Events

*January 7 - The long-running BBC children's programme Blue Peter reunites two former presenting teams to dig up the time capsules they buried for the year 2000 in 1971 and 1984.
*January 17 - Robin Givens replaces Mother Love as host of the talk show Forgive or Forget.
*January - Talk show host David Letterman undergoes quintuple heart bypass surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, following an angiogram that revealed that one of his arteries was seriously constricted.
*February 15 - Rick Rockwell marries stranger Darva Conger in front of 22 million viewers on the FOX reality show Who Wants To Marry a Multi-Millionaire? While he and Darva are honeymooning, word surfaces that Rockwell—who is sometimes a comedian—had a restraining order against a former girlfiend, and he was not really a multi-millionaire. As a result, FOX cancels a rerun scheduled the following week, and doesn't air any new installments. In addition the couple break up shortly after the show's taping.
*February 21 - David Letterman returns to television following his quintuple heart bypass surgery in January. Letterman brings all of the doctors that had performed the operation out on stage with him, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and Physician Louis J. Aronne, who makes frequent appearances on the show. In an unusual show of emotion, Letterman is nearly in tears as he thanked the doctors. The episode earned an Emmy nomination. Letterman's father died of a heart attack while still in his 50s.
*March 4- EastEnders character Sonia Jackson gave birth to a baby girl, Chloe.
*April 30- Arabian Nights is shown on ABC in the United States and BBC One in the United Kingdom.
*July 1 - C-Day in the United Kingdom. From today, most commercial broadcasters begin broadcasting commercials, promotions, and idents in 16:9 widescreen ratio.
*December - The character of Bianca Montgomery, played by Eden Riegel on the soap opera All My Children, comes out as a lesbian to her mother, Erica Kane (played by Susan Lucci).
*December 18 - Actor Hank Azaria and actress Helen Hunt file for divorce.
*ANT1 Satellite and Pacific extends its programing to 24 hour broadcasting.
*Greek broadcasting networks Alter Channel and Tempo TV began broadcasting.
*The British Film Institute publishes its list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century. Compiled by a poll of industry professionals, Fawlty Towers tops the list, followed by Cathy Come Home and Doctor Who.
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Debuts

Changes of Network Affiliation

*The Hughleys, from ABC to UPN.
*Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, from ABC to The WB.
*The PJ's, from FOX to The WB.
*WWF RAW is WAR, from USA Network to TNN.