1959 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1959.

Events

• 15 January – Tyne Tees Television, the ITV franchise for North East England, goes on air.
• 1 June – Juke Box Jury premieres on the BBC Television Service.
• 27 October – Anglia Television, the ITV franchise for Eastern England, goes on air.
• 31 October – Ulster Television, the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland, goes on air.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 1 June – Juke Box Jury (1959–1967, 1979, 1989–1990)
• 12 June – The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull (1959)
• 3 September – Spycatcher (1959–1961)
• 28 September – The Artful Dodger (1959)
• 16 October – Bleak House (1959)
• Unknown
  • Whicker's World (1959–1988)
  • Noggin the Nog (1959–1981)

ITV

• 28 December – Ivor the Engine (1959, 1975–1977)

Television shows

1940s

• Watch with Mother (1946–1973)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• All Your Own (1952–1961)
• Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
• Picture Book (1955–1965)
• Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• Double Your Money (1955–1968)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)^[1]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Army Game (1957–1961)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

Ending this year

• The Adventures of Twizzle (1957–1959)
• The Adventures of William Tell (1958–1959)
• The Invisible Man (1958–1959)
• Ivanhoe (1958–1959)
• Oh Boy! (1958–1959)
• Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)
• Torchy the Battery Boy (1958–1959)

Births

• 30 January – Alex Hyde-White, English actor
• 20 March – Steve McFadden, British actor
• 15 April – Emma Thompson, English actress, comedian, and screenwriter.
• 16 May – Tracy Hyde, English actress and model
• 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, Welsh comedian and actor
• 22 May – Jon Sopel, television presenter and BBC correspondent
• 29 May – Adrian Paul, British actor
• 11 June – Hugh Laurie, English actor, comedian and writer
• 29 June – Richard Vranch, British comedian, actor, and TV panel show participant
• 12 August – Amanda Redman, actress
• 10 September – Helen Pearson, actress
• 13 September – Bobby Davro, actor and comedian
• 7 October – Simon Cowell, English music producer and television talent show judge
• 20 October – Niamh Cusack, Irish-born actress
• 26 October – Brian Bovell, British actor
• 2 November – Peter Mullan, Scottish actor
• 9 November – Tony Slattery, actor and comedian
• 11 November – David Easter, actor
• 14 November – Paul McGann, British actor
• 24 November – Lucy Meacock, journalist and newsreader
• 30 November – Lorraine Kelly, British presenter and journalist
• 2 December – Gwyneth Strong, British actress
• 3 December – Eamonn Holmes, journalist and television personality
• 11 December – Nigel Pivaro, actor and journalist
• 30 December – Tracey Ullman, English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author
• Unknown – Joanna Kanska, actress

References