- Jan 4 "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson, created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC TV; runs for 9 seasons
- Jan 9 "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes" premieres on NBC TV (Whoops)
- Jan 17 Supreme Court rules (5-4) that private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws
Sports History
Jan 22 Apple's seminal ad for the new Microsoft computer, directed by Ridley Scott, loosely based on George Orwell's "1984", plays during the Super Bowl [1]
Hogan's 1st WWF Title
Jan 23 Hulk Hogan defeats Iron Sheik to win his 1st World Wrestling Federation title at Madison Gardens, New York
Apple Macintosh Personal Computer
Jan 24 Apple Computer Inc unveils its revolutionary Macintosh personal computer in a Super Bowl TV ad directed by Ridley Scott
Jackson Burned
Jan 27 Michael Jackson is burned during filming for Pepsi commercial
41st Golden Globes
Jan 28 41st Golden Globes: Terms of Endearment, Tom Courtenay, Robert Duvall, & Shirley MacLaine win
- Jan 31 Edwin Newman retires from NBC News after 35 years with the network
- Feb 2 1st Soap Opera Digest Awards - "Days of Our Lives" wins
- Feb 7 Michael Jackson awarded a 4-ft-high platinum disc by CBS
The Rink
Feb 9 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "The Rink", based on Terrence McNally's novel, and starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 204 performances, winning a Tony Award
People's Choice Awards
Mar 15 10th People's Choice Awards: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds & Meryl Streep win (Motion Picture) and Tom Selleck, Linda Evans win (TV)
Kate & Allie
Mar 19 American sitcom "Kate & Allie" premieres on CBS TV starring Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin
- Apr 5 Galt MacDermot and William Dumaresq's musical "The Human Comedy", based on the novel by William Saroyan, opens at Royale Theater, NYC; runs for 13 performances
- Apr 8 4th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Lonely Lady" wins
- Apr 9 56th Academy Awards: "Terms of Endearment", Robert Duvall & Shirley Maclaine win
Academy Awards
Apr 9 56th Academy Awards: Linda Hunt becomes the first person to win an Oscar for portraying a character of the opposite sex, Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
- Apr 15 Galt MacDermot and William Dumaresq's musical "The Human Comedy", based on the novel by William Saroyan, closes at Royale Theater, NYC, after 13 performances
- Apr 21 "Nightline" reverts from 1 hour to ½ hour format
- Apr 21 After 37 weeks Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" is knocked off as top album by movie soundtrack for "Footloose"
Premiere of "Pope John Paul II"
Apr 22 CBS premiere of TV film "Pope John Paul II", starring Albert Finney in title role
Sunday in the Park with George
May 2 Stephen Sondheim's musical "Sunday in the Park with George", a fictionalized version of painter Georges Seurat's relationship with his grandson, starring Mandy Patinkin, opens at Booth Theater, NYC; runs for 604 performances, wins a Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- May 3 Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's stage adaptation of her 1978 novel "A Woman of Independent Means", starring Barbara Rush, opens at Biltmore Theatre, NYC; runs for 13 performances
- May 13 Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's stage adaptation of her 1978 novel "A Woman of Independent Means", starring Barbara Rush, closes at Biltmore Theatre, NYC, after 13 performances
- May 17 Mai Shanley, 21, of New Mexico crowned 33rd Miss USA
Music History
May 19 "King Of Suede" single by Weird Al Yankovic hits #62
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
May 23 "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", 2nd in the film series, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford, and produced by George Lucas' Lucosfilms premieres
Cannes Film Festival
May 23 37th Cannes Film Festival: "Paris, Texas" directed by Wim Wenders wins the Palme d'Or, starring Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski
Once Upon a Time in America
May 23 Crime epic film "Once Upon a Time in America" directed by Sergio Leone starring Robert De Niro and James Woods premieres at Cannes
Ghostbusters Premieres
Jun 8 "Ghostbusters", American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson premieres
- Jun 8 "Gremlins", American comedy horror film, is released
- Jun 9 Donald Duck's 50th birthday celebrated at Disneyland
- Jun 9 Weird Al Yankovic gives a live performance at Starlight Amphitheater
- Jun 11 Michael Larson shown winning record $110,237 on American TV game show "Press Your Luck" by memorizing patterns
- Jun 19 1st live TV appearance by Chief Justice Warren Burger (Nightline)
- Jun 19 Weird Al Yankovic gives free live performance at Del Mar Fair
Daytime Emmy Awards
Jun 27 Emmy 11th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 5th time
Famous Photo
Jul 20 Vanessa Williams is asked to resign as Miss America due to publication of nude photos of her
- Jul 23 Suzette Charles (NJ), 21, replaces Williams as 57th Miss America 1984
- Jul 23 Vanessa Williams, 1st African American Miss America, resigns after Penthouse publishes unauthorized nude photos of her
- Jul 30 Soap Opera "Santa Barbara" premieres on NBC TV
- Jul 31 Leeza Gibbon's 1st appearance on Entertainment Tonight
- Aug 8 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "The Rink", based on Terrence McNally's novel, and starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, closes at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 204 performances and a Tony Award for Rivera,
Telethon
Sep 3 Jerry Lewis' 19th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $32,074,566
Amadeus
Sep 6 "Amadeus" from the play by Peter Shaffer, directed by Milos Forman and starring Tom Hulce premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Best Picture 1985)
Jeopardy!
Sep 10 First episode of daily syndicated TV game show of "Jeopardy!" with Alex Trebek as host
Music History
Sep 12 American country singer Barbara Mandrell is badly injured in a car accident
- Sep 15 9th Toronto International Film Festival: "Places in the Heart" directed by Robert Benton wins the People's Choice Award
- Sep 15 Sharlene Wells (Utah), 20, crowned 58th Miss America 1985
Miami Vice
Sep 16 1st broadcast of "Miami Vice" on NBC-TV
The Cosby Show
Sep 20 "The Cosby Show" premieres on NBC-TV starring Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad
- Sep 23 36th Emmy Awards: "Hill Street Blues"; "Cheers": John Ritter & Tyne Daly win
Film & TV History
Sep 29 Elizabeth Taylor undergoes substance abuse rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center; meets construction worker and future husband Larry Fortensky
The Terminator
Oct 26 "The Terminator" directed by James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn is released in the US
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Nov 9 Wes Craven's horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" premieres in the US
- Nov 10 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Hollywood Park; winners: Chief's Crown, Eillo, Lashkari, Outstandingly, Princess Rooney, Royal Heroine, Wild Again
- Nov 12 NBC premiere of "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story", fact based telepic of actress Saldana's near fatal attack and its aftermath
- Nov 18 NBC premiere of the first part of fact based crime mystery "Fatal Vision", based on Joe McGinnis' novel about Jefferey MacDonald and the 1970 murders of his then-pregnant wife and two children
Fred Roger's Sweater
Nov 22 Fred Rogers of PBS "Mr Rogers, Neighborhood" presents a sweater to Smithsonian Institution
A Christmas Carol
Nov 23 "A Christmas Carol" directed by Clive Donner starring George C. Scott premieres in the UK
Beverly Hills Cop
Dec 1 "Beverly Hills Cop" directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold premieres in Los Angeles
Music History
Dec 4 6th ACE Cable Awards: "David Bowie: Serious Moonlight" by Anthony Eaton and HBO win
Ringo Starr Hosts SNL
Dec 8 Ringo Starr hosts "Saturday Night Live"; Herbie Hancock is the musical guest
- Dec 18 "A Christmas Carol" directed by Clive Donner starring George C. Scott premieres in the US
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