In 1978, television in the United States saw a number of significant events, including the debuts, finales, and cancellations of television shows; the launch, closure, and rebranding of channels; changes and additions to network affiliations by stations; controversies, business transactions, and carriage disputes; and the deaths of individuals who had made notable contributions to the medium.
Events Date EventJanuary 15Super Bowl XII airs on CBS, the first time the NFL's championship event is played and telecast at night. The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos 27-10.January 23Roots One Year Later, a special examining the impact and influence of the miniseries, airs on ABC.January 28The Doobie Brothers make a guest appearance on ABC's What's Happening!!February 5ABC celebrates its silver anniversary with a retrospective special.February 28Robin Williams makes his first appearance as Mork from Ork on an episode of Happy Days on ABC. The episode proved to be such a success, that it would soon give way to a spin-off starring Williams entitled Mork & Mindy. March 7Showtime goes nationwide on the air.March 22The Beatles spoof The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash airs on NBC.March 26 – April 1CBS commemorates its golden anniversary in radio and TV broadcasting with CBS: On the Air, a 9½-hour retrospective special airing over 7 nights.April 16–19Holocaust, starring James Woods and Meryl Streep first airs on NBC.April 17KDOG-TV, Houston's independent station, changes its call sign to KRIV-TV following its purchase by Metromedia.April 22The Blues Brothers make their first appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live; the duo of Jake & Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) are introduced in a skit by Paul Shaffer (as Don Kirshner) and performs "Hey Bartender".April 26Ringo Starr's, Ringo, a musical version of The Prince and the Pauper, airs on NBC, with Starr's fellow former Beatle, George Harrison, providing the narration.May 7The television special celebrating the 30th anniversary of the state of Israel, The Stars Salute Israel at 30 is broadcast on ABC.June 12WHNB-TV, NBC affiliate in New Britain/Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut, changes its name to its current WVIT, shortly after Viacom purchased the station.June 26WTOP-TV changes its call sign to WDVM-TV. In return the NBC affiliate, WWJ-TV changes its call sign to WDIV-TV.July 1In Charlotte, North Carolina, NBC affiliate WSOC-TV leaves the network and joins ABC, citing a stronger affiliation (at the time, NBC is in last place among the three major networks, while ABC is in first place). NBC eventually aligns with Ted Turner-owned independent station WRET-TV (now WCNC-TV), tempted by promises Turner made to NBC to make $2.5 million worth of upgrades, including a stronger transmitter and the launch of a news department; former ABC affiliate WCCB becomes an independent station, and eventually a charter affiliate of Fox in 1986.July 10On ABC, the ABC Evening News is revamped to become ABC World News Tonight, employing a unique three-anchor setup (Frank Reynolds serving as lead anchor from Washington, Max Robinson presenting national news from Chicago, and Peter Jennings with international news from London).August 1Taking advantage of an oral escape-clause in his contract with ABC, Harry Reasoner returns to CBS, eventually rejoining 60 Minutes, the program he anchored with Mike Wallace from its 1968 premiere until he joined ABC News in 1970.September 17All three networks interrupts primetime programming by 10:30pm (the three-hour premiere of Battlestar Galatica on ABC, live coverage of that's year Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS, and the second part of 1976 film King Kong, shown on The Big Event on NBC) to broadcast from the White House East Room the ceremony formalizing the success of the peace talks between Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat—the Camp David Accords.September 18The chairs on which Archie and Edith Bunker sat through 8 seasons of the CBS comedy All in the Family are presented to the Smithsonian Institution.September 27Replacing Zara Cully and Damon Evans, Jay Hammer joins the cast of the CBS comedy The Jeffersons, for a short period of time.October 7On NBC's Saturday Night Live, The Rolling Stones become the first and to date, only band to serve as both hosts and musical guests in the same episode.October 14SIN broadcasts the final of the 1st National OTI-SIN Festival live from the Miami Jai-Alai Fronton in Miami.October 31On NBC, Norma Brown wins $28,800 playing the Money Cards on Card Sharks, the first and only time a contestant has won the maximum amount.November 9Jack Soo makes his final appearance as Nick Yemana on the ABC sitcom Barney Miller prior to his death from cancer on January 11, 1979. The Season 5 finale of Barney Miller (airing later that May) would subsequently, feature the cast stepping out of character to pay tribute to Soo.November 12In Fort Smith, Arkansas, KLMN-TV (now Fox affiliate KFTA-TV) signs-on the air and takes CBS programming from KFPW-TV/KTVP. Both KFPW-TV and KTVP subsequently become full-time ABC affiliates, giving Fort Smith in-market affiliates of all three major networks.November 17The Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming Star Wars sequel.November 20Anthony Geary makes his first appearance as Luke Spencer on General Hospital. Initially due to stay for thirteen weeks, his character was then given a contract. A year later, Luke drunkenly raped Laura Webber (Genie Francis), thus giving birth to what is considered as daytime television's signature supercouple, with their wedding in 1981 attracting thirty million viewers. Geary would play Luke until December 1983, returning for a guest arc (alongside Francis) in late 1984. After coming back to General Hospital in 1991 to play Bill Eckert (a look-alike of Luke), he resumed the latter role two years later due to Francis' return, eventually staying until 2015, with a guest appearance in 2017 to say goodbye to his latest wife Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). Luke Spencer was later killed off in early 2022.
Programs Debuting this year Date Show Network January 28 Fantasy Island ABC January 30 Baby... I'm Back! CBS January 31 The Harvey Korman Show ABC February 19 Project U.F.O. NBC March 7 Having Babies ABC March 10 Husbands, Wives & LoversCBS The Incredible Hulk March 14 Sam March 16 A.E.S. Hudson Street ABC March 17 Richie Brockelman, Private Eye NBC April 2 DallasCBS April 3 Pass the Buck Ever Increasing Faith Syndication April 5 The Amazing Spider-Man CBS April 8 The Ted Knight Show Another Day April 13 The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour NBC April 24 Card Sharks Joe & Valerie Rollergirls April 27 The Runaways June 6 20/20 ABC June 24 Free Country July 10 World News Tonight July 24 America Alive! NBC August 28 Flying High CBSSeptember 7 Grandpa Goes to Washington NBC The Waverly Wonders September 8 The Eddie Capra Mysteries September 9 Fabulous Funnies The New Fantastic Four Galaxy Goof-Ups Godzilla Jana of the Jungle The Krofft Superstar Hour Yogi's Space Race Challenge of the Superfriends ABC Fangface The All New Popeye HourCBS The Paper Chase Tarzan and the Super 7 September 10 Kids Are People Too ABC Kaz CBS Sword of Justice NBCSeptember 12 Taxi ABC Battle of the Planets SyndicationSeptember 13 W.E.B. NBC September 14 Mork & Mindy ABC September 16 30 Minutes CBS September 17 Battlestar Galactica ABC Lifeline NBC September 18 WKRP in Cincinnati CBS September 20 Dick Clark's Live Wednesday NBC In the Beginning CBS Vega$ ABC September 22 Who's Watching the Kids? NBC September 23 Apple Pie ABC The American Girls CBS September 24 Mary October 1 Centennial NBC October 30 A.M. Weather PBS November 2 David Cassidy: Man Undercover NBC November 3 Diff'rent Strokes November 27 The White Shadow CBS
Resuming this year Show Last aired Previous network Retitled as/Same Returning High Rollers 1976 NBC The New High Rollers April 24 Tic Tac Dough 1959 NBC The New Tic Tac Dough July 3 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! 1970 CBS Same September 9Jeopardy! 1975 NBC The All-New Jeopardy! October 2
Ending this year Date Show DebutJanuary 7We've Got Each Other1977January 9The Betty White ShowJanuary 10The FitzpatricksJanuary 13The Better SexJanuary 14TabithaJanuary 21The SkatebirdsJanuary 25SzysznykJanuary 28Search and Rescue: The Alpha TeamFebruary 6Logan's RunMarch 6The Six Million Dollar Man1973March 18KojakThe Robonic Stooges1977March 25The Tony Randall Show1976What Really Happened to the Class of '65?1977March 29The Carol Burnett Show1967March 30Police Woman1974March 31TattletalesApril 1The Bob Newhart Show1972April 6Black Sheep Squadron1976April 7Quark1977April 14Richie Brockelman, Private Eye1978April 18SamApril 20A.E.S. Hudson StreetApril 21Knockout1977To Say the LeastApril 22Maude1972April 24Baby... I'm Back!1978April 28C.P.O. Sharkey1976April 29Another Day1978April 30On Our Own1977May 10Rollergirls1978May 11The Hanna-Barbera Happy HourMay 12The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams1977May 13The Ted Knight Show1978The Bionic Woman1976Columbo1971May 18Baretta1975Fish1977May 29Sugar Time!June 6Man from AtlantisJune 29James at 16June 30Husbands, Wives & Lovers1978Pass the BuckJuly 7ABC Evening News1970July 21Chico and the Man1974The Gong Show1976July 22Free Country1978August 3The Harvey Korman ShowAugust 27Switch1975September 1Fred Flintstone and Friends1977September 2The Batman/Tarzan Adventure HourThe Krofft Supershow1976September 29For Richer, For Poorer1977September 30Apple Pie1978October 5W.E.B.October 6The Waverly WondersOctober 8MaryOctober 18In the BeginningOctober 28Laff-A-Lympics1977November 10The American Girls1978December 1Fabulous FunniesDecember 2Buford and the Galloping GhostGalaxy Goof-UpsYogi's Space RaceDecember 4Lucan1977December 9Rhoda1974December 15Who's Watching the Kids?1978December 16The New Fantastic FourDecember 23The Scooby-Doo Show1976Scooby's All-Stars1977Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!1969December 27Dick Clark's Live Wednesday1978
Made-for-TV movies and miniseries Title Network Date of airing The Dain Curse CBS May 22–24King NBC February 12–14Holocaust April 16–19 Zuma Beach September 27Centennial October 1–February 4 Donner Pass: The Road to Survival October 24 The Time Machine November 5 Someone's Watching Me! November 29
Networks and services Launches Network Type Launch date Notes Source Home Theater Network Cable television September 1 INSP Cable television Unknown WGN-TV Cable television November 9 Operation Prime Time Cable television Unknown
Network conversions and rebrandings Network Type Conversion date Source Hughes Television Network Occasional broadcast television network April Paramount Television Service Unrealized broadcast television network Unknown
Closures There are no closures for Cable and satellite television channels in this year.
Television stations Station launches