Editing 1982 in American television

{{Short description|none}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{USTV year|1982}}<!--no space 1982-->

The year '''1982''' involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of television-related events in the United States.

==Events==
{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Event
|-
!rowspan="2"|January 1
|[[CNN|Cable News Network]] (CNN) initiates an associated channel, dubbed CNN2, that features a round-the-clock "news wheel" format. The channel would be renamed [[CNN Headline News]] a year later and is now known as [[HLN (TV channel)|HLN]].
|-
|The [[National Association of Broadcasters]] ends its long-standing [[Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters|Television Code]] in response to a [[Washington, D.C.]] circuit court ruling which declared parts of it unconstitutional.
|-
!January 2
|''[[American Playhouse]]'' on [[PBS]] member station [[WNET]]/[[Newark, New Jersey]] presents [[John Cheever]]'s [[teleplay]] ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', featuring [[George Grizzard]], [[Polly Holliday]], [[Judith Ivey]], E. Katherine Kerr and [[Celeste Holm]] as The Celebrity.
|-
!rowspan="3"|January 4
|[[Bryant Gumbel]] begins his 15-year stint as co-anchor of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today Show]]''.
|-
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] broadcasts a [[The Elephant Man (1982 film)|TV adaptation]] of ''[[The Elephant Man (play)|The Elephant Man]]'', with [[Philip Anglim]] and [[Kevin Conway (actor)|Kevin Conway]] reprising the roles they originated for the Broadway version of the story.
|-
|In [[Panama City, Florida]], [[NBC]] affiliate [[WMBB]] swaps affiliations with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[WJHG-TV]].
|-
!January 10
|[[NFL on CBS|CBS]] televises the [[1981–82 NFL playoffs#NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers 28, Dallas Cowboys 27|NFC Championship Game]] between the [[1981 San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco 49ers]] and [[1981 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]. In what would become one of the most iconic images in [[National Football League|NFL]] history, San Francisco [[tight end]] [[Dwight Clark]] makes [[The Catch (American football)|"The Catch"]] to enable the 49ers to defeat the Cowboys, 28–27, and go to their first ever [[Super Bowl XVI|Super Bowl]]. [[Vin Scully]] called the game alongside [[Hank Stram]] on television while [[Pat Summerall]] (who would do the play-by-play for Super Bowl XVI with [[John Madden]] two weeks later) called the game with [[Jack Buck]] for [[NFL on Westwood One Sports|CBS Radio]].
|-
!January 23
|''[[CBS Reports]]'' broadcasts ''[[The Uncounted Enemy|The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception]]'', a documentary alleging a manipulation of intelligence estimates before the [[Tet Offensive]] in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]]. Retired [[General (United States)|Gen.]] [[William Westmoreland]], the commander of U.S. military operations at the time of the alleged estimates, would [[Westmoreland v. CBS|file a libel suit]] against [[CBS]] believing the report described him unfairly.
|-
!January 30
|The [[39th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]] air for the second consecutive year on [[CBS]]. The ceremony would soon become embroiled into controversy when actress [[Pia Zadora]] won that year's [[Golden Globe Award]] as [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress|Best New Star of the Year]] amid charges that her husband [[Meshulam Riklis]] had purchased the award with a promotional campaign that included Zadora's image presented prominently on Sunset Boulevard billboards,<ref name="waitwait">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35&prgDate=01-20-2007&view=storyview |title=Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! |publisher=NPR |date=2007-01-20 |access-date=2012-12-12}}</ref> an appearance in ''Playboy'' magazine, and entertaining Golden Globe voters.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Duke|first1=Alan|title=Pia Zadora charged in fight with son over bedtime|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/03/showbiz/pia-zadora-arrest/index.html|website=CNN Entertainment|date=June 3, 2013 |publisher=Cable News Network|access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Abramovitch|first1=Seth|title=Golden Globes: Pia Zadora Defends Controversial Win, Insists Ex-Husband "Did Not Buy" Award|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/golden-globes-pia-zadora-defends-761222|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 8, 2015 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref> After CBS decided to negate their broadcasting contract in light of the controversy, the Golden Globes would not be seen on broadcast network television again until [[53rd Golden Globe Awards|1996]], when [[NBC]] picked them up. 
|-
!rowspan="2"|February 1
|''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' debuts on [[NBC]]; Letterman's first guests are [[Bill Murray]] (who dances around to the song [[Physical (Olivia Newton-John song)|"Physical"]]) and "Mr. Wizard" [[Don Herbert]].
|-
|Two months after new owners Pacific Media Corporation changed its call letters from KECC-TV, [[CBS]] affiliate [[KECY-TV]] in [[Yuma, Arizona]] leaves the network to join [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. This will leave Yuma without a CBS affiliate for 3 years, until KECY-TV rejoins the network in 1985 (it is now a [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate).<ref name=ERP316>{{citation |title=For the Record |periodical=Broadcasting |page=78 |date=November 16, 1981}}</ref><ref name=KECC_KECY>{{cite web |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=51208&Callsign=KECY-TV |title=Call Sign History |work=FCC CDBS database |access-date=July 20, 2016}}</ref><ref name=affiliation_switch_1982>{{citation |title=InterMedia |periodical=Broadcasting |page=104 |date=February 8, 1982}}</ref>
|-
!February 3
|Singer [[Jermaine Jackson]] guest-features, as [[Tootie Ramsey|Tootie]] ([[Kim Fields]]) gets to meet the person she admires on a [[very special episode]] of the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]''.
|-
!February 7
|As part of a two-night event, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] airs the network television broadcast premiere of ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman: The Movie]]''.
|-
!March 4
|The crime drama spoof ''[[Police Squad!]]'' premieres on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]; though it only lasts 6 episodes (the last being broadcast July 8); the comedy would serve as the origin of the [[Lieutenant Frank Drebin|Frank Drebin]] character and the inspiration for the ''[[The Naked Gun|Naked Gun]]'' movie series.
|-
!March 8
|''Night of 100 Stars'', a benefit for the [[Actors' Fund]] taped at [[Radio City Music Hall]], is broadcast by [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].
|-
!March 26
|The soap opera series ''[[Search for Tomorrow]]'' is broadcast for the final time by [[CBS]]. [[NBC]] immediately purchases it and begins broadcasting it the following Monday.
|-
!April 2
|[[John Chancellor]] anchors the ''[[NBC Nightly News]]'' for the final time, replaced on April 5 by the team of [[Roger Mudd]] and [[Tom Brokaw]], a partnership that lasts 17 months.
|-
!rowspan="3"|April 21
|[[Norman Lear]] purchases [[Avco Embassy Pictures]] and rechristens his [[TAT Communications Company]] as [[Embassy Television]].
|-
|[[WGXA]] in [[Macon, Georgia]] signs-on the air, giving the Macon market its first full-time [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate.
|-
|[[WTTO]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]] signs-on the air, giving the Birmingham market its first independent station.
|-
!May 2
|[[The Weather Channel (United States)|The Weather Channel]] is begun in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://weatherboy.com/weather-channel-celebrates-38th-birthday/ |author=Weatherboy Team Meteorologist |title=Weather Channel Celebrates 38th Birthday |date=2 May 2020 |website=Weatherboy |publisher=Isarithm LLC |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>
|-
!May 15
|[[Danny DeVito]] hosts an [[Saturday Night Live (season 7)|episode]] of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' soon after ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'' is canceled after its [[List of Taxi episodes#Season 4 (1981–82)|fourth season]]. During the opening monologue, DeVito reads a letter supposedly from his mother asking God to forgive [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] for cancelling the show, adding that "but I'll understand if you don't." A filmed bit has him driving around New York looking morose until inspiration strikes, and he blows up the ABC building. In addition, the ''Taxi'' cast members are given an opportunity for [[Closure (psychology)|closure]], which up to that point had been denied for them due to the abrupt cancellation. The actors took their "final" bows during DeVito's opening monologue, only to have [[NBC]] (which aired ''SNL'') pick up the show.
|-
!May 22
|In [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], [[CBS]] affiliate [[WNAC-TV (Boston)|WNAC-TV]] ceases operations due to improprieties by its parent company [[RKO General]], having lost the license (as well as those of [[KCAL-TV|KHJ-TV]] and [[WWOR-TV|WOR-TV]], both of which RKO temporarily retain on appeal) after General Tire admitted to a litany of corporate misconduct (including, among other things, committing financial fraud over illegal political contributions and bribes) as part of a settlement with the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]], and RKO General withheld evidence from the [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] of General Tire's misconduct, and also failed to disclose evidence of accounting errors on its own part. Several hours later, New England Television begins operations of WNEV-TV (now [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] [[WHDH (TV)|WHDH]]) on channel 7, retaining WNAC-TV's former CBS affiliation.<ref>"It's all over for RKO's WNAC-TV." ''Broadcasting'', April 26, 1982, pp. 27–28. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-04-26-BC-OCR-Page-0027.pdf][http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-04-26-BC-OCR-Page-0028.pdf]</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-05-10-BC-OCR-Page-0128.pdf |title=In brief |magazine=Broadcasting |date=May 10, 1982 |page=128 |access-date=September 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
!May 24
|The ''[[Peanuts]]'' special ''[[A Charlie Brown Celebration]]'' premiered on [[CBS]]. Which it includes several stories with one or two-word titles, was later adapted for the Saturday morning series, ''[[The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show]]'', which premiered in 1983.
|-
!May 27
|The [[List of Mork & Mindy episodes#Season 4 (1981–82)|series finale]] of ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'' entitled "The Mork Report" is broadcast on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. While it actually was not the final episode to be filmed, ABC still aired it last in hopes of giving the canceled series some proper closure.
|-
!rowspan="2"|May 28
|At about 5:00&nbsp;p.m., Joseph Billie Gwin, wanting to "prevent [[World War III]]", forces his way into the studios of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] [[CBS]] affiliate [[KSAZ-TV|KOOL-TV]], fires a gunshot, takes 4 people hostage (holding one of them, cameraman Louis Villa, at close gunpoint), and demands national broadcasting time. Three hours later, Gwin releases 2 hostages, Jack Webb and Bob Cimino. At 9:30&nbsp;p.m., with Gwin sitting next to him with a gun, KOOL anchor Bill Close reads a 20-minute statement; when finished, Close takes Gwin's gun and sets it on the table.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=luMPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3457,4049449&hl=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711041203/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=luMPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3457,4049449&hl=en |url-status=live |archive-date=11 July 2012 |title=Gunman forces TV anchorman to read message |agency=AP |date=29 May 1982 |via=Google News |journal=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |page=12 |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WQgOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l20DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7050,6270801&dq=kool+tv&hl=en |title=Gunman holds two in TV studio |agency=AP |department=Nation/World |date=29 May 1982 |via=Google News |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=3 |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wfgSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6677,5118241&dq=kool-tv&hl=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715125337/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wfgSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6677,5118241&dq=kool-tv&hl=en |url-status=live |archive-date=15 July 2012 |title=Gunman releases TV-station hostages |agency=The Associated Press |date=30 May 1982 |via=Google News |journal=[[The Ledger]] |page=18A |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref>
|-
|American [[film critic]] [[Leonard Maltin]] makes his first appearance on the television [[news magazine]] ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]''.<ref name="Timeline">{{cite web |url=http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/timeline.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101212405/http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/timeline.html |archive-date=1 January 2010 |title=20th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair |department=Timeline |year=2002 |publisher=[[The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.]] |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Karl |first=Michele |title=What Celebrities Collect! |chapter=Leonard Maltin: Movie Stills and Movie Memorabilia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGPjEqbpi68C&pg=PA52 |publisher=[[Pelican Publishing Company]] |location=[[Gretna, Louisiana]] |year=2006 |page=52 |isbn=1-58980-142-3 |access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref>
|-
!June 6
|The [[CBS]] affiliate in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[WKMG-TV|WDBO-TV]], changes its name to WCPX-TV.
|-
!July 11
|[[Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|ABC]] broadcasts the [[1982 FIFA World Cup final|FIFA World Cup Final]] between [[Italy national football team|Italy]] and [[Germany national football team|West Germany]] from [[Madrid]]. It's the first time that the World Cup's final match is aired [[Live television|live]] on American television. 
|-
!July 13
|[[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]] broadcasts the [[1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] from [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]] in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]. It's the first time that the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|Mid-Summer's Classic]] is played outside of the United States.
|-
!July 21
|The only episode of the sitcom ''[[Cass Malloy]]'' airs on [[CBS]]. Although not picked up as a regular series, it serves as the [[Television pilot|pilot]] for the 1987–1989 [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] sitcom ''[[She's the Sheriff]]''.
|-
!July 29
|Professional wrestler [[Jerry Lawler]] slaps actor [[Andy Kaufman]] in the face on the [[NBC]] program ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]''; Kaufman responds by throwing coffee and shouting profanities at Lawler. The incident was later revealed to have been staged.
|-
!August 8
|In [[Columbia, Missouri]], [[NBC]] affiliate and [[University of Missouri]]-owned [[KOMU-TV]] swaps affiliations with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[KMIZ|KCBJ-TV]]. The swap would eventually be reversed in 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1982-08-02|title=In Brief|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-08-02-BC-OCR-Page-0089.pdf|access-date=2021-12-16}}</ref>
|-
!August 30
|[[Field Communications]] begins its liquidation by selling off [[WFLD]] to [[Metromedia]].
|-
!September 6
|After [[Tom Wopat]] and [[John Schneider (screen actor)|John Schneider]] quit the [[CBS]] action series ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' as a result of a contract dispute, their characters, Bo and Luke Duke, are written out of the series as joining a [[NASCAR]] team and are replaced by cousins Coy and Vance (played respectively by [[Byron Cherry]] and [[Christopher Mayer (American actor)|Christopher Mayer]]). Bo and Luke—and Wopat and Schneider—would return to the series by season's end.
|-
!rowspan="2"|September 11
|[[NBC]] resurrects ''[[Texaco Star Theater]]'' as a one-time special; however, instead of inviting [[Milton Berle]], the man who hosted the original series during the 1950s, the special presents a salute to musicals.
|-
|In [[Savannah, Georgia]], [[NBC]] affiliate [[WSAV-TV]] swaps affiliations with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[WJCL (TV)|WJCL]], citing ABC's stronger ratings. The swap would eventually be reversed in 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1982-06-21|title=Intermedia|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-06-21-BC-OCR-Page-0066.pdf|access-date=2021-12-16}}</ref>
|-
!September 12
|[[KNLC]], a [[Religious broadcasting|religious]] [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] in [[St. Louis]] goes on the air.
|-
!September 13
|[[Mary Hart]] joins ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' as reporter and later co-host; she would fill the latter role until 2011.
|-
!September 20
|[[USA Network]] begins 24-hour operations, featuring the debut of the ''[[USA Cartoon Express]]'', cable television's first structured animation block.
|-
!September 25
|''[[Saturday Night Live (season 8)|Saturday Night Live]]'' begins its 8th season on [[NBC]], with host [[Chevy Chase]] and musical guest [[Queen (band)|Queen]]. Among the new additions for this season include future ''[[Seinfeld]]'' actress [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]], who will stay for 3 years (1982–1985) as a featured player/regular cast member.
|-
!September 30
|The [[Give Me a Ring Sometime|pilot episode]] for ''[[Cheers]]'' airs on [[NBC]].
|-
!October 1
|[[Independent station (North America)|Independent station]] [[KDOC-TV]] commences broadcasting in [[Los Angeles]].
|-
!October 2
|[[Mary Jo Catlett]] replaces [[Nedra Volz]] on the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'', as the new housekeeper, Mrs. Pearl Gallagher. She will stay with the series until its conclusion in 1986.
|-
!October 3
|During the [[1982 NFL strike|National Football League players strike]] (on what would have been Week 5 of the [[1982 NFL season|season]]), CBS broadcasts four [[NCAA Division III|Division III]] football games using their regular [[NFL on CBS|NFL]] broadcast crews.
|-
!October 4
|[[KMTR]] signs-on in [[Eugene, Oregon]] as an [[NBC]] affiliate. Due to NBC's persistent low ratings, the network's former affiliate [[KVAL-TV]] had been preempting NBC programming (with increasing regularity) in favor of programs from [[CBS]] (shared with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[KEZI]]), forcing a frustrated NBC to seek a new station. With the move, KVAL-TV becomes a full-time CBS affiliate.
|-
!October 4
|The [[CBS]] affiliate in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[KSAZ-TV|KOOL-TV]], changes its name to KTSP-TV.
|-
!October 11
|[[WFTC|WFBT]], a [[Religious broadcasting|religious]] television station in [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul|Minneapolis/St. Paul]] goes on the air.
|-
!October 12
|[[Cindy Williams]] makes her [[Laverne & Shirley (season 8)|final appearance]] as Shirley Finney on ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]''.
|-
!October 22
|[[Susan Stafford]] departs as co-host of the [[NBC]] game show ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' to do humanitarian work. Auditions occur for her replacement, with [[Vanna White]] formally replacing Stafford on December 13. As of 2022, White remains the co-host of ''Wheel''.
|-
!October 25
|The [[List of Cagney & Lacey episodes#Season 2 (1982–83)|second season]] of ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' premieres on [[CBS]] with [[Sharon Gless]] now assuming the role of Det. Christine Cagney. [[Meg Foster]] portrayed Cagney in the first season. Foster was dismissed after the first six episodes because CBS deemed her too aggressive and too likely to be perceived as a lesbian by the viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/dont-wagers-66518/|title=I don't have any wagers, ...|author=TV Guide News|date=February 16, 2006|work=TV Guide}}</ref>
|-
!November 13
|[[Boxing on CBS|CBS]] broadcasts a world championship boxing match between [[Ray Mancini]] and [[Kim Duk-koo]] that results in Kim's death five days after the bout.
|-
!November 18
|After originating as a four-hour long [[programming block]] on a channel known as Escapade in January 1982, the channel as a whole is officially relaunched as [[Playboy TV|The Playboy Channel]]. 
|-
!November 20
|At the age of 7, [[Drew Barrymore]] [[Saturday Night Live (season 8)|becomes]] the youngest person to ever [[List of Saturday Night Live guests|guest-host]] ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' on [[NBC]]. As fate would have it, she ends up hosting the same episode that saw [[Andy Kaufman]] banned from ever performing on the show again.
|-
!November 26
|[[Howard Cosell]] denounces professional [[boxing]] during the [[Boxing on ABC|ABC]] broadcast of a [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] [[List of WBC world champions#Heavyweight|heavyweight championship]] bout between titleholder [[Larry Holmes]] and a clearly outmatched [[Randall "Tex" Cobb]] at the [[Astrodome]] in [[Houston, Texas]]. Cosell, horrified over the brutality of the one-sided fight, said that if the referee did not stop the fight he would never broadcast a professional fight again.
|-
!December 5
|''[[Southwest Championship Wrestling]]'' becomes the first weekly wrestling program on the [[USA Network]], airing Sundays at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|Eastern Time]]. However, because of a particularly bloody match between [[Tully Blanchard]] and [[Bob Sweetan|"Bruiser" Bob Sweetan]] (which USA refused to air), the inability of the promotion to keep paying USA the $7,000 per week to keep the time slot, and a monetary offer made to the cable channel by [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWF]] owner [[Vince McMahon]] to replace ''Southwest Championship Wrestling'' with his own programming,<ref>[http://www.infinitecore.ca/superstar/index.php?threadid=44371 KM : Reading Topic : swc on usa<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> USA will end up canceling the program in September (in spite of the high [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] the show was garnering for the network), replacing it with ''[[WWF All American Wrestling (show)|WWF All American Wrestling]]''.
|-
!rowspan="3"|December 11
|[[ESPN]] broadcasts its first live college football game, simulcasting the [[1982 Independence Bowl|Independence Bowl]] match-up between [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State University]] and the [[Wisconsin Badgers football|University of Wisconsin]].
|-
|[[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] in association with [[Lorimar Sports Network|Sports Productions, Inc.]] broadcasts a heavily anticipated college basketball match-up between the [[1982–83 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team|Virginia Cavaliers]] (led by [[Ralph Sampson]]) and [[1982–83 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown Hoyas]] (led by [[Patrick Ewing]]). TBS paid approximately US$600,000 for the broadcasting rights to the game that was called by [[Skip Caray]] and [[Abe Lemons]].
|-
|[[Eddie Murphy]] becomes the first and to date, only person to [[Saturday Night Live (season 8)|guest-host]] [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' while still a [[List of Saturday Night Live cast members|cast member]]. Murphy's ''[[48 Hours (film)|48 Hours]]'' co-star [[Nick Nolte]] was originally supposed to host until he fell ill.
|-
!December 27
|[[TBS (American TV channel)|SuperStation WTBS]] debuts one of the first video game-themed TV series, ''[[Starcade]]''.
|-
!rowspan="2"|December 29
|[[Nastassja Kinski]] makes a puzzling appearance on the [[NBC]] program ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'', seeming somewhat oblivious to the jokes and everything else that was going on around her and appearing with an unusual hair style Letterman describes as "looking like there was an owl perched on top of her head." (Letterman's second guest, [[John Candy]], comes out with his own hair moussed up in a pile as a spoof of Kinski's hair.)
|-
|[[Surround Sound]] is introduced for home use by [[Dolby]].
|-
!December 31
|''[[Texas (TV series)|Texas]]'' and ''[[The Doctors (1963 TV series)|The Doctors]]'' have their final episodes aired on [[NBC]].
|}

==Programs==
===Debuting this year===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date
! Show
! Network
|-
| January 7
| ''[[Fame (1982 TV series)|Fame]]'' 
|[[NBC]]
|-
| January 12
| ''[[American Playhouse]]'' 
|[[PBS]]
|-
| January 16
| ''[[King's Crossing]]'' 
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
| January 23
| ''[[One of the Boys (American TV series)|One of the Boys]]'' 
|rowspan="3"|[[NBC]]
|-
| February 1
| ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' 
|-
| March 6
| ''[[Chicago Story]]'' 
|-
| March 3
| ''[[The Kids of Degrassi Street]]''
|[[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
| March 12
| ''[[T.J. Hooker]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| March 17
| ''[[Herbie the Matchmaker]]'' 
|[[CBS]]
|-
| March 19
| ''[[The Phoenix (1982 TV series)|The Phoenix]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|ABC
|-
|rowspan="2"| March 23
| ''[[Joanie Loves Chachi]]'' 
|-
| ''[[Q.E.D. (American TV series)|Q.E.D.]]''
|rowspan="4"|CBS
|-
| March 25
| ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' 
|-
| March 29
| ''[[Capitol (TV series)|Capitol]]'' 
|-
| April 5
| ''[[Report to Murphy]]'' 
|-
| April 14
| ''[[Teachers Only]]'' 
|NBC
|-
| May 4
| ''[[The Book of Lists]]'' 
|CBS
|-
| July 5
| ''[[America This Morning]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| July 21
| ''[[Cass Malloy]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|CBS
|-
| August 9
| ''[[Filthy Rich (1982 TV series)|Filthy Rich]]'' 
|-
| September 1
| ''[[Sewing with Nancy]]''
|Syndication
|-
| September 12
| ''[[Blackstar (TV series)|Blackstar]]''
|CBS
|-
| September 17
| ''[[The Powers of Matthew Star]]'' 
|rowspan="3"|NBC
|-
|rowspan="5"| September 18
| ''[[The Gary Coleman Show]]'' 
|-
| ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1982 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''  
|-
| ''[[Gilligan's Planet]]'' 
|rowspan="5"|CBS
|-
| ''[[Meatballs & Spaghetti]]''
|-
| ''[[Pandamonium (TV series)|Pandamonium]]'' 
|-
| September 19
| ''[[Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV series)|Seven Brides for Seven Brothers]]'' 
|-
| September 20
| ''[[Child's Play (game show)|Child's Play]]'' 
|-
|rowspan="2"| September 22
| ''[[Family Ties]]'' 
|NBC
|-
| ''[[Tales of the Gold Monkey]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| September 24
| ''[[Bring 'Em Back Alive (TV series)|Bring 'Em Back Alive]]'' 
|CBS
|-
|rowspan="5"| September 25
| ''[[The Little Rascals (animated TV series)|The Little Rascals]]'' 
|rowspan="4"|ABC
|-
| ''[[Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour]]'' 
|-
| ''[[Pac-Man (TV series)|Pac-Man]]''
|-
| ''[[The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour]]'' 
|-
| ''[[Silver Spoons]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|NBC
|-
|rowspan="4"| September 26
| ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]'' 
|-
| ''[[At the Movies (1982–1990 TV series)|At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert]]''
|[[Syndication (television)|Syndication]]
|-
| ''[[Matt Houston]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| ''[[Gloria (American TV series)|Gloria]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|CBS
|-
| September 27
| ''[[Square Pegs]]'' 
|-
| September 30
| ''[[Cheers]]'' 
|rowspan="4"|NBC
|-
| October 1
| ''[[Remington Steele]]'' 
|-
| October 2
| ''[[The Devlin Connection]]''
|-
| October 3
| ''[[Voyagers!]]'' 
|-
| October 4
| ''[[CBS Morning News]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|CBS
|-
| October 6
| ''[[Tucker's Witch]]'' 
|-
| October 10
| ''[[Nature (TV series)|Nature]]'' 
|PBS
|-
| October 14
| ''[[It Takes Two (American TV series)|It Takes Two]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| October 22
| ''[[The Quest (1982 TV series)|The Quest]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| October 25
| ''[[Newhart]]'' 
|CBS
|-
| October 26
| ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' 
|NBC
|-
| October 26
| ''[[Gavilan (TV series)|Gavilan]]'' 
|NBC
|-
| October 29
| ''[[The New Odd Couple]]'' 
|ABC
|-
| December 12
| ''[[Powerhouse (TV series)|Powerhouse]]'' 
|PBS
|-
| December 27
| ''[[Starcade]]'' 
|TBS
|}

===Resuming this year===
{| class="wikitable"
|- "
! Show || Last aired || Previous network ||  Return date
|-
|''[[Tattletales]]''
|1978
|[[CBS]]
|January 18
|}

===Ending this year===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date 
! Show 
! Debut
|-
|January 8
|''[[Behind the Screen (TV series)|Behind the Screen]]''
|rowspan="2"|1981
|-
|January 15
|''[[Darkroom (TV series)|Darkroom]]''
|-
|January 29
|''[[The Tomorrow Show|Late Night with Tom Snyder]]''
|1973
|-
|March 1
|''[[In Search of... (TV series)|In Search of...]]'' (returned in 2002)
|1977
|-
|March 6
|''[[Spider-Man (1981 TV series)|Spider-Man]]''
|rowspan="2"|1981
|-
|March 22
|''[[Mr. Merlin]]''
|-
|March 26
|''[[Password Plus and Super Password|Password Plus]]'' (returned in 1984)
|1979
|-
|April 7
|''[[Shannon (1981 TV series)|Shannon]]''
|1981
|-
|April 17
|''[[The Lawrence Welk Show]]''
|1955
|-
|April 21
|''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]''
|1978
|-
|rowspan="2"|April 23
|''[[Blockbusters (US game show)|Blockbusters]]''
|rowspan="2"|1980
|-
|''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]''
|-
|May 12
|''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
|1977
|-
|May 20
|''[[Barney Miller]]''
|1975
|-
|May 21
|''[[Strike Force (TV series)|Strike Force]]''
|1981
|-
|rowspan="2"|May 27
|''[[Mork & Mindy]]''
|1978
|-
|''[[Bosom Buddies]]''
|rowspan="2"|1980
|-
|June 11
|''[[It's a Living]]'' (returned in 1985)
|-
|July 21
|''[[Cass Malloy]]'' 
|1982
|-
|July 30
|''[[Lewis & Clark (TV series)|Lewis & Clark]]''
|rowspan="2"|1981
|-
|August 24
|''[[McClain's Law]]''
|-
|September 4
|''[[The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show]]''
|1980
|-
|September 5
|''[[Goldie Gold and Action Jack]]''
|1981
|-
|September 10
|''[[Match Game]]'' (returned in 1990)
|1962
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 11
|''[[The Flintstone Comedy Show]]''
|1980
|-
|''[[The Kwicky Koala Show]]''
|rowspan="2"|1981
|-
|September 12
|''[[Code Red (American TV series)|Code Red]]''
|-
|September 13
|''[[Lou Grant (TV series)|Lou Grant]]''
|1977
|-
|September 18
|''[[Laverne & Shirley (1981 TV series)|Laverne & Shirley]]''
|1981
|-
|October 1
|''[[Sunrise Semester]]''
|1957
|-
|December 18
|''[[Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1980 TV series)|Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo]]''
|1980
|-
|December 25
|''[[The Devlin Connection]]''
|1982
|-
|rowspan="2"|December 31
|''[[Texas (TV series)|Texas]]''
|1980
|-
|''[[The Doctors (1963 TV series)|The Doctors]]''
|1963
|}

===Changing networks===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Show
! Moved from 
! Moved to
|-
|''[[Search for Tomorrow]]'' 
|[[CBS]] 
|rowspan="2"|[[NBC]]
|-
|''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]''
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|}

===Made-for-TV movies and miniseries===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title || Network || Premiere date
|-
|''[[Cry for the Strangers (film)|Cry for the Strangers]]''
|CBS
|February 11
|-
|''[[The Elephant Man (1982 film)|The Elephant Man]]''
|ABC
|January 4
|-
|''[[A Woman Called Golda]]'' 
|CBS
|April 26
|-
|''[[Inside the Third Reich (film)|Inside the Third Reich]]'' 
|ABC
|May 9
|-
|''[[Little Gloria... Happy at Last]]'' 
|NBC
|October 24
|-
| ''[[Million Dollar Infield]]''
| CBS
| February 2
|-
|''[[The Blue and the Gray (miniseries)|The Blue and the Gray]]'' (miniseries)
|CBS 
|November 14
|-
|''[[The Executioner's Song (film)|The Executioner's Song]]''
|NBC
|November 28, 29
|}

==Networks and services==
===Launches===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Network
! Type 
! Launch date
! Notes 
! Source 
|-
| [[Lifetime (TV channel)|Daytime and Lifetime Medical Television]]
| Cable television
| March
| 
| 
|-
| [[HLN (TV network)|CNN2]]
| Cable television
| January 1
| 
| 
|-
| [[California Music Channel]]
| Cable television
| March 1
|
|
|-
| [[The Weather Channel]]
| Cable and satellite 
| May 2
| 
| 
|-
| [[Lifetime (TV channel)|Cable Health Network]]
| Cable television
| June 
| 
| 
|-
| [[Satellite News Channel]]
| Cable television
| June 21
|
|
|-
| [[HSN|Home Shopping Club]]
| Cable television
| September 20
|
|
|-
| [[Playboy TV]]
| Cable television
| November 18
| 
| 
|-
|}

===Conversions and rebrandings===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Old network
! New network
! Type 
! Conversion date
! Notes 
! Source 
|-
| [[HLN (TV network)|CNN2]]
| Headline News
| Cable television
| August 9
| 
| 
|-
|}

===Closures===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Network
! Type 
! Closure date
! Notes 
! Source 
|-
| [[CBS Cable]]
| Cable television
| December 17
| 
| 
|}

==Television stations==
===Sign-ons===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date
! [[City of License]]/[[Designated market area|Market]]
! [[Television station|Station]]
! Channel 
! Affiliation
! Notes/Ref.
|-
| February 14
| [[Albany, Georgia]] 
| [[WFXL|WTSG-TV]]
| 31
| rowspan=2| [[Independent station (North America)|Independent]] 
|
|-
| February 20
| [[Richmond, Virginia]] 
| [[WRLH-TV]] 
| 35
| 
|- 
| March 6
| [[Orlando, Florida]] 
| [[WACX|WIYE]]
| 55
| [[Religious broadcasting|Religious]] [[Independent station (North America)|ind.]] 
| 
|- 
| March 12
| [[Mobile, Alabama]] <br> {{small|([[Pensacola, Florida]])}} 
| [[WPMI-TV|WPMI]]
| 15
| rowspan=3| Independent
|
|-
| March 18 
| [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]]/[[Kalamazoo, Michigan|Kalamazoo]]/[[Battle Creek, Michigan]] 
| [[WXMI|WWMA-TV]]
| 17
| 
|- 
| March 22
| [[Savannah, Georgia]] 
| [[WTGS]] 
| 28
| 
|- 
| April 4
| rowspan=2| [[Chicago, Illinois]] 
| [[WPWR-TV|WBBS-TV]]
| 60
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] independent
|
|- 
| April 20 
| [[WXFT-DT|WPWR-TV]] 
| 60
| Independent
|
|- 
| rowspan=2| April 21
| [[Homewood, Alabama]] <br> {{small|([[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]/[[Tuscaloosa, Alabama]])}} 
| [[WTTO]] 
| 21 
| Independent
| 
|- 
| [[Macon, Georgia]] 
| [[WGXA]]
| 24
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] 
| 
|- 
| April 23
| [[Canton, Ohio]]
| [[WRLM (TV)|WOAC]] 
| 67
| Independent
| 
|- 
| May 5
| [[Harlingen, Texas]] <br> {{small|([[Brownsville, Texas|Brownsville]]/[[McAllen, Texas]])}} 
| [[KFXV (TV)|KZLN]] 
| 60
| [[PBS]]
| 
|- 
| May 11
| [[Richmond, Indiana]]/[[Dayton, Ohio]] 
| [[WKOI-TV]] 
| 43
| [[Trinity Broadcasting Network|TBN]] 
| 
|- 
| May 16
| [[Opelika, Alabama|Opelika]]/[[Auburn, Alabama]] <br> {{small|([[Columbus, Georgia]])}} 
| [[WGBP-TV|WSWS-TV]]
| 66
| Independent
|
|- 
| May 22
| [[Boston, Massachusetts]] 
| [[WHDH (TV)|WNEV-TV]]
| 7
| [[CBS]] 
| 
|- 
| June 1
| [[Cape Girardeau, Missouri]] <br> {{small|([[Paducah, Kentucky]]/[[Harrisburg, Illinois]])}} 
| [[KBSI (TV)|KBSI]]
| 23
| Independent
| 
|- 
| June 13
| [[Lima, Ohio]] 
| [[WLMA (TV)|WTLW]]
| 44
| Religious independent
| 
|- 
| rowspan=2| June 16
| [[Inglis, Florida|Inglis]]/[[Yankeetown, Florida|Yankeetown]]/[[Lecanto, Florida|Lecanto]]/[[Gainesville, Florida]] 
| [[WYKE-CD|W49AI]] 
| 49
| rowspan=2| Independent
|
|- 
| [[Topeka, Kansas]] 
| [[KTMJ-CD|K06KZ]] 
| 6
| Now [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate KTMJ-CD on channel 43
|- 
| July 1 
| [[Baltimore, Maryland]] 
| [[WNUV]] 
| 54
| rowspan=2| Independent
| 
|- 
| July 5 
| [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]]/[[Orlando, Florida]]
| [[WOTF-TV|WMOD]]
| 26
|
|- 
| July 8
| [[West Palm Beach, Florida]] 
| [[WXEL-TV|WHRS-TV]]
| 42
| PBS 
| 
|- 
| July 21
| [[Victoria, Texas]] 
| [[KAVU-TV]]
| 25
| [[NBC]] 
| 
|- 
| July 30
| [[Albany, New York]] 
| [[WXXA-TV]]
| 23 
| Independent
| 
|- 
| August 4
| [[Dickinson, North Dakota]] 
| [[KDSE]] 
| 9
| [[PBS]]
| Part of [[Prairie Public Television]]
|- 
| August 6
| [[Cocoa, Florida|Cocoa]]/[[Orlando, Florida]] 
| [[WHLV-TV|WTGL-TV]] 
| 52
| rowspan=2| Independent
| 
|- 
| September 5
| [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]]/[[Phoenix, Arizona]] 
| [[KAZT|KUSK]]
| 7 
| 
|- 
| September 10
| [[Lander, Wyoming]] 
| [[KGWL-TV|KOWY]]
| 7
| [[CBS]] 
| 
|- 
| September 12
| [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| [[KNLC]]
| 24
| [[Religious broadcasting|Religious]] independent 
| now a [[MeTV]] [[owned-and-operated]] station
|- 
| September 19
| [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]]/[[Charleston, West Virginia]] 
| [[WVAH-TV]]
| 11
| rowspan=2| Independent
| 
|- 
| October 1
| [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]]/[[Los Angeles, California]] 
| [[KDOC-TV]] 
| 56
| 
|-
| October 2
| [[Centralia, Washington]] 
| [[KBTC-TV|KCKA]]
| 15
| PBS 
| Satellite of [[KBTC-TV]], [[Tacoma, Washington]]
|- 
| October 4
| [[Eugene, Oregon]]
| [[KMTR]]
| 16
| [[NBC]] 
| 
|- 
| October 11
| [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]]/[[St. Paul, Minnesota]] 
| [[WFTC|WFBT]] 
| 29
| rowspan=9| Independent
|
|- 
| October 16
| [[Miami, Florida]] 
| [[WSFL-TV|WDZL]] 
| 39
| 
|- 
| October 17
| [[West Palm Beach, Florida]] 
| [[WFLX]] 
| 29
| 
|- 
| rowspan=2| October 18
| [[Beattyville, Kentucky|Beattyville]]/[[Lexington, Kentucky]] 
| [[WLJC-TV]] 
| 65
|
|- 
| [[Peoria, Illinois]] 
| [[WYZZ-TV|WBLN]]
| 43
| 
|- 
| October 24
| [[Amarillo, Texas]] 
| [[KCIT|KJTV]]
| 14
| 
|- 
| October 31
| [[Spokane, Washington]] 
| [[KAYU-TV]] 
| 28
| 
|- 
| November 
| [[Bruce, Mississippi]]  
| [[WTME-LD|W07BN]]
| 7
|
|- 
| November 7
| [[Houston, Texas]] 
| [[KTXH]] 
| 20 
| 
|- 
| November 16
| [[Jacksonville, North Carolina|Jacksonville]]/[[New Bern, North Carolina]]
| [[WUNM-TV]]
| 19 
| [[PBS]] 
| Part of [[UNC-TV|University of North Carolina Television]]
|- 
| November 24
| Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
| [[KPXM-TV|KXLI]]
| 41
| rowspan=2|Independent
| 
|- 
| December 1
| [[Lansing, Michigan]] 
| [[WSYM-TV|WFSL-TV]] 
| 47
| 
|- 
| December 5
| [[Sandusky, Ohio]] 
| [[WGGN-TV|WGGN]] 
| 52
| Religious independent
| 
|- 
| December 12
| [[Lake Charles, Louisiana]]
| [[KVHP]] 
| 29
| rowspan=2| Independent
| 
|-
| December 23 
| [[Honolulu, Hawaii]] 
| [[KAAH-TV|KSHO-TV]] 
| 36 
| 
|-
|}

===Network affiliation changes===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date
! [[City of License]]/[[Designated market area|Market]]
! [[Television station|Station]]
! Channel 
! Old affiliation
! New affiliation
! Notes/Ref.
|-
| rowspan=2| January 4
| rowspan=2| [[Panama City, Florida]] 
| [[WJHG-TV]] 
| 7 
| ABC 
| NBC 
| 
|- 
| [[WMBB]]
| 13
| NBC 
| ABC 
| 
|- 
| February 1 
| [[Yuma, Arizona]]/[[El Centro, California]] 
| [[KECY-TV]] 
| 9 
| CBS 
| ABC 
| 
|- 
| March 22
| [[Waterbury, Connecticut|Waterbury]]/[[Hartford, Connecticut]] 
| [[WCCT-TV|WTXX]]
| 20 
| NBC 
| Independent
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" |August 8
| rowspan="2" |[[Columbia, Missouri]]
|[[KOMU-TV|KOMU]]
|8
|NBC
|ABC
|
|-
|[[KMIZ|KCBJ-TV]]
|17
|ABC
|NBC
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |September 11
| rowspan="2" |[[Savannah, Georgia]]
|[[WSAV-TV]]
|3
|NBC
|ABC
|
|-
|[[WJCL (TV)|WJCL]]
|22
|ABC
|NBC
|
|- 
| October 4
| [[Eugene, Oregon]] 
| [[KVAL-TV]]
| 13
| NBC
| CBS
| 
|- 
|}

===Sign-Offs===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date
! City of license/Market
! Station
! Channel 
! Affiliation
! Sign-on date
! Notes
|-
| May 22
| [[Boston, Massachusetts]] 
| [[WNAC-TV (defunct)|WNAC-TV]]  
| 7
| CBS 
| June 21, 1948
| Replaced with [[WNEV-TV]].<ref>"It's all over for RKO's WNAC-TV." Broadcasting, April 26, 1982, pp. 27–28. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-04-26-BC-OCR-Page-0027.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-04-26-BC-OCR-Page-0028.pdf]</ref>
|-
| June 4
| [[Hanover, New Hampshire]] 
| [[WHED-TV]]
| 15
| [[PBS]]
| April 11, 1968<ref name="Vall820323">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102249904/new-hampshire-public-television-channel/|date=March 23, 1982|page=1|first=Rich|last=Barlow|title=New Hampshire Public Television Channel 15 Going Dark June 4|newspaper=Valley News|location=West Lebanon, New Hampshire|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref><!-- Tue -->
|}

==Births==
{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Name || Notability 
|-
|rowspan="2"|January 1
|[[Ben Domenech]]
|Editor
|-
|[[Dana DeLorenzo]]
|Actress (''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]'', ''[[Ash vs Evil Dead]]'')
|-
|January 3
|[[Tricia Dickson]]
|Voice actress ([[Nickelodeon]])
|-
|rowspan="2"|January 5
|Allen Evangelista
|Actor (''[[Zoey 101]]'', ''[[The Secret Life of the American Teenager]]'')
|-
|[[Jessica Chaffin]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|January 7
|[[Lauren Cohan]]
|Actress (''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'', ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]'')
|-
|[[Eddie Redmayne]]
|Actor
|-
|January 8
|[[Gaby Hoffmann]]
|Actress
|-
|January 10
|[[Josh Ryan Evans]]
|Actor (Timmy on ''[[Passions]]'') (d. [[2002 in American television|2002]])
|-
|January 13
|[[Ruth Wilson]]
|Actress
|-
|January 16
|[[Birgitte Hjort Sørensen]]
|Actress
|-
|January 17
|[[David Blue (actor)|David Blue]]
|Actor (''[[Stargate Universe]]'')
|-
|January 18
|[[Joanna Newsom]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|January 19 
|[[Jodie Sweetin]]
|Actress (''[[Full House]]'', ''[[Fuller House (TV series)|Fuller House]]'')
|-
|[[Simone Missick]]
|Actress
|-
|January 28
|[[Keltie Knight]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|January 29
||[[Adam Lambert]]
|Singer, songwriter and actor (''[[American Idol]]'', ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'')
|-
|[[Heidi Mueller]]
|Actress (''[[Passions]]'')
|-
|January 31
|[[Jon Gabrus]]
|Actor (''[[CollegeHumor|CollegeHumor Originals]]'')
|-
|February 3
|[[Bridget Regan]]
|Actress (''[[Legend of the Seeker]]'', ''[[Jane the Virgin]]'', ''[[Agent Carter (TV series)|Agent Carter]]'')
|-
|February 6
|[[Alice Eve]]
|Actress
|-
|February 7
|[[Cory Doran]]
|Canadian actor (''[[George of the Jungle (2007 TV series)|George of the Jungle]]'', ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', ''[[Stoked (TV series)|Stoked]]'', ''[[Pearlie]]'', ''[[Wild Kratts]]'', ''[[Total Drama]]'', ''[[Rocket Monkeys]]'')
|-
|February 8
|[[Danny Tamberelli]]
|Actor (''[[The Adventures of Pete & Pete]]'', ''[[The Magic School Bus (TV series)|The Magic School Bus]]'', ''[[All That]]'', ''[[Fillmore!]]'')
|-
|February 10
|[[Lauren Scala]]
|Television reporter
|-
|February 12
|[[Carter Hayden]]
|Canadian actor (''[[Total Drama]]'', ''[[Camp Lakebottom]]'')
|-
|February 17
|[[Brooke D'Orsay]]
|Canadian actress (''[[6teen]]'', ''[[Happy Hour (TV series)|Happy Hour]]'')
|-
|February 22
|[[Dichen Lachman]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|February 25
|[[Maria Kanellis]]
|Actress
|-
|[[Bert McCracken]]
|Singer
|-
|February 28
|[[Diane Macedo]]
|American news personality
|-
|March 1
|Alexis Fields
|Actress (''[[Roc (TV series)|Roc]]'', ''[[Sister, Sister (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]'', ''[[Kenan & Kel]]'', ''[[Moesha]]'')
|-
|March 2
|[[Ben Roethlisberger]]
|American football quarterback
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 3 
|[[Jessica Biel]]
|Actress (''[[7th Heaven (TV series)|7th Heaven]]'')
|-
|[[Mercedes Mason]]
|Actress
|-
|March 10
|[[Thomas Middleditch]]
|Canadian actor (''[[Silicon Valley (TV series)|Silicon Valley]]'', ''[[Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero]]'')
|-
|rowspan="4"|March 11
|[[Lindsey McKeon]]
|Actress (''[[Saved by the Bell: The New Class]]'', ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'')
|-
|[[Robbie Daymond]]
|Voice actor (''[[Breadwinners (TV series)|Breadwinners]]'', ''[[Sailor Moon (anime)|Sailor Moon]]'', ''[[Get Blake!]]'', ''[[OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes]]'', ''[[Spider-Man (2017 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Pinky Malinky]]'')
|-
|[[Thora Birch]]
|Actress (''[[The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'')
|-
|[[Mircea Monroe]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 12
|[[Samm Levine]]
|American actor
|-
|[[Luis Gerardo Méndez]]
|Actor
|-
|March 14
|[[Kate Maberly]]
|Actress
|-
|March 16
|[[Julie Pace]]
|American journalist
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 18
|[[Adam Pally]]
|American actor
|-
|[[Cornelius Smith Jr.]]
|American actor
|-
|March 19
|[[Amanda Kloots]]
|American dancer
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 20
|[[Nick Blood]]
|English actor (''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'')
|-
|[[Erica Luttrell]]
|Voice actress (''[[The Magic School Bus (TV series)|The Magic School Bus]]'', ''[[Dave the Barbarian]]'', ''[[Steven Universe]]'')
|-
|March 21
|[[Santino Fontana]]
|American actor
|-
|March 22
|[[Constance Wu]]
|Actress (''[[Fresh Off the Boat]]'')
|-
|March 24
|[[James Napier Robertson]]
|New Zealand actor (''[[Power Rangers Dino Thunder]]'')
|-
|rowspan="4"|March 25
|[[Sean Faris]]
|Actor (''[[Life as We Know It (TV series)|Life as We Know It]]'', ''[[Pretty Little Liars (TV series)|Pretty Little Liars]]'')
|-
|[[Jenny Slate]]
|Actress, comedian (''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'', ''[[Star vs. the Forces of Evil]]'', ''[[Muppet Babies (2018 TV series)|Muppet Babies]]'')
|-
|[[Alex Moffat (comedian)|Alex Moffat]]
|Actor, comedian (''[[Saturday Night Live]]'')
|-
|[[Danica Patrick]]
|American former professional racing driver
|-
|March 26
|[[Joe Anderson (actor)|Joe Anderson]]
|Actor
|-
|March 28
|[[Flula Borg]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 30
|[[Jason Dohring]]
|Actor (''[[Veronica Mars]]'')
|-
|[[Kenric Green]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 31
|[[Anna Mae Routledge]]
|Actress
|-
|[[Brian Tyree Henry]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|April 1
|[[Taran Killam]]
|Actor, comedian (''[[The Amanda Show]]'', ''[[Wild 'n Out]]'', ''[[Mad TV]]'', ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'')
|-
|[[Sam Huntington]]
|Actor
|-
|April 3
|[[Cobie Smulders]]
|Canadian actress (''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'') and model
|-
|April 5
|[[Hayley Atwell]]
|English actress (''[[Agent Carter (TV series)|Agent Carter]]'', ''[[Conviction (2016 TV series)|Conviction]]'') and singer
|-
|April 6
|[[Bret Harrison]]
|Actor (''[[Grounded for Life]]'', ''[[The Loop (American TV series)|The Loop]]'', ''[[Reaper (TV series)|Reaper]]'', ''[[Breaking In (TV series)|Breaking In]]'')
|-
|rowspan="2"|April 10
|[[Chyler Leigh]]
|Actress (''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'', ''[[Supergirl (TV series)|Supergirl]]'')
|-
|[[Joanna Christie]]
|Actress
|-
|April 15
|[[Seth Rogen]]
|Canadian-American actor, comedian (''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'', ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'')
|-
|April 16
|[[Gina Carano]]
|American actress
|-
|April 18
|[[Abigail Hawk]]
|Actress
|-
|April 19
|[[Ali Wong]]
|American actress
|-
|April 22
|[[Cassidy Freeman]]
|Actress (''[[Smallville]]'', ''[[Longmire (TV series)|Longmire]]'')
|-
|April 24
|[[Kelly Clarkson]]
|Singer and actress (''[[American Idol]]'', ''[[The Kelly Clarkson Show]]'', ''[[The Voice (American TV series)|The Voice]]'')
|-
|April 26
|Cedric Sanders
|Actor
|-
|April 27
|[[Katrina Johnson]]
|Actress (''[[All That]]'')
|-
|April 28
|[[Harry Shum, Jr.]]
|Actor (''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', ''[[Shadowhunters]]'') 
|-
|rowspan="3"|April 30 
|[[Drew Seeley]]
|Canadian-American actor (''[[Glory Daze (2010 TV series)|Glory Daze]]'')
|-
|[[Joseph Perrino]]
|American actor
|-
|[[Kirsten Dunst]]
|Actress (''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Fargo (TV series)|Fargo]]'')
|-
|May 1
|[[Jamie Dornan]]
|Northern Irish actor (''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'')
|-
|May 2
|[[Poppy Harlow]]
|American journalist
|-
|May 3
|[[Rebecca Hall]]
|Actress
|-
|May 4
|[[Charissa Thompson]]
|TV host
|-
|rowspan="2"|May 6
|[[Lindsay Pulsipher]]
|Actress (''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'', ''[[True Blood]]'', ''[[The Beast (2009 TV series)|The Beast]]'')
|-
|[[Tiffany Coyne]]
|Model
|-
|May 9
|[[Rachel Boston]]
|Actress (''[[American Dreams]]'', ''[[Witches of East End]]'')
|-
|May 11
|[[Cory Monteith]]
|Actor (''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'') (d. [[2013 in American television|2013]])
|-
|May 13
|[[Ana Cabrera]]
|Journalist
|-
|May 14
|[[Anjelah Johnson]]
|Actress (''[[Mad TV]]'')
|-
|May 15
|[[Alexandra Breckenridge]]
|Actress (''[[Family Guy]]'')
|-
|May 16
|[[Tiya Sircar]]
|Actress
|-
|May 24
|[[Chaunté Wayans]]
|Actress
|-
|May 25
|[[Fryda Wolff]]
|Actress (''[[The Owl House]]'', ''[[Trolls: The Beat Goes On!]]'')
|-
|May 27
|[[Natalya Neidhart]]
|Pro Wrestler (''[[Total Divas]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-24 |title=WWE Profile - Natalya |url=https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/17172877/wwe-profile-page-natalya |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|May 28
|[[Alexa Davalos]]
|Actress (''[[Reunion (American TV series)|Reunion]]'', ''[[The Man in the High Castle (TV series)|The Man in the High Castle]]'')
|-
|May 29
|[[Joanne Borgella]]
|Reality TV personality ([[American Idol season 7|''American Idol'' (season 7)]], ''[[Made (TV series)|Made]]'', ''[[Mo'Nique's Fat Chance]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grinberg |first=Emanuella |date=2014-10-19 |title='American Idol' alum Joanne Borgella dies at 32 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/10/19/showbiz/joanne-borgella-death/index.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> (d. 2014)
|-
|May 31
|[[Jonathan Tucker]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|June 2
|[[Jewel Staite]]
|Canadian actress (''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'', ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'')
|-
|[[Whitney Able]]
|Actress
|-
|June 8
|[[Thomas Hobson (actor)|Thomas Hobson]]
|Actor (''[[The Fresh Beat Band]]'', ''[[That Girl Lay Lay (TV series)|That Girl Lay Lay]]'')
|-
|June 14
|[[Lawrence Saint-Victor]]
|Actor (''[[Guiding Light]]'')
|-
|June 16
|[[Missy Peregrym]]
|Canadian actress (''[[Life as We Know It (TV series)|Life as We Know It]]'', ''[[Reaper (TV series)|Reaper]]'', ''[[Rookie Blue]]'')
|-
|June 17
|[[Arthur Darvill]]
|English actor (''[[Legends of Tomorrow]]'')
|-
|June 19
|[[Michael Yarmush]]
|Actor
|-
|June 20
|[[Necar Zadegan]]
|Actress
|-
|June 21
|[[Jussie Smollett]]
|Actor (''[[On Our Own (1994 TV series)|On Our Own]]'', ''[[Empire (2015 TV series)|Empire]]'', ''[[Underground (TV series)|Underground]]'')
|-
|June 25
|[[Whit Johnson]]
|American journalist
|-
|rowspan="2"|June 29
|[[Lily Rabe]]
|Actress (''[[American Horror Story]]'')
|-
|[[Colin Jost]]
|Actor, comedian (''[[Saturday Night Live]]'')
|-
|June 30
|[[Lizzy Caplan]]
|Actress (''[[Related]]'', ''[[The Class (TV series)|The Class]]'', ''[[Party Down]]'', ''[[Masters of Sex]]'')
|-
|July 1
|[[Hilarie Burton]]
|Actress (''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'')
|-
|July 4
|[[Michael Sorrentino]]
|TV personality (''[[Jersey Shore (TV series)|Jersey Shore]]'')
|-
| rowspan="2" |July 8
|[[Sophia Bush]]
|Actress (''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'', ''[[Chicago P.D. (TV series)|Chicago P.D.]]'')
|-
|[[Ariel Helwani]]
|Canadian-American combat sports analyst
|-
|July 10
|[[Morgan Ortagus]]
|American television commentator
|-
|July 13
|[[Aya Cash]]
|American actress
|-
|July 18
|[[Ryan Cabrera]]
|American musician
|-
|July 19
|[[Jared Padalecki]]
|Actor (''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'')
|-
|July 20
|[[Percy Daggs III]]
|Actor (''[[Veronica Mars]]'')
|-
|July 22
|[[David Fynn]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|July 23
|[[Paul Wesley]]
|Actor (''[[American Dreams]]'', ''[[The Vampire Diaries]]'')
|-
|[[Tom Mison]]
|English actor (''[[Sleepy Hollow (TV series)|Sleepy Hollow]]'')
|-
|rowspan="3"|July 24
|[[Anna Paquin]]
|Canadian actress (''[[True Blood (TV series)|True Blood]]'')
|-
|[[Elisabeth Moss]]
|Actress (''[[The West Wing]]'', ''[[Mad Men]]'')
|-
|[[Lauren Miller Rogen]]
|Actress
|-
|July 25
|[[Brad Renfro]]
|Actor (d. [[2008 in American television|2008]])
|-
|July 26
|[[Megan Ketch]]
|Actress
|-
|July 28
|[[Tom Pelphrey]]
|Actor (''[[Guiding Light]]'', ''[[Iron Fist (TV series)|Iron Fist]]'')
|-
|July 29
|[[Allison Mack]]
|Actress (''[[Smallville]]'', ''[[Wilfred (American TV series)|Wilfred]]'')
|-
|rowspan="3"|July 30
|[[Martin Starr]]
|Actor (''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'', ''[[Party Down]]'', ''[[Silicon Valley (TV series)|Silicon Valley]]'')
|-
|[[Yvonne Strahovski]]
|Actress (''[[HeadLand]]'', ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'')
|-
|[[Brandon Scott (actor)|Brandon Scott]]
|Actor (''[[This Is Us]]'', ''[[Dead to Me (TV series)|Dead to Me]]'', ''[[13 Reasons Why]]'')
|-
|August 1
|[[Julia Ioffe]]
|American journalist
|-
|August 3
|[[Aron Stevens]]
|Pro wrestler
|-
|August 6
|[[Romola Garai]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 7
|[[Abbie Cornish]]
|Actress (''[[Outriders (TV series)|Outriders]]'')
|-
|[[Brit Marling]]
|Actress (''[[Babylon (TV series)|Babylon]]'', ''[[The OA]]'')
|-
|August 9
|[[Jes Macallan]]
|Actress (''[[Mistresses (American TV series)|Mistresses]]'')
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 10
|[[Katrina Begin]]
|Actress
|-
|[[Vincent Rodriguez III]]
|Actor
|-
|August 11
|[[Amanda Sudano]]
|Singer
|-
|August 12
|[[River Butcher]]
|Actor
|-
|August 13
|[[Sebastian Stan]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 16
|[[Todd Haberkorn]]
|Voice actor (''[[Ever After High]]'', ''[[Ben 10 (2016 TV series)|Ben 10]]'')
|-
|[[Cam Gigandet]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 17
|[[Mark Salling]]
|Actor (''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'') (d. [[2018 in American television|2018]])
|-
|[[Jon Lovett]]
|Comedian
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 19
|[[Erika Christensen]]
|Actress (''[[Six Degrees (TV series)|Six Degrees]]'', ''[[Parenthood (2010 TV series)|Parenthood]]'') and singer
|-
|[[Melissa Fumero]]
|Actress (''[[One Life to Live]]'', ''[[Brooklyn Nine-Nine]]'')
|-
|rowspan="2"|August 20
|[[Meghan Ory]]
|Canadian actress (''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'')
|-
|[[Jamil Walker Smith]]
|Actor (''[[Hey Arnold!]]'', ''[[Waynehead]]'', ''[[Stargate Universe]]'')
|-
|August 25
|[[Benjamin Diskin]]
|Voice actor (''[[Hey Arnold!]]'', ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]'', ''[[The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series)|The Spectacular Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Stitch!]]'', ''[[Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.]]'', ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir]]'', ''[[Muppet Babies (2018 TV series)|Muppet Babies]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (TV series)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'')
|-
|August 26
|[[John Mulaney]]
|Actor
|-
|August 27
|[[Leah McSweeney]]
|American television personality
|-
|August 29
|[[Echo Kellum]]
|Actor (''[[Ben and Kate]]'', ''[[Arrow (TV series)|Arrow]]'', ''[[Sean Saves the World]]'')
|-
|September 1
|[[Zoe Lister-Jones]]
|Actress (''[[Delocated]]'', ''[[Whitney (TV series)|Whitney]]'', ''[[Friends with Better Lives]]'', ''[[Life in Pieces]]'')
|-
|September 4
|[[Whitney Cummings]]
|Comedian and actress (''[[Whitney (TV series)|Whitney]]'')
|-
|September 5
|[[Hallie Haglund]]
|Comedian
|-
|September 8
|[[Chumlee]]
|American businessman
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 10
|[[Bret Iwan]]
|Voice actor (current voice of [[Mickey Mouse]])
|-
|[[Misty Copeland]]
|Actress
|-
|September 13
|[[J. G. Quintel]]
|Voice actor (''[[Regular Show]]'')
|-
|September 17
|[[Jillian Mele]]
|News anchor
|-
|September 19
|[[Columbus Short]]
|Actor
|-
|September 20
|[[Jessica Pimentel]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 22
|[[Katie Lowes]]
|Actress
|-
|[[Billie Piper]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 23
|[[Alyssa Sutherland]]
|Australian actress (''[[Vikings (2013 TV series)|Vikings]]'')
|-
|[[Pendleton Ward]]
|Voice actor (''[[Adventure Time]]'')
|-
|September 24
|[[Tom Degnan]]
|Actor
|-
|September 27
|[[Anna Camp]]
|Actress (''[[The Mindy Project]]'')
|-
|September 28
|[[Matt Cohen (actor)|Matt Cohen]]
|Actor (''[[South of Nowhere]]'')
|-
|September 29
|[[Stephen "tWitch" Boss]]
|Actor (died 2022)
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 30 
|[[Kieran Culkin]]
|Actor (''[[Long Live the Royals]]'')
|-
|[[Lacey Chabert]]
|Actress (''[[Party of Five]]'', ''[[The Wild Thornberrys]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series)|The Spectacular Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Shimmer and Shine]]'', ''[[The Lion Guard]]'', ''[[Justice League Action]]'')
|-
|October 3
|[[Erik von Detten]]
|Actor (''[[Recess (TV series)|Recess]]'', ''[[Odd Man Out (American TV series)|Odd Man Out]]'', ''[[So Weird]]'', ''[[The Legend of Tarzan (TV series)|The Legend of Tarzan]]'', ''[[Complete Savages]]'')
|-
|October 6
|[[Mike Mitchell (actor)|Mike Mitchell]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|October 9
|[[Michael Arden]]
|Actor
|-
|[[Colin Donnell]]
|Actor (''[[Arrow (TV series)|Arrow]]'', ''[[The Affair (TV series)|The Affair]]'', ''[[Chicago Med]]'')
|-
|October 11
|[[Humphrey Ker]]
|Actor
|-
|October 12
|[[Sarah Smyth]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|October 15 
|[[Lane Toran]]
|Voice actor (Arnold on ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'' (1996–97))
|-
|[[Brandon Jay McLaren]]
|Actor
|-
|October 16
|[[Pippa Black]]
|Actress
|-
|October 19
|[[Gillian Jacobs]]
|Actress (''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'', ''[[Love (TV series)|Love]]'') and singer
|-
|October 20
|[[Katie Featherston]]
|Actress (''[[Paranormal Activity (film series)|Paranormal Activity]]'')
|-
|October 28
|[[Michael Stahl-David]]
|Actor
|-
|October 30
|[[Clémence Poésy]]
|French actress (''[[The Tunnel (TV series)|The Tunnel]]'')
|-
|November 1
|[[Michaela Dietz]]
|Actress (''[[Steven Universe]]'', ''[[Barney & Friends]]'', ''[[The Ghost and Molly McGee]]'')
|-
|November 10
|[[Heather Matarazzo]]
|Actress
|-
|November 12 
|[[Anne Hathaway]]
|Actress (''[[Get Real (American TV series)|Get Real]]'')
|-
|November 14
|[[Laura Ramsey]]
|Actress (''[[Hindsight (TV series)|Hindsight]]'')
|-
|November 18
|[[Damon Wayans Jr.]]
|Actor (''[[New Girl]]'', ''[[Happy Endings (TV series)|Happy Endings]]'', ''[[Happy Together (2018 TV series)|Happy Together]]'')
|-
| rowspan="2" |November 21
|[[Paul W. Downs]]
|Actor
|-
|[[Ryan Starr]]
|Reality TV personality (''[[American Idol (season 1)|American Idol]]'', ''[[The Surreal Life]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ryan Starr Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ryan_starr |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="2"|November 25
|[[Natalia Cordova-Buckley]]
|Mexican actress (''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'')
|-
|[[Marci Gonzalez]]
|Reporter for CBS News
|-
|November 26
|[[Jessica Camacho]]
|Actress
|-
|rowspan="2"|November 28
|[[Adam McArthur]]
|Voice actor (''[[Star vs. the Forces of Evil]]'')
|-
|[[Alan Ritchson]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="3"|November 29
|[[Gemma Chan]]
|English actress (''[[Dates (TV series)|Dates]]'', ''[[Humans (TV series)|Humans]]'')
|-
|[[Lucas Black]]
|Actor (''[[American Gothic (1995 TV series)|American Gothic]]'', ''[[NCIS: New Orleans]]'')
|-
|[[Eddie Spears]]
|Actor
|-
|November 30
|[[Elisha Cuthbert]]
|Actress (''[[Are You Afraid of the Dark?]]'', ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'', ''[[Happy Endings (TV series)|Happy Endings]]'')
|-
|December 2
|[[Streeter Seidell]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|December 5
|[[Gabriel Luna]]
|Actor (''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'')
|-
|[[Alberto Guerra (actor)|Alberto Guerra]]
|Actor
|-
|December 6
|[[C. J. Thomason]]
|Actor
|-
|rowspan="2"|December 7
|[[Jesse Johnson (actor)|Jesse Johnson]]
|Actor
|-
|[[Jack Huston]]
|Actor
|-
|December 8
|[[Nicki Minaj]]
|Singer
|-
|December 14
|[[Jesse Garcia]]
|Actor
|-
|December 15
|[[George O. Gore II]]
|Actor (''[[New York Undercover]]'', ''[[My Wife and Kids]]'')
|-
|December 16
|[[Zoe Jarman]]
|Actress
|-
|December 20
|[[David Cook (singer)|David Cook]]
|Singer (''[[American Idol (season 7)|American Idol]]'')
|-
|December 21
|[[Tom Payne (actor)|Tom Payne]]
|Actor
|-
|December 22
|[[Harry Ford (actor)|Harry Ford]]
|Actor
|-
|December 28
|[[Beau Garrett]]
|Actress
|-
|December 29
|[[Alison Brie]]
|Actress and singer (''[[Mad Men]]'', ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'', ''[[BoJack Horseman]]'', ''[[GLOW (TV series)|GLOW]]'')
|-
|December 30
|[[Kristin Kreuk]]
|Canadian actress (''[[Edgemont (TV series)|Edgemont]]'', ''[[Smallville]]'', ''[[Beauty & the Beast (2012 TV series)|Beauty & the Beast]]'')
|-
|December 31
|[[Jermaine Williams]]
|Actor (''[[The Jersey]]'')
|}

==Deaths==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date || Name || Age || class="unsortable" | Notability 
|-
|January 1 
|[[Victor Buono]]
|align="center"|43
|Actor ([[King Tut (comics)|King Tut]] on ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'')
|-
|January 5 
|[[Hans Conried]]
|align="center"|64
|Actor (''[[Make Room for Daddy]]'', ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show]]'', [[Dr. Seuss]] special)
|-
|January 10 
|[[Paul Lynde]]
|align="center"|55
|Actor (''[[Bewitched]]''), comedian (''[[Hollywood Squares]]'')
|-
|January 18 
|[[Trent Lehman]]
|align="center"|20
|Child actor (''[[Nanny and the Professor]]'')
|-
|March 5 
|[[John Belushi]]
|align="center"|33
|Comedian/Singer (''[[Saturday Night Live]]'')
|-
|May 14 
|[[Hugh Beaumont]]
|align="center"|73
|Actor (Ward Cleaver on ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]'')
|-
|July 21 
|[[Dave Garroway]]
|align="center"|69
|Journalist and host (''[[Today (American TV program)|The Today Show]]'')
|-
|July 23
|[[Vic Morrow]]
|align="center"|53
|Actor (Sgt. "Chip" Saunders on ''[[Combat!]]'') killed by negligence of director [[John Landis]] [[Twilight Zone accident|on set]] of ''[[Twilight Zone: The Movie]]''
|-
|August 12
|[[Henry Fonda]]
|align="center"|77
|Actor
|-
|August 13 
|[[Joe E. Ross]]
|align="center"|68
|Actor (Gunther Toody on ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]'')
|-
|October 18
|[[Bess Truman]]
|align="center"|97
|[[First Lady of the United States]] and spouse of President [[Harry S. Truman]]
|-
|November 1
|[[James Broderick]]
|align="center"|55
|Actor (''[[Family (1976 TV series)|Family]]'') and father of [[Matthew Broderick]]
|-
|November 4 
|[[Dominique Dunne]]
|align="center"|22
|Actress (''[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Poltergeist]]'') murdered by abusive boyfriend, first victim of the "[[Poltergeist curse]]"
|-
|December 7 
|[[Will Lee]]
|align="center"|74
|Actor ([[Mr. Hooper]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]'')
|-
|December 22 
|[[Jack Webb]]
|align="center"|62
|Actor, producer (Sgt. Joe Friday on ''[[Dragnet (drama)|Dragnet]]'')
|}

==See also==
* [[1982 in the United States]]
* [[List of American films of 1982]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=tv_series&release_date=1982-01-01,1982-12-31&countries=us&adult=include&sort=num_votes,desc List of 1982 American television series] at [[IMDb]]

{{Years in TV by country|1982}}
{{Years in television}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1982 In American Television}}
[[Category:1982 in American television| ]]
[[Category:1980s in American television| ]]