1955 in television

The year 1955 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1955.

Events

Elvis in Jailhouse Rock (1957)

• March 5 – Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time. The program is Louisiana Hayride, televised locally in Shreveport, Louisiana.
• April 1 – The DuMont Television Network in the United States drastically decreases its programming; just eight series keep the network operating, preparing for its eventual shutdown sixteen months later.
• May 9
  • Harpo Marx makes a memorable appearance on I Love Lucy in the U.S.
  • Jim Henson's puppet show Sam and Friends first airs on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.
• June 7 – The quiz show craze begins with the premiere of The 64,000 Dollar Question in the U.S. The series spawns many imitations, including Twenty One the next year, which will later be the focus of a quiz show scandal that results in congressional hearings.
• September 22 – Commercial television starts in the United Kingdom with the Independent Television Authority's first ITV franchise beginning broadcasting in London – Associated-Rediffusion on weekdays, ATV during weekends, ending the previous BBC monopoly. The rest of the UK receives its regional ITV franchises during the next seven years. The first advertisement shown is for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
• September 28 – World Series baseball is broadcast in color for the first time in the U.S.
• December 10 – The first Saturday morning cartoon series debuts on U.S. television, The Mighty Mouse Playhouse on CBS.
• December 24 – The Lennon Sisters make their television debut on The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC in the U.S.
• December 25 – After being broadcast by radio since 1932, the Royal Christmas Message is broadcast on British television for the first time, in sound only at 3.00pm on both television channels, live from Sandringham House. The first visual Christmas message is shown in 1957.

Programs/programmes

• Adventures of Superman (1952–1958)
• American Bandstand (1952–1989)
• Annie Oakley (1954–1957)
• Aubrey and Gus (1955–1956)
• Beau temps, mauvais temps (1955–1958)
• Bim Bam Boom (1955–1956)
• Bozo the Clown (1949–present)
• Candid Camera (1948–present)
• Cap-aux-sorciers (1955–1958)
• Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
• Climax! (1954–1958)
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
• Country Canada (1955–2007)
• Cross-Canada Hit Parade (1955–1960)
• Death Valley Days (1952–1975)
• Disneyland (1954–1958)
• Dragnet (1951–1959)
• Face the Nation (1954–present)
• "Father Knows Best" (1954-1960)
• General Motors Theatre (Can) (1953–1956, 1958–1961)
• Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (1946–1960)
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)
• Hockey Night in Canada (1952–present)
• Howdy Doody (1947–1960)
• I Love Lucy (1951–1960)
• Junior Magazine (1955–1962)
• Kraft Television Theater (1947–1958)
• Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947–1957)
• Life is Worth Living (1952–1957)
• Love of Life (1951–1980)
• Maggie Muggins (1955–1962)
• Meet the Press (1947–present)
• Musical Chairs (1955) – game show hosted by Bill Leyden
• Panorama (UK) (1953–present)
• Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
• Talent Varieties (1955) – country music variety show
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966)
• The Brighter Day (1954–1962)
• "The Danny Thomas Show" (1953-1964)
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
• The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950–1958)
• The Goldbergs (1949–1956)
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983)
• The Grove Family (UK) (1954–1957)
• The Guiding Light (1952–present)
• The Jack Benny Show (1950–1965)
• The Jimmy Durante Show (1954–1956)
• The Milton Berle Show (1954–1967)
• The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957)
• The Secret Storm (1954–1974)
• The Today Show (1952–present)
• The Tonight Show (1954–present)
• The Voice of Firestone (1949–1963)
• This Is Your Life (US) (1952–1961)
• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• What's My Line (1950–1967)
• Your Hit Parade (1950–1959)
• Zoo Quest (UK) (1954–1964)

Debuts

• January 2 – The Bob Cummings Show on NBC (1955–1959)
• January 15 – The Benny Hill Show (UK) on BBC Television (later moving to ITV; 1955–1989)
• January 22 – Ozark Jubilee, the first popular country music series on American network television, on ABC (1955–1960), featuring Red Foley
• June 25 – The Soldiers, an 11-episode live military comedy, aired on NBC through September 3.
• June 28 – Talent Varieties on ABC through November 1
• June 29 – Life With The Lyons (UK), one of the first successful British sitcoms (though starring an American, Ben Lyon), on BBC Television (1955–1960)
• July 2 – The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC (1955–1982)
• July 9 – Dixon of Dock Green (UK) on BBC Television (1955–1976)
• July 20 – Frankie Laine Time on CBS (1955–1956)
• July 29 – This Is Your Life (UK) on BBC Television (1955–2003)
• September 10
  • Gunsmoke on CBS (1955–1975)
  • It's Always Jan, starring Janis Paige, on CBS (1955–1956)
• September 12 – Medical Horizons on ABC (1955–1956)
• September 20 – Cheyenne on ABC (1955–1962)
• September 26 – Jungle Jim in syndication (1955–1956)
• September 28 – Brave Eagle on CBS (1955–1956)
• October 1 – The Honeymooners on CBS, starring Jackie Gleason (1955–1956)
• October 2 – Alfred Hitchcock Presents on CBS (1955–1962)
• October 3
  • Captain Kangaroo on CBS (1955–1984)
  • Mickey Mouse Club on ABC, featuring "Mouseketeer" Annette Funicello (1955–1959)
• October 20 – Wanted, a crime documentary on CBS (only ran for three months) (1955–1956)
• October 22 – Quatermass II (UK), sequel to 1953's The Quatermass Experiment, on BBC Television (ends on November 26)
• October 31 – Matinee Theatre on NBC, a five-days-a-week live dramatic anthology, with most of the plays in the series broadcast in color (lasted until 1958)

Programs ending

Births