2005 in American television

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Events

January 1 - The U.S. channel package "PT East", originally created by the New York, New York, company PrimeTime 24, and used by satellite TV viewers where over-the-air TV is unavailable, changes its ABC station from WKRN-TV (Nashville, Tennessee) to WABC-TV (New York, New York). - DirecTV drops the Trio channel from its lineup. The network loses two-thirds of its 20 million viewers, putting in doubt the future of the NBC Universal channel.
January 5 - The 35th anniversary episode of All My Children airs on ABC. The special episode, which brought back former characters Mark Dalton (Mark LaMura) and Nick Davis (Larry Keith), was also unique in that it was the last appearance of ailing actress Ruth Warrick. She died less than two weeks after the episode aired.
January 8 - CBS airs the first episode of The Will, a reality series. Ratings for the show are so low, it becomes one of only a handful of series in American TV history to be cancelled after only one episode. Later in 2005, FOX also cancels Who's Your Daddy, another realty series, after a single episode.
February 2 - Paramount Television and UPN announce the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise. Soon after, fan efforts begin in order to save the show, climaxing in a campaign that raises more than $3 million (US) towards funding further production, an offer Paramount ultimately rejects.
February 6 - American Dad! pilot episode aired on FOX.
February 8 - Teachers' TV, run by the Department for Education and Skills, launched on Sky Digital (channel 686) and Freeview.
February 19 - EastEnders celebrates its twentieth anniversary on the air, airing a special episode in which Dirty Den Watts is killed by his new wife Chrissie.
February 23 - UKTV Style Gardens, a channel dedicated to gardening programmes, launched.
February 26 - Sound TV, previously known as The Great British Television Channel, launched on Sky Digital (588).
March 7 - ABC Australia launches its second TV station, available only to digital viewers, ABC2.
March 9 - Dan Rather retires as head anchor of the CBS Evening News and is succeeded by Bob Schieffer in interim basics.
March 26 - Nine years after its last new episode and sixteen years since its last regular run, Doctor Who returns to BBC1 for a new season, the twenty-seventh in total since 1963. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper star. An average 10.81 million viewers, over 40% of the watching audience, tune in, winning its timeslot and making it No. 3 BBC show and No. 7 across all channels for the week.
April 1 - ABC newsanchor Peter Jennings hosts what will turn out to be his final World News Tonight telecast.
April 2 - Digital channel BBC Four broadcasts a live re-make of the famous 1953 science-fiction drama The Quatermass Experiment. The production is the first live drama broadcast by the BBC for over twenty years, and draws BBC Four's second highest audience to date, with an average of 482,000 viewers.
April 5 - The North American premiere of the new Doctor Who series occurs on the CBC in Canada, the first channel outside of BBC One in the UK to air the new show.
April 8 - 12.9 million viewers watched Ken Barlow tie the knot with Deirdre Rachid on Coronation Street, one day before Prince Charles's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles (8.7 million viewers watched). The scheduling move echoed Ken and Deirdre's first marriage, which occurred two days before Charles's nuptials to Diana, Princess of Wales, and which also beat the Royal wedding in the television ratings (see 1981 in television).
April 12 - Canadian LGBT channel PrideVision is rebranded as OUTtv.
April 8 - Live broadcast of the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
May 1 - Family Guy returns on FOX after three years off the schedule.
May 2 - Hunter Tylo returns to The Bold and the Beautiful (arguably the most-watched television series in the world) after her character, Dr. Taylor Forrester, was "killed off" three years ago. The revelation that she was alive shocked many viewers and publications as it had not been hinted by any other sources, print or online.
May 13 - The controversial final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise airs in the United States, bringing to a close an 18-year, uninterrupted run of four consecutive or concurrent Star Trek series dating back to 1987.
June 25 - The Girl in the Café, a comedy-drama by Richard Curtis made as part of the global Make Poverty History campaign, is shown by both BBC One in the United Kingdom and HBO in the United States on the same day.
June 30:
- LOGO, a TV channel aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults, is launched in the United States.
- MTV Canada and MTV2 cease to broadcast in Canada; owner CHUM Limited rebrands them as Razer and PunchMuch.
July 1 - The PAX network rebrands itself as i.
July 17 - After forty-one years broadcasting on BBC One, music show Top of the Pops is switched to the less mainstream BBC Two channel due to declining audiences.
August 1 - Current TV, a 24-hour youth-oriented news channel owned by the former U.S. vice president Al Gore, is launched.
August 7 - ABC's acclaimed newsanchor Peter Jennings dies of lung cancer. He is succeeded by Charles Gibson and Elizabeth Vargas on World News Tonight.
August 29 and after - Hurricane Katrina strikes the Greater New Orleans area, causing major disruption of the region's television broadcasts. Local television news programs relocate to other cities in order to cover the story, though most are knocked off the air by the storm; some continue to broadcast reports over the Internet.
September 2 - While presenting on the NBC Concert for Hurricane Relief, music producer and rapper Kanye West strayed from his script and addressed what he perceived as the racism of both the government and of the media, stating: "George Bush doesn't care about black people", and called for the media to stop labelling African-American families as "looters" while white families were depicted as "looking for food".
September 8 - Faze TV, a British digital channel aimed at gay men, cancels its launch after failing to secure sufficient funding to deliver "sufficient quality." [1]
September 18 - The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out at the Shrine Auditorium on CBS.
September 26 & 27 - No Direction Home, Martin Scorsese's documentary on Bob Dylan, receives its broadcast premiere on BBC Two in the UK, under the Arena banner.
September - ITV celebrates its 50th anniversary with a collection of special programmmes, under the name ITV50.
October 1 - NBC's Saturday Night Live begins broadcasting in HDTV.
October 10 - More4, a digital channel from Channel 4 offering factual content, launches.
October 22 - Tina Fey returns from maternity leave to resume her duties on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update skit since she anchored with Jimmy Fallon from 2000 to 2004 and currently with Amy Poehler since last year.
October 24 - Sky News moves to it's state-of-the-art new studios, with a new schedule and refreshed on-air look.
October 25 - The relaunched Doctor Who is the major winner at the annual National Television Awards in the UK, taking the Most Popular Drama award, with its stars Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper winning Most Popular Actor and Most Popular actress.
October 31 - Sky Three is launched on British digital terrestrial and satellite platforms. On the same day Sky Mix is rebranded as Sky Two. On the same day, Sky Travel ceases transmission on Freeview.
November 1 - ITV4, a digital channel aimed at men, is launched in the UK.
November 7 - ITV4, a digital channel aimed at men, is lauched on Sky Digital Channel 120
November 8 - Days of Our Lives celebrates its fortieth anniversary on the air.
November 18 - BBC One broadcasts this years annual Children In Need appeal. It contained several highlights including Catherine Tate in Eastenders, the BBC Newsreaders performing Bohemian Rhapsody, and a brand new Doctor Who adventure. The first to fully star David Tennant as the Doctor, the 7 minute episode directly follows on from The Parting of the Ways and directly leads on to The Christmas Invasion.
November 22 - Ted Koppell steps down as host of ABC's "Nightline" after 25 years.

Scheduled and expected events

December 25 - BBC One is to air the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Christmas Invasion

Debuts (including scheduled)

January 3 - Medium on NBC (2005-present).
January 4 - Committed on NBC (2005).
January 6 - Wickedly Perfect on CBS (2005).
January 13 - Tilt on ESPN (2005-present).
January 14 - Battlestar Galactica on SciFi in the US (2005-present).
January 23 - NUMB3RS on CBS (2005-present).
February 14 - Kudlow & Company on CNBC (2005-present)
February 19 - Mew Mew Power (Tokyo Mew Mew in Japan and the manga version) debuts on 4Kids TV in the US (2005-present).
February 21 - Avatar: The Last Airbender starts airing on Nickelodeon.
March 3 - Law & Order: Trial by Jury on NBC (2005).
March 7 - Fat Actress premieres on Showtime.
March 14 - Mad Money on CNBC (2005-present)
March 24 - The Office (US version) premieres on NBC (2005-present).
May 1 - American Dad! on FOX (2005-present).
May 16 - Martin Mystery starts airing on Nickelodeon.
May- Kept, Game Show Moments Gone Bananas, BSTV, and Strip Search on VH1
May 30 - The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, a series from cartoonist/former Real Worlder Judd Winick, premieres on Cartoon Network (2005-present)
June - Weeds on Showtime.
June 5 - The Comeback premieres on HBO.
July 8 - Camp Lazlo starts airing on Cartoon Network (2005-Present)
July 9 - Catscratch starts airing on Nickelodeon USA.
August 8 - Roobarb and Custard Too on Five.
September 10 G.I. Sigma 6 starts airing on 4Kids TV
September 20 - Naruto, (a popular anime series from Japan), makes its North American debut on Cartoon Network's Toonami block.
October 18 - Da Vinci's City Hall, a sequel to Da Vinci's Inquest, premieres on CBC
October 27 - Bleak House (UK), a 15-episode adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name designed to capture a soap opera-style audience by using Dickens's original serial structure in half-hour episodes, debuts on BBC One.
November 5 - IGPX, the first Toonami original series, debuts on Cartoon Network (US).
November 6 - The Boondocks, based on the popular yet controversal American comic strip, debuts on Cartoon Network (US).

Television shows

Meet the Press (1947-present).
Candid Camera (1948-present).
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
Guiding Light (1952-present).
The Today Show (1952-present).
Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
Face the Nation (1954-present).
The Tonight Show (1954-present).
As the World Turns (1956-present).
What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
It's Academic (1961-present).
The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
General Hospital (1963-present).
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
Play School (1966-present).
The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
60 Minutes (1968-present).
One Life to Live (1968-present).
Sesame Street (1969-present).
All My Children (1970-present).
Monday Night Football (1970-present).
Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
Soul Train (1971-present).
Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
The Price Is Right (1972-present).
Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
Arena (UK) (1975–present).
Good Morning America (1975-present).
Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
20/20 (1978-present).
Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
Antiques Road Show (UK) (1979-present).
Nightline (1979-present).
This Old House (1979-present).
Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
What Now (1982-present)
Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
Chucklevision (UK) (1987-present).
The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
America's Most Wanted (1988-present).
The American Experience (1988-present).
Fair City (1988-present).
Home and Away (1988-present).
This Morning (1988-present).
Cops (1989-present).
The Simpsons (1989-present).
Law & Order (1990-present).
America's Funniest Home Videos (1990-present).
The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
The Red Green Show (Canada) (1991-present).
Dateline NBC (1992-present).
The Real World (1992-present).
Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present).
NYPD Blue (1993-2005).
The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present).
WWE Monday Night RAW (1993-present).
ER (1994-present).
JAG (1995-2005).
7th Heaven (1996-present).
Dexter's Laboratory (1996-present).
Judge Judy (1996-present).
The Daily Show (1996-present).
Johnny Bravo (1997-present).
King of the Hill (1997-present).
South Park (1997-present).
Stargate SG-1 (1997-present).
The Wonderful World of Disney (1997-present).
Charmed (1998-present).
That '70s Show (1998-present).
The King of Queens (1998-present).
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK) (1998-present).
Will & Grace (1998-present).
Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
Judge Mathis (1999-present).
Judging Amy (1999-present).
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-present).
Passions (1999-present).
Rocket Power (1999-present).
Shocking Behavior: Caught on Tape (1999-present).
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present).
Tenacious D (1999-present).
The Sopranos (1999-present).
The West Wing (1999-present).
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (US) (1999-present).
As Told by Ginger (2000-present).
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-present).
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-present).
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-present).
Malcolm in the Middle (2000-present).
Survivor (2000-present).
The Weakest Link (UK) (2000-present).
Yes, Dear (2000-present).
24 (2001-present).
According to Jim (2001-present).
Adult Swim (2001-present).
Alias (2001-present).
Braceface (2001-present).
Fear Factor (2001-present).
Home Movies (1999, 2001-present).
JR Digs (Canada) (2001-present).
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-present).
My Wife and Kids (2001-present).
Pop Idol (UK) (2001-present).
Scrubs (2001-present).
Six Feet Under (2001-2005).
Smallville (2001-present).
The Amazing Race (2001-present).
The Bernie Mac Show (2001-present).
The Fairly OddParents (2001-present).
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-2005).
Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002-present).
American Dreams (2002-present).
American Idol: The Search for a Superstar (2002-present).
Codename: Kids Next Door (2002-present).
CSI: Miami (2002-present).
Harry Hill's TV Burp (UK) (2002-present).
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (UK) (2002-present).
Kim Possible (2002-present).
Less Than Perfect (2002-present).
Spooks (UK) (2002-present).
The Bachelor (2002-present).
The George Lopez Show (2002-present).
The Osbournes (2002-2005).
Without a Trace (2002-present).
All Grown Up! (2003-present).
Arrested Development (2003-present).
Battlestar Galactica (UK) (2003-present).
Carnivàle (2003-2005)
Cold Case (2003-present).
Dead Like Me (2003-2004).
Drake and Josh (2003-present)
Eve (2003-present).
Hope and Faith (2003-present).
Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005).
Las Vegas (2003-present).
Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-present).
My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003-present).
Navy NCIS (2003-present).
Nip/Tuck (2003-present).
One Tree Hill (2003-present).
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (2003-present).
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2003-present).
Reno 911! (2003-present).
Romeo! (2003-present).
Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005).
The O.C. (2003-present).
Two and a Half Men (2003-present).
Xiaolin Showdown (2003-present).
Astro Boy (2004-present).
Blue Collar TV (2004-present).
Boston Legal (2004-present).
Call for Help 2.0 (Canada) (2004-present).
Corner Gas (Canada) (2004-present).
CSI: New York (2004-present).
Danny Phantom (2004-present).
Desperate Housewives (2004-present).
Deadwood (2004-present)
Entourage (2004-present)
Green Wing (UK) (2004-present).
Jack & Bobby (2004-present).
Joey (2004-present).
Lost (2004-present).
Miguzi (2004-present).
Postman Pat (UK) (1981, 1996, 2004-present).
Sea of Souls (UK) (2004-present}.
Shameless (UK) (2004-present).
Stargate Atlantis (2004-present).
The Apprentice (2004-present).
Zoey 101 (2004-present).
Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present).
Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
Kojak (1973-1978, 2005-present).

Ending this year

February 11 - Kudlow & Cramer on CNBC (?-2005)
March 1 - NYPD Blue (1993-2005)
March 11 - Bullseye on CNBC (2003-2005)
March 25 - Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005).
March 27 - Carnivàle (2003-2005)
April 4 - Third Watch (1999-2005)
May 13 - Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005).
May 16 - Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005).
May 27 - U-Pick Live (2002-2005)
July 1 - Train 48 (2003-2005)
August 3 - Chappelle's Show (2003-2005)
August 21 - Six Feet Under (2001-2005).
Quintuplets (2004-2005)
Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005)
Superstars (UK) (1973-1985, 2003-2005).
Kevin Hill (2004-2005)
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005)
Judging Amy (1999-2005)
JAG (1995-2005)
American Dreams (2002-2005)
8 Simple Rules (2002-2005)
My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003-2005)
Jack & Bobby (2004-2005)
Da Vinci's Inquest (1998-2005)
Megas XLR (2004-2005)
Tru Calling (2003-2005)
Life on a Stick (2005)

Deaths

January 2 - Cyril Fletcher, 91, British comedian, star of That's Life
January 23 - Johnny Carson, 79, American comedian, host of The Tonight Show for 30 years.
March 10 - Dave Allen, 68, Irish comedian, host of solo shows on BBC1 and ITV.
March 25 - Paul Henning, 93, producer of The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres.
May 26 - Eddie Albert, 99, star of Green Acres.
June 26 - Richard Whiteley, 61, presenter.
July 11 - Gretchen Franklin, 94, actress.
July 20 - James Doohan, 85, actor (Scotty on the original Star Trek)
August 7 - Peter Jennings, 67, ABC news anchor
August 8 - Barbara Bel Geddes, 82, actress ("Miss Ellie") on Dallas, of lung cancer
August 23 - Brock Peters, 78, actor.
September 2 - Bob Denver, 70, actor (Gilligan's Island, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis)
September 25 - Don Adams, 82, actor (Get Smart, Tennessee Tuxedo, and Inspector Gadget)
October 2 - Nipsey Russell, actor/comedian.
October 3 - Ronnie Barker, 76, comedian, half of The Two Ronnies
October 7 - Charles Rocket, 56, actor (Saturday Night Live)
October 31 - Mary Wimbush, 81, actress (Poldark, Jeeves and Wooster, Century Falls)

Movies

Twitches
Scary Godmother 2
Haunted Pumkin of Sleepy Hollow
October 22 - The Batman Vs. Dracula premieres on Toonami
October 29 - Alien Racers premieres on Cartoon Network
Dragons Fire and Ice
The Proud Family Movie