1956 in British television explained
This is a list of British television related events from 1956.
Events
January
February
- 17 February – The Midlands becomes the first part of the UK outside London to receive ITV, when ATV Midlands begins broadcasting their weekday franchise. The weekend franchise, ABC, appears a day later.
March
- 28 March – Television transmissions begin from the new Crystal Palace site in south London for the BBC.
April
- 28 April – ITV, at that point only available in the London area and in the Midlands, shows cricket for the first time, when it broadcasts the Australian touring team's match against the Duke of Norfolk's XI at Arundel Castle.[1]
May
June
July
August
September
- 15 September – The Adventures of Sir Lancelot debuts on ITV. After being sold to the NBC network in the United States, it later becomes the first British television series ever to be made in colour. It premieres in the United States on 24 September.
October
- 31 October – On popular ITV television talk show Free Speech, an especially bitter debate on the Suez Crisis takes place, with leftist historian A. J. P. Taylor and Labour journalist and future party leader Michael Foot calling their fellow-panellist, Conservative MP Robert Boothby, a "criminal" for supporting the war.[3]
November
December
- 25 December – Christmas Day highlights include the British TV debut of The Lone Ranger on BBC TV.
Unknown
Debuts
BBC Television Service/BBC TV
- 8 January – Space School (1956)
- 12 January – Strictly T-T (1956)
- 21 January – Tales from Soho (1956)
- 31 January – The Frontiers of Science (1956–1960; 1968–1969)
- 5 February – The White Falcon (1956)
- 21 February – Nathaniel Titlark (1956)
- 24 February – Jane Eyre (1956)
- 8 March – Men in Battle (1956–1957)
- 10 March – My Friend Charles (1956)
- 29 March – Billy Cotton Band Show (1956–1968)
- 5 April – Double Cross (1956)
- 6 April – Diving To Adventure (1956)
- 10 April – Picture Parade (1956–1962)
- 15 April – Rex Milligan (1956)
- 21 April – Opportunity Murder (1956)
- 7 May – The Adventures of the Big Man (1956)
- 24 May – Eurovision Song Contest (1956–present)
- 4 July – Abigail and Roger (1956)
- 6 July – Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
- 21 August – The Black Tulip (1956)
- 25 August – (1956)
- 28 September – David Copperfield (1956)
- 4 October – Whack-O! (1956–1960, 1971–1972)
- 6 October – Potts in Parovia (1956)
- 20 October – The Other Man (1956)
- 28 October
- Kidnapped (1956)
- The Recording Angells (1956)
- 10 November – Evans Abode (1956)
- 13 November – The Watch Tower (1956)
- 1 December –
- 25 December – The Lone Ranger (1949–1957)
- 28 December – Vanity Fair (1956–1957)
- Unknown – Champion the Wonder Horse (1956–1957)
ITV
Television shows
1920s
- BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)
1930s
1940s
1950s
Ending this year
Births
- 6 January – Angus Deayton, actor and television presenter
- 9 January – Imelda Staunton, actress
- 25 January – Bill Turnbull, television presenter (died 2022)
- 8 February – Richard Sharp, banker and Chairman of the BBC
- 14 February – Tom Watt, radio presenter, journalist and actor
- 11 March – Helen Rollason, sports journalist and television presenter (died 1999)
- 19 April – Sue Barker, tennis player and television presenter
- 20 April – Georgie Glen, Scottish actress
- 26 April – Koo Stark, American-born actress
- 13 May – Richard Madeley, television presenter
- 28 May – Julie Peasgood, actress, author and television presenter
- 1 June – Louise Plowright, actress (died 2016)[7]
- 10 October – Amanda Burton, actress
- 30 October – Juliet Stevenson, actress
- 16 November – Lorraine Heggessey, television executive
- 28 November – Lucy Gutteridge, actress
- 7 December – Anna Soubry, television journalist, barrister and politician
See also
External links
Notes and References
- advert placed by ABC Television (UK) in the Coventry Evening Telegraph, page 2, 27 April 1956
- Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline
- Book: Cole, Robert. A. J. P. Taylor: the Traitor Within the Gates. London. Macmillan. 1993. 9781349230235. 149.
- Book: Seatter, Robert. 1956. Broadcasting Britain: 100 years of the BBC. London. Dorling Kindersley. 2022. 9780241567548.
- Web site: What the Papers Say (5.11.56) (1956) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220402120621/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5ebc84ec09c05 . dead . April 2, 2022 . BFI . 2 April 2022 . en.
- Web site: What the Papers Say in pictures . The Guardian . 2 April 2022 . 29 May 2008.
- News: Louise Plowright, actress – obituary . Telegraph Media Group. London. The Daily Telegraph . 3 March 2016 . 3 March 2016.