See also: 1955 in television, other events of 1956, 1957 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• January 28 - Elvis Presley makes his national television debut on The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show .
• April 2 - As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS as the first half-hour American soap operas. Previously, all soaps had been just fifteen minutes in length.
• April 3 - Elvis Presley appears on The Milton Berle Show.
• April - WNBQ Chicago becomes the first TV station to broadcast all its local programming in color.
• April - Ampex demonstrates a videotape recorder at the NAB Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The three networks place orders for the recorders.
• May 6 - Elvis Presley appears on The Milton Berle Show
• July 1 - Elvis Presley appears on The Steve Allen Show .
• August 8 - Final telecast of the DuMont Network.
• September - NBC introduces a still version of its peacock color logo.
• September 4 - Television broadcasting begins in Sweden.
• September 9 - Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.
• September 16 - TCN-9 Sydney becomes the first Australian TV station to begin regular transmission.
• October 1 - Ernie Kovacs becomes the host for NBC's The Tonight Show on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• October 29 - First use of videotape in network television programming; CBS uses its Ampex VTR to record the evening news, anchored by Douglas Edwards . The tape is then fed to West Coast stations three hours later.
• October 29 - Chet Huntley and David Brinkley take over anchor duties of the NBC evening newscast, which is renamed The Huntley-Brinkley Report.
• November 3 - The 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz is shown on television for the first time in the US, on CBS (the viewing audience was estimated at 45 million people).
• November - The first use of videotape on a network television entertainment program; Jonathan Winters, uses videotape and superimposing techniques to be able to play two characters in the same skit for his NBC television show.
• Television broadcasting begins in Australia.
• Color television broadcasting begins in Germany.
• Television broadcasting begins in Spain.
• Television broadcasting begins in Uruguay.
• Black-and-white portable TV sets hit the market.

Debuts

• April 2 - As the World Turns (1956-present).
• April 2 - The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• July 6 - Hancock's Half Hour on BBC Television (1956-1962).
• The hugely popular anthology drama series Armchair Theatre, produced by ABC Television for the ITV network, begins its long run in the UK (1956-1968).
• Jungle Jim (1956-1957), starring Johnny Weissmuller.
• Opportunity Knocks on ITV (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Gale Storm Show, Oh! Susanna (1956-1960), starring Gale Storm and Zazu Pitts.
• The Price is Right game show premieres (1956-1965).
• The Steve Allen Show premieres (1956-1960).
• What the Papers Say on ITV (UK) (1956-present).

Television shows

• Tom and Jerry (1940-1958, 1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982).
• Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (1946-1960).
• Howdy Doody (1947-1960).
• Kraft Television Theater (1947-1958).
• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963).
• 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).
• Dragnet (1951-1959).
• I Love Lucy (1951-1957).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• The Roy Rogers Show (1951-1957).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Honeymooners (1952-1970).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• This Is Your Life (US) (1952-1961).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Annie Oakley (1954-1957).
• Climax! (1954-1958).
• Disneyland (1954-1958).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Brighter Day (1954-1962).
• The Grove Family (UK) (1954-1957).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Milton Berle Show (1954-1967).
• Zoo Quest (UK) (1954-1964).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Cheyenne (1955-1962).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).

Ending this year

• Cisco Kid (1950-1956).
• The Honeymooners (1955-1956).

Births

• January 7 - David Caruso, actor.
• December 25 - Susan King, UK television presenter.

Deaths

• December 7 - Huntley Gordon, pioneer Hollywood actor.