width=90 | Date | Event |
---|
1 February | The Sky HD swap is introduced giving HD channels more prominence. Sky also sees the launch of brand-new channel Sky Atlantic, and the Living channels are rebranded as Sky Living. Channel One closes down at 6 am, and is replaced on Freeview by Challenge. |
2 February | John Nettles appears in his final ever episode of Midsomer Murders, having starred in a total of 81 episodes since the series was launched in 1997.[10] [11] |
Former BBC executive Craig Oliver is appointed as Prime Minister David Cameron's Director of Communications.[12] |
4 February | The BBC apologises for remarks about Mexicans made on its Top Gear television programme but defends the original remarks as well.[13] |
14 February | Channel 5 reverts to its original name after almost a decade. |
16 February | BBC One airs a special hour-long episode of its daytime soap Doctors to celebrate the series 2000th episode.[14] |
28 February | The ban on product placement in television programmes is lifted, allowing advertisers to pay for their goods to be seen on British TV. The first product to be displayed in this regard is a Nescafe coffee machine, which appears on This Morning.[15] [16] A year-long trial also begins allowing commercial television channels to show up to 12 minutes of adverts per hour during films and dramas, bringing them into line with soap operas where this is already permitted.[17] | |
width=90 | Date | Event |
---|
11 – 25 May | Analogue signals are switched off in the Darvel and Rosneath (HP and VP) areas. |
5 May | It is confirmed that Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole will leave their positions as judges on The X Factor to concentrate on the American version of the programme.[27] Cole is later dropped from the US version of the series.[28] |
12 May | ITV axes the Scottish police drama Taggart after 28 years, citing poor viewing figures in other parts of the UK.[29] |
Dennis Tanner, played by Philip Lowrie, returns to Coronation Street, having last appeared in 1968. His break of 43 years is the longest of any actor in the soap's history.[30] |
14 May | Azerbaijan's Ell & Nikki win the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest (staged in Düsseldorf) with "Running Scared". |
Dannii Minogue announces she will not be appearing on the next series of The X Factor.[31] |
19 May | A special edition of the BBC's political debate programme Question Time is recorded at Wormwood Scrubbs Prison in London.[32] |
BBC World News America presenter Matt Frei is recruited by Channel 4 News to become their Washington correspondent, while Newsnight correspondent Jackie Long will become Channel 4 Newss social affairs editor. Cathy Newman will become the first new presenter to join the in-studio team at Channel 4 for 13 years.[33] |
24 May | Broadcast magazine reports that ITV is preparing to launch a new investigative series titled Exposure, thirteen years after it axed the award-winning World in Action.[34] |
25 May | It is announced that Jeff Stelling is to leave Countdown after two years to concentrate on Sky Sports.[35] |
30 May | After six and a half years, Emmerdale saw a new sequence to the opening titles of the series, with a new theme music, with new generic shots alongside a Range Rover driving through the woods, cuts sideways to a woman stroking a man's leg with her foot: a couple running upstairs in Home Farm, a dog in The Dingles' living room; then finally finishing on a new CGI image of the village, angled at Main Street which ends with the new logo fading on to the screen. |
ITV confirms that Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland will join Louis Walsh as judges for series 8 of The X Factor.[36] | |
width=90 | Date | Event |
---|
4 October | Joanne Wheatley wins the second series of The Great British Bake Off. |
6 October | BBC Director General Mark Thompson announces that BBC HD will close to be replaced by a high definition simulcast of BBC Two. This BBC Two HD will work much the same way as BBC One HD.[60] This move allows the corporation to save £2.1 million, used to count towards their budget deficit following the freezing of the license fee and the additional financial responsibility of addition services.[61] |
14 October | CBeebies airs the final re-run of Numberjacks series 1. Re-runs of the second series continued until 2015. |
15 October | Helen Flanagan, who plays Rosie Webster in Coronation Street, announces she is leaving the series after twelve years. She will film her final scenes at Christmas and be seen on screen until February 2012.[62] |
18 October | ITV plc buys the Channel Islands franchise Channel Television from the Yattendon Group plc.[63] |
22 October | Rugby player Phil Vickery wins the 2011 series of Celebrity MasterChef.[64] |
October | High definition versions of Dave and Watch are launched by UKTV. |
31 October | Channel 4 air the first episode of Top Boy, a four-part British crime drama series, written by Ronan Bennett and starring UK rappers Ashley Walters and Kano, about gang culture and drug dealing on a council estate in Hackney, East London. The series premiere is watched by 1.1 million viewers. | |
width=90 | Date | Event |
---|
4 November | Jill Evans, a Welsh MEP is fined £575 after refusing to pay her TV licence fee in protest over changes to the Welsh-language channel S4C.[65] |
8 November | ITN confirms it has secured a five-year contract to resume production of 5 News from early 2012. The broadcaster lost the programme to Sky News in 2005. Part of the new deal will see the 7:00 pm bulletin move to an earlier 6:30 pm timeslot.[66] |
9–23 November | Analogue signals are switched off in the Tacolneston area. |
11 November | Aaron Allard-Morgan wins Big Brother 2011 and becomes Channel 5's first Big Brother winner.[67] |
13 November | TV bosses are forced to apologise after the results of a phone vote for the previous evening's The X Factor appeared online before the lines had closed. The episode was also delayed for fifteen minutes by a technical glitch.[68] |
14 November | Coronation Street becomes the first prime time British television programme to use product placement after signing a deal with Nationwide Building Society. A Nationwide cash machine is seen in the episode.[69] |
16 November | Nick Hewer, one of Alan Sugar's advisers on The Apprentice is revealed as the latest host of Countdown. He takes over from outgoing presenter Jeff Stelling from January 2012.[70] |
19 November | Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC seeks leave to prosecute Sky News for contempt of court over its reporting of the kidnapping of Paul and Rachel Chandler after the channel allegedly breached an injunction preventing the disclosure of the couple's welfare.[71] | |
width=251 | Programme | width=251 | Date |
---|
2000 |
---|
Bargain Hunt | 2000–present |
BBC Breakfast |
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids | 2000–2006, 2011–2012 |
Big Brother | 2000–2018 |
Click | 2000–present |
Doctors |
My Family | 2000–2011 |
A Place in the Sun | 2000–present |
Shipwrecked | 2000–2002, 2006–2009, 2011–2012 |
The Unforgettable | 2000–present |
Unreported World |
Waking the Dead | 2000–2011 |
The Weakest Link | 2000–2012, 2017–present |
The Wright Stuff | 2000–2018 |
2001 |
---|
Celebrity Big Brother | 2001–2002, 2005–2007, 2009–present |
BBC South East Today | 2001–present |
Football Focus |
Real Crime |
Rogue Traders |
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps | 2001–2011 |
Property Ladder | 2001–present |
2002 |
---|
Cash in the Attic | 2002–present |
Escape to the Country |
Fifth Gear |
Flog It! |
Foyle's War | 2002–2015 |
Harry Hill's TV Burp | 2002–2012 |
High Hopes | 2002–present |
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! |
In It to Win It |
Inside Out |
Outtake TV |
River City |
Saturday Kitchen |
Serious |
Spooks | 2002–2011 |
Sport Relief | 2002–present |
The Story Makers |
Tikkabilla |
2003 |
---|
Celebrity Mastermind | 2003–present |
Daily Politics |
Eggheads |
Extraordinary People |
Grumpy Old Men |
Homes Under the Hammer |
New Tricks | 2003–2015 |
Peep Show |
QI | 2003–present |
The Politics Show |
The Royal | 2003–2011 |
This Week | 2003–present |
Traffic Cops |
2004 |
---|
10 Years Younger | 2004–present |
60 Minute Makeover |
Agatha Christie's Marple | 2004–2013 |
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year | 2004–present |
Car Booty |
The Culture Show |
Doc Martin | 2004–2019 |
Football First | 2004–present |
Funky Valley |
The Gadget Show |
Haunted Homes |
Hustle | 2004–2012 |
Jimmy's Farm | 2004–present |
Live at the Apollo |
Match of the Day 2 |
NewsWatch |
Peppa Pig |
Shameless | 2004–2013 |
Strictly Come Dancing | 2004–present |
|
Supernanny | 2004–2008, 2010–2012 |
Who Do You Think You Are? | 2004–present |
The X Factor | 2004–2018 |
2005 |
---|
8 out of 10 Cats | 2005–present |
The Adventure Show |
The Andrew Marr Show |
The Apprentice |
The Biggest Loser |
Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model | 2005–2013 |
Coach Trip | 2005–2006, 2009–present |
Coast | 2005–present |
Come Dine with Me |
It's Me or the Dog | 2005–2012 |
Deal or No Deal | 2005–2016 |
Doctor Who Confidential | 2005–2011 |
Dragons' Den | 2005–present |
The F Word | 2005–2010 |
Fifi and the Flowertots | 2005–present |
The Hotel Inspector |
Ideal | 2005–2011 |
The Jeremy Kyle Show | 2005–present |
Ladette to Lady |
Missing Live |
Mock the Week |
Quizmania |
Springwatch |
The Thick of It | 2005–2012 |
Ukwia | 2005–present |
2006 |
---|
The Album Chart Show | 2006–present |
Animal Spies! |
|
Banged Up Abroad | 2006–2013 |
Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe | 2006–present |
Codex |
...Cooks! |
Cricket AM |
Dancing on Ice | 2006–2014) |
Dickinson's Real Deal | 2006–present |
Don't Get Done, Get Dom |
Fonejacker | 2006–2008 |
Freshly Squeezed | 2006–2012 |
Ghosthunting With... | 2006–present |
How to Look Good Naked |
The IT Crowd | 2006–2013 |
The Large Family | 2006–present |
Lead Balloon | 2006–2011 |
Lewis | 2006–2015 |
Little Princess | 2006–present |
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies |
That Mitchell and Webb Look |
Monkey Life |
Most Annoying People |
Numberjacks | 2006–2009 |
The One Show | 2006–present |
People & Power |
Peschardt's People |
The Real Hustle |
Secret Millionaire |
The Slammer | 2006–2015 |
Soccer Aid | 2006–present |
Something for the Weekend | 2006–2012 |
Torchwood | 2006–2011 |
Waterloo Road | 2006–2015, 2023–present |
Wild at Heart | 2006–2012 |
World Business | 2006–2011 |
2007 |
---|
The Alan Titchmarsh Show | 2007–2014 |
The Armstrong and Miller Show | 2007–2010 |
Benidorm | 2007–present |
The Big Questions |
Britain's Best Dish | 2007–2011 |
Britain's Got Talent | 2007–present |
Coming of Age | 2007–2011 |
Daybreak Scotland | 2007–2012 |
Diddy Dick and Dom | 2007–present |
Don't Tell the Bride |
Embarrassing Bodies |
Escape from Scorpion Island |
Game60 |
The Graham Norton Show |
Harry & Paul |
Heir Hunters |
Helicopter Heroes |
Inside Sport |
Inspector George Gently |
An Island Parish |
Jeff Randall Live |
London Ink |
M.I. High | 2007–2011 |
Mary Queen of Shops | 2007–present |
Mister Maker |
Outnumbered | 2007–2014 |
Postcode Challenge | 2007–present |
Primeval | 2007–2011 |
Rapal | 2007–present |
The Real MacKay |
Real Rescues |
The Sarah Jane Adventures | 2007–2011 |
Secret Diary of a Call Girl | 2007–2011 |
Shrink Rap | 2007–present |
Skins |
Trapped |
The Tudors | 2007–2011 |
Wanted Down Under | 2007–present |
What the Dickens |
Who Dares Wins |
Would I Lie To You? |
2008 |
---|
An Là | 2008–present |
Are You an Egghead? |
Argumental |
Basil's Swap Shop |
Battle of the Brains |
Being Human |
Big & Small |
Bizarre ER |
CCTV Cities |
Celebrity Juice |
Chinese Food Made Easy |
Chop Socky Chooks |
Chuggington |
Country House Rescue |
Dani's House |
The Family |
|
Gimme a Break |
The Hot Desk |
House Guest |
The Inbetweeners |
It Pays to Watch! |
Kerwhizz | 2008–2009, 2011 |
Lark Rise to Candleford | 2008–2011 |
The Live Desk | 2008–present |
Lunch Monkeys | 2008–2011 |
Marvo the Wonder Chicken | 2008–present |
Merlin | 2008–2012 |
Nightwatch with Steve Scott | 2008–present |
Only Connect |
Police Interceptors |
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is | 2008–2011 |
Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections | 2008–present |
Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure |
Rubbernecker |
Rude Tube |
Scallywagga |
Seachd Là |
Sesame Tree |
Snog Marry Avoid? | 2008–2013 |
Supersize vs Superskinny | 2008–2014 |
The Supersizers... | 2008–present |
UK Border Force |
Unbreakable |
Wallander | 2008–2016 |
Wogan's Perfect Recall | 2008–present |
The World's Strictest Parents |
2009 |
---|
| 2009–2016 |
| 2009–present |
Bang Goes the Theory | 2009–2014 |
Brain Box | 2009–2011 |
Campus | 2009–2011 |
Cast Offs | 2009–present |
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night |
Copycats |
Countrywise |
Cowboy Trap |
Crash |
The Chase |
The Cube | 2009–2015 |
Dating in the Dark | 2009–2011 |
Ed and Oucho's Excellent Inventions | 2009–present |
Fern Britton Meets... |
Film Xtra | 2009–2011 |
The Football League Show | 2009–2015 |
Four Weddings | 2009–present |
Garrow's Law | 2009–2011 |
Getting On | 2009–2012 |
Got to Dance | 2009–2014 |
Grow Your Own Drugs | 2009–present |
Heston's Feasts |
Horrible Histories |
The Hour |
How the Other Half Live |
I Can Cook |
The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson |
Inside Nature's Giants |
Katie |
Land Girls | 2009–2011 |
| 2009–2014 |
The Legend of Dick and Dom | 2009–2011 |
Let's Dance for Comic Relief | 2009–present |
Life of Riley | 2009–2011 |
Little Howard's Big Question | 2009–present |
Live from Studio Five | 2009–2011 |
Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow | 2009–present |
Miranda | 2009–2015 |
Misfits | 2009–2013 |
Moving On | 2009–present |
Newswipe with Charlie Brooker |
The Old Guys |
Paradise Cafe | 2009–2011 |
| 2009–2013 |
PhoneShop | 2009–2013 |
Piers Morgan's Life Stories | 2009–present |
Pointless |
Psychoville | 2009–2011 |
A Question of Genius | 2009–present |
Rip Off Britain |
Russell Howard's Good News | 2009–2015 |
Scoop | 2009–present |
Sea Patrol UK |
Sport Nation |
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle | 2009–2016 |
Strictly Money | 2009–2011 |
STV News at Six | 2009–present |
Timmy Time |
Tonight's the Night |
Total Wipeout | 2009–2012 |
Trusadh | 2009–present |
Ty Pennington's Great British Adventure |
Undercover Boss |
Walk on the Wild Side |
We Need Answers |
Whitechapel | 2009–2013 |
You Have Been Watching | 2009–present |
You're Nicked! |
Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum | 2009–2011 | |
Date | Name | Age | Broadcast credibility |
---|
2 January | Pete Postlethwaite | 64 | Actor |
5 January | Helene Palmer[85] | 82 | Actress |
15 January | Susannah York[86] | 72 | Actress (Jane Eyre, Armchair Theatre) |
2 February | Margaret John[87] | 84 | Actress |
22 February | Nicholas Courtney[88] | 81 | Actor (Doctor Who) |
15 March | Keith Fordyce[89] | 82 | Radio and television presenter (Ready Steady Go!) |
15 April | Trevor Bannister[90] | 76 | Actor (Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine) |
19 April | Elisabeth Sladen[91] | 65 | Actress (Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures) |
22 April | John Sullivan | 64 | Scriptwriter (Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith) |
23 April | James Casey | 88 | Comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (The Clitheroe Kid) |
26 May | Flick Colby[92] | 65 | Dancer and choreographer (co-founder/creator of the Top of the Pops dance troupes Pan's People, Ruby Flipper, Legs & Co., and Zoo; The Two Ronnies) |
27 May | Janet Brown[93] | 87 | Actress and comedian |
4 June | Donald Hewlett[94] | 90 | Actor (It Ain't Half Hot Mum, You Rang, M'Lord?) |
8 June | Roy Skelton | 79 | Actor (Doctor Who, Rainbow) |
25 June | Margaret Tyzack[95] | Actress (The Forsyte Saga) |
2 August | Richard Pearson[96] | 93 | Actor |
22 August | John Howard Davies[97] | 72 | Child actor and comedy director (Fawlty Towers) |
11 September | Andy Whitfield[98] | 39 | Actor and model () |
27 September | David Croft[99] | 89 | Television producer |
15 October | Betty Driver[100] | 91 | Actress (Coronation Street) aka Betty Williams |
29 October | Jimmy Savile[101] | 84 | DJ and television presenter (Top of the Pops, Jim'll Fix It) |
20 November | Angie Dowds | 42 | Personal trainer (The Biggest Loser) |
18 December | Ronald Wolfe[102] | 89 | Writer (On The Buses, The Rag Trade) | |