For the American TV schedule, see: 1972-73 American network television schedule.

Events

• January 21 - The first convention of Star Trek fans is held in New York's Statler-Hilton hotel.
• Mid-February - John Lennon and Yoko Ono cohost an entire week on The Mike Douglas Show.
• February 19 - Sammy Davis Jr. makes a guest appearance on All in the Family.
• March 18 - After losing a 15-year court battle over the legality of its business relationship with The Herald-Traveler, CBS' Boston, Massachusetts affiliate WHDH-TV Channel 5 signs off the air. At 3 a.m. on March 19, WCVB takes over the Channel 5 frequency, simultaneously switching affiliations to the ABC network following CBS' loss of interest in the channel during the long legal wrangle.
• April 4 - After a three-year courtship, Emily Nugent married Ernest Bishop on Coronation Street.
• July 21 - Victoria Wyndham makes her first appearance as vixen (and later, good girl) Rachel Davis on the soap opera Another World.
• August 26 - Effective with this issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome, saving a lot of printer's ink in the process. At the time about half of the TV households in the U.S. had color sets.
• September 9 - The Lawrence Welk Show opens its 18th season on location in Hawaii.
• October 27 - The 5000th episode of Captain Kangaroo airs.
• November 8 - Home Box Office (HBO) is launched, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
• November 21 - In the second part of a two-part story which began the previous week, Beatrice Arthur's character, Maude Findlay, on the television sitcom Maude, decides to go through with an abortion, in a move that shocked CBS executives and Maude advertisers.
• December 31 - ORTF 3ème Chaîne launches in France for the first time.

Debuts

• January 4 - Des chiffres et des lettres premieres on ORTF 2ème Chaîne in France (1972-present).
• January 14 - Sanford and Son premieres on NBC (1972-1977).
• January 15 - Emergency! premieres on NBC (1972-1977).
• March 13 - Number 96 premieres on Australia's 0-10 Network (1972-1977)
• April 4 - John Craven's Newsround premieres (1972-present, now titled Newsround) on BBC1.
• April 7 - Ultraman Ace premieres on TBS in Japan (1972-1973).
• June 22 - The first Tattslotto draw on HSV-7 Melbourne
• July 8 - Android Kikaider premieres on TV Asahi (formerly NET) (1972-1973)
• September 4 - The Price Is Right (1972-present), The Joker's Wild (1972-1975, 1977-1986), and Gambit (1972-1976) all premiere on CBS. Any Number, Bonus Game, and Double Prices were the three games played on the first episode of The (New) Price Is Right.
• September 8 - Are You Being Served? premieres (1972-1985) on BBC1.
• September 9 - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids premieres on CBS (1972-1984).
  • Runaround premieres on NBC (1972-1973).
• September 11 - Mastermind (1972-97, 2002-present) premieres on BBC1.
• September 12 - Maude, a spinoff of All in the Family premieres on CBS (1972-1978).
• September 14 - The Waltons premieres on CBS (1972-1981).
• September 16 - The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978) and Bridget Loves Bernie (1972-1973) premiere on CBS.
• September 17 M*A*S*H premieres on CBS (1972-1983).
• October 3 - 4 Country Reporter premieres on CBS affiliate KDFW Channel 4; in 1986, the show moves into first-run syndication under the new name Texas Country Reporter, eventually airing nationally on the RFD-TV satellite/cable channel. As of October 2007, the show will mark 35 years on television.
• October 14 - Kung Fu premieres on ABC (1972-1975).
• October 16 - Emmerdale Farm starts transmissions in the daytime on ITV (1972-present).
• October 19 - Prisoner-of-war drama Colditz debuts on BBC1.
  • The Beachcombers premieres on CBC (1972-1989).
  • This Is the Law premieres on CBC (1972-1976).
  • Canada AM premieres on CTV (1972- present).

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-2007).
• Bonanza (1959-1973).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• The Doctors (1963-1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-2006).
• Days of our Lives (1965-present).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• Tom and Jerry (1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• Mission: Impossible (1966-1973).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967-1973).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968-1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974).
• Laugh-In (1968-1973).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• The Doris Day Show (1968-1973).
• The Mod Squad (1968-1973).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Love, American Style (1969-1974).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976).
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974).
• Room 222 (1969-1974).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989).
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).
• Where the Heart Is (1969-1973).

1970s

• All My Children (1970-present).
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977).
• McCloud (1970-1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974).
• All in the Family (1971-1979).
• Columbo (1971-1978).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• McMillan and Wife (1971-1977).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974).
• Kashi no Ki Mokku (Japan) (1972)
• Devilman (Japan) (1972-1973)

Ending this year

• March 25 - Bewitched (1964-1972).
• March 31 - Bright Promise (1969-1972).
• March 31 - The Return of Ultraman (Japan) (1971-1972).
• April 6 - My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• August 14 - Doomwatch (UK) (1970-1972).
• November 10 - Clangers (UK) (1969-1972) (with a special broadcast on October 10, 1974).

Births

• January 1 - Felicity Montagu, actress.
• January 11 - Amanda Peet, actress.
• January 13 - Nicole Eggert, actress.
• March 6 - Shaquille O'Neal, basketball player, actor, and rapper.
• April 3 - Jennie Garth, actress.
• April 6 - Jason Hervey, actor.
• April 20 - Carmen Electra, actress.
• May 2 - Dwayne Johnson, Professional wrestler and actor ("The Rock").
• May 20 - Busta Rhymes, rapper.
• May 21 - The Notorious B.I.G., rapper (d. 1997)
• June 2 - Wayne Brady, comedian.
• June 23 - Selma Blair, actress
• July 23 - Marlon Wayans, actor
• July 27 - Nic Testoni, actor
• July 28 - Elizabeth Berkley, actress.
• July 29 - Wil Wheaton, actor.
• August 9 - Liz Vassey, actress.
• August 30 - Cameron Diaz, actress
• October 5- Grant Hill, basketball player
• November 14 - Josh Duhamel, actor.
• December 19 - Alyssa Milano, actress.

Deaths

• January 16 - Ross Bagdasarian, composer, creator of The Alvin Show
• May 13 - Dan Blocker, actor (Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza)
• October 16 - Leo G. Carroll, actor
• December 29 - Theo Goetz, soap opera actor (Papa Bauer on The Guiding Light)