1971 in Television

Debuts

January 10 – Masterpiece Theatre debuts on PBS (1971–present).
January 12 – All in the Family premieres on CBS (1971–1979).
April 3 – Kamen Rider premieres on MBS in Japan (1971–1973).
April 10 – The Two Ronnies debuts on BBC1 in the UK (1971–1987).
April 21 – The Return of Ultraman debuts on TBS in Japan. (1971–1972)
August 1 – The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour premieres on CBS (1971–1974).
September 11 – Sabrina, the Teenage Witch premieres on CBS Saturday Morning (1971–1972).
September 11 – Help! It's the Hair Bear Bunch premieres on CBS Saturday Morning (1971–1974).
September 11 – The Jackson 5ive premieres on ABC Saturday Morning (1971–1973).
September 11 – The Funky Phantom premieres on ABC Saturday Morning (1971–1972).
September 11 – Lidsville premieres on ABC Saturday Morning (1971–1973).
September 15 - Columbo (1971-1978) debuts as part of a rotation of detective shows on the NBC Mystery Movie.
September 17 – McMillan & Wife debuts on NBC (1971–1977).
September 17 - O'Hara, U.S. Treasury debuts on CBS (1971–72).
September 18 – The New Dick Van Dyke Show premieres on CBS (1971–1974).
September 21 – The Old Grey Whistle Test premiered on BBC2 (1971–1987).
October 2 -Soul Train, the African-American equivalent to American Bandstand, premieres (1971–2006).
October 10 – Upstairs, Downstairs debuts in the UK on ITV (1971–1975, 2010–present).
October 25 – The Electric Company, a skit-based children's program aimed at teaching reading skills, premieres on PBS (1971–1977).