 5 | Akira Toriyama | Manga artist (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT) (died 2024) |
| April 7 | Alexandra Neil | Soap opera actress |
| April 11 | Michele Scarabelli | Actress (Alien Nation) |
| April 17 | Kristine Sutherland | Actress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) |
| April 24 | John de Mol Jr. | Dutch media tycoon television producer |
| April 28 | Todd Waring | Actor |
| April 29 | Kate Mulgrew | Actress (Star Trek: Voyager, Orange is the New Black) |
| May 5 | Melinda Culea | Actress (The A-Team) |
| May 6 | Tom Bergeron | American game show host |
| May 7 | Peter Reckell | Actor (Days of Our Lives) |
| May 10 | Larry "Flash" Jenkins | Actor (The White Shadow) (d. 2019) |
| May 10 | Rick Steves | Television personality |
| May 11 | Shabba Doo | Television actor (d. 2020) |
| May 12 | Scott Brazil | Television producer (d. 2006) |
| May 15 | Lee Horsley | Actor (Matt Houston, Paradise) |
| May 17 | Bill Paxton | Actor (Twister, Big Love) (d. 2017) |
| May 23 | Ken Michelman | Actor (The White Shadow) |
| May 25 | Connie Sellecca | Actress (Flying High, The Greatest American Hero, Hotel) |
| May 25 | Bobby Slayton | Actor |
| May 27 | Eric Bischoff | Television producer |
| May 27 | Richard Schiff | Actor (The West Wing) |
| May 31 | Susie Essman | Actress |
| June 1 | Tony Snow | American journalist (d. 2008) |
| June 2 | Dana Carvey | Comic actor (Saturday Night Live) |
| June 6 | Sam Simon | Writer and director (d. 2015) |
| June 8 | Griffin Dunne | Actor and director |
| June 10 | Andrew Stevens | Actor (Dallas), producer, director |
| June 13 | Mara Liasson | American journalist |
| June 15 | Polly Draper | Actress (thirtysomething) |
| June 15 | Ted Harbert | American broadcasting and television executive |
| June 16 | Laurie Metcalf | Actress (Roseanne) |
| June 18 | Leon Herbert | Actor |
| June 21 | Leigh McCloskey | Actor (Dallas) |
| June 21 | David Marshall Grant | Actor |
| June 24 | Betsy Randle | Actress (Boy Meets World) |
| June 28 | Jim Nelford | Golfer |
| July 3 | Bob Thiele Jr. | Musician |
| July 3 | Bruce Altman | Actor |
| July 3 | John Cramer | American television announcer |
| July 9 | Jimmy Smits | Actor (L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, The West Wing) |
| July 9 | Yvonne Hudson | Actress (Saturday Night Live) |
| July 17 | Bill Geddie | American television producer (died 2023) |
| July 19 | Toborr Kristina Tomlinsen | Actress (voice of Rinna Raccoon on the Rocky Raccoon cartoon series) |
| July 19 | Tudi Roche | Actress |
| July 22 | Willem Dafoe | Actor |
| July 28 | Mike Merritt | Musician |
| August 2 | Tim Dunigan | Actor (Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future) |
| August 3 | Corey Burton | Voice actor (The Transformers, DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Superman: The Animated Series) |
| August 7 | Wayne Knight | Actor (Seinfeld, 3rd Rock from the Sun) |
| August 14 | Gillian Taylforth | English actress (EastEnders) |
| August 16 | Jeff Perry | Actor |
| August 19 | Peter Gallagher | Actor (The O.C., Covert Affairs) |
| August 24 | Mike Huckabee | Politician and commentator (Huckabee) |
| August 27 | Diana Scarwid | Actress (Truman, Wonderfalls) |
| September 2 | Linda Purl | Actress and singer (Matlock) |
| September 3 | Steve Jones | Actor and singer |
| September 3 | James Duff | Writer |
| September 7 | Mira Furlan | Actress (Babylon 5, Lost) (died 2021) |
| September 9 | Edward Hibbert | English-American actor (Frasier, Earthworm Jim) |
| September 12 | Peter Scolari | Actor (Bosom Buddies, Newhart) (died 2021) |
| September 16 | Jonathan Meath | Producer |
| September 18 | David Mirkin | Producer |
| September 20 | Betsy Brantley | Actress |
| September 21 | Rebecca Balding | Actress (Soap, Charmed) |
| September 29 | Gwen Ifill | Journalist (died 2016) |
| October 8 | Darrell Hammond | Actor (Saturday Night Live) |
| October 9 | Linwood Boomer | Actor |
| October 14 | Arleen Sorkin | Actress (Days of Our Lives, Batman: The Animated Series) (died 2023) |
| October 16 | Ellen Dolan | Actress (Guiding Light, As the World Turns) |
| October 26 | Jonathan Murray | American television producer |
| October 27 | Michael Shamus Wiles | Actor |
| October 30 | Shanna Reed | Actress (Major Dad) |
| November 13 | Whoopi Goldberg | Actress, comedian, talk-show host (The View) |
| November 17 | Bill Macatee | Sportscaster |
| November 17 | Yolanda King | Activist (died 2007) |
| November 22 | George Alagiah | News broadcaster |
| November 23 | Peter Douglas | Actor |
| November 25 | Norman Buckley | Director |
| November 27 | Bill Nye | Educator (Bill Nye the Science Guy) |
| November 29 | Howie Mandel | Actor, host (St. Elsewhere, Deal or No Deal) |
| November 30 | Kevin Conroy | Voice actor (Batman: The Animated Series) (d. 2022) |
| December 2 | Dennis Christopher | Actor |
| December 3 | Melody Anderson | Actress (Manimal) |
| December 3 | Steven Culp | Actor (JAG, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives) |
| December 5 | Byron York | American conservative correspondent |
| December 6 | Steven Wright | Actor |
| December 16 | Xander Berkeley | Actor (24, The Mentalist, Nikita) |
| December 18 | Joel Surnow | American television writer |
| December 21 | Jane Kaczmarek | Actress (Malcolm in the Middle) |
| December 23 | Stefan Arngrim | Actor |
| December 24 | Clarence Gilyard | Actor (died 2022) |
| December 27 | Barbara Olson | Television commentator (died 2001) |

## Television debuts

* Harry Belafonte – Front Row Center
* Terry Burnham – Climax!
* David Doyle – The Philco Television Playhouse
* Zsa Zsa Gabor – Climax!
* James Garner – Cheyenne
* George Gaynes – NBC Opera Theatre
* James Hong – TV Reader's Digest
* Myrna Loy – General Electric Theater
* Fred MacMurray – General Electric Theater
* Tim McCoy – Indian Agent
* Laurence Olivier – Richard III
* Don Rickles – Stage 7
* John Saxon – Medic
* Maggie Smith – Sunday Night Theatre
* Rod Taylor – Studio 57
* Rudy Vallée – Star Tonight
* Robert Vaughn – Medic
* John Wayne – Gunsmoke
* Johnny Weissmuller – Jungle Jim
* Jane Wyman – General Electric Theater