Which TV Show Aired First?

Guiding Light” began as a radio show in 1937 and debuted as a television program in 1952. “Days of Our Lives” began in 1965.

There have been 11 “Star Trek” shows in TV history. “Star Trek: The Next Generation” debuted in 1987, with “Star Trek: Voyager” following in 1995.

“Saturday Night Live” debuted in 1975. The show was influenced by the improv troupe Second City, whose show “SCTV” premiered one year later.

David Letterman’s “Late Night” premiered on February 1, 1982. While both Letterman and Jay Leno guest-hosted “The Tonight Show,” Leno took over the job full-time in 1992.

“Saved by the Bell” premiered in August 1989. “Beverly Hills, 90210” first appeared one year later in 1990 and was rebooted in 2008 as “90210.”

“Family Ties” premiered on September 22, 1982, and was a star-making vehicle for Michael J. Fox. “Family Matters” debuted in 1989, making Steve Urkel a household name.

“Law & Order” began its two-decade run in 1990. “NYPD Blue” ran from 1993 to 2005.

The medical sitcom “Scrubs” debuted in 2001 and won two Emmys and a Peabody. “Grey’s Anatomy” hit the airwaves four years later.

Richard Levinson and William Link created both iconic murder-of-the-week shows, but “Columbo” was first, premiering in 1971. “Murder, She Wrote” debuted more than a decade later in 1984.

“Gunsmoke” first aired in 1955 and ran for 20 seasons. “Dallas” began as a five-part miniseries in 1978 and continued for 13 seasons.

“Seinfeld” first aired in 1989, and the pilot was significantly different from the rest of the series: Kramer was named “Kessler,” and the main female character was a server at the diner, not Elaine. “Frasier” debuted as a spinoff of “Cheers” in 1993.

When “The Donna Reed Show” debuted in 1958, it made history as the first family sitcom to center on a family’s mother instead of the father. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was also groundbreaking when it premiered in 1970, focusing on an unmarried woman.

“Charlie’s Angels” debuted on September 22, 1976. “The Golden Girls” premiered nine years later, on September 14, 1985.

“M*A*S*H” still holds the record for the most-watched series finale, with 105 million viewers tuning in on February 28, 1983. The “Cheers” finale pulled in 80.4 million viewers on May 20, 1993, coming in second place.

“Happy Days” debuted in 1974 and was a spinoff machine. “Laverne & Shirley” debuted in 1976, followed by “Mork & Mindy” in 1978.