See also: 1973 in television, other events of 1974, 1975 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1974-75 American network television schedule.

Events

• February 8 - The Secret Storm airs its 5195th and final episode. The show is replaced ten days later by Tattletales, a game show hosted by Bert Convy.
• August 8 - US President Richard Nixon resigns live on television.
• September 10 - The controversial TV movie Born Innocent, starring Linda Blair, was first screened on the NBC network in the United States. The film, which involved a fourteen-year-old being sent to what the television preview deemed a women's prison (when in reality it was a reform school), drew heavy criticism due to an all-female rape scene, the first ever seen on American television. The scene was deleted in subsequent re-airings after a group of girls assaulted an eight-year-old with a pop bottle, influenced by the scene in the film.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus, the popular British sketch comedy which aired its final episode this year, is first shown in the US on an educational TV station in Dallas, Texas.
• The children's special Free to Be... You and Me first airs on American television, produced by comedic actress Marlo Thomas.
• Meg Dale (Tudi Wiggins ) calls her son Ben (Christopher Reeve) a "bastard" on the soap opera Love of Life, the first time a profanity was spoken on American daytime television.
• The documentary series Legacy for the Future first airs on NHK in Japan.

Debuts

• January 5 - Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands in the UK and the television show was not fully networked until 1979 (1974-1982).
• January 7 - How to Survive a Marriage debuts in a 90-minute special on NBC daytime. The episode shows the first nudity (which was merely simulated and not seen) on American daytime television.
• January 15 - Happy Days premieres on ABC (1974-1984).
• February 1 - Good Times, a spinoff of Maude, premieres on CBS (1974-1979).
• February 18 - Tattletales, hosted by Bert Convy, premieres on CBS daytime (1974-1978, 1982-1984).
• September 9 - Rhoda premieres on CBS (1974-1978).
• September 11 - Little House on the Prairie starring Michael Landon (1974-1983).
• September 13 - Chico and the Man premieres (1974-1978).
• September 13 - The Rockford Files premieres (1974-1980).
• September - Police Woman premieres in the US (1974-1978).
• Countdown premieres in Australia (1974-1987).
• Derrick (1974-1998), German Krimi written by Herbert Reinecker, starring Horst Tappert .
• Land of the Lost premieres (1974-1977).
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast premieres (1974-1984).
• Wish You Were Here...? premieres in the UK (1974-present).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• 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 Tonight Show (1954-present).
• 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-present).
• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Four Corners (Australia) (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-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968-1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).
• All My Children (1970-present).
• Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977).
• McCloud (1970-1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• All in the Family (1971-1979).
• Columbo (1971-1978).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• McMillan and Wife (1971-1977).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
• Emergency! (1972-1977).
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• Kung Fu (1972-1975).
• Maude (1972-1978).
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983).
• Sanford and Son (1972-1977).
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• The Waltons (1972-1981).
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
• Kojak (1973-1978, 2005-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• Match Game '74 (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986).
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978).
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).

Ending this year

• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974).
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974), leaving Lucille Ball without a regular, weekly TV show for the first time in 12 years.
• Love, American Style (1969-1974).
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974).
• Room 222 (1969-1974).
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974).
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974).
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974).
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974).
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974).

Births

• January 1 - Lisa Snowdon, British model, actress and television presenter.
• January 2 - Tricia Helfer, Canadian actress and model.
• January 3 - Suzanne Virdee, British regional TV newscaster.
• January 4 - Martixell Lavanchy , British actress.
• March 24 - Alyson Hannigan, actress.
• March 31 - Angela Dotchin, actress.
• May 27 - Denise Van Outen, British actress and singer.
• July 26 - Genevieve Gorder.
• August 15 - Natasha Henstridge, Canadian actress and model.
• December 13 - Sara Cox, radio and television presenter.

Deaths

• March 20 - Chet Huntley, journalist.
• April 30 - Agnes Moorehead, actress.
• November 5 - Stafford Repp, actor.