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Overview of the events of 1976 in television
For the American network television schedule, please see 1976-77 American network television schedule .
Events
January 1 - NBC replaces the peacock logo with a modern N made up of two trapezoids, similar to the Nebraska Educational Television's one.January 6 - SABC television goes on the air in South Africa , introducing television to the nation for the first time.January 17 - The Blues Brothers make their debut on NBC's Saturday Night Live April 5 - Patricia Phoenix returns to the role of Elsie Tanner on Coronation Street April 7 - Margot Bryant makes her last appearance as Minnie Caldwell on Coronation Street .April 24 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes on on-air offer to pay The Beatles $3,000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check.May 22 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels raises his previous offer to The Beatles from $3,000 to $3,200.November 7 - Beginning tonight, NBC airs the movie Gone With the Wind November 9 - the Museum of Broadcasting is opened, located on the first three floors of the[Paley Foundation building in New York City . The museum would later be renamed The Paley Center for Media .December 1 - Punk group the Sex Pistols cause a storm of controversy and outrage in the UK by swearing on the Thames Television news program Today with Bill Grundy . Grundy, who has goaded them into doing so, is sacked.July 17 - August 1 - The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal , draw an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide.Matsushita introduces the VHS home video cassette recorder to compete with Sony 's Betamax system.Dennis Potter 's Play for Today Brimstone and Treacle BBC1 due to controversy over its content, including the rape of a woman by the devil. It is eventually screened on BBC2 in 1987 , after having been made into a film starring Sting in 1982 .January 11 - 12 - Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann are "Eleanor and Franklin " in a two-part ABC special.February 1 - The first installment of the 12-hour miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man airs on ABC, making Nick Nolte a star.February 2 - Jackie Gleason , Audrey Meadows , and Art Carney are reunited in an ABC special, "The Honeymooners - The Second Honeymoon."June 7 - David Brinkley joins John Chancellor as co-anchor of NBC Nightly News in an attempt to bolster ratings against Walter Cronkite - and to hark back to the glory days of the Huntley-Brinkley Report .September 6 - In an experiment, New York station WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV of Secaucus, N. J.) replaces its usual schedule for 5 nights with exclusively British programs from Thames Television .October 4 - Barbara Walters joins Harry Reasoner as co-anchor of ABC's evening newscast. The two do not get along, and ratings do not improve.
Debuts
Television shows
Meet the Press 1947 -present).Candid Camera 1948 -present).Bozo the Clown 1949 -present).Come Dancing 1949 -1995).Truth or Consequences 1950 -1988).Love of Life 1951 -1980 ).Search for Tomorrow 1986 ).Hallmark Hall of Fame American Bandstand 1952 -1989 ).The Guiding Light The Today Show Panorama 1953 -present).The Good Old Days Face the Nation 1954 -present).The Tonight Show Captain Kangaroo 1955 -1984).The Lawrence Welk Show This Is Your Life 2003 ).As the World Turns 1956 -present).Opportunity Knocks The Edge of Night What the Papers Say The Sky at Night 1957 -present).Blue Peter 1958 -present).Grandstand Coronation Street (UK) (1960 -present).Four Corners Australia ) (1961 -present).The Mike Douglas Show The Late Late Show Ireland ) (1962-present).Z-Cars 1962 -1978).Doctor Who 1963 -1989, 1996 , 2005 -present).General Hospital The Doctors Another World 1964 -1999).Crossroads 2001 -2003).Top of the Pops Days of Our Lives 1965 -present).World of Sport Play School 1966 -present).The Money Programme The Carol Burnett Show 1967 -1978).60 Minutes 1968 -present).Dad's Army Hawaii Five-O Magpie One Life to Live Hee Haw 1969 -1993 ).Sesame Street The Benny Hill Show The Wonderful World of Disney All My Children 1970 -present).Mary Tyler Moore McCloud Monday Night Football Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).All in the Family 1971 -1979).Columbo Masterpiece Theatre McMillan and Wife Old Grey Whistle Test 1987 ).Soul Train Are You Being Served? 1972 -1985).Emergency! Emmerdale Farm Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids John Craven's Newsround Maude M*A*S*H Sanford and Son The Bob Newhart Show The Price Is Right The Waltons Barnaby Jones 1973 -1980).Kojak Last of the Summer Wine Match Game '76 1973-1984 , 1990 -1991 , 1998 -1999).Schoolhouse Rock! The Six Million Dollar Man The Tomorrow Show The Young and the Restless Chico and the Man 1974 -1978).Countdown Derrick Good Times Happy Days Land of the Lost Little House on the Prairie Police Woman Rhoda Tattletales The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast The Rockford Files Tiswas Wish You Were Here...? Baretta 1975 -1978).Barney Miller Good Morning America Jim'll Fix It 1994 ).King of Kensington Match Game PM (1975-1981).One Day at a Time Pop Quest Runaround Ryan's Hope Saturday Night Live (1975-present).Space: 1999 Supersonic Superstars 1973-1985 , 2003-2005).Survivors The Don Lane Show the fifth estate The Good Life The Jeffersons The Sweeney Tom and Jerry 1975-1977 , 1980-1982).Welcome Back, Kotter Wheel of Fortune
Ending this year
Births
January 6 - Danny Pintauro , actor on Who's the Boss? March 13 - Danny Masterson , American actor.April 6 - Candace Cameron , actress on Full House July 8 - Alexandra Fletcher , British actressAugust 6 - Soleil Moon Frye , actress who would go on to play the character Punky Brewster August 11 - Will Friedle , American actor.August 27 - Sarah Chalke , actress on Roseanne September 19 - Alison Sweeney , actress.October 19 - Omar Gooding , American actor.October 23 - Ryan Reynolds , Canadian actor.
Deaths
