1980 in television

Events

• February 14 - Walter Cronkite announces his retirement from CBS Evening News.
• March 21 - On the season finale of the soap opera Dallas[?], the infamous character J.R. Ewing[?] is shot by an unseen assailant leading to the catchphrase "Who Shot JR?"
• December 30 - After 25 years, the longest-running prime-time TV series The Wonderful World of Disney[?] is cancelled by NBC.
• The David Letterman Show debuts on NBC. Letterman's humor does not go over well with a morning audience, and the show is soon cancelled. Letterman would go on to host a late night show two years later.
• U.S. viewers get caught up in the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff hanger on the soap opera series, Dallas, which ends on a November 21 episode, drawing record numbers of viewers.

Popular Television Shows

• Alice[?] (1976-1985)
• All My Children (1970-present)
• Angie (1979-1980)
• Charlie's Angels (1976-1981)
• Dallas (1978-1991)
• Dr Who (1963-1989)
• Happy Days (1974-1984)
• Laverne & Shirley[?] (1976-1983)
• Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
• Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
• The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
• Sesame Street (1969-present)
• Taxi (1978-1983)
• That's Incredible[?]
• Three's Company[?] (1977-1984)
• The Tonight Show (1954-present)
• WKRP in Cincinnati[?] (1978-1982)
• The Waltons (1972-1981)
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)

Births

• October 17 - Justin Shenkarow[?], voice actor ("Harold Berman" from Hey Arnold!)

Deaths