The year 2008 in television involves some significant plans. Below is a list of television-related events in 2008.
Events
| Date |
Event |
| January 1 |
CourtTV turns into TruTV |
| January 2 |
An interim agreement between Worldwide Pants Incorporated and the Writers Guild of America allows The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return with their full writing staffs, in spite of the ongoing WGA strike. By contrast, NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Last Call with Carson Daly and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, which are all produced by their respective networks, went back on the air without writers (except for Jay Leno, who writes his own material). |
| January 7 |
Due to the writers strike, plans to hold the 65th Golden Globe Awards ceremony were scrapped. A press conference which announced the winners was substituted for the program. |
| January 23 |
Konnie Huq presents her last episode of Blue Peter after over ten years, having become the longest-running female presenter and third longest-running overall in the shows' 50 year history. |
| January 31 |
A unique episode of the UK soap opera EastEnders is broadcast, consisting of just one character (Dot Branning) with a single monologue in the form of a taped message to her husband. This 'one-hander' is a first in UK soap history. |
| February 2 |
VH1 Uno is discontinued by MTV Networks to expand distribution of mtvU beyond college campuses and onto regular cable systems. |
| February 3 |
FOX's telecast of Super Bowl XLII surpasses Super Bowl XXX as the most watched Super Bowl game on television. It also becomes the second most watched television program trailing the 1983 M*A*S*H series finale and the highest rated telecast in Nielsen ratings since Super Bowl XXXIV. |
| February 8 |
The CW Television Network and the WWE announced that WWE Friday Night Smackdown will leave the CW prime time schedule at the end of the 2007-2008 season. The news comes after negotiations between the CW and WWE failed to reach a deal to keep the show on the CW lineup. Three weeks later on February 26, MyNetwork TV announced that they are picking up the program and will add it to its lineup in September. |
| February 9 |
Both the Writers Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reach a tentative deal resolving the strike. Members vote three days later to end the strike. |
| February 12 |
The BBC Three "Blobs" are played out for the last time in the early hours of the morning. A new set of idents debuted the same day, this is the channels first ever rebrand since launching in early 2003. |
| February 17 |
The conversion of NTSC analog channels to DT channels using the ATSC system begins in the United States, with TV stations making last minute filings and their intentions about when they will start their switchover ahead of the February 17, 2009 mandatory date. Also, the US government starts mailing out (USD)$40.00 coupons/rebates to consumers to use in buying DTV converters before the switchover. |
| February 19 |
BBC One drama Hotel Babylon returns for its third series. |
| February 24 |
ABC's telecast of the 80th Academy Awards draws record low ratings in the history of the ceremony's telecast surpassing the ratings from the ceremony that took place in 2003. 31.76 million on average watched the show over its entire run with a Nielsen rating of 18.66 households watching. |
| April 3 |
Kate Ritchie's final episode of Home and away is broadcast in Australia on Channel 7. She has played the role of Sally Fletcher for 20 years and 3 months, making her role the record for a woman in Australian Television. She has played the role since she was 8 years of age. The only remaining member of the cast now who has been in the show since its start in 1988, is Ray Meagher who plays Alf Stewart |
| April 5 |
Doctor Who returns on BBC One. David Tennant returns as the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays Donna Noble, as the Doctor's companion. |
| April 20 |
The 2008 BAFTA Television Awards are held at the London Palladium. Winners included Dame Eileen Atkins (Best Television Actress), Bruce Forsyth (Academy Fellowship), Harry Hill (Best Entertainment Performance), James Corden (Best Comedy Performance) and the BBC Three Sitcom Gavin & Stacey |
Future events
Debuts (including scheduled)
Television shows
- See also: 2007-08 United States network television schedule
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Changes of Network Affiliation
Ending this year
Deaths
| Date |
Name |
Age |
Notability |
| January 6 |
Bob LeMond |
94 |
US radio and TV announcer (Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to Beaver) |
| January 16 |
Allan Melvin |
84 |
US actor (Magilla Gorilla, The Brady Bunch, All in the Family) |
| January 18 |
Lois Nettleton |
78 |
US actress (In the Heat of the Night) |
| January 19 |
Suzanne Pleshette |
70 |
US actress (The Bob Newhart Show) |
| January 22 |
Heath Ledger |
28 |
Australian actor (Roar, Brokeback Mountain, A Knight's Tale) |
| January 25 |
Jahna Steele |
49 |
Transgendered entertainer (Was "outed" on A Current Affair in 1992 and made a guest starring role on NYPD Blue in 1995) |
| January 30 |
Jeremy Beadle |
59 |
British presenter (Beadle's About, You've Been Framed) |
| February 1 |
Shell Kepler |
49 |
American actress and presenter (General Hospital, HSN host) |
| February 2 |
Barry Morse |
89 |
British-born Canadian actor (The Fugitive, Space: 1999) |
| February 4 |
Augusta Dabney |
89 |
American actress (Another World, A World Apart, Loving) |
| February 7 |
John McWethy |
61 |
US news reporter/journalist (ABC News correspondent from 1979 to 2006; Was inside the Pentagon when it was struck by the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 during the September 11, 2001 attacks) |
| February 10 |
Ron Leavitt |
60 |
US TV writer and producer (Happy Days, Married with Children) |
| February 12 |
David Groh |
68 |
US actor (Rhoda) |
| February 14 |
Bill Currie |
85 |
TV sportscaster/commentator for KDKA-TV/Pittsburgh from 1970 to 1981 |
| February 16 |
Steve Gerber |
60 |
US illustrator/animator (Thundarr The Barbarian) |
| February 16 |
Perry Lopez |
78 |
US character actor (Star Trek) |
| February 19 |
Claude Gresham |
85 |
US TV outdoor sportscaster ( | |
