1983 in American television
See also: 1982 in television, other events of 1983, 1984 in television and the list of 'years in television'.
Events
- February 28 - Over 125 million Americans tune in to watch the final episode of M*A*S*H
- March 7 - The Nashville Network (TNN) begins broadcasting.
- David Canary first premieres on All My Children
- September 5 - The half-hour Robert MacNeil Report changes its name to the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, becoming the first hour-long network news show.
- September 24 - After 29 seasons, the Walt Disney anthology series goes off the air. It will be revived, however, from 1986 to 1990.
- October 3 - During a live NBC news update, anchor Jessica Savitch appears incoherent; her speech is slurred and she deviates from her copy and ad-libs her report. Miss Savitch, dogged by rumors of drug abuse and instability, still has her contract renewed anyway.
- November 20 - An estimated 100 million people watch the controversial made-for-television movie The Day After, depicting the start of a nuclear war.
Debuts
- January 22 - Mama's Family debuts on NBC (1983-1984; 1986-1990)
- January 23 - The A-Team debuts on NBC (1983-1987)
- February 5 - The Dukes debuts on CBS (1983-1984).
- September 16 - Webster debuts on ABC (1983-1989).
Popular television shows
- Alice (1976-1985)
- All My Children (1970-present)
- Cheers (1982-1993)
- Dallas (1978-1991)
- Dr Who (1963-1989)
- Family Ties (1982-1989)
- Happy Days (1974-1984)
- Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993)
- Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983)
- Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
- M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
- MTV (1981-present)
- Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
- Sesame Street (1969-present)
- St. Elsewhere (1982-1988)
- Taxi (1978-1983)
- That's Incredible (1980-1984)
- Three's Company (1977-1984)
- The Tonight Show (1954-present)
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)
Births
Deaths
- March 16 - Arthur Godfrey, television host
- August 3 - Carolyn Jones, actress
- October 23 - Jessica Savitch, NBC news anchor, age 36
- November 22 - Michael Conrad, actor on Hill Street Blues