2006 in American television

The following is a list of events affecting American television during 2006. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel initiations.

Events

January

Date Event
1 NBC Universal ends the channel program Trio and in its place begins Sleuth, a 24-hour entertainment cable TV channel dedicated to the crime, mystery and suspense genres.
2 After several years as part of The WB's weekday programming sequence, The WB ends its weekday afternoon Kids' WB animation sequence. Kids' WB was relegated to Saturday mornings, and the weekday block is replaced by Daytime WB.
3 The original Viacom officially divides into two companies, with the CBS television network and Showtime Networks becoming part of CBS Corporation, and the MTV Networks group of channels (which includes MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central) and Black Entertainment Television becoming part of the new Viacom. Eventually, the greatest casualty of the division was that Paramount Television, which became part of CBS Corporation, would cease to exist after 38 years of television production, as it was merged into the CBS Productions, part of the CBS network. The studio had the name of CBS Paramount Television for three years, later becoming CBS Television Studios.
Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas begin anchoring duties for ABC News's World News Tonight, replacing Peter Jennings, who died of cancer during 2005.
12 Dari Alexander (anchor of 2pm and 4pm portions of Fox News Live on weekends) and Rick Folbaum (anchor of Fox Report Weekend) are transferred from Fox News Channel to the Fox-owned-and-operated station WNYW/New York City. They are replaced by Jamie Colby and Trace Gallagher, respectively (Gallagher would make it official on February 4). Folbaum, however, would return to the network in 2009.
Second live episode of the program Will & Grace is broadcast by NBC on both the East and West coasts of the USA.
24 CBS and Warner Bros. announce the initiation of The CW Television Network for the 2006–2007 season. This network is, in a sense, a merger of The WB and UPN and was designed to replace both of those networks.[1]
28 The Directors Guild of America name Tony Croll and J. Rupert Thompson as best reality television directors for the programs Three Wishes and Fear Factor, respectively. Best director of a dramatic series is Michael Apted for Rome. Television comedy series director is Marc Buckland for My Name Is Earl. Directors Joseph Sargent (Warm Springs) and George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues) share best television movie awards. General Hospitals Owen Renfroe is named best daytime television serial director.

February

Date Event
2 Mad Linx returns to host Rap City after a 4-month absence, while J-Nicks resigns to work as a radio DJ.
5 After 36 years, ABC broadcasts its final National Football League program when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 21–10, in Super Bowl XL.
22 Fox announces plans for a new network, named MyNetworkTV. The network was planned to be broadcast by UPN and WB affiliates which are not included in the initiation of The CW.

March

Date Event
8 Bravo's premiere of one of its most popular shows to date, Top Chef.
16 SportsNet New York is begun. It is home of the New York Mets and New York Jets.
17 United States premiere of the new series of Doctor Who on Sci-Fi's Friday-night sequence.
26 Last first-broadcast episodes to date of the long-running TV series Soul Train. Reruns of the previous season are broadcast until October, when "The Best of Soul Train" reruns from the 1970s and 1980s begin being broadcast instead of new episodes.

April

Date Event
1 The Kids Choice Awards ceremony, broadcast by Nickelodeon, with special "slimed" guest, Robin Williams (hosted by Jack Black)
28 The 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was broadcast.

May

Date Event
21 Mike Wallace's last appearance on CBS' 60 Minutes; The WB aired the Charmed finale "Forever Charmed" (after 8 seasons)
24 Taylor Hicks won American Idol season five.
31 Katie Couric's final episode as co-host of the Today Show.

June

Date Event
26 MSG Network debuted SummerBall, a basketball series dedicated to the well-known summer streetball leagues in New York City. This was the first program ever broadcast by the network that was strictly dedicated to streetball in New York City.
28 Charles Gibson' final episode as co-host of Good Morning America (after 19 years)

July

Date Event
8 Pokémon broadcasts its final episode on Kids' WB!, "Pasta La Vista", also its final episode dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment.
10 Terrence and Rocsi, winners from BET's "New Faces" search, become the new hosts of 106 & Park, replacing the temporary hosts Big Tigger and Julissa.
BET replaces its top 5 music video countdown show BET.com Countdown with Hotwyred, hosted by Lamorne and Alesha Renee.
13 BET replaces its entertainment and fashion-oriented show BET Style with The Black Carpet, hosted by Toure and Danella.
24 The program Aquaman, previously not broadcast, becomes available for download on the iTunes Music Store.

August

Date Event
6 Blue's Clues, the preschool television series which pioneered its genre by encouraging viewer participation, airs its final episode on Nickelodeon after six seasons in almost 10 years on the air. Its spin-off series Blue's Room will continue airing until March of the following year.
14 Rap City host Mad Linx quits the show and is replaced by Q45.
21 Stargate SG-1 is canceled officially by SCI FI Channel after the premiere broadcast of the show's 200th episode after just five poor rated episodes. The tenth, and possibly final, season makes the show the longest broadcast science fiction series in American television history.
25 The Cheetah Girls 2, a sequel to The Cheetah Girls premieres on the Disney Channel and becomes the highest-rated Disney Channel original movie at that time, with ratings more than 8.1 million, exceeding that of High School Musical.
27 The Office wins Outstanding Comedy Series and 24 also wins for Outstanding Drama Series at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC.

September

Date Event
2 ESPN takes over production of ABC Sports broadcasts, rebranding them as ESPN on ABC. Both networks are owned by The Walt Disney Company.
4 MTV en Español is relaunched as MTV Tres.
5 Debut of the new News Corp-owned American broadcast network MyNetworkTV with the premiere of two prime-time telenovelas, Desire and Fashion House.
Katie Couric becomes the first female sole anchor of the CBS Evening News, replacing the temporary anchor Bob Schieffer.
6 The longest-broadcast television drama program, Guiding Light, broadcasts its 15,000th televised episode.
8 The former Kids' WB series, Pokémon, makes its Cartoon Network debut with new voice actors.
9 Qubo debuts as a Saturday morning block on NBC as well as a Spanish-dubbed version on Telemundo and a Friday afternoon programming block on i: Independent Television.
11 Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy! become the first game shows to be broadcast in High Definition.
John O'Hurley replaces Richard Karn as the host of Family Feud.
12 Mike Malin is named the winner of Big Brother: All-Stars and wins the $500,000 prize. Runner-Up Erika Landin wins $50,000.
Fox officially shuts down Foxnet, a cable service for television markets that did not have a local Fox affiliate.
13 Meredith Vieira begins co-hosting duties of the program The Today Show, replacing Katie Couric.
16 Following the Viacom/CBS split, the Nick Jr. on CBS block is replaced by KOL Secret Slumber Party, a female-oriented Saturday morning block produced by DiC Entertainment. Rebrandings took place a year later when it became KEWLopolis, and with the merge to Cookie Jar Entertainment in the fall of 2009, Cookie Jar TV.
18 The CW network debuts as the sixth broadcast network, merging with UPN (owned by CBS which split in the original Viacom, three days after UPN ceased operations) and The WB (owned by Warner Bros., a day after The WB ceased operations).
Vickyann Sadowski wins $147,517 worth of cash and prizes for her performance for The Price Is Right. This not only made Sadowski the biggest winner of the daytime show's history, it also surpassed Press Your Luck contestant Michael Larson, making her the biggest one day winner in the history of American network daytime game shows in general.
20 Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is seriously injured after crashing a jet-powered car at 280 mph.
25 Fox & Friends co-anchor E.D. Hill quits the show and is replaced by Gretchen Carlson.
Outdoor Life Network is relaunched as Versus.

October

Date Event
19 NBC Universal announces a major restructuring in order to save US$750 million after several years of decreasing ratings. Among the changes is the announcement that NBC will no longer broadcast scripted dramas or comedies during the first hour of prime time, emphasizing instead less-expensive reality and game shows during those hours. Its news division is also trimmed. The announcement is made despite the early success of several new NBC series such as Heroes.[2]
31 Bob Barker announces that he will be retiring from his hosting duties for The Price Is Right after 35 years in June 2007.

November

Date Event
9 Nickelodeon broadcasts a 24-hour marathon of SpongeBob SquarePants starting at 8:00 PM leading to the new episode the following day. The marathon increased Nickelodeon's ratings to an average of more than 6.7 million viewers and became the network's most highest-rated day ever.[3]
16 On General Hospital, Luke and Laura Spencer remarry to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first nuptials, which was the highest-rated hour in U.S. daytime television history.

Programs

Debuts (including scheduled)

Date Debut Network
January 1 In Justice ABC
January 2 It's a Big Big World PBS Kids
January 5 Four Kings NBC
January 6 The Book of Daniel
January 7 Weekends with Maury and Connie MSNBC
January 8 Campus Ladies Oxygen
January 12 Crumbs ABC
January 17 Love Monkey CBS
January 22 Number 1 Single E!
January 23 Courting Alex CBS
January 27 The Emperor's New School Disney Channel
February 20 Power Rangers Mystic Force Jetix
February 25 Kappa Mikey Nicktoons
March 1 Free Ride FOX
March 3 Conviction NBC
March 12 Big Love HBO
March 13 The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS
March 15 The Loop Fox
March 17 Modern Men The WB
March 22 Heist NBC
March 24 Hannah Montana Disney Channel
March 28 Teachers NBC
Thief FX
March 29 The Bedford Diaries The WB
April 2 So NoTORIous VH1
April 3 Yo Momma MTV
April 9 Just for Kicks Nickelodeon
April 15 Eureka seveN Adult Swim
April 24 La Fea Más Bella Univision
May 5 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Playhouse Disney
May 27 Squirrel Boy Cartoon Network
May 28 Fetch PBS Kids Go!
May 31 The Hills MTV
June 2 Beyond the Break TeenNick
June 6 The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency Oxygen
June 10 Celebrity Deathmatch MTV2
June 12 Saved TNT
June 13 ECW on Sci Fi Syfy
June 17 Spider Riders Kids' WB
July 7 Psych USA Network
July 10 Hotwyred BET
July 13 The Black Carpet
July 18 Eureka Syfy
July 28 The Replacements Disney Channel
August 6 Metalocalypse Adult Swim
August 21 Vanished Fox
August 26 Viva Piñata 4Kids TV
Yin Yang Yo! Jetix
August 28 Fox Online Fox News Channel
Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Nick Jr.
August 30 Justice Fox
September 2 ESPN on ABC ABC
September 4 Curious George PBS Kids
September 5 Desire MyNetworkTV
Secrets
Standoff Fox
September 7 Happy Hour
'Til Death
September 9 Bleach Adult Swim
Trinity Blood
3-2-1 Penguins! Qubo on NBC
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes Cartoon Network
Growing Up Creepie Discovery Family
September 10 NBC Sunday Night Football NBC
September 11 Monday Night Football ESPN
Judge Maria Lopez Syndication
September 12 Greg Behrendt
September 15 Men in Trees ABC
September 16 The Secret Show CBBC
Handy Manny Playhouse Disney
Cake KOL Secret Slumber Party
Dance Revolution
Horseland
Strawberry Shortcake
September 18 American Idol Rewind Syndication
The Megan Mullally Show
Rachael Ray
The Class CBS
Haversham Hall Disney Channel
Pucca Jetix
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip NBC
September 19 Smith
September 20 Kidnapped
Jericho CBS
September 21 Six Degrees ABC
September 23 Mr. Meaty Nickelodeon
Legion of Super Heroes Kids' WB
Monster Allergy
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!
Tom and Jerry Tales
September 24 Brothers & Sisters ABC
September 25 Happy Tree Friends G4
Heroes NBC
Runaway The CW
The Live Desk with Martha MacCallum Fox News Channel
September 26 Help Me Help You ABC
September 28 Ugly Betty
September 30 Grossology Discovery Family
October 1 Dexter Showtime
The Game The CW
House of Carters E!
October 2 The Duel (Real World/Road Rules Challenge) MTV
October 3 Friday Night Lights NBC
October 4 Beef: The Series BET
Freak Show Comedy Central
The Nine ABC
October 7 Chaotic 4Kids TV
October 11 30 Rock NBC
Twenty Good Years
October 13 1 vs. 100
October 16 Frisky Dingo Adult Swim
The Upside Down Show Nick Jr.
October 22 Celebrity Paranormal Project VH1
November 3 Class of 3000 Cartoon Network
November 4 Rob & Big MTV
November 14 3 lbs CBS
November 15 Day Break ABC
November 26 10 Items or Less TBS
Assy McGee Adult Swim
November 28 Big Day ABC
December 6 Watch Over Me MyNetworkTV
Wicked Wicked Games
December 11 The Lost Room Syfy
December 18 Identity NBC
Perfect Disaster (mini-series) Discovery Channel
'Til Death Do Us Part Court TV

Changes of network affiliation

The following shows will air new episodes on a different network than previous first-run episodes.

Show Moved From Moved To
Darcy's Wild Life Discovery Kids on NBC Discovery Family
Flight 29 Down
Kenny the Shark
Time Warp Trio
Tutenstein
7th Heaven The WB The CW
The Batman
Beauty and the Geek
Gilmore Girls
One Tree Hill
Reba
Smallville
Supernatural
All of Us UPN
America's Next Top Model
Everybody Hates Chris
Girlfriends
Veronica Mars
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
X-Men Fox Kids Jetix
The Andy Milonakis Show MTV MTV2
Celebrity Deathmatch
Belmont Stakes NBC ABC
World's Most Amazing Videos Spike
Breeders' Cup ESPN
The Contender
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football ABC
Invader Zim Nickelodeon Nicktoons
Pokémon 4Kids TV Cartoon Network
The Simple Life FOX E!
Time of Your Life TBS
Power Rangers Jetix ABC Family

Ending this year

Date Show Debut
January 20 The Book of Daniel 2006
January 28 Strange Days at Blake Holsey High 2002
February 1 E-Ring 2005
February 5 Strong Medicine 2000
February 6 Surface 2005
February 7 Crumbs 2006
February 10 Arrested Development 2003
February 15 Yes, Dear 2000
Kenny the Shark 2003
February 24 Wildboyz
March 7 Twins 2005
March 8 Still Standing 2002
Joey 2004
March 16 Four Kings 2006
March 18 Darcy's Wild Life 2004
Fullmetal Alchemist
March 19 Number 1 Single 2006
March 20 Related 2005
March 24 Living with Fran
The FBI Files 1998
What I Like About You 2002
March 25 Soul Train 1971
March 29 Courting Alex 2006
March 31 In Justice
April 8 Time of Your Life 1999
April 9 Free Ride 2006
April 12 Freddie 2005
April 14 The Bernie Mac Show 2001
April 19 Heist 2006
April 24 Get Ed 2005
April 28 Bear in the Big Blue House 1997
Modern Men 2006
May 2 Teachers
Hope & Faith 2003
May 6 Sonic X
May 10 The Bedford Diaries 2006
May 11 Love Inc. 2005
Eve 2003
May 13 Xiaolin Showdown
Justice League Unlimited 2004
May 14 Malcolm in the Middle 2000
The West Wing 1999
May 15 Half & Half 2002
One on One 2001
May 16 Love Monkey 2006
May 18 That '70s Show 1998
Will & Grace
May 19 Conviction 2006
May 21 Charmed 1998
May 22 Alias 2001
May 27 The Buzz on Maggie 2005
Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island
June 5 Everwood 2002
June 6 Less Than Perfect
Rodney 2004
June 10 Yu-Gi-Oh! 2001
Mew Mew Power (returned in 2015) 2005
June 14 Commander in Chief
June 22 BET Style 2004
June 23 BET.com Countdown 2001
June 25 Huff 2004
June 27 Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
July 10 Peregrina 2006
July 11 The Save-Ums! 2003
July 21 What's New, Scooby-Doo? 2002
July 23 Romeo! 2003
July 26 Blue Collar TV 2004
July 29 Lilo & Stitch: The Series 2003
August 6 Blue's Clues 1996
August 13 Just for Kicks 2006
August 19 Invader Zim 2001
Phil of the Future 2004
August 25 Brandy & Mr. Whiskers
August 27 Deadwood
September 2 Discovery Kids on NBC 2002
Saved 2006
September 8 Starting Over 2003
September 9 Nick Jr. on CBS 2000
September 10 Just Legal 2005
September 15 Teen Titans 2003
UPN 1995
September 17 The WB
September 22 DaySide 2003
September 25 Tom Goes to the Mayor 2004
September 30 Time Warp Trio 2005
October 3 Smith 2006
October 15 Runaway
October 29 Inuyasha 2002
November 1 Twenty Good Years 2006
November 2 Happy Hour
November 8 Beef: The Series
November 10 Reading Rainbow 1983
November 13 Power Rangers Mystic Force 2006
November 14 As Told by Ginger 2000
November 15 Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County 2004
November 19 NASCAR on NBC (NBC only) 1999
November 20 House of Carters 2006
November 25 The Fairly OddParents (returned in 2008) 2001
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius 2002
November 28 3 lbs 2006
December 8 Vanished
December 9 Cake
December 12 Help Me Help You
December 13 The X's 2005
December 15 Krypto the Superdog
December 16 Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! 2004
December 17 Sleeper Cell 2005
December 22 Justice 2006
December 25 Happy Tree Friends
December 26 Danger Rangers 2005
December 29 The Big Comfy Couch 1992

Made-for-TV movies

Premiere date Title Channel
January 20 High School Musical Disney
January 30 Flight 93 A&E
August 25 The Cheetah Girls 2 Disney
September 11 The Flight That Fought Back Discovery
September 16 Mrs. Harris HBO

Deaths

Date Name Age Notability
January 12 Anne Meacham 80 Actress (Louise on Another World)
January 14 Shelley Winters 85 Actress (Nana Mary on Roseanne)
February 3 Al Lewis 82 Actor (Grandpa on The Munsters, Leo Schnauser on Car 54, Where Are You?)
February 5 Franklin Cover 77 Actor (Tom Willis on The Jeffersons)
Norma Candal 78 Actress (Petunia in La criada malcriada)
February 24 Dennis Weaver 81 Actor (Sam McCloud on McCloud, Chester Good on Gunsmoke)
Don Knotts 81 Actor (Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, Ralph Furley on Three's Company)
February 25 Darren McGavin 83 Actor (Hammer on Mike Hammer)
March 13 Peter Tomarken 63 Game show host (Press Your Luck, Hit Man, Wipeout)
March 25 Buck Owens 76 Musician, host of Hee Haw
March 27 Dan Curtis 78 Creator of Dark Shadows
April 17 Henderson Forsythe 88 Actor (As the World Turns)
April 30 Jay Bernstein 68 Producer (Mike Hammer); also manager to Suzanne Somers and Farrah Fawcett
May 29 James Brolan 42 CBS News sound technician, killed by a car bomb in Iraq
Paul Douglas 48 CBS news cameraman, killed by a car bomb in Iraq
May 30 Robert Sterling 88 Actor (George Kerby on Topper)
June 6 Billy Preston 59 American musician
June 23 Aaron Spelling 83 Producer (Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, more)
June 28 Lennie Weinrib 71 Actor (The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan)
July 3 Benjamin Hendrickson 55 Actor (As the World Turns)
July 19 Jack Warden 85 Actor (Harry Fox on Crazy Like a Fox, George Halas in Brian's Song)
Tudi Wiggins 70 Actress (Love of Life)
July 21 Mako Iwamatsu 72 Voice (Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender)
August 11 Mike Douglas 86 Talk show host (The Mike Douglas Show)
September 4 Steve Irwin 44 Australian actor (The Crocodile Hunter)
October 20 Jane Wyatt 96 Actress (Margaret Anderson on Father Knows Best)
November 1 Bettye Ackerman 82 Actress (Dr. Maggie Graham on Ben Casey)
November 9 Ed Bradley 65 CBS News journalist (60 Minutes)
November 11 Belinda Emmett 32 Actress (Rebecca Nash in Home and Away)
December 12 Peter Boyle 71 Actor (Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond)
December 14 Mike Evans 57 Actor (Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family, The Jeffersons)
December 18 Joseph Barbera 95 Animator (The Flintstones and many others)
December 28 Jared Nathan 21 Child actor (ZOOM)

References

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