2016 in American television
In American television in 2016, notable events included television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and rebrandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; and information about controversies and carriage disputes.
Notable events
August
Television programs
Programs debuting in 2016
These shows were scheduled to premiere in 2016. The premiere dates may have been changed depending on a variety of factors.Miniseries
| First aired | Title | Channel | Source |
| January 18 | War & Peace | A&E, History, and Lifetime | |
| January 24 | The X-Files | Fox | |
| February 3 | Madoff | ABC | |
| February 16 | 11.22.63 | Hulu | |
| February 20 | Serial Thriller: The Headhunter | Investigation Discovery | |
| March 6 | Race for the White House | CNN | |
| March 31 | The Eighties | CNN | |
| April 19 | The Night Manager | AMC | |
| May 30 | Roots | A&E, History, and Lifetime | |
| June 11 | The American West | AMC | |
| July 10 | The Night Of | HBO | |
| September 5 | Harley and the Davidsons | Discovery Channel | |
| September 18 | The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey | CBS | |
| September 30 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Amazon Video |
Television films and specials
| First aired | Title | Channel | Source |
| January 4 | The Breaks | VH1 | |
| January 9 | My Sweet Audrina | Lifetime | |
| January 23 | Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart | Lifetime | |
| January 30 | Lila & Eve | Lifetime | |
| January 31 | Grease: Live | Fox | |
| March 20 | Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade | Fox | |
| March 20 | The Passion: New Orleans | Fox | |
| April 16 | Confirmation | HBO | |
| May 17 | Megyn Kelly Presents | Fox | |
| May 21 | All the Way | HBO | |
| May 30 | The Dresser | Starz | |
| June 2 | Quincy Jones: Burning the Light | HBO | |
| June 24 | Adventures in Babysitting | Disney Channel | |
| July 31 | Sharknado: The 4th Awakens | Syfy | |
| September 1 | Holy Hell | CNN | |
| September 17 | The Beatles: Eight Days a Week | Hulu | |
| October 7 | The Swap | Disney Channel | |
| October 20 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again | Fox | |
| November 20 | Elena and the Secret of Avalor | Disney Channel | |
| November 24 | The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration | ABC | |
| November 25 | Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas | HBO | |
| November 26 | Legends of the Hidden Temple | Nickelodeon | |
| December 2 | Mr. Neighbor's House | Adult Swim | |
| December 7 | Hairspray Live! | NBC | |
| December 9 | Albert | Nickelodeon |
Programs changing networks
Programs returning in 2016
The following shows will return with new episodes after being canceled or ended their run previously:| Show | Last aired | Type of return | Previous channel | New/returning/same channel | Return date | Source |
| The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | 2012 | New Season | IFC | same | January 7 | |
| The X-Files | 2002 | Revival | Fox | same | January 24 | |
| The Powerpuff Girls | 2005 | Reboot | Cartoon Network | same | April 4 | |
| Disappeared | 2013 | New season | Investigation Discovery | same | April 11 | |
| To Tell the Truth | 2001 | Revival | Syndication | ABC | June 14 | |
| The $100,000 Pyramid | 2012 | Reboot | Game Show Network | ABC | June 26 | |
| Match Game | 1999 | Revival | Syndication | ABC | June 26 | |
| Mad TV | 2009 | Revival | Fox | The CW | July 26 | |
| Black Mirror | 2014 | Revival | Channel 4 | Netflix | October 21 | |
| Space Racers | 2015 | New season | PBS Kids | PBS Kids / Sprout | October 31 | |
| Gilmore Girls | 2007 | New season | The CW | Netflix | November 25 |
Milestone episodes
| Show | Network | Episode # | Episode title | Episode air date | Source |
| 2 Broke Girls | CBS | 100th | "And the Not Regular Down There" | January 13 | |
| Last Man Standing | ABC | 100th | "The Ring" | January 29 | |
| New Girl | Fox | 100th | "Reagan" | February 9 | |
| The Big Bang Theory | CBS | 200th | "The Celebration Experimentation" | February 25 | |
| Once Upon a Time | ABC | 100th | "Souls of the Departed" | March 6 | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Logo | 100th | "Keeping It 100!" | March 7 | |
| Grimm | NBC | 100th | "Into the Schwarzwald" | March 11 | |
| NCIS | CBS | 300th | "Scope" | March 15 | |
| American Dad! | TBS | 200th | "The Two Hundred" | March 28 | |
| Bob's Burgers | Fox | 100th | "Stand by Gene" | May 22 | |
| Person of Interest | CBS | 100th | "The Day the World Went Away" | May 31 | |
| Royal Pains | USA | 100th | "Doubt of Africa" | June 8 | |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | NBC | 500th | "Michael Strahan/Parker Posey/Margo Price" | July 14 | |
| Rizzoli & Isles | TNT | 100th | "2M7258-100" | July 25 | |
| Real Time with Bill Maher | HBO | 400th | "Amy Holmes/Michael Moynihan/Salman Rushdie" | July 28 | |
| Steven Universe | Cartoon Network | 100th | "Beta" | August 5 | |
| The Garfield Show | Boomerang | 100th | "Bulldog of Doom" | August 10 | |
| The Garfield Show | Boomerang | 100th | "Mother Owl" | August 11 | |
| Pretty Little Liars | Freeform | 150th | "The DArkest Knight" | August 30 | |
| The Simpsons | Fox | 600th | "Treehouse of Horror XXVII" | October 16 | |
| Elementary | CBS | 100th | "Henny Penny the Sky is Falling" | October 30 | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Nickelodeon | 100th | "The Power Inside Her" | November 20 | |
| Arrow | The CW | 100th | "Invasion!" | November 30 | |
| Chicago Fire | NBC | 100th | "One Hundred" | December 6 |
Programs ending in 2016
| End date | Show | Channel | First aired | Status | Source |
| January 10 | Austin & Ally | Disney Channel | 2011 | Ended | |
| January 14 | The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | IFC | 2010 | Ended | |
| January 22 | Unforgettable | A&E | 2011 | Cancelled | |
| January 29 | Undateable | NBC | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| January 31 | Galavant | ABC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| February 3 | Lab Rats | Disney XD | 2012 | Ended | |
| February 7 | Melissa Harris-Perry | MSNBC | 2012 | Cancelled | |
| February 15 | Gravity Falls | Disney XD | 2012 | Ended | |
| February 22 | Telenovela | NBC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| February 22 | The Biggest Loser | NBC | 2004 | Cancelled | |
| March 1 | Agent Carter | ABC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| March 1 | The Muppets | ABC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| March 2 | The Mysteries of Laura | NBC | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| March 13 | CSI: Cyber | CBS | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| March 15 | Of Kings and Prophets | ABC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| March 25 | Second Chance | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| March 28 | Recovery Road | Freeform | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| April 7 | American Idol | Fox | 2002 | Cancelled | |
| April 10 | Togetherness | HBO | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| April 15 | Childrens Hospital | Adult Swim | 2010 | Ended | |
| April 17 | Vinyl | HBO | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| April 20 | Deadbeat | Hulu | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| April 26 | Limitless | CBS | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| April 30 | Monopoly Millionaires' Club | Syndication | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| May 8 | The Good Wife | CBS | 2009 | Ended | |
| May 9 | Damien | A&E | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| May 10 | Grandfathered | Fox | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| May 10 | The Grinder | Fox | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| May 12 | Super Why! | PBS Kids | 2007 | Ended | - |
| May 15 | The Family | ABC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| May 16 | Castle | ABC | 2009 | Cancelled | |
| May 16 | Mike & Molly | CBS | 2010 | Ended | |
| May 17 | Faking It | MTV | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| May 20 | Banshee | Cinemax | 2013 | Ended | |
| May 20 | The Meredith Vieira Show | Syndication | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| May 22 | Bordertown | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| May 22 | Crowded | NBC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| May 25 | Heartbeat | NBC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| June 4 | Littlest Pet Shop | Discovery Family | 2012 | Ended | |
| June 5 | Game of Silence | NBC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| June 12 | House of Lies | Showtime | 2012 | Ended | |
| June 16 | Inside Amy Schumer | Comedy Central | 2013 | Ended | |
| June 17 | FABLife | Syndication | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| June 19 | Penny Dreadful | Showtime | 2014 | Ended | |
| June 21 | Person of Interest | CBS | 2011 | Ended | |
| June 22 | The Soul Man | TV Land | 2012 | Ended | |
| June 26 | Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| June 27 | Wander Over Yonder | Disney XD | 2013 | Cancelled | |
| June 29 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Nickelodeon/Nicktoons | 2011 | Ended | |
| July 4 | Houdini & Doyle | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| July 5 | Uncle Buck | ABC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| July 6 | Royal Pains | USA | 2009 | Ended | |
| July 11 | Hunters | Syfy | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| July 23 | Angel from Hell | CBS | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| July 23 | Hell on Wheels | AMC | 2011 | Ended | |
| July 27 | Wayward Pines | Fox | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| July 29 | Sanjay and Craig | Nickelodeon | 2013 | Ended | |
| August 2 | Coupled | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 2 | Feed the Beast | AMC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 6 | Devious Maids | Lifetime | 2013 | Cancelled | |
| August 9 | Not Safe with Nikki Glaser | Comedy Central | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 18 | The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore | Comedy Central | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| August 20 | Rush Hour | CBS | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 21 | The Jim Gaffigan Show | TV Land | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| August 21 | The McLaughlin Group | Syndication | 1982 | Ended | |
| August 22 | Guilt | Freeform | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 28 | Roadies | Showtime | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| August 30 | Dead of Summer | Freeform | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| September 1 | Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll | FX | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| September 4 | Murder in the First | TNT | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| September 5 | Rizzoli & Isles | TNT | 2010 | Ended | |
| September 6 | Mistresses | ABC | 2013 | Cancelled | |
| September 7 | American Gothic | CBS | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| September 7 | Tyrant | FX | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| September 9 | Crazy Talk | Syndication | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| September 9 | The Bill Cunningham Show | The CW | 2011 | Ended | |
| September 10 | Aquarius | NBC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| September 11 | BrainDead | CBS | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| September 12 | Breadwinners | Nickelodeon/Nicktoons | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| September 15 | Beauty & the Beast | The CW | 2012 | Ended | |
| September 18 | Brad Neely's Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio | Adult Swim | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| October 1 | Mixels | Cartoon Network | 2014 | Ended | |
| October 13 | Nancy Grace | HLN | 2005 | Ended | |
| October 21 | Bubble Guppies | Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. Channel | 2011 | Ended | |
| October 22 | Lab Rats: Elite Force | Disney XD | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| October 28 | Good Girls Revolt | Amazon Video | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| November 5 | The 7D | Disney XD | 2014 | Cancelled | |
| November 6 | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Disney Jr. | 2006 | Ended | |
| November 6 | Jake and the Never Land Pirates | Disney Jr. | 2011 | Ended | |
| November 9 | Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons | HBO | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| November 13 | Masters of Sex | Showtime | 2013 | Cancelled | |
| December 2 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | IFC | 2012 | Ended | |
| December 4 | Secrets and Lies | ABC | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| December 7 | Impastor | TV Land | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| December 8 | Notorious | ABC | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| December 8 | Pitch | Fox | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| December 11 | Blunt Talk | Starz | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| December 11 | Best Friends Whenever | Disney Channel | 2015 | Cancelled | |
| December 14 | Rectify | Sundance TV | 2013 | Ended | |
| December 18 | Eyewitness | USA | 2016 | Cancelled | |
| December 20 | Scream Queens | Fox | 2015 | Cancelled |
Entering syndication in 2016
A list of programs that have accumulated enough episodes or seasons to be eligible for off-network syndication and/or basic cable runs.| Show | Seasons | In Production | Source |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 3 | Yes | |
| Last Man Standing | 6 | Yes | |
| Major Crimes | 5 | Yes | |
| Nashville | 5 | Yes | |
| Pawn Stars | 12 | Yes |