See also: 1994 in television, other events of 1995, 1996 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1995-96 American network television schedule.

Events

• January 1 - Canadian cable television network Réseau de l'information is launched.
• January 24 - The O. J. Simpson trial begins live broadcasts on American daytime television; as a result, many of the network soap operas are partially pre-empted, more or less, for nine months.
• January - The UPN and WB television networks are launched in the United States.
• February 19 - Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee marries Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson on a beach in Cancun. The bride wore a white bikini.
• April 12 - Drew Barrymore appears on The Late Show with David Letterman. In honor of Letterman's birthday, guest Barrymore dances on his desk and flashes him on-air.
• May 12 - As the World Turns airs its milestone 10,000th episode.
• May - ABC announces that an episode of the soap opera All My Children will be pulled from airing due to the recent Oklahoma City bombing; in the story, villainess Janet Green (Robin Mattson) was supposed to blow up the church in which her ex Trevor Dillon (James Kiberd) was to marry her rival Laurel Banning (Felicity LaFortune).
• May - The American Fox Network broadcasts a TV movie based upon the British TV series Doctor Who in hopes to sparking interest in a revival of the series. Although the film is highly rated in the UK, it fails to achieve high enough ratings for Fox to commission a 27th season of the long-running program that last aired on the BBC in 1989. The series eventually returns to weekly broadcasts in 2005.
• July - The Walt Disney Company announces that it will purchase ABC; the deal is finalized in January.
• August 28 - Popular Japanese cartoon Sailor Moon hits North American television screens for the first time with its premiere on YTV in Canada. The show premieres on the USA Network in the United States on September 11.
• November - Stone Cates dies of AIDS on General Hospital shortly after his lover, Robin Scorpio, confesses that he infected her with the HIV virus.
• Larry Hagman, former star of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie, undergoes a liver transplant.
• Television programs ROX and Computer Chronicles are broadcast via the Internet—these are the first Internet broadcasts in the history of television.
• Zee TV (Hindi television channel) launched in the UK.

Debuts

• January - Star Trek: Voyager premieres, helping to launch UPN (1995-2001).
• March - Sliders premieres (1995-2000).
• September - The Drew Carey Show premieres (1995-2004).
• September - Timon and Pumbaa premieres (1995-1998).
• November - The Wheezer Bros. premieres (1995-2001, with four final episodes not shown until 2004).
• JAG premieres (1995-present).
• Pamela Wallin Live premieres on CBC Newsworld (1995-1999).
• Canada's Sesame Street switches to showing exclusively Canadian content, renaming itself Sesame Park, as it no longer uses any American made segments from Sesame Street (1995-2002).

Television shows

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show (1954-present).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• 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 Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• All My Children (1970-present).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Emmerdale (UK) (1972-present).
• Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Derrick (1974-1998).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
• 20/20 (1978-present).
• Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
• Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
• Married... with Children (1987-1997).
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
• Murphy Brown (1988-1998).
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999).
• Roseanne (1988-1997).
• The Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
• Baywatch (1989-2001).
• Cops (1989-present).
• Family Matters (1989-1998).
• Seinfeld (1989-1998).
• Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996).
• The Simpsons (1989-present).
• Law & Order (1990-present).
• One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000).
• Road to Avonlea (Canada) (1990-1996).
• Home Improvement (1991-1999).
• Rugrats (1991-2004).
• Sisters (1991-1996).
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
• The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-1996).
• Absolutely Fabulous (UK) (1992-1996, 2001-2003).
• Barney & Friends (1992-2002).
• Dateline NBC (1992-present).
• Mad About You (1992-1999).
• The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998).
• The Real World (1992-present).
• Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997).
• Frasier (1993-2004).
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present).
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1996).
• NYPD Blue (1993-present).
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999).
• The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present).
• The Nanny (1993-1999).
• The X-Files (1993-2002).
• WWF Monday Night RAW (1993-present).
• ER (1994-present).
• Friends (1994-2004).
• Touched by an Angel (1994-2003).

Ending this year

• Loving (1983-1995).
• Matlock (1986-1995).
• Full House (1987-1995).
• Empty Nest (1988-1995).
• Garfield and Friends (1988-1995).
• Prime Time News (Canada) (1992-1995).

Deaths

• February 5 - Doug McClure , actor.
• April 4 - Kenny Everett, comedian, actor.
• April 23 - Howard Cosell, journalist.
• May 18 - Elizabeth Montgomery, actress (Samantha Stephens on Bewitched).
• June 30 - Gale Gordon, actor (Mr. Mooney on The Lucy Show).
• July 4 - Eva Gabor, actress (Lisa Douglas on Green Acres).
• August 3 - Ida Lupino, actress, director.
• November 4 - Paul Eddington, actor.