Television (Alternity)

Television has been a major entertainment medium since its inception in 1909, especially its first real use in the 1910s and 20s. Initial TV broadcasts were live events, but beginning in the 1930s, famous studios such as Disney and 20th Century FOX began creating cartoon programs and airing them for millions of American children throughout the later years of the Great Depression. In the early 40s, the first live series - like Gunsmoke and California, '49 - began airing for audiences across the nation and quickly grew to become the industry as we know it today.

1960s
The '60s were an era of classic shows, and also inaugurated modern sci-fi.


 * Hogan's Heroes (1964-1971) - Ran for 7 seasons. Follows a group of PoWs in a WW2 prison camp (Stalag 13) in Germany. These PoWs are led by an American USAAF colonel named Robert Hogan (Bob Crane) as they sabotage the German war effort and help Allied prisoners escape to England.


 * Star Trek (1966-1969) -

1970s

 * M*A*S*H (1972-1983) – follows the story of a fictional medical unit during the Korean War, MASH 4077, near Seoul. Ran for 11 seasons, and finale episode, Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen currently holds the record for the most-watched single TV program in US history, with over 120 million viewers.

1980s
The 1980s set off a firestorm of action series, capitalizing on the end of the Indonesian War in 1979 to regain audiences to the action TV genre.


 * The A-Team (1983-1989) – follows four ‘soldiers of fortune’ wrongfully convicted of attacking a Philippine operations base hours after the end of the Second Indochina War in 1970. They travel the world to help right wrongs and bring criminals to justice. Ran for 6 seasons.
 * Airwolf (1984-1990) – follows former Second Indochina War chopper pilot Stringfellow ‘String’ Hawke and his older mentor/father figure Dominic ‘Dom’ Santini as they pilot an advanced helicopter named Airwolf on top secret missions for the government (and occasionally personal ones). Ran for 6 seasons.
 * MacGyver (1985-1993) – follows Angus MacGyver, a genius who fights crime with his intellect and crazy contraptions. He hates guns with a passion, stemming from an accident with a gun during his childhood in which one of his best friends was killed. Ran for 8 seasons.


 * Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) - Ran for 7 seasons, featuring a new crew and starship named Enterprise.

1990s

 * Seinfeld (1990-present) -


 * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-present) -


 * Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-present) -


 * SeaQuest DSV (1993-1996) -


 * Star Trek: Voyager (1995-present) -


 * Cosby (1996-present) -

Upcoming shows

 * Stargate SG-1 (1997-) - Follows a group of USAF combat personnel that use an interdimensional portal called a 'Stargate' to explore alien worlds and battle the enemies of humanity, the series is scheduled to premiere on Showtime on July 27. Three 22-episode seasons have already been ordered.


 * NIS (1997-) - Follows a team of NIS (Naval Investigative Service) agents based out of Washington, DC’s Navy Yard as they tackle various cases involving crimes against USMC and Navy personnel, as well as the odd plot against national security. The series' premiere is scheduled for September 5.


 * West Wing (1999) -

Future
Due to the increasing prevalence of digital and satellite TV, analog signals across the United States are set to cease on February 1, 1998 and switch to all-digital signals at that time. Other nations, like Japan, the UK, South Africa, Cascadia, Germany, and Ethiopia are on timetables to cease their analog signals throughout next year and 1999.