1979 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1979.

Contents 1 Events 2 Debuts 2.1 BBC 1 2.2 BBC 2 2.3 ITV 3 Television shows 3.1 Returning this year after a break of one year or longer 3.2 1940s 3.3 1950s 3.4 1960s 3.5 1970s 4 Ending this year 5 Births 6 Deaths 7 References

Events

• 28 January – Thomas & Sarah, a spin-off of Upstairs, Downstairs premieres on LWT. It runs for only one series.

•11 March – Return of the Saint its the last adventure with the Saint in the diplomats daugter where templars xj-s is stolen in a big chase with his bike

• 24 March – Tales of the Unexpected, an Anglia Television series based on the short stories of Roald Dahl, debuts on ITV.
• 3 May-4 May – BBC1 and ITV broadcast coverage of the 1979 general election. The election is won by the Conservatives and sees Margaret Thatcher become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.^[1]
• 6 August – Technicians at Thames Television go on strike following a long-running dispute.^[2]
• 10 August – The whole of the ITV network except the Channel Islands is affected by a technicians' strike for eleven weeks.
• 2 September – Subtitling of television programmes on Ceefax begins.
• 25 September – Robin Day presents the first edition of the long-running political debate programme Question Time on BBC 1. The programme continues to air to the present day.
• 24 October – On ITV's first night back on air after the strike, Quatermass, the fourth and final serial featuring Professor Bernard Quatermass, begins its run on the network.
• 11 November – Last episode of the first series of sitcom To the Manor Born on BBC1 receives 23.95 million viewers, the all-time highest figure for a recorded programme in the UK.^[3]
• 1 December – BBC2 unveils the first computer-generated television presentation symbol in the world. US broadcaster NBC unveils their first computer-generated symbol later that year.

Debuts

BBC 1

• 18 January – Blankety Blank (1979–1990, BBC1 1997–1999, ITV 2001–2002)
• 18 February – Antiques Roadshow (1979–present).
• 25 September – Question Time (1979–present)
• 30 September – To the Manor Born (1979–1981)
• 30 September – Shoestring (1979–1980)
• 24 October – Terry and June (1979–1987)

BBC 2

• 28 September – Friday Night, Saturday Morning (1979–1982)
• 16 October – Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)

ITV

• 3 January – The Book Tower (1979–1989)
• 6 January – Dick Turpin (1979–1982)
• 28 January – Thomas & Sarah (1979)
• 25 February – Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981)
• 11 March – Agony (1979–1981)
• 24 March – Tales of the Unexpected (1979–1985; 1987–1988).
• 10 July – Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982)
• 12 July – Shelley (1979–1992)
• 25 September – Once Upon a Time (1979–present)
• 29 October – Only When I Laugh (1979–1982)

Television shows

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1980)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Animal Magic (1962–1983)
• Doctor Who (1963–1989, 2005–present)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006)
• Match of the Day (1964–present)
• Crossroads (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
• Play School (1964–1988)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999, 2008-2010)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–present)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)

1970s

• The Goodies (1970–1982)
• The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• Clapperboard (1972–1982)
• Crown Court (1972–1984)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• Emmerdale (1972–present).
• Newsround (1972–present).
• Weekend World (1972–1988)
• Pipkins (1973–1981)
• We Are the Champions (1973–1987)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010).
• That's Life! (1973–1994)
• It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981)
• Tiswas (1974–1982)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003).
• The Cuckoo Waltz (1975–1980)
• Arena (1975–present).
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
• When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981)
• Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976–1982)
• Rentaghost (1976–1984)
• Robin's Nest (1977–1981)
• You’re Only Young Twice (1977–1981)
• The Professionals (1977–1983)
• Blake's 7 (1978–1981)
• Strangers (1978–1982)
• Butterflies (1978–1983, 2000)
• 3-2-1 (1978–1988)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008)

Ending this year

• 5 January – The Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996)
• 11 March – Return of the Saint (1978–1979)
• 25 October – Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)
• 16 November – Sykes (1972–1979)
• 19 December – General Hospital (1972–1979)
• 25 December – George and Mildred (1976–1979)

Births

• 1 January – Anna Acton, actress
• 27 January – Rosamund Pike, actress
• 13 February – Lucy Brown, actress
• 20 March – Freema Agyeman, actress
• 29 April – Jo O'Meara, singer, dancer and actress
• 10 May – Lara Lewington, weather and television presenter
• 27 May – Jeff Brazier, television presenter and reality show contestant
• 27 July – Julia Haworth, actress
• 21 August – Joanne Froggatt, actress
• 19 November – Katherine Kelly, actress
• 29 November – Simon Amstell, comedian and television presenter
• Unknown – Leanne Lakey, actress

Deaths

• 19 March – Richard Beckinsale, 31, actor
• 30 November – Joyce Grenfell, 69, actress, comedian and singer-songwriter

References