1951 in television

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The year 1951 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1951.

Events

• March 22 - RCA introduces an eight-pound (3.6 kg) monochrome television camera with a 53-pound (24 kg) backpack transmitter, both operated by batteries. It is the first portable television camera.
• May 28 - Then US Supreme Court sustains the Federal Communications Commission's approval of the CBS color television system.
• June 25 – CBS presents its first commercial color telecast featuring Arthur Godfrey, Ed Sullivan, and Faye Emerson.
• June - RCA demonstrates its new electronic color system.
• August 11 - The first baseball game is televised in color, a double-header between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves.
• September 4 - The first live transcontinental television broadcast occurs in San Francisco, California from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference.
• September 29 - The first live sporting event broadcast coast-to-coast, a college football game between Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh, is televised by NBC.
• September 29 - CBS broadcasts the first American football game in color, between the University of California and the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia.
• October 3 - The first live coast-to-coast network telecast of a World Series baseball game.
• October 12 - The Holme Moss transmitter is initiated in Northern England, making BBC Television available to the region for the first time.
• October 17 - Television broadcasts begin in Argentina from Primera Televisora Argentina on channel 7, Buenos Aires.
• October 20 - The CBS Eye logo makes its television debut.
• November 11 - Bing Crosby Enterprises demonstrates black-and-white video recording using a modified Ampex tape recorder.
• November 18 - Edward R. Murrow on See It Now presents the first live coast-to-coast commercial television broadcast in the US, showing a split screen view of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.
• December 24 - The first televised opera composed for television, Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti, is broadcasted by NBC.
• Television broadcasts begin in Peru.
• Ernie Kovacs' Time for Ernie and Ernie in Kovacsland television series premiere. Kovacs often uses unusual camera tricks and special effects.

Debuts

• January 3 - Dragnet, crime drama, debuts on NBC (1951–1959).
• March 3 - "Watch Mr. Wizard" debuts on NBC (1951–1965).
• July 16 - What's My Line?, game series, debuts on BBC Television. It will be one of the top-rated programs for the rest of the decade and make a celebrity of its host, Eamonn Andrews, who takes over from Gilbert Harding from the second episode.
• September 3 - The first long-running soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, debuts at 12:30 p.m. on the CBS television network (1951–1986).
• September 24 - Love of Life premieres on CBS (1951–1980).
• October 15 - Television situation comedy I Love Lucy debuts on CBS (1951–1960). The progam is produced on film, instead of being broadcast live. The series also makes Lucille Ball the world's first major female television star. The series features Lucille Ball with her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz.
• Television version of Amos & Andy (1951–1953).
• The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957), debuts on NBC, featuring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
• Hallmark Hall of Fame premieres (1951–present).

Television shows

listed by starting year

• Bozo the Clown (1949–present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949–1995)
• Martin Kane, Private Eye (1949–1954)
• The Goldbergs (1949–1955)
• The Voice of Firestone (1949–1963)
• Hawkins Falls (1950, 1951–1955)
• Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
• The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950–1958)
• The Jack Benny Show (1950–1965)
• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• What's My Line (1950–1967)
• Your Hit Parade (1950–1959)
• Your Show of Shows (1950–1954)
• "I Love Lucy" (1951–1960)

Series	Debut	Ended
Picture Page (UK)	October 8, 1936	1939
	1946	1952
The Voice of Firestone Televues	1943	1947
	1949	1963
Kaleidoscope (UK)	November 2, 1946	1953
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports	November 8, 1946	June 24, 1960
Muffin the Mule (UK)	1946	1955
Kraft Television Theater	May 7, 1947	1958
Kukla, Fran and Ollie	October 13, 1947	1957
Meet the Press	November 6, 1947	—
Howdy Doody	December 27, 1947	September 24, 1960
Café Continental	1947	1953
Juvenile Jury	1947	1954
Small Fry Club	1947	1951
Television Newsreel (UK)	January 5, 1948	1954
The Original Amateur Hour	January 18, 1948	September 27, 1970
Court of Current Issues	February 9, 1948	June 26, 1951
Author Meets the Critics	April 1948	October 10, 1954
Hollywood Screen Test	April 15, 1948	1953
Texaco Star Theater	June 8, 1948	1953
The Ed Sullivan Show	June 20, 1948	June 6, 1971
Candid Camera	August 10, 1948	May 23, 2004
CBS Evening News	August 15, 1948	—
Foodini the Great	August 23, 1948	June 23, 1951
Ford Theatre	October 17, 1948	July 10, 1957
The Alan Dale Show	1948	1951
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts	1948	January 1, 1958
Break the Bank	1948	1957
Celebrity Time	1948	September 1952
Club Seven	1948	1951
The Philco Television Playhouse	1948	1955
Winner Take All	1948	1952
The Goldbergs	January 17, 1949	1956
Captain Video	June 27, 1949	April 1, 1955
Mama	July 1, 1949	March 17, 1957
Martin Kane, Private Eye	August 7, 1949	June 17, 1954
The Lone Ranger	September 15, 1949	June 6, 1957
Come Dancing (UK)	September 29, 1949	1995
The Aldrich Family	October 2, 1949	May 29, 1953
	January 2, 1953	August 22, 1958
The Ruggles	November 3, 1949	June 19, 1952
One Man's Family	November 4, 1949	June 21, 1952
	March 1, 1954	April 1, 1955
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends	1949	1959

Ending this year

• The Alan Dale Show (1948–1951).
• Club Seven (1948–1951).

Births

• January 7 - Helen Worth, British actress.
• January 12 - Rush Limbaugh, radio personality.
  • Kirstie Alley, actress, Cheers.
• January 15 - Charo, Spanish-American singer and actress.
• February 15 - Jane Seymour, British actress.
• February 16 - William Katt, actor.
• March 13 - Fred Berry, actor (died 2003).
• March 17 - Kurt Russell, actor.
• April 13 - Peter Davison, British actor, Doctor Who.
• April 21 - Tony Danza, actor.
• June 13 - Richard Thomas, The Waltons
• June 27 - Julia Duffy, actress
• July 12 - Cheryl Ladd, actress and singer, Charlie's Angels
• July 17 - Lucie Arnaz, actress, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
• July 21 - Robin Williams, actor.
• July 23 - Edie McClurg, actress.
• July 24 - Lynda Carter, actress and singer, Wonder Woman.
• August 6 - Catherine Hicks, actress.
• August 14 - Carl Lumbly, actor.
• September 2 - Mark Harmon, actor.
• September 5 - Michael Keaton, actor.
• September 7 - Julie Kavner, actress, Rhoda.
• September 12 - Joe Pantoliano, actor.
• October 18 - Pam Dawber, actress.
• October 30 - Harry Hamlin, actor, L.A. Law.
• November 9 - Lou Ferrigno, actor, The Incredible Hulk.
• December 1 - Treat Williams, actor.
• December 4 - Patricia Wettig, actress.
• December 5 - Morgan Brittany, actress, Dallas.