# 1962 in television

The year 1962 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of notable events of that year.

## Events

* January 1
** The 1962 Rose Bowl game on NBC is the first coast-to-coast color television broadcast of a college football game in the United States.
** NBC introduces the Laramie Peacock before a midnight showing of Laramie.
* March 24 – Boxer Benny Kid Paret falls unconscious at the hands of fellow boxer Emile Griffith during a boxing match telecast by ABC from Madison Square Garden, and officiated by Ruby Goldstein. Paret dies ten days later.
* April 16 – Walter Cronkite succeeds Douglas Edwards as anchorman of the CBS Evening News; he will remain so for the next 19 years.
* May 27 - General Electric Theater airs its last episode on CBS.
* June 26 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents airs its last half-hour episode on NBC, before expanding to one hour on September 20 as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour on CBS.
* July 6 - Gay Byrne presents the first edition of The Late Late Show on RTÉ in Ireland. Byrne would present the show for 37 years, the longest period through which any individual has hosted a televised talk show anywhere in the world, and the show itself becomes the world's second longest-running talk show.
* July 23 – First publicly available live transatlantic television broadcast via Telstar 1.
* August 24 - Indonesia begins the first television broadcast with the newly inaugurated TVRI, broadcast the opening ceremony of 1962 Asian Games. TVRI is the first national television network in Indonesia before 1989. The establishment of TVRI marked as National Television Day.
* September 1 – Channel Television, the ITV franchise for the Channel Islands, goes on air.
* September 9 - WNYS-TV (now WSYR-TV) signs-on the air, giving Syracuse, New York its first full-time ABC affiliate.
* September 14 – Wales West and North Television (Teledu Cymru) goes on air to the North and West Wales region, extending ITV to the whole of the UK.
* September 16 - WOKR-TV (now WHAM-TV) signs-on the air as an ABC-affiliate in Rochester, New York
* September 26 – Malta Television (MTV) went on the air as the first TV station in Malta.
* Broadcast of Sábados Alegres begins, program later becomes Sábados Gigantes
* Cigarette adverts are banned from children's programmes in the UK. Actors in these adverts now have to be over 21, and connection to social success is no longer allowed. The tobacco companies also start a policy of not advertising before 9pm.
* The U.S. All-Channel Receiver Act requires UHF tuners to be on all consumer sets (channels 14 through 83), as well as VHF.
* Zenith markets its first color TV, a 21" round screen set.

## Programs/programmes

* American Bandstand (1952–1989)
* Armchair Theatre (UK) (1956–1968)
* As the World Turns (1956–2010)
* Ben Casey (1961–1966)
* Blue Peter (UK) (1958–present)
* Bonanza (1959–1973)
* Bozo the Clown (1949–present)
* Candid Camera (1948–present)
* Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
* Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–1963)
* Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
* Coronation Street (UK) (1960–present)
* Dennis the Menace (1959–1963)
* Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955–1976)
* Face the Nation (1954–present)
* Four Corners (Australia) (1961–present)
* Grandstand (UK) (1958–2007)
* Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
* Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
* Hawaiian Eye (1959–1963)
* Hazel (1961–1966)
* It's Academic (1961–present)
* Juke Box Jury (1959–1967, 1979, 1989–1990)
* Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963)
* Love of Life (1951–1980)
* Meet the Press (1947–present)
* Mister Ed (1961–1966)
* My Three Sons (1960–1972)
* Naked City (1958–1963)
* Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956–1978)
* Panorama (UK) (1953–present)
* Perry Mason (1957–1966)
* Route 66 (1960–1964)
* Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
* The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966)
* The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)
* The Avengers (UK) (1961–1969)
* The Bell Telephone Hour (1959–1968)
* The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966)
* The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966)
* The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
* The Edge of Night (1956–1984)
* The Flintstones (1960–1966)
* The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968)
* The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983)
* The Guiding Light (1952–2009)
* The Jack Benny Show (1950–1965)
* The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982)
* The Lucy Show (1962–1968) (CBS)
* The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
* The Milton Berle Show (1954–1967)
* The Price Is Right (1956–1965)
* The Real McCoys (1957–1963)
* The Secret Storm (1954–1974)
* The Sky at Night (UK) (1957–present)
* The Today Show (1952–present)
* The Tonight Show (1954–present)
* The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
* The Untouchables (1959–1963)
* The Voice of Firestone (1949–1963)
* This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003)
* Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
* Wagon Train (1957-1965)
* Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961–1969)
* What the Papers Say (UK) (1956–2008)
* What's My Line (1950–1967)
* Zoo Quest (UK) (1954–1964)

### Debuts

* January 2 – Z-Cars (UK) on BBC Television (1962–1978)
* March 8 – Oh! Those Bells on CBS (1962)
* April 6 – Little Blue Light (Голубой огонёк, Goluboy ogonyok) in the Soviet Union (1962–present)
* April 17 – Brothers in Law (UK) on BBC Television (1962)
* July 6 – The Late Late Show (Ireland) on RTÉ (1962–present)
* July 26 - The Lively Ones on NBC (1962-1963)
* September 3 – The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series on Syndication (1962–1963)
* September 19 – The Virginian on NBC, beginning a nine-year run, and is the first western to air in 90-minute installments (1962–1971)
* September 21 – Don't Call Me Charlie! on NBC (1962–1963)
* September 23 – Ensign O'Toole on NBC (1962–1963); The Jetsons on ABC, the first program to air in color on the network (1962–1963, 1984–1985, 1987)
* September 26 – The Beverly Hillbillies premieres on CBS (1962–1971)
* October 1 – The Lucy Show on CBS (1962–1968); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on NBC (1962–1992); Discovery on ABC (1962–1971)
* October 2 – Combat! on ABC (1962–1967)
* October 4 – The Saint (UK) on ITV (1962–1969)
* October 11 – McHale's Navy on ABC (1962–1966)
* December 10- Bonne Nuit les Petits on RTF (France) and Ici Radio-Canada Télé (Canada)
* December 31 – Match Game on NBC (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999, 2016–present)
* To Tell the Truth on CTV (1962–1964)

### Ending this year

| Date | Show | Debut |
| January 6 | The Yogi Bear Show | 1961 |
| March 1 | The New Bob Cummings Show | 1961 |
| March 13 | Mess Mates | 1960 |
| March 25 | Bus Stop | 1961 |
| April 4 | Straightaway | 1961 |
| April 18 | Top Cat | 1961 |
| May 10 | Outlaws | 1960 |
| May 23 | Window on Main Street | 1961 |
| May 25 | Father of the Bride | 1961 |
| May 31 | Oh! Those Bells | 1962 |
| June 5 | Ichabod and Me | 1961 |
| September 12 | The Alvin Show | 1961 |
| September 28 | The Brighter Day | 1954 |
| Unknown | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | 1955 |
| Unknown | The Quick Draw McGraw Show | 1959 |

## Births

| Date | Name | Notability |
| January 4 | Patrick Cassidy | Actor |
| January 5 | Suzy Amis | Actress |
| January 7 | Hallie Todd | Actress (Brothers, Lizzie McGuire) |
| January 10 | Julie Moran | TV host |
| January 11 | Kim Coles | Actress (In Living Color, Living Single) |
| January 13 | Trace Adkins | Actor |
| January 17 | Jim Carrey | Actor and comedian (In Living Color) |
| January 17 | Denis O'Hare | Actor |
| January 17 | Joseph C. Phillips | Actor (The Cosby Show, General Hospital) |
| January 19 | Kelly Coffield Park | Actress and comedian (In Living Color) |
| January 20 | Sophie Thompson | Actress |
| January 22 | Tamra Davis | Director |
| January 28 | Creflo Dollar | American televangelist |
| January 29 | Nicholas Turturro | Actor (NYPD Blue) |
| January 30 | Melanie Walters | Actress |
| February 4 | Jim O'Heir | Actor (Parks and Recreation) |
| February 5 | Armstrong Williams | Talk show host |
| February 7 | Eddie Izzard | Actor |
| February 7 | Guy Moon | Composer |
| February 8 | John Shiban | Producer |
| February 12 | Ali LeRoi | Actor |
| February 13 | Michele Greene | Actress (L.A. Law) |
| February 15 | Kurt McKinney | Actor (Guiding Light) |
| February 17 | Lou Diamond Phillips | Actor (Longmire) |
| February 22 | Steve Irwin | Wildlife educator (Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, The Crocodile Hunter) (died 2006) |
| February 27 | Adam Baldwin | Actor (Chuck) |
| February 27 | Grant Show | Actor |
| March 2 | Jon Bon Jovi | Actor |
| March 3 | Herschel Walker | American football player |
| March 8 | Leon Robinson | Actor |
| March 10 | Jasmine Guy | Actress, singer and dancer (A Different World) |
| March 10 | Dan O'Shannon | Writer |
| March 11 | Jeffrey Nordling | Actor (Once and Again, 24, Desperate Housewives) |
| March 11 | Barbara Alyn Woods | Actress (One Tree Hill) |
| March 12 | Titus Welliver | Actor (Lost, Bosch) |
| March 15 | Jimmy Baio | Actor (Soap) |
| March 18 | Thomas Ian Griffith | Actor (Another World, One Tree Hill, Cobra Kai) Producer (Grimm, Virgin River) |
| March 18 | Mike Rowe | Host |
| March 18 | Eileen Conn | American television producer |
| March 21 | Matthew Broderick | Actor (2-time host of Saturday Night Live) |
| March 21 | Rosie O'Donnell | Actress, comedian, talk show host (The Rosie O'Donnell Show) |
| March 22 | Alex Berger | Producer |
| March 24 | Star Jones | TV personality |
| March 25 | Marcia Cross | Actress (Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives) |
| March 26 | John Stockton | NBA basketball player |
| March 27 | Vicki Gunvalson | TV personality |
| March 30 | MC Hammer | Rapper |
| April 1 | Phillip Schofield | English television presenter |
| April 2 | Clark Gregg | Actor (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) |
| April 6 | Steven Levitan | Screenwriter |
| April 15 | Tom Kane | Voice actor (The Angry Beavers, The Wild Thornberrys, The Powerpuff Girls, Kim Possible, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The X's) |
| April 16 | Mark Brazill | Stand-up comedian |
| April 16 | Jason Scheff | Singer |
| April 17 | Bill Kopp | Voice actor |
| April 26 | Debra Wilson | Actress and comedian (Mad TV) |
| April 26 | Kent Weed | American television director |
| April 27 | James LeGros | Actor |
| May 2 | Elizabeth Berridge | Actress (The John Larroquette Show) |
| May 2 | Mitzi Kapture | Actress (Silk Stalkings) |
| May 4 | Clare Wren | Actress (The Young Riders) |
| May 7 | Simon Day | English comedian, actor, and screenwriter |
| May 13 | Sean McDonough | Sportscaster |
| May 14 | Michael Breed | Television host |
| May 17 | Craig Ferguson | Actor and television host |
| May 17 | Jane Moore | Television host |
| May 17 | Jonathan Groff | Writer |
| May 24 | Gene Anthony Ray | Actor, dancer, choreographer (Fame) (died 2003) |
| May 26 | Genie Francis | Actress (General Hospital) |
| May 28 | Michelle Collins | Actress (EastEnders, Coronation Street) |
| May 28 | Brandon Cruz | Actor (The Courtship of Eddie's Father) |
| May 28 | James Michael Tyler | Actor (died 2021) |
| June 5 | Jeff Garlin | Actor and comedian (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs) |
| June 7 | Lance Reddick | Actor (The Wire, Fringe) (died 2023) |
| June 10 | Carolyn Hennesy | Soap opera actress (General Hospital) |
| June 10 | Gina Gershon | Actress |
| June 12 | Eamonn Walker | British actor (Oz, Chicago Fire) |
| June 13 | Hannah Storm | Sports journalist |
| June 16 | Joel Sartore | Speaker |
| June 19 | Paula Abdul | Singer and choreographer (American Idol judge) |
| June 22 | Stephen Chow | Hong Kong filmmaker, former actor and comedian |
| June 22 | Clyde Drexler | NBA basketball player |
| June 27 | Michael Ball | Actor |
| June 29 | Amanda Donohoe | Actress (L.A. Law) |
| July 1 | Andre Braugher | Actor (Homicide: Life on the Street, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) (died 2023) |
| July 3 | Thomas Gibson | Actor (Chicago Hope, Dharma & Greg, Criminal Minds) |
| July 3 | Tom Cruise | Actor (directed one episode of Fallen Angels and a guest on Top Gear) |
| July 6 | Carolyn Omine | Writer |
| July 8 | Rob Burnett | Executive producer of (Late Show with David Letterman) |
| July 12 | Michael Jace | Actor |
| July 13 | Tom Kenny | Voice actor and comedian (Rocko's Modern Life, Dexter's Laboratory, CatDog, The Powerpuff Girls, SpongeBob SquarePants, Johnny Bravo, The Fairly OddParents, Codename: Kids Next Door, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner's a Monkey , Squirrel Boy, Handy Manny, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Adventure Time) |
| July 18 | Jensen Buchanan | Actress (One Life to Live, Another World) |
| July 19 | Anthony Edwards | Actor (Dr. Mark Greene on ER) |
| July 20 | Carlos Alazraqui | Voice actor and comedian (Rocko's Modern Life, Hey Arnold!, Cow and Chicken, CatDog, Family Guy, Rocket Power, Detention, The Weekenders, The Fairly OddParents, ¡Mucha Lucha!, Reno 911!, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, Squirrel Boy, The Replacements, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Phineas and Ferb, The Loud House) |
| July 22 | Alvin Robertson | NBA basketball player |
| July 23 | Eriq La Salle | Actor (ER) |
| July 24 | Thierry Frémont | Actor |
| July 25 | Anthony Tyler Quinn | Actor (Boy Meets World) |
| July 29 | Kevin Chapman | Actor (Rescue Me, Person of Interest) |
| July 29 | Danielle Staub | American television personality |
| July 31 | Wesley Snipes | Actor (White Men Can't Jump) |
| August 5 | Patrick Ewing | NBA basketball player |
| August 6 | Michelle Yeoh | Actress |
| August 13 | John Slattery | Actor |
| August 15 | David Zayas | Actor |
| August 16 | Steve Carell | Actor and comedian (Michael Scott on The Office) |
| August 17 | John Marshall Jones | Actor (Smart Guy) |
| August 19 | Eric Lutes | Actor (Caroline in the City) |
| August 20 | James Marsters | Actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) |
| August 20 | Tammy Bruce | Radio host |
| August 24 | Craig Kilborn | Comedian and host (The Daily Show) |
| August 24 | Major Garrett | American journalist |
| August 24 | David Koechner | Actor and comedian (Todd Packer on The Office) |
| August 27 | Vic Mignogna | Actor (Dragon Ball, Fullmetal Alchemist, Full Metal Panic!) |
| August 27 | Dean Devlin | Actor |
| August 28 | David Fincher | Film director |
| August 28 | David Zuckerman | TV producer |
| August 28 | Craig Anton | Actor, comedian (Mad TV, Phil of the Future) |
| August 29 | Ian James Corlett | Voice actor (ReBoot, Mega Man, Dinosaur Train) |
| August 29 | Edward Allen Bernero | Producer |
| August 31 | Dee Bradley Baker | Voice actor (Star Wars, Codename: Kids Next Door, Steven Universe, Phineas and Ferb, Ben 10) |
| August 31 | Mark L. Walberg | Actor |
| September 2 | Keir Starmer | British politician |
| September 6 | Chris Christie | Politician and commentator (ABC News) |
| September 6 | Elizabeth Vargas | Journalist (20/20) |
| September 8 | Thomas Kretschmann | Actor |
| September 9 | Troy Roberts | Journalist |
| September 11 | Kristy McNichol | Actress (Family, Empty Nest) |
| September 12 | Mary Kay Adams | Actress (Guiding Light, Babylon 5) |
| September 12 | Amy Yasbeck | Actress (Wings) |
| September 14 | Robert Herjavec | Television personality |
| September 15 | Scott McNeil | Voice actor |
| September 15 | Dina Lohan | TV star |
| September 16 | Lori Stokes | Television journalist |
| September 17 | Paul Feig | Actor (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) |
| September 17 | Dustin Nguyen | Vietnamese-American actor (21 Jump Street, V.I.P.) |
| September 19 | Cheri Oteri | Comic actress (Saturday Night Live) |
| September 21 | Rob Morrow | Actor (Northern Exposure, Numb3rs) |
| September 21 | Mark Holden | Actor (Deep State) |
| September 25 | Beth Toussaint | Actress |
| September 25 | Aida Turturro | Actress |
| September 26 | Melissa Sue Anderson | Actress (Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie) |
| September 30 | Tony Morris | British newsreader (died 2020) |
| October 1 | Esai Morales | Actor (NYPD Blue) |
| October 2 | Jeff Bennett | Voice actor (Animaniacs, Gargoyles, Pinky and the Brain, Dexter's Laboratory, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, Johnny Bravo, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Pepper Ann, Histeria!, The Powerpuff Girls, The Weekenders, Teamo Supremo, Kim Possible, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Ozzy & Drix, Codename: Kids Next Door, Teen Titans, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Xiaolin Showdown, Dave the Barbarian, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, American Dragon: Jake Long, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, The Buzz on Maggie, Camp Lazlo, The Emperor's New School, The Replacements, Curious George, Chowder, Transformers: Animated, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, The Penguins of Madagascar, Fanboy & Chum Chum, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Regular Show, T.U.F.F. Puppy, The Loud House) |
| October 11 | Joan Cusack | Actress |
| October 12 | Carlos Bernard | Actor (24) |
| October 13 | Kelly Preston | Actress (d. 2020) |
| October 13 | T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh | Actress (In Living Color, That's So Raven) |
| October 17 | Mike Judge | Actor and director (Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill) |
| October 19 | Evander Holyfield | Professional boxer |
| October 19 | David Labrava | Actor |
| October 22 | Bob Odenkirk | Actor and comedian (Mr. Show with Bob and David, Breaking Bad) |
| October 26 | Cary Elwes | Actor |
| November 9 | Teryl Rothery | Actress |
| November 11 | Demi Moore | Actress and model (General Hospital) |
| November 12 | Mariella Frostrup | Presenter |
| November 14 | Laura San Giacomo | Actress (Just Shoot Me!) |
| November 14 | Harland Williams | Actor |
| November 18 | Tim Guinee | Actor |
| November 19 | Jodie Foster | Actress and director |
| November 27 | Victoria Gotti | American television personality |
| November 28 | Jon Stewart | Comedian and TV host (The Daily Show) |
| November 30 | Stacey Sher | Producer |
| December 6 | Janine Turner | Actress (Northern Exposure) |
| December 9 | Felicity Huffman | Actress (Desperate Housewives) |
| December 9 | Leslie Carrara-Rudolph | Actress |
| December 11 | Paul Haslinger | Composer |
| December 13 | David A. Goodman | Writer |
| December 17 | Richard Jewell | Notable victim of a trial by media (died 2007) |
| December 18 | Maiya Williams | Writer |
| December 19 | Jill Talley | Voice actress (SpongeBob SquarePants, The Boondocks, Camp Lazlo, The Loud House) |
| December 15 | Dean Cameron | Actor |
| December 22 | Ralph Fiennes | English actor |
| December 31 | Don Diamont | Actor (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful) |

## Deaths

| Date | Name | Age | Notability |
| January 13 | Ernie Kovacs | 42 | Comic actor, director, writer, composer |
| February 8 | Myron McCormick | 54 | Stage, radio, and film actor |
| February 27 | Willie Best | 45 | Actor |
| March 1 | Roscoe Ates | 67 | Actor |
| June 19 | Will Wright | 68 | Actor |
| August 5 | Marilyn Monroe | 36 | Actress and sex symbol |
| October 2 | Frank Lovejoy | 50 | Actor |
| October 26 | Louise Beavers | 60 | Actress |
| December 16 | Lew Landers | 61 | Director |
| December 17 | Thomas Mitchell | 70 | Actor |

## Television debuts

* Ursula Andress – Thriller
* Tim Conway – McHale's Navy
* Dom DeLuise – The Shari Lewis Show
* Olympia Dukakis – Dr. Kildare
* Peter Fonda – Naked City
* George Furth – Going My Way
* Sid Haig – The Untouchables
* Clint Howard – The Andy Griffith Show
* Lainie Kazan – Car 54, Where Are You?
* Mako – The Lloyd Bridges Show
* Charles Nelson Reilly – Car 54, Where Are You?
* Barry Primus – The Defenders
* Kurt Russell – Dennis the Menace
* Tom Skerritt – Combat!
* Donald Sutherland – Man of the World