See also: 1999 in television, other events of 2000, 2001 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

Events

• January 17 - Robin Givens replaces Mother Love as host of the talk show Forgive or Forget.
• January - Talk show host David Letterman undergoes quintuple heart bypass surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, following an angiogram that revealed that one of his arteries was seriously constricted.
• February 15 - Rick Rockwell marries stranger Darva Conger in front of 22 million viewers on the FOX reality show Who Wants To Marry a Multi-Millionaire? While he and Darva are honeymooning, word surfaces that Rockwell—who is sometimes a comedian—had a restraining order against a former girlfiend, and he was not really a multi-millionaire. As a result, FOX cancels a rerun scheduled the following week, and doesn't air any new installments.
• February 21 - David Letterman returns to television following his quintuple heart bypass surgery in January. Letterman brings all of the doctors that had performed the operation out on stage with him, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and Physician Louis J. Aronne , who makes frequent appearances on the show. In an unusual show of emotion, Letterman is nearly in tears as he thanked the doctors. The episode earned an Emmy nomination. Letterman's father died of a heart attack while still in his 50s.
• October - The character of Bianca Montgomery , played by Eden Riegel on the soap opera All My Children, comes out as a lesbian to her mother, Erica Kane (played by Susan Lucci).
• December 18 - Actor Hank Azaria and actress Helen Hunt file for divorce.
• ANT1 Satellite and Pacific extends its programing to 24 hour broadcasting.
• Greek broadcasting networks Alter Channel and Tempo TV began broadcasting.
• The British Film Institute publishes its list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century. Compiled by a poll of industry professionals, Fawlty Towers tops the list, followed by Cathy Come Home and Doctor Who.

Debuts

• June - The Gavin Crawford Show (2000-2002).
• August 14 - The Weakest Link debuts on BBC2 in the UK (2000-present).
• October 6 - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premieres (2000-present).
• October 7 - The District premieres (2000-2004).
• October 11 - Bette , with Bette Midler (2000-2001).
• October 25 - As Told By Ginger premieres (2000-present).
• October - Curb Your Enthusiasm premieres on HBO (2000-present).
• October - Yes, Dear premieres (2000-present).
• Boston Public premieres (2000-2004).
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command premieres (2000-present).
• Drop the Beat (CBC, 2000).
• Ed premieres (2000-2004).
• Malcolm in the Middle premieres (2000-present).
• Survivor premieres on CBS sparking a major blitz of interest in "reality TV" in the US (2000-present). Many copy-cat programs follow. The show was based on the Swedish game show, Expedition Robinson.

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).
• 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).
• 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).
• The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
• EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
• Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
• Sally (1985-2002).
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
• The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).
• Baywatch (1989-2001).
• Cops (1989-present).
• The Simpsons (1989-present).
• Law & Order (1990-present).
• Rugrats (1991-2004).
• The Jerry Springer Show (1991-present).
• Barney & Friends (1992-2002).
• Dateline NBC (1992-present).
• The Real World (1992-present).
• Frasier (1993-2004).
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-present).
• NYPD Blue (1993-present).
• The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-present).
• The X-Files (1993-2002).
• WWF RAW Is War/WWF War Zone (1993-present).
• ER (1994-present).
• Friends (1994-2004).
• Touched by an Angel (1994-2003).
• JAG (1995-present).
• Sesame Park (Canada) (1995-2002).
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001).
• The Drew Carey Show (1995-present).
• The Wheezer Bros. (1995-2001).
• 7th Heaven (1996-present).
• Dexter's Laboratory (1996-present).
• Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005).
• Hey Arnold! (1996-2004).
• Judge Judy (1996-present).
• Spin City (1996-2002).
• The Daily Show (1996-present).
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
• Daria (1997-2001).
• Dharma & Greg (1997-2002).
• Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997-2001).
• Johnny Bravo (1997-present).
• Just Shoot Me (1997-2003).
• King of the Hill (1997-present).
• South Park (1997-present).
• Stargate SG-1 (1997-present).
• The Practice (1997-2004).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1997-present).
• Becker (1998-2004).
• CatDog (1998-2001).
• Call For Help (1998-2004).
• Charmed (1998-present).
• Dawson's Creek (1998-2003).
• Sex and the City (1998-2004).
• That '70s Show (1998-present).
• The King of Queens (1998-present).
• The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004).
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK) (1998-present).
• Will & Grace (1998-present).
• Angel (1999-2004).
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
• Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present).
• Farscape (1999-2003).
• Futurama (1999-2003).
• Judging Amy (1999-present).
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-present).
• Passions (1999-present).
• Rocket Power (1999-present).
• (1999-present).
• SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present).
• Tenacious D (1999-present).
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1999-2004).
• The Sopranos (1999-present).
• The West Wing (1999-present).
• Third Watch (1999-present).
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (US) (1999-present).

Ending this year

• Inspector Morse (1987-2000).
• The Ward (UK) (1988-2000).
• One Foot in the Grave (UK) (1990-2000).
• Sliders (1995-2000).
• Forgive or Forget (1998-2000).
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1998-2000).
• Queer as Folk (UK) (1999-2000).

Deaths

• January 15 - Fran Ryan , character actress, sister of Irene Ryan.
• February 10 - Jim Varney, actor and comedian who created the character Ernest P. Worrell.
• February 12 - Charles M. Schulz, cartoonist.
• March 25 - Helen Martin, veteran African American character actress with a role on 227.
• April 10 - Larry Linville, actor (Frank Burns on the TV version of M*A*S*H).
• July 14 - Meredith MacRae , actress on Petticoat Junction.
• August 12 - Loretta Young, actress.
• September 14 Beah Richards, actress.
• October 18, Julie London, singer, actress.
• October 30 - Steve Allen, comedian, composer, talk show host, author.
• December 6 - Werner Klemperer, actor (Col. Wilhelm Klink on Hogan's Heroes).
• December 26 - Jason Robards, actor.