# 1968 in television

The year 1968 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1968.

## Events

* January 20 – Houston defeats UCLA 71–69 at the Houston Astrodome on the TVS Television Network in what is billed as "The Game of the Century"; the first prime-time national broadcast of men's college basketball.
* January 27 – The Lennon Sisters make their final appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC (United States).
* January 31 – Turkey's first national TV channel TRT 1 is opened.
* February 6 – The Xth Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France are the first Olympics to be fully broadcast in color for the U.S. market by ABC.
* February 19 – National Educational Television in the United States begins airing preschool show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood nationally; it runs until 2001.
* February 28 – Influential American news reporter Walter Cronkite comments on primetime television "It is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out [of the Vietnam War] then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could", which influences US President Johnson not to seek another term.
* April 2
** NBC in the US broadcasts a television special in which white British singer Petula Clark appears with black performer Harry Belafonte as her guest. An innocent, affectionate gesture between the two during recording of a song (Clark touches Belafonte on the arm) has prompted an objection from a representative from the show's sponsor (Chrysler Corporation) due to the difference in their races, but NBC airs the performance.
** RAI in Italy broadcasts the first episode of the miniseries La famiglia Benvenuti (The Benvenuti family), by Alfredo Giannetti, with Enrico Maria Salerno and Valeria Valeri, about the life of the Italian middle class. The show, innovative at this time, is received well by the public and critics alike, and the child actor Giusva Fioravanti (later infamous right-wing terrorist) becomes a star.
* April 4 – Singer James Brown appears on national television in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
* April 6 – The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the first to be televised in colour.
* April 27 – Jordan Television, as predecessor of Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV-One), a first official television broadcasting service start in Jordan, is launched in Amman.
* May 2 – The Israel Broadcasting Authority commences television broadcasts.
* May 4 – Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV talent show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Beatle Paul McCartney. McCartney soon signs Hopkin to Apple Records.
* May 20 – Harlech (which will become HTV in 1970) starts its dual service for Wales and the West Country in the UK, replacing the interim ITSWW, which had replaced TWW.
* June 2 – The first cricket match to be televised in colour by the BBC in the UK, Surrey v International Cavaliers held at Cheam Cricket Club Ground. The game attracts 8,000 people.
* June 14 – Rosemary Prinz, one of the first big soap opera stars, is written out of As the World Turns in a less-than-amicable departure.
* August 20–21 – Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Events are televised live across Europe.
* October 13 – Actress Bea Benaderet of the popular CBS-TV sitcom Petticoat Junction dies of lung cancer at the age of 62 shortly after the start of the popular program's sixth season.
* October 14 – First live television broadcast from a spacecraft in orbit, during the Apollo 7 mission. There are six broadcasts during the eleven-day mission.
* October 21–25 – Joan Crawford makes a guest appearance for five episodes on the soap opera The Secret Storm, filling in for her ailing daughter, Christina. Joan slurs her lines and appears to be intoxicated during the tapings.
* November 17 – "Heidi Game": NBC breaks away from a pro football game to air a TV movie adaptation of Heidi, sparking furious protest. After the break away, the Oakland Raiders score two touchdowns to defeat the New York Jets, in the final minute of play.
* November 17 - WABC-TV debuts the Eyewitness News format on behalf of news director Al Primo.
* November 22 – William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols share the first interracial kiss on US television in the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren".
* December 3 – The 50-minute television special Elvis (sponsored by sewing machine manufacturer The Singer Company), taped in June with a live audience in Burbank, California, airs on NBC in the United States marking the comeback of Elvis Presley after 7 years during which the legendary rock and roll musician's career has centered on the movie industry. Concluding with the premiere of "If I Can Dream", it is not only the highest rated television show for the week of broadcast, but the highest rated television special of the year. Its original broadcast is followed by a Brigitte Bardot special.
* December 24 – Apollo 8 broadcasts to the Earth, relaying a report that there is a Santa Claus and reading a passage from the Book of Genesis.

### Also in 1968

* Nearly 200 million households now own television sets, 78 million of which are in the US.
* The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow expand to 30 minutes.
* The last round-screen color TV sets are produced by all American manufacturers.

## Programs/programmes

* American Bandstand (1952–1989)
* Another World (1964–1999)
* As the World Turns (1956–2010)
* Bewitched (1964–1972)
* Blue Peter (UK) (1958–present)
* Bonanza (1959–1973)
* Bozo the Clown (1949–present)
* Candid Camera (1948–present)
* Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
* Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
* Coronation Street (UK) (1960–present)
* Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
* Daniel Boone (1964–1970)
* Dark Shadows (1966–1971)
* Days of Our Lives (1965–present)
* Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955–1976)
* Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967–1969)
* Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present)
* Face the Nation (1954–present)
* Family Affair (1966–1971)
* Four Corners (Australia) (1961–present)
* General Hospital (1963–present)
* Get Smart (1965–1970)
* Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964–1970)
* Grandstand (UK) (1958–2007)
* Green Acres (1965–1971)
* Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
* Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
* Here's Lucy (1968–1974)
* Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971)
* I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970)
* Ironside (1967–1975)
* I Spy (1965-1968)
* It's Academic (1961–present)
* Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–present)
* Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967–1973)
* Love of Life (1951–1980)
* Mannix (1967–1975)
* Match Game (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999)
* Meet the Press (1947–present)
* Mission: Impossible (1966–1973)
* My Three Sons (1960–1972)
* Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956–1978)
* Panorama (UK) (1953–present)
* Petticoat Junction (1963–1970)
* Peyton Place (1964–1969)
* Play School (1966–present)
* Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
* Spider-Man (1967–1970)
* Star Trek (1966–1969)
* That Girl (1966–1971)
* The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968, direct spinoff Mayberry RFD premiered on September 23, and ran until 1971)
* The Avengers (UK) (1961–1969)
* The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)
* The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978)
* The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974)
* The Doctors (1963–1982)
* The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
* The Edge of Night (1956–1984)
* The Flying Nun (1967–1970)
* The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983)
* The Guiding Light (1952–2009)
* The Hollywood Palace (1964–1970)
* The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962–present)
* The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982)
* The Lucy Show (1962–1968)
* The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
* The Money Programme (UK) (1966–present)
* The Mothers-in-Law (1967–1969)
* The Newlywed Game (1966–1974)
* The Saint (UK) (1962–1969)
* The Secret Storm (1954–1974)
* The Sky at Night (UK) (1957–present)
* The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1969)
* The Today Show (1952–present)
* The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
* The Wednesday Play (UK) (1964–1970)
* This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003)
* Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982)
* Top of the Pops (UK) (1964–2006)
* Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
* TRT 1 Foreign films day (Turkey) (1968–present)
* TRT 1 Turkish films day (Turkey) (1968–present)
* Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961 – July 1971)
* What the Papers Say (UK) (1956–present)
* World of Sport (UK) (1965–1985)
* Z-Cars (UK) (1962–1978)

### Debuts

* January 1 – Vremya (Вре́мя, "Time") in the Soviet Union (1964–1991, 1994–present)
* January 5 – Gardeners' World on BBC1 in the UK (1968–present)
* January 22 – Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on NBC (1968–1973)
* February 19 – Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on National Educational Television (1968–2001)
* April – Audubon Wildlife Theatre on CBC (1968–1974)
* May 18 – The Prisoner has its U.S. premiere on CBS
* July 5 – The Expert on BBC2 in the UK (1968–1976)
* July 15 – One Life to Live (created by Agnes Nixon) on ABC (1968–2012, 2013–present)
* July 30 – Magpie on ITV in the UK (1968–1980)
* July 31 – Popular sitcom Dad's Army run on BBC1 in the UK (1968–1977)
* September – What's My Line in first-run syndication (1968–1975)
* September 14
** The Archie Show on CBS Saturday Morning (1968–1969)
** The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour and on CBS Saturday Morning (1968–1971; 1975–1985; known as The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show from 1978 to 1985)
** Wacky Races on CBS Saturday Morning (1968-1969)
* September 17 – Julia on NBC (1968–1971)
* September 21 – Adam-12 on NBC (1968–1975)
* September 22 – Land of the Giants on ABC (1968–1970)
* September 23
** Here's Lucy on CBS (1968–1974)
** Mayberry R.F.D. on CBS (1968–1971)
* September 24
** The Doris Day Show on CBS (1968–1973)
** The Mod Squad on ABC (1968–1973)
** 60 Minutes (1968–present) on CBS
* September 25 – Here Come the Brides on ABC (1968–1970)
* September 26 – Hawaii Five-O on CBS (1968–1980)
* September 29 – Fabeltjeskrant on NOS (1968–1989)

### Ending this year

| Date | Show | Debut |
| January 15 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | 1964 |
| January 20 | Birdman and the Galaxy Trio | 1967 |
| February 4 | The Prisoner (UK) | 1967 |
| February 7 | Cliff Dexter (West Germany) | 1966 |
| March 6 | Lost in Space | 1965 |
| March 11 | The Lucy Show | 1962 |
| March 14 | Batman | 1966 |
| March 15 | Speed Racer (Japan) | 1967 |
| March 25 | The Monkees | 1966 |
| March 25 | Armchair Theatre (UK) | 1956 |
| March 25 | The Bell Telephone Hour | 1959 |
| March 25 | The Fulton Sheen Program | 1961 |
| March 25 | The Stairlit Starways | 1961 |
| March 27 | Run for Your Life | 1965 |
| April 1 | The Andy Griffith Show | 1960 |
| April 15 | I Spy | 1965 |
| September 8 | Ultra Seven (Japan) | 1967 |
| Unknown | The Mavis Bramston Show (Australia) | 1964 |
| Unknown | The Gumby Show | 1957 |
| Unknown | The Road Runner Show (returned in 1971) | 1966 |

## Births

| Date | Name | Notability |
| January 2 | Cuba Gooding Jr. | American actor |
| January 5 | Carrie Ann Inaba | American dancer and actress (In Living Color, Dancing with the Stars) |
| January 6 | John Singleton | American director (died 2019) |
| January 12 | Farrah Forke | American actress (Wings, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) (died 2022) |
| January 14 | LL Cool J | American actor and rapper (In the House, NCIS: Los Angeles) |
| January 16 | David Chokachi | American actor (Baywatch, Beyond the Break) |
| January 19 | Matt Hill | Canadian voice actor (Ed on Ed, Edd n Eddy) |
| January 21 | Charlotte Ross | American actress (Days of Our Lives, NYPD Blue) |
| January 22 | Brian Jones | American host |
| February 1 | Pauly Shore | American actor and comedian |
| February 3 | Vlade Divac | NBA basketball player |
| February 8 | Gary Coleman | American actor (Diff'rent Strokes) (died 2010) |
| February 12 | Josh Brolin | American actor (The Young Riders) and son of James Brolin |
| February 12 | Chynna Phillips | American actress |
| February 13 | Kelly Hu | American actress (Phineas and Ferb) |
| February 14 | Phill Lewis | American actor (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) |
| February 18 | Molly Ringwald | American actress (The Facts of Life, The Secret Life of the American Teenager) |
| February 22 | Jeri Ryan | American actress (Star Trek: Voyager, Boston Public, Body of Proof) |
| February 24 | Andy Berman | American actor (Invader Zim) |
| February 26 | Ed Quinn | American actor |
| February 29 | Frank Woodley | Australian comedian |
| February 29 | Wendi Peters | English actress |
| February 29 | Dana Schweiger | Model |
| February 29 | Naoko Iijima | Actress |
| February 29 | Suanne Braun | Actress |
| March 1 | Kat Cressida | American voice actress (Dexter's Laboratory, Archer) |
| March 2 | Daniel Craig | Actor |
| March 4 | Patsy Kensit | Actress |
| March 6 | Moira Kelly | American actress (One Tree Hill) |
| March 20 | Liza Snyder | American actress (Yes, Dear, Man with a Plan) |
| March 27 | Ben Koldyke | American actor |
| March 29 | Lucy Lawless | Australian actress (Xena: Warrior Princess) |
| April 8 | Patricia Arquette | American actress (Medium) |
| April 10 | Orlando Jones | American comedian and actor (Mad TV) |
| April 12 | Tracy Vilar | American actress (The Steve Harvey Show) |
| April 14 | Anthony Michael Hall | American actor (Saturday Night Live, The Dead Zone, Psych) |
| April 20 | Jo Vannicola | Actor |
| April 24 | Stacy Haiduk | American actress (The Young and the Restless) |
| April 24 | Aidan Gillen | American actor |
| April 26 | Angela Santomero | American television executive producer |
| April 29 | Steve Holland | American writer |
| May 7 | Traci Lords | American actress |
| May 10 | Erik Palladino | American actor (ER) |
| May 11 | Jeffrey Donovan | American actor (Burn Notice) |
| May 12 | Catherine Tate | English actress (The Office) |
| May 14 | Johnny A. Sanchez | American comedian and actor (Mad TV) |
| May 16 | Ralph Tresvant | Singer |
| May 16 | David Hollander | Writer |
| May 16 | Stephen Mangan | Actor |
| May 20 | Timothy Olyphant | Actor |
| May 27 | Spencer Kayden | Actress |
| May 31 | Damian Kindler | Writer |
| June 4 | Scott Wolf | American actor (Party of Five, Everwood) |
| June 7 | Mike Barker | American producer |
| June 11 | Jacqueline Mazarella | American actress (Everybody Hates Chris) |
| June 14 | Yasmine Bleeth | American actress (Baywatch) |
| June 14 | Regan Burns | Actor |
| June 18 | Gina Fattore | American producer |
| June 20 | Robert Rodriguez | American filmmaker |
| June 26 | Travis Fine | American actor (The Young Riders) |
| June 26 | Shannon Sharpe | American sports analyst |
| June 28 | Adam Woodyatt | English actor (EastEnders) |
| June 28 | Chayanne | Actor |
| June 29 | Brian d'Arcy James | Actor |
| July 5 | Jillian Armenante | American actress (Judging Amy) |
| July 5 | Tom McCarthy | American sportscaster |
| July 6 | John Dickerson | American journalist (Face the Nation) |
| July 7 | Amy Carlson | American actress (Another World, Third Watch, Blue Bloods) |
| July 7 | Jorja Fox | American actress (ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) |
| July 8 | Michael Weatherly | American actor (Dark Angel, NCIS) |
| July 11 | Conrad Vernon | American actor |
| July 15 | Eddie Griffin | American comedian and actor (Malcolm & Eddie) |
| July 17 | Beth Littleford | Actress |
| July 17 | Bitty Schram | American actress (Monk) |
| July 18 | Grant Bowler | Australian-New Zealand actor (Blue Heelers, Outrageous Fortune, Defiance) |
| July 18 | Alex Désert | American actor (Becker) |
| July 18 | Andre Royo | American actor (The Wire) |
| July 19 | Jim Norton | American comedian and actor (Lucky Louie) |
| July 22 | Llŷr Ifans | Actor |
| July 23 | Beth Ehlers | American actress (Guiding Light) |
| July 23 | Gary Payton | NBA basketball player |
| July 23 | Stephanie Seymour | Actress |
| July 24 | Kristin Chenoweth | American actress and singer |
| July 24 | Laura Leighton | American actress (Melrose Place, Pretty Little Liars) |
| July 26 | Cress Williams | American Actor (Black Lightning) |
| July 26 | Olivia Williams | Actress |
| July 27 | Julian McMahon | Australian actor (Profiler, Nip/Tuck) |
| July 27 | Jorge Salinas | Actor |
| July 27 | Cliff Curtis | Actor |
| July 30 | Terry Crews | American actor and NFL football player (Everybody Hates Chris, Are We There Yet?, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) |
| August 2 | Melanie Hutsell | American comic actress (Saturday Night Live) |
| August 2 | Alice Evans | American actress |
| August 4 | Daniel Dae Kim | Korean-American actor (Lost, Hawaii Five-0) |
| August 4 | Lee Mack | Actor |
| August 8 | Kimberly Brooks | American voice actress (Steven Universe, DC Super Hero Girls, Voltron: Legendary Defender) |
| August 9 | Gillian Anderson | American-British actress (The X-Files) |
| August 9 | Eric Bana | Actor |
| August 9 | McG | American director |
| August 11 | Anna Gunn | American actress (Breaking Bad) |
| August 11 | Sophie Okonedo | English actress |
| August 14 | Ben Bass | American-Canadian actor (Forever Knight, Rookie Blue) |
| August 14 | Adrian Lester | Actor |
| August 14 | Catherine Bell | British-born Iranian-American actress (JAG, Army Wives) |
| August 15 | Debra Messing | American actress (Will & Grace) |
| August 16 | Karine Le Marchand | French television host |
| August 17 | Orlagh Cassidy | American actress (Guiding Light, Another World) |
| August 25 | Rachael Ray | American author, chef and television host |
| August 30 | Michelle Franzen | New York-based midday anchor |
| September 2 | Cynthia Watros | American actress (Guiding Light, The Drew Carey Show, Lost) |
| September 4 | John DiMaggio | American voice actor (Futurama, Samurai Jack, Kim Possible, Teen Titans, American Dragon: Jake Long, Chowder, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Sanjay and Craig, The Loud House) |
| September 9 | Jocelyn Seagrave | American actress (Guiding Light) |
| September 12 | Ramón Franco | American actor (Tour of Duty) |
| September 12 | Paul F. Tompkins | American actor |
| September 20 | Philippa Forrester | British television presenter |
| September 20 | Van Jones | American political commentator (CNN) |
| September 21 | Ricki Lake | American actress, talk show host |
| September 25 | Will Smith | American actor and rapper (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) |
| September 26 | Jim Caviezel | American actor (The Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest) |
| September 28 | Naomi Watts | British actress |
| October 4 | Jennifer Gatti | American actress (Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless) |
| October 8 | Emily Procter | American actress (The West Wing, CSI: Miami) |
| October 11 | Jane Krakowski | American actress (Ally McBeal, 30 Rock) |
| October 12 | Hugh Jackman | Australian actor |
| October 12 | Adam Rich | American actor (Eight is Enough) (died 2023) |
| October 13 | Tisha Campbell | American actress and singer (Martin, My Wife and Kids) |
| October 15 | Vanessa Marcil | American actress (General Hospital, Beverly Hills, 90210, Las Vegas) |
| October 20 | Sunny Hostin | American journalist and TV host |
| October 27 | Cristina Perez | American judge |
| October 28 | Chris Broussard | American sports analyst |
| November 2 | Samantha Ferris | Canadian actress (The 4400) |
| November 5 | Matt Kunitz | American television executive producer |
| November 6 | Kelly Rutherford | American actress (Generations, Melrose Place, Gossip Girl) |
| November 7 | Tracy Smith | American journalist |
| November 10 | Tracy Morgan | American actor and comedian (Saturday Night Live, Scare Tactics, 30 Rock) |
| November 10 | Tom Papa | American actor and comedian |
| November 14 | Steve Callaghan | American voice actor |
| November 14 | Roland Martin | American journalist |
| November 18 | Owen Wilson | American actor |
| November 22 | Khalil Kain | American actor (Girlfriends) |
| November 25 | Jill Hennessy | Canadian actress (Law & Order, Crossing Jordan) |
| November 27 | Michael Vartan | French-American actor (Alias, Hawthorne) |
| December 2 | Lucy Liu | American actress (Ally McBeal, Elementary, Maya & Miguel, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) |
| December 3 | Brendan Fraser | American actor |
| December 3 | Montell Jordan | American singer |
| December 8 | Joy Reid | American political commentator (MSNBC) |
| December 9 | Kurt Angle | American wrestler |
| December 14 | Noelle Beck | American actress (Loving) |
| December 15 | Garrett Wang | American actor (Star Trek: Voyager) |
| December 17 | Greg Kelly | American conservative television anchor |
| December 18 | Rachel Griffiths | Australian actress (Six Feet Under, Brothers & Sisters) |
| December 21 | Khrystyne Haje | American actress (Head of the Class) |
| December 22 | Lauralee Bell | American soap opera actress (The Young and the Restless) |
| December 26 | Bill Lawrence | American producer |

## Deaths

| Date | Name | Age | Notability |
| May 9 | Marion Lorne | 84 | Actress (Aunt Clara on Bewitched) |
| June 7 | Dan Duryea | 61 | Actor (Peyton Place) |
| September 19 | Red Foley | 58 | Singer (Ozark Jubilee) |
| October 13 | Bea Benaderet | 62 | Actress (Kate on Petticoat Junction; original voice of Betty Rubble on The Flintstones) |

## Television debuts

* Linda Blair – Hidden Faces
* Bud Cort – The Doctors
* Blythe Danner – N.Y.P.D.
* Jodie Foster – Mayberry R.F.D.
* Howard Hesseman – The Andy Griffith Show
* Margot Kidder – Wojeck
* Al Pacino – N.Y.P.D.
* Austin Pendleton – One Life to Live
* Joffre Soares – Beto Rockfeller
* M. Emmet Walsh – The Doctors