# 1952 in television

The year 1952 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1952.

## Events

* January 14 – Today is first aired on NBC in the United States with Dave Garroway as host.
* January 16 – Sooty, Harry Corbett's little yellow glove puppet teddy bear, first appears on the BBC Television Service's Talent Night in the United Kingdom.
* February 1 – The first TV detector van is commissioned in the U.K. as the beginning of a clampdown on the estimated 150,000 British households that watch television illegally without a licence.
* March 14 – The BBC Television Service in Scotland is launched.
* May 22 – The first televised atomic bomb detonation, billed as "Operation Tumbler–Snapper", is broadcast on KTLA in Los Angeles, and fed to the three major U.S. networks via a 140 miles (230 km) microwave link.
* July 7 – Turkey's first television station, ITU TV, is opened.
* July 20 – Arrow to the Heart, the first collaboration between director Rudolph Cartier and scriptwriter Nigel Kneale, is broadcast by BBC Television in the United Kingdom.
* August 1 – First television broadcast in the Dominican Republic by La Voz Dominicana, a station based on the radio station of the same name.
* September 6 – Television debuts in Canada with the initiation of CBFT in Montreal, Quebec.
* September 8 – CBLT in Toronto, Ontario begins broadcasting as Canada's second television station.
* September 20 – The first commercial Ultra High Frequency (UHF) television station in the world, KPTV (later a Fox company affiliate), begins broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.
* October 7 – WFIL-TV Philadelphia's afternoon series Bandstand, which will become American Bandstand, changes emphasis to teens dancing to popular records
* November 4 – 1952 United States presidential election: The first political advertisements have appeared on U.S. television. Democrats bought a 30-minute time segment for their candidate, Adlai Stevenson but he has received unfavorable mail for interfering with a broadcast of I Love Lucy. Dwight Eisenhower bought 20 second commercial segments and wins the election.
* November 16 – CBS Television City in Hollywood, California opens, the network's first studio on the U.S. west coast.
* The U.S. Federal Communications Commission reserves channels for non-commercial public broadcasting.
* There are approximately 146,000 television sets in Canada and most antennas are pointed towards WBEN-TV (later WIVB) in Buffalo, New York.

## Programs/programmes

* Amos & Andy (1951–1953)
* Author Meets the Critics (1947–1954)
* Bozo the Clown (1948–present)
* Café Continental (UK) (1947–1953)
* Candid Camera (1948–present)
* Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
* The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950-1955)
* Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
* Dragnet (1951–1959)
* Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (1946–1960)
* Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
* Hawkins Falls (1950, 1951–1955)
* Howdy Doody (1947–1960)
* I Love Lucy (1951–1960)
* Juvenile Jury (1947–1954)
* Kaleidoscope (UK) (1946–1953)
* Kraft Television Theater (1947–1958)
* Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947–1957)
* Life with Elizabeth (1952–1955)
* Love of Life (1951–1980)
* Martin Kane, Private Eye (1949–1954)
* Meet the Press (1947–present)
* Muffin the Mule (UK) (1946–1955)
* Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
* Television Newsreel (UK) (1948–1954)
* The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
* The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950–1958)
* The Goldbergs (1949–1955)
* The Jack Benny Show (1950–1965)
* The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957)
* The Texaco Star Theater (1948–1953)
* The Voice of Firestone (1949–1963)
* Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
* What's My Line (1950–1967)
* Your Hit Parade (1950–1959)
* Your Show of Shows (1950–1954)

### Debuts

* January 6 - Claudia on NBC (moved to CBS on March 31, 1952)$^{:167}$
* January 14 – The Today Show on NBC (1952–present)
* March 1 – Death Valley Days in syndication (1952–1975)
* June 19 – I've Got a Secret on CBS (1952–1967)
* June 30 – the soap opera The Guiding Light (1952–2009) on CBS, which began on radio in 1937, becoming the longest-running regularly scheduled drama in television history
* July 10 - The prime time version of A Date with Judy debuts on ABC.
* September – the religious drama This Is the Life on DuMont, and ran until the late 1980s
* September 19 – Adventures of Superman in syndication (1952–1958)
* October 26 – Victory at Sea (1952–1953) on NBC, one of the first historic documentary series
* October 3 – Our Miss Brooks (1952-1956) on CBS
* November 1 – Hockey Night in Canada on CBC (1952–present)
* November 6 – Biff Baker, U.S.A. on CBS (1952–1953)
* November 8 – My Hero on NBC (1952–1953)
* December 1 – The Abbott and Costello Show in syndication (1952–1954)
* December 15 – Flower Pot Men on BBC Television (1952)
* American Bandstand, originally called Bandstand, as a local program in Philadelphia (1952–1989)
* Life Is Worth Living with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen on DuMont (1952–1955), then on ABC (1955–1957)
* My Little Margie (1952–1955), starring Gale Storm
* See It Now, hosted by Edward R. Murrow
* The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on ABC (1952–1966)
* The Ernie Kovacs Show, where Kovacs explores the boundaries of television technology with his use of special effects (1952–1953)
* Meet the Masters, a program about classical music, on NBC and WGN-TV
* This Is Your Life in the U.S. (1952–1961)
* Life with Elizabeth, a sitcom featuring Betty White (1952–1955)

### Ending during 1952

| Date | Show | Debut |
| February 23 | A Date with Judy (daytime version) | 1951 |
| March 27 | The Bill Goodwin Show | 1951 |
| April 11 | Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town | 1951 |
| April 24 | Stop the Music | 1949 |
| June 30 | Claudia | 1952 |
| Unknown | Picture Page (UK) | 1946 |

## Births

| Date | Name | Notability |
| January 2 | Wendy Phillips | Actress (Falcon Crest) |
| January 2 | Ng Man-tat | Hong Kong actor (Shaolin Soccer) (d. 2021) |
| January 3 | Jim Ross | Professional wrestling commentator |
| January 12 | Walter Mosley | Author |
| January 19 | Beau Weaver | Voice actor |
| January 20 | Dave Fennoy | Voice actor |
| January 27 | Patti Burns | Anchor (d. 2001) |
| January 28 | Bruce Helford | Writer |
| February 16 | Stella Farentino | Actress |
| February 17 | Garry Chalk | Voice actor |
| February 19 | Sara Moulton | Chef and television host |
| February 29 | Sharon Dahlonega Bush | Television newscaster |
| February 29 | Albert Welling | Television actor |
| March 2 | Janice Burgess | American TV executive, producer, screenwriter (The Backyardigans, Nick Jr., Winx Club) (d. 2024) |
| March 2 | Laraine Newman | Comic actress (Saturday Night Live) |
| March 4 | Ronn Moss | Actor, musician (The Bold and the Beautiful) |
| March 7 | Lynn Swann | Broadcaster |
| March 11 | Susan Richardson | Actress (Eight is Enough) |
| March 21 | Andrew D. Weyman | Director |
| March 22 | Bob Costas | Sportscaster |
| April 1 | Annette O'Toole | Actress (Smallville) |
| April 5 | Mitch Pileggi | Actor (The X-Files) |
| April 6 | Marilu Henner | Actress (Taxi) |
| April 6 | Erin Moriarty | American television news reporter |
| April 10 | Steven Seagal | Actor |
| April 16 | Billy West | Voice actor (Doug, The Ren and Stimpy Show, Futurama) |
| April 17 | Joe Alaskey | Actor (Looney Tunes), (d. 2016) |
| April 27 | Larry Elder | Political commentator |
| April 27 | George Gervin | NBA basketball player |
| April 28 | Mary McDonnell | Actress |
| April 29 | Nora Dunn | Actress, comedian (Saturday Night Live) |
| May 2 | Christine Baranski | Actress (Cybill, The Good Wife) |
| May 4 | Michael Barrymore | British comedian, presenter |
| May 6 | Gregg Henry | Actor, musician |
| May 6 | Michael O'Hare | Actor (Babylon 5) (d. 2012) |
| May 6 | Fred Newman | Actor (Doug, Between the Lions) |
| May 11 | Frances Fisher | Actress (The Edge of Night) |
| May 11 | Shohreh Aghdashloo | Actress |
| May 18 | George Strait | Actor |
| May 21 | Mr. T | Actor (B. A. Baracus on The A-Team) |
| May 23 | John Quiñones | ABC News correspondent |
| June 7 | Liam Neeson | Actor |
| June 14 | Eddie Mekka | Actor (Laverne & Shirley) (d. 2021) |
| June 18 | Carol Kane | Actress (Taxi) |
| June 20 | John Goodman | Actor (Roseanne) |
| June 22 | Graham Greene | Actor |
| June 28 | Alan Pasqua | Composer |
| June 28 | Debbie Zipp | Actress |
| July 1 | Dan Aykroyd | Comedian and actor (Saturday Night Live) |
| July 1 | Brian George | Israeli-British actor (The Edison Twins, The Big Bang Theory, Kim Possible, Green Lantern: The Animated Series) |
| July 6 | Grant Goodeve | American actor (Eight is Enough) |
| July 9 | John Tesh | American composer |
| July 11 | Stephen Lang | Actor |
| July 14 | Stan Shaw | Actor (Houseguest) |
| July 15 | Terry O'Quinn | Actor (Lost) |
| July 17 | David Hasselhoff | Actor (Knight Rider, Baywatch) |
| July 20 | Thom Beers | Voice actor |
| July 27 | Roxanne Hart | Actress (Chicago Hope) |
| August 1 | Brian Patrick Clarke | Actor |
| August 4 | Bobby Buntrock | Actor (Hazel) (d. 1974) |
| August 5 | Louis Walsh | Irish music manager |
| August 7 | Caroline Aaron | Actress |
| August 10 | Daniel Hugh Kelly | Actor (Hardcastle and McCormick) |
| August 16 | Reginald VelJohnson | Actor (Family Matters) |
| August 16 | Caitlin O'Heaney | Actress (Tales of the Gold Monkey) |
| August 18 | Patrick Swayze | Actor and dancer (d. 2009) |
| August 19 | Jonathan Frakes | Actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation), director |
| August 20 | Brenda Blackmon | American anchor |
| August 27 | Paul Reubens | Comic actor (Pee-wee's Playhouse, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) (d. 2023) |
| August 29 | Deborah Van Valkenburgh | Actress (Too Close for Comfort) |
| September 2 | Leslie Cockburn | American investigative journalist |
| September 5 | Michael Horton | Actor (Murder, She Wrote) |
| September 9 | Angela Cartwright | Actress (Make Room for Daddy, Lost in Space) |
| September 16 | Mickey Rourke | American actor |
| September 19 | David Hoberman | American film and television producer |
| September 25 | Christopher Reeve | Actor (d. 2004) |
| September 25 | Tommy Norden | Actor (Flipper) |
| September 25 | Toukie Smith | Actress (227) |
| September 27 | Gail Edwards | Actress (It's a Living, Full House, Blossom) |
| September 30 | John Finn | Actor (Cold Case) |
| October 9 | Sharon Osbourne | TV personality (The Osbournes, The Talk) |
| October 14 | Harry Anderson | Actor (Night Court) (d. 2018) |
| October 18 | Chuck Lorre | Television director, writer, producer, composer, and actor |
| October 20 | Melanie Mayron | Actress, director (Thirtysomething) |
| October 22 | Jeff Goldblum | Actor (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) |
| October 27 | Ted Wass | Actor, director (Soap, Blossom) |
| October 27 | Michael H. Shamberg | Director (d. 2014) |
| October 28 | Annie Potts | Actress (Designing Women) |
| October 30 | Emily Kuroda | Actress (Gilmore Girls) |
| November 3 | Roseanne Barr | Actress, comedian (Roseanne) |
| November 3 | Jim Cummings | Voice actor (The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck, CatDog) |
| November 5 | Bill Walton | NBA basketball player |
| November 6 | Gary Goetzman | American film and television producer and actor |
| November 8 | Alfre Woodard | Actress |
| November 9 | John Megna | Actor (d. 1995) |
| November 15 | Randy Savage | Pro wrestler and actor (WWE,WCW), (d. 2011) |
| November 28 | S. Epatha Merkerson | Actress (Law & Order) |
| November 29 | Jeff Fahey | Actor (The Marshal, Lost) |
| November 30 | Mandy Patinkin | Actor (Criminal Minds) |
| December 2 | Keith Szarabajka | Actor |
| December 3 | Benny Hinn | Christian televangelist |
| December 9 | Michael Dorn | Actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation) |
| December 10 | Susan Dey | Actress (The Partridge Family, L.A. Law) |
| December 10 | Clive Anderson | English presenter |
| December 12 | Sarah Douglas | Actress (Falcon Crest) |
| December 15 | Lee Aronsohn | American television writer, composer and producer |
| December 20 | Ray Bumatai | Actor (Tito Makani on Rocket Power) (d. 2005) |
| December 23 | Bill Kristol | Writer |
| December 25 | CCH Pounder | Actress (ER, Rocket Power) |
| December 29 | Robert Wightman | Actor (The Waltons) |

## Television debuts

* Mabel Albertson – Chevron Theatre
* Margaret Bert – Fireside Theatre
* Claire Bloom – Sunday Night Theatre
* Joe E. Brown – The Buick Circus Hour
* G. Pat Collins – Mr. and Mrs. North
* Buster Crabbe – The Philco Television Playhouse
* Richard Crenna – I Love Lucy
* Irene Dunne – Schlitz Playhouse
* William Hickey – The Philco Television Playhouse
* Allen Jenkins – Racket Squad
* Carolyn Jones – Chevron Theatre
* Peter Lorre – Lux Video Theatre
* Steve McQueen – Family Affair
* Sal Mineo – Hallmark Hall of Fame
* Marilyn Monroe – The Jack Benny Program
* Rita Moreno – Fireside Theatre
* Audie Murphy – Lux Video Theatre
* Pat O'Brien – Betty Crocker Star Matinee
* Maureen O'Sullivan – Hollywood Opening Night
* Geraldine Page – Lux Video Theatre
* Donald Pleasence – Sunday Night Theatre
* Sidney Poitier – CBS Television Workshop
* Bert Remsen – Suspense
* Mickey Rooney – Celanese Theatre
* Chris Sarandon – Guiding Light
* Peter Sellers – Don't Spare the Horses
* Sylvia Sidney – Cameo Theatre
* Ann Sothern – Schlitz Playhouse
* Joe Turkel – Boston Blackie
* Lee Van Cleef – Sky King
* Dennis Weaver – Dragnet
* Billie Whitelaw – The Secret Garden
* Stuart Whitman – The Roy Rogers Show
* Joanne Woodward – Tales of Tomorrow