List of early colour TV shows in the UK explained

Below is a list of early colour TV^[1] shows produced in the UK between the late 1950s up to 1970^[2] where by that point, the majority of programmes were being produced in colour.^[3] The list features titles of shows, TV companies, transmission dates, formats and their archival status; noting whether they are lost, partially or mostly missing or have episodes that exist in B&W.<ref>Web site: Kaleidoscope's TV Brain. TV Brain. Also included are some programmes which had one off transmissions, where applicable.

BBC2 was the first European broadcaster to show colour programmes from 1 July 1967, ahead of ITV and BBC1, who both began broadcasting in colour from 15 November 1969. This list includes shows that were recorded in colour but whose first UK broadcast was in black-and-white; most of these shows were sold to US networks who were already broadcasting in colour.

Pre 1966

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot	ITC Entertainment	1956–57	Film	Exists
Stingray	ITC Entertainment	1964–65	Film	Exists
Thunderbirds	ITC Entertainment	1965–66	Film	Exists

1966

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

Hippodrome Show	ITV (ATV)	1966	Video tape (VT)	Some episodes ^[4]
The Palladium Show	ITV (ATV)	1966–69(1 test episode)	VT	Exists
The Baron	ITC Entertainment	1966–67	Film	Exists
The Saint	ITC Entertainment	1962–69 (Series 5–6)	Film	Exists

1967

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons	ITC Entertainment	1967–68	Film	Exists
Half Hour Story	ITV (Rediffusion)	1967–68(1 test episode)	Film	Exists^[5]
Horizon	BBC2	1964–present (Series 4 onwards)	Film/ VT	Most episodes exist
Late Night Line Up	BBC2	1964–72 (Jun 67 onwards)	VT	Some episodes exist
Man In a Suitcase	ITC Entertainment	1967–68	Film	Exists
Once More With Felix	BBC2	1967–70	VT	Some episodes exist ^[6]
The Piccadilly Palace	ITV (ATV)	1967	VT	Some episodes exist ^[7]
The Avengers	ITV (ABC/Thames)	1961–69 (Series 5–6)	Film	All colour episodes exist
The Black and White Minstrel Show	BBC2	1958–78 (Series 10–20)	VT	Some episodes exist
The Flower of Gloster	ITV (Granada)	1967	Film	Exists
The Prisoner	ITC Entertainment	1967–68	Film	Exists
Theatre 625	BBC2	1964–68 (Series 5)	VT	Some episodes exist
Wimbledon Tennis Championships	BBC1/2	1937–present (1967 onwards)	VT	Most colour transmissions exist
Vanity Fair	BBC2	1967–68	VT	Exists ^[8]

1968

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

1968 Summer Olympics	BBC1/2	1968	VT	Exists
Bobbie Gentry	BBC2	1968–71	VT	Some episodes exist
Broaden Your Mind	BBC2	1968–69	VT	Lost ^[9]
Call My Bluff	BBC2	1965–2005	VT	Most episodes
Cold Comfort Farm	BBC2	1968	VT	Exists
Colour Me Pop	BBC2	1968–69	VT	Some episodes exist ^[10]
Danger Man	ITC Entertainment	1960–68 (Series 4)	Film	Exists
Gardeners’ World	BBC2	1968–present	VT	Most episodes exist
Goodbye Again	ITV (ATV)	1968	VT	Exists
In Their Own Words	BBC2	1968	Film	Exists
Marty	BBC2	1968–69	VT	Most episodes exist
Jazz at the Maltings	BBC2	1968–69	VT	Some episodes exist
Joe 90	ITC Entertainment	1968–69	Film	Exists
Late Night Horror	BBC2	1968	VT	One episode exists
Man Alive	BBC2	1965–82 (Series 3–16)	Film/VT	Most episodes exist
One Pair of Eyes	BBC2	1967–84 (Series 2 onwards)	Film	Exists
Ooh La La	BBC2	1968–73	VT	Series 3 only
Scott On...	BBC2	1964–74 (Series 2–5)	VT	Some episodes exist
Sherlock Holmes	BBC2	1965–68 (Series 2)	VT	Some episodes exist
The Champions	ITC Entertainment	1968–69	Film	Exists
The Dave Allen Show	BBC1/2	1968–69	VT	Most episodes exist
The Eurovision Song Contest	Various	1957–present(1968 onwards)	VT	Most transmissions exist ^[11]
The Morecambe & Wise Show	BBC1/2	1968–77	VT	Most episodes exist
The World of Beachcomber	BBC2	1968	VT	Lost

1969

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

All Gas and Gaiters	BBC1	1967–71 (Series 3–5)	VT	Some episodes exist
Cilla	BBC1	1968–76 (Series 3–8)	VT	Most episodes exist
Civilisation	BBC2	1969	Film	Exists
Coronation Street	ITV (Granada)	1960–present (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Exists
Crossroads	ITV (ATV/Central)	1964–88 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist ^[12]
Curry and Chips	ITV (LWT)	1969	VT	Exists
Dad's Army	BBC1	1968–77 (Series 3–9)	VT	All colour episodes exist
Dee Time	BBC1	1967–70 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	No colour episodes exist
Department S	ITC Entertainment	1969–70	Film	Exists
Dixon of Dock Green	BBC1	1955–76 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Some episodes exist
Doctor in the House	ITV (LWT)	1969–70	VT	Exists
Frost on Sunday	ITV (LWT)	1968–70 (Oct 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
Girls About Town	ITV (ATV)	1969–71	VT	Exists
Grandstand	BBC1	1958–2007 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
Hadleigh	ITV (Yorkshire)	1969–76	VT	Exists
Lift Off with Ayshea	ITV (Granada)	1969–74	VT	Some episodes exist
Magpie	ITV (Thames)	1968–80 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Some episodes exist
Match of the Day	BBC1/2	1964 – present (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
Monty Python's Flying Circus	BBC1	1969–74	VT	Exists
Mr Digby Darling	ITV (Yorkshire)	1969–71 (Series 2–3)	VT	Exists
Nearest and Dearest	ITV (Granada)	1968–73 (Series 3–7)	VT	Exists
Not in Front of the Children	BBC1	1967–70 (Series 4)	VT	Some episodes exist
Out of the Unknown	BBC2	1965–71 (Series 3–4)	VT	Some episodes exist ^[13]
	BBC1	1953–present (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
Parkin's Patch	ITV (Yorkshire)	1969–70	VT	Exists
Paul Temple	BBC1/ ZDF	1969–71	VT	Some episodes exist
Please Sir!	ITV (LWT)	1968–72 (Series 2–4)	VT	Exists
Pop Go the Sixties	BBC1/ ZDF	TX: 31/12/1969	VT	Exists
Pot Black	BBC2	1969–2007	VT	Most episodes exist ^[14]
Prince Charles Investiture	BBC2	TX: 1/7/1969	VT	Exists
Public Eye	ITV (ABC/ Thames)	1965–72 (Series 4–7)	VT/Film	All Colour Episodes exist ^[15]
Q...	BBC2	1969–82	VT	Most episodes exist
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)	ITC Entertainment	1969–70	Film	Exists
Sez Les	ITV (Yorkshire)	1969–76 (Series 2–11)	VT	Series 3–11 exists
Softly Softly: Taskforce	BBC1	1969–76	VT	Exists
Strange Report	ITC Entertainment	1969–70	Film	Exists
The Big Match	ITV	1968–92(Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
The Dick Emery Show	BBC1	1963–81 (Dec 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
The Gnomes of Dulwich	BBC2	1969	VT	Lost
The Golden Shot	ITV (ATV)	1967–75(Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Some episodes exist ^[16]
The Good Old Days	BBC1	1953–83 (Dec 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes exist
The Secret Service	ITC Entertainment	1969	VT	Exists
The Sky at Night	BBC1	1957–present (Dec 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
The Sooty Show	ITV (Thames)	1968–92 (Dec 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
The Wednesday Play	BBC1	1964–70 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT/Film	Most episodes
The Worker	ITV (ATV/Thames)	1965–78 (Series 3–5)	VT	Most episodes ^[17]
This Is Your Life	ITV (Thames)/ BBC1	1955–64, 1969–2003, 2007 (Series 10 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
Take Three Girls	BBC1	1969–71	VT	Some episodes
This Is Tom Jones	ITV (ATV)	1969–71	VT	Exists
Tomorrow's World	BBC1	1965–2003 (1970 onwards)	VT	Most episodes ^[18]
Top of the Pops	BBC1/2	1964–2006 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
Up Pompeii!	BBC1/ ITV (Thames)	1969–91	VT	Exists ^[19]
Where Was Spring?	BBC2	1969–70	VT	Lost
World of Sport	ITV	1965–85 (Nov 69 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
World in Ferment	BBC2	1969	VT	Audio Only

1970

!Title!Company!TX!Format!Archival Status

A Family at War	ITV (Granada)	1970–72	VT	Exists ^[20]
A Question of Sport	BBC1	1968–present(Series 1 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
Albert and Victoria	ITV (Yorkshire)	1970–71	VT	Exists
Armchair Theatre	ITV (ABC/ Thames)	1956–74 (Series 10–16)	VT	Most episodes
Bachelor Father	BBC1	1970–71	VT	Exists
Barry Humphries’ Scandals	BBC2	1970	VT	Lost
Braden's Week	BBC1	1968–72(Series 3–4)	VT	Some Episodes
Blue Peter	BBC1	1958–present (Sept 70 onwards)	VT	Most episodes
Callan	ITV (ABC/ Thames)	1967–72 (Series 3–4)	VT	All Colour Episodes
Dear Mother...Love Albert	ITV (Thames/ Yorkshire)	1969–72	VT	Series 2–4
Disco 2	BBC2	1970–1	VT	Some episodes ^[21]
Doctor Who	BBC1	1963 – present (Season 7 onwards)	VT	All Colour Episodes ^[22]
Dr. Finlay's Casebook	BBC1	1962–71 (Series 8)	VT	Some episodes
Father Dear Father	ITV (Thames)	1968–73 (Series 3–7)	VT	Exists
Freewheelers	ITV (Southern)	1968–73Series 4–8	VT	Most episodes
FIFA World Cup – 1970	BBC/ ITV	1970	VT	Most transmissions exist
For the Love of Ada	ITV (LWT)	1970–71	VT	Exists
Hark at Barker	ITV (LWT)	1969–70 Series 2	VT	Exists ^[23]
How!	ITV (Southern)	1966–81 (Series 4–17)	VT	Some episodes
It's Cliff Richard	BBC1	1970–76	VT	Most episodes ^[24]
Jokers Wild	ITV (Yorkshire)	1969–74 (Series 2–9)	VT	Exists
Manhunt	ITV (LWT)	1970	VT	Exists
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width	ITV (ABC/ Thames)	1967–71 (Series 4–6)	VT	Exists
No – That's Me Over Here!	ITV (Rediffusion/ LTW) (Series 3)	1967–70	VT	Series 3 only
Not Only, But Also	BBC2	1965–70 (Series 3)	VT	Some episodes
Oh Brother!	BBC1	1968–70 (Series 3)	VT	All colour episodes exist
Oh In Colour!	BBC2	1970	VT	Exists
On the Buses	ITV (LWT)	1969–73 (Series 3–7)	VT	Exists
Play For Today	BBC1	1970–84	VT/Film	Most episodes ^[25]
Queenie's Castle	ITV (Yorkshire)	1970–72	VT	Exists
Steptoe and Son	BBC1	1962–65, 1970–74(Series 5–8)	VT	Exists
That's Your Funeral	BBC1	1970–1	VT	Exists
The Adventures of Rupert Bear	ITC Entertainment	1970–77	Film	Exists
The Dustbinmen	ITV (Granada)	1969–70 (Series 3–4)	VT	Most episodes
The Goodies	BBC2/ ITV (LWT)	1970–82	VT	Most episodes
The Kenny Everett Explosion	ITV (LWT)	1970	VT	Fragment exists
The Lovers	ITV (Granada)	1970–71	VT	Exists
The Misfit	ITV (ATV)	1970–71	VT	Exists ^[26]
Till Death Us Do Part	BBC1	1965–75 (Election Special onwards)	VT	Most episodes
Timeslip	ITV (ATV)	1970–71	VT	Exists ^[27]
Two in Clover	ITV (Thames)	1969–70 (Series 2)	VT	Exists
UFO	ITC Entertainment	1970	Film	Exists
Z-Cars	BBC1	1962–65, 1967–78 (Series 6–12)	VT	Some episodes ^[28]

Footnotes

1. Web site: TV Technology 8. Britain In Colour – and UHF. Elen. Richard G.. BFI Screenonline.
2. Book: Thomas, Howard. 1977. Adding colour, with an Independent air. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ABC at Large.
3. Web site: Colour My Life. Bowden-Smith. Kif. May 24, 2004. Transdiffusion.
4. The first in a series of shows ATV filmed in NTSC colour for US transmission, though shown in monochrome in the UK.
5. Web site: Experiments in colour and electronic film systems: George's Room (1967). Simon Coward. David Rolison. July 31, 2016. British Television Drama.
6. Some episodes survive as inserts recorded by Bob Pratt, one complete episode survives as a B&W tele-recording.
7. Filmed in NTSC for US transmission, the series was shown in B&W in the UK.
8. The majority of episodes survive as NTSC copies.
9. Some 35mm Colour film inserts exist.
10. Three complete episodes survive in colour, an incomplete episode also exists.
11. Parts of the 1970 contest exist in Monochrome.
12. Some 1970–1 episodes were affected by the ITV Colour Strike.
13. Some surviving colour episodes survive as B&W tele-recordings.
14. A large number of episodes are missing from Series 1–8.
15. The five episodes of Series 5 were shot in monochrome due to the ITV Colour Strike.
16. Some episodes recovered from domestic videotape copies, courtesy of presenter, Bob Monkhouse.
17. Series 5 consists of short sketches that featured on Bruce Forsyth's Big Night (1978–80). Some of the episodes have been recovered from VHS recordings.
18. The majority of colour episodes are lost prior to 1981.
19. All episodes survive as NTSC copies.
20. Episodes 12–19 of Series 2 were affected by ITV Colour Strike.
21. Some surviving episodes survive as B&W tele-recordings.
22. Some colour episodes survive as NTSC copies, off-air tapes and B&W tele-recordings with chroma dots. Only one colour episode, The Mind of Evil pt1, has no surviving authentic colour image data - this episode has been recolourised.
23. One episode 'Rustless on Law' (TX: 17/7/1970) survives a B&W tele-recording.
24. Some episodes exist as B&W tele-recordings.
25. Some episodes from Series 1–5 are missing, a few exist as B&W tele-recordings.
26. All episodes survive as B&W tele-recordings.
27. All but one episode survives as B&W tele-recordings.
28. Some colour episodes exist as B&W tele-recordings.

External links

• Early Color Television, Early Television Museum
• 'The First Colour Television' by Richard Cavendish, History Today, July 7, 2008.
• Early BBC Colour Tests, www.meldrum.co.uk
• Colour Television in Britain, by Iain Baird, Science + Media Museum, May 15, 2011
• How colour TV crossed an ocean before it arrived in UK homes, by Chris Smith, BT, July 16, 2018.
• 1966 On This Day: BBC Tunes into Colour, March 3, 1966