1936 in television
The year 1936 in television involved some significant events.
Below is a list of television-related events during 1936.
Events
- July 7 – At David Sarnoff's request for an experiment of RCA's electronic television technology, NBC's first attempt at actual programming is a 30-minute variety show featuring speeches, dance ensembles, monologues, vocal numbers, and film clips. It is shown to 225 of RCA's licensees on 22 centimeter screens, 343 lines per picture, 30 pictures per second.
- August – 72 hours of medium-definition television broadcasts of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin are seen by approximately 150,000 people in public viewing rooms in Berlin and Potsdam.
- November 2 – The first regular high-definition television service from the BBC, based at Alexandra Palace in London, officially begins broadcasting. The service alternates on a weekly basis between John Logie Baird's 240-line mechanical system and the Marconi-EMI's 405-line all-electronic system. Programmes are broadcast daily, Monday to Saturday, at 15:00–16:00 and 20:00–22:00.
- November 6 – NBC in New York demonstrates electronic television to invited members of the press, with a 40-minute program of live acts and films, received on 30 centimeter television screens.
- First coaxial cables are laid between New York City and Philadelphia by the AT&T Corporation; they will transmit television and telephone signals.
- By this year there are approximately 2,000 television receivers worldwide.
Debuts
- October 8 – Picture Page is first broadcast as part of the BBC's test transmissions prior to launch
- November 3 – Starlight, a variety show, debuts on the BBC.
- Theatre Parade premieres on the BBC.
Births
- January 1 – Valora Norland, actress
- January 25 – Diana Hyland, actress,
- January 28 – Alan Alda, actor
- February 3 – Mariclare Costello, actress
- February 4 – Gary Conway, actor
- February 11 – Burt Reynolds, actor
- February 14 – Dave Roberts, broadcaster
- February 20
- *Larry Hovis, actor
- *Marj Dusay, actress
- February 29 – Alex Rocco, actor
- March 5 – Dean Stockwell, actor
- March 9 – Marty Ingels, actor
- March 27 – Jerry Lacy, actor
- April 5 – Glenn Jordan, television director
- April 10 – John Madden, football coach and sportscaster
- April 12 – Charles Napier, actor
- April 14 – Arlene Martel, actress
- April 18 – Richard A. Colla, actor
- April 22 – Glen Campbell, singer
- April 24 – Jill Ireland, actress
- May 5 – Sandy Baron, actor
- May 9 – Glenda Jackson, actress
- May 10 – Timothy Birdsall, English cartoonist
- May 12 – Tom Snyder, talk show host
- May 14 – Bobby Darin, singer and actor
- May 15 – Anna Maria Alberghetti, singer and actress
- May 17 – Dennis Hopper, actor
- May 18 – Türker İnanoğlu, screenwriter
- May 20 – Charles Kimbrough, actor
- May 23 – Ingeborg Hallstein, actress
- May 27 – Louis Gossett Jr., actor
- May 30 – Keir Dullea, actor
- June 8 – James Darren, actor
- June 17 – Ken Loach, filmmaker
- June 22 – Kris Kristofferson, actor
- June 26 – Robert Downey Sr., actor
- June 27 – Shirley Anne Field, actress
- June 30:
- *Nancy Dussault, actress
- *Tony Musante, actor
- *Don Taylor, director
- July 1 – Ron Masak, actor
- July 9 – Timothy Johnson, television journalist
- July 24:
- *Ruth Buzzi, actress and comedian
- *Mark Goddard, actor
- July 25 – Mary Ann Wilson, TV fitness instructor
- July 28 – Jean Doumanian, producer
- August 15 – Pat Priest, actress
- August 18 – Robert Redford, actor
- August 21 - Wilt Chamberlain, NBA basketball player
- August 29 – John McCain, politician
- September 7 – Bruce Gray, actor
- September 13 – Joe E. Tata, actor
- September 14 – Walter Koenig, actor
- September 24 – Jim Henson, puppeteer, creator of The Muppets
- September 25 – Juliet Prowse, actress
- September 28 – Joel Fabiani, actor
- October 14 – Carrie Nye, American actress
- October 16 – Peter Bowles, English actor
- October 23 – Anike Agbaje-Williams, Nigerian newsreader
- October 26 – Shelley Morrison, American actress
- October 28 – Charlie Daniels, American singer
- October 31 – Michael Landon, American actor and producer
- November 2 – Jack Starrett, actor
- November 6 – Roger Welsch, senior correspondent
- November 19 – Dick Cavett, talk show host
- December 3 – Mary Alice, actress
- December 6 – Kenneth Copeland, American televangelist
- December 8 – David Carradine, actor, Kung Fu
- December 22 – Héctor Elizondo, actor
- December 23 – James Stacy, actor
- December 29 – Mary Tyler Moore, actress