1994 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1994.

Events

• 2 January – BBC2 begins a repeat run of the 1960s US television series The Fugitive.
• 13 January – David Dimbleby takes over as host of Question Time.
• 14 January – An episode of the television soap Brookside shows a lesbian kiss between two of its characters.^[1][2]
• 4 February – Following a review of the broadcasting ban conducted by Heritage Secretary Peter Brooke the Major government decides to maintain the status quo.^[3]
• 12–27 February – The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway.
• 7 April – BBC Scotland makes history by televising a criminal trial as part of its Focal Point strand.
• 11 April – BBC1 introduces a third weekly episode of EastEnders which airs on Mondays at 8:00pm.
• 12 April - Paula Tilbrook makes her debut in Emmerdale as long-serving character Betty Eagleton.
• 16 April – BBC2 celebrates its 30th birthday (four days early) with an evening of programmes selected and introduced by former controller David Attenborough. Among them are episodes of Elizabeth R and The Barry Humphries Show, a 1967 documentary about politics in India and a new episode of Call My Bluff.
• 3 May – Channel 4 starts broadcasting Brookside on Tuesdays instead of Mondays which means the soap is now seen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
• 10 May – Launch of BBC Worldwide.
• 12 May – The European Commission of Human Rights rejects a legal challenge brought by the National Union of Journalists seeking to take the British government to court for breach of freedom of expression under the European Convention of Human Rights over the broadcast ban.^[4][5]
• 25 May – First broadcast of the Wipeout television game show created by Bob Fraser.
• 3 June – Broadcast of an episode of Have I Got News for You in which panelist Ian Hislop was suffering from appendicitis during filming. Having spent most of that day in hospital awaiting treatment, he temporarily discharged himself to record the episode, before returning to undergo surgery.
• 5–10 June – Sue Lawley presents News '44, a series of news bulletin-style programmes to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day.
• 6 June – Due to a failed satellite link, BBC1 is unable to broadcast a remembrance concert marking the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Instead it is forced to show recorded highlights of D-Day commemoration events and a repeated Wildlife on One documentary about racoons. The concert, featuring Dame Vera Lynn and other stars, from the QE2 off the Normandy port of Cherbourg, is recorded and shown three days later.^[6]
• 17 June–17 July – The BBC and ITV show live coverage of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
• 20 June – The BBC's Arabic television service is launched, with funding from the Saudi Arabian Mawarid Group.
• 1 July – Launch of the BBC's Japanese News and Information Service.
• 3 July – Gerry Goldwyre wins the 1994 series of MasterChef.
• 16 July – John Finch, performing as Marti Pellow wins the fifth series of Stars in Their Eyes.
• 11 August – Frazer Hines makes his final appearance in Emmerdale.
• 16 August – A new channel, Sky Sports 2 launches.
• 27 August – BBC2 presents a night of programming dedicated to ATV.
• 16 September – The restrictions that prevents radio and television broadcasting the voices of members of some Irish political and military groups are lifted in the wake of the Provisional IRA's ceasefire declaration.^[7][8]
• 21 September – University Challenge returns to British TV, making its debut on BBC2 with Jeremy Paxman as host.
• 3 October – Two more channels, Sky Soap and Sky Real Lives, then known as Sky Travel, launch.
• 6 October – Debut of the Central Television soap Revelations, a series about a clergyman and his family written by Russell T. Davies. The series, which was only aired in some ITV regions ran for two seasons, and featured Davies' first gay character, a lesbian vicar named Joan (played by Sue Holderness) who comes out during a two-hander episode with another female character.
• 24 October – The Sharongate storyline in EastEnders, centred around the character of Sharon Mitchell (played by Letitia Dean) reaches its finale. The episode is watched by 25.3 million viewers.
• 4 November – Leslie Crowther announces his retirement from show business.
• 7 November – Barbara Windsor makes her EastEnders debut as Peggy Mitchell. The character had previously been briefly played by Jo Warne in 1991.
• 10 November – To coincide with the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murdeer of his children's nanny, ITV airs The Trial of Lord Lucan, a production by Granada Television which sees a fictional dramatisation of how a trial against the peer might proceed.^[9]
• - The first episode of the Dawn French starred sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley airs on BBC1.
• 11 November – The BBC apologises after its Ceefax teletext service mistakenly reports the death of the Queen Mother. The item – described as a rehearsal script – is on screen for 30 seconds before being removed.^[10] The Queen Mother died in 2002.
• 13 November – Katie Targett-Adams wins the 1994 series of Junior MasterChef.
• 18 November – Debut of The Trial, a series of documentaries aired on BBC2, which were filmed largely inside Scottish courts in 1993 and early 1994. Filming of the series is possible because Criminal Justice Act 1925, the legislation banning photography in British courts does not appl in Scotland.
• 19 November – BBC1 airs the first National Lottery draw, which is hosted by Noel Edmonds.
• Unknown – The Simpsons 100th episode airs on Sky1.
• Unknown – The first BBC website is created for the BBC 2 series The Net.
• Unknown – The BBC subscription service BBC Select ends broadcasts after two years on air.

Debuts

BBC1

• Unknown – Animal Hospital (1994–2004)
• 30 January – Incredible Games (1994–1995)
• 13 March – Pie in the Sky (1994–1997)
• 25 May – Wipeout (1994–2002)
• 16 July – Pets Win Prizes (1994–1996)
• 24 July – Small Talk (1994–1996)
• 18 September – Paul Merton's Palladium Story (1994)
• 5 October – SMart (1994–2009)
• 10 November – The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2007)
• 27 November – A Mind to Kill (1994–2004)

BBC2

• 9 January – The High Life (1994–1995)
• 19 January – The Day Today (1994)
• 4 July – Room 101 (1994–2007)
• 17 September – Top of the Pops 2 (1994–present)
• 19 September – Working Lunch (1994–2010)
• 27 September – The Fast Show (1994–1997, 2000)
• 24 October – Ready Steady Cook (1994–2010)

ITV

• 4 January – Budgie the Little Helicopter (1994–1996)
• 10 January – Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean (1994)
• 28 February – Talking Telephone Numbers (1994–1997)
• 10 April – The Knock (1994–2000)
• 25 April – Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean (1994)
• 29 May – Cadfael One Corpse Too Many (1994 Season 1 Episode 1)
• 5 June – Cadfael The Sanctuary Sparrow (1994 Season 1 Episode 2)
• 12 June – Cadfael The Leper of Saint Giles (1994 Season 1 Episode 3)
• 19 June – Cadfael Monk's Hood (1994 Season 1 Episode 4)
• 15 July – Body Heat (1994–1996)
• 27 July – Wycliffe (1994–1998)
• 7 September – Police Camera Action! (1994–2008)
• 25 October – Back to School Mr. Bean (1994)
• 12 November – Open Fire (1994)

Channel 4

• 16 January – Time Team (1994–2013)
• 12 February – Don't Forget Your Toothbrush (1994–1995)
• 30 July – The People's Parliament (1994–1999)

Television shows

Changes of network affiliation

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• 10 January – The new version of Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• 18 March – Play Your Cards Right (1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002–2003)
• 18 April – Blockbusters (1983–1993, 1994–1995, 1997, 2000–2001, 2012)
• 21 September – University Challenge (1962–1987 ITV, 1994–present BBC)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Panorama (1953–present)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006)
• Match of the Day (1964–present)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• The Money Programme (1966–present)

1970s

• Emmerdale (1972–present)
• Newsround (1972–present)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)
• Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–present)
• Arena (1975–present)
• One Man and His Dog (1976–present)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008)
• Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)
• Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

• Children in Need (1980–present)
• Timewatch (1982–present)
• Brookside (1982–2003)
• Countdown (1982–present)
• Right to Reply (1982–2001)
• Spitting Image (1984–1996)
• The Bill (1984–2010)
• EastEnders (1985–present)
• The Cook Report (1985–1998)
• Crosswits (1985–1998)
• Telly Addicts (1985–1998)
• Comic Relief (1985–present)
• Beadle's About (1986–1996)
• The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)
• Casualty (1986–present)
• Allsorts (1987–1995)
• Going for Gold (1987–1996, 2008–2009)
• The Time, The Place (1987–1996)
• Chain Letters (1987–1997)
• ChuckleVision (1987–2009)
• You Bet! (1988–1997)
• Playdays (1988–1997)
• London's Burning (1988–2002)
• On the Record (1988–2002)
• Fifteen to One (1988–2003, 2013–present)
• This Morning (1988–present)
• Birds of a Feather (1989–1998, 2014–present)
• A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995)

1990s

• Mr. Bean (1990–1995)
• The Crystal Maze (1990–1995)
• Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995)
• The Dreamstone (1990–1995)
• Turnabout (1990–1996)
• The Upper Hand (1990–1996)
• Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998)
• Stars in Their Eyes (1990–2006)
• Big Break (1991–2002)
• 2point4 Children (1991–1999)
• The Brittas Empire (1991–1997)
• Bottom (1991–1995)
• Soldier Soldier (1991–1997)
• Brum (1991–1994, 2001–2002)
• Noel's House Party (1991–1999)
• GamesMaster (1992–1998)
• Heartbeat (1992–2010)
• Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998)
• The Big Breakfast (1992–2002)
• Noddy's Toyland Adventures (1992–1999)
• 999 (1992–2003)
• Chef! (1993–1996)
• Doctor Finlay (1993–1996)
• Saturday Disney (1993–1998)
• Breakfast with Frost (1993–2005)
• ZZZap! (1993–2001)
• Avenger Penguins (1993–1994)
• Jo Brand Through the Cakehole (1993–1996)
• Wipeout (1994–2002)

Ending this year

• That's Life! (1973–1994)
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1979–1994)
• Postman Pat (1981, 1991–1994, 1996, 2004–2008)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
• Lovejoy (1986–1994)
• The Raggy Dolls (1986–1994)
• Fireman Sam (1987–1994, 2003–2013)
• Knightmare (1987–1994)
• The New Statesman (1987–1994)
• Garfield & Friends (1988–1994)
• Desmond's (1989–1994)
• Waiting for God (1990–1994)
• The House of Eliott (1991–1994)
• Brum (1991–1994, 2001–2002)
• Anna Lee (1993–1994)
• Avenger Penguins (1993–1994)
• Paul Merton's Palladium Story (1994)

Births

• 3 March – Leah Coombes, actress
• 23 June - Jamie Borthwick, actor
• 28 June – Madeline Duggan, actress

Deaths

• 10 January – Michael Aldridge, 73, actor
• 7 June – Dennis Potter, 59, scriptwriter.
• 26 July – Terry Scott, 67, actor
• 2 September – Roy Castle, 62, dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician
• 16 November – Doris Speed, 95, actress
• 27 December - Fanny Cradock, 85, Television cookery expert

References