1953 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1953.

Events

• 17 March – Patrick Troughton becomes television's first Robin Hood, playing the eponymous folk hero in the first of six half-hour episodes of Robin Hood, shown weekly until 21 April on the BBC Television Service.
• 1 May – The BBC brings into service television transmitters at Pontop Pike (County Durham) and Glencairn (Belfast) to improve coverage prior to the Coronation broadcast.
• 2 June – The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is televised in the UK on the BBC Television Service.^[1] Sales of TV sets rise sharply in the weeks leading up to the event. It is also one of the earliest broadcasts to be deliberately recorded for posterity and still exists in its entirety today.
• 18 July – The Quatermass Experiment, first of the famous Quatermass science-fiction serials by Nigel Kneale, begins its run on the BBC.
• 20 July – The Good Old Days begins on the BBC Television Service.
• 11 November – The current affairs series Panorama launches on the BBC Television Service. It is now the longest-running program on British television.
• 26 November – Peers in the House of Lords back Government plans for the introduction of commercial television in the UK.^[2]
• 2 December – The BBC broadcasts its 'Television Symbol' for the first time, the first animated television presentation symbol in the world. Known as the 'bat's wings' by logo enthusiasts, it would remain until 1960.
• Peter Scott presents the first BBC television natural history broadcast, from his home at Slimbridge.

Debuts

• 17 March – Robin Hood (1953)
• 18 July – The Quatermass Experiment (1953)
• 20 July – The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• 11 November – Panorama (1953–present)
• Unknown – Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)

Television shows

1940s

• Muffin the Mule (1946–1955, 2005–2006)
• Television Newsreel (1948–1954)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002)
• Watch with Mother (1952–1973)
• The Appleyards (1952–1957)
• All Your Own (1952–1961)

Ending this year

• Kaleidoscope (1946–1953)
• Café Continental (1947–1953)
• Robin Hood (1953)
• The Quatermass Experiment (1953)

Births

• 24 January – Bruce Jones, actor
• 9 February – Ciarán Hinds, Irish actor (Rome)
• 17 February – Norman Pace, British actor and comedian
• 27 February – Gavin Esler, author and television presenter
• 1 May – Rob Spendlove, actor
• 16 May – Pierce Brosnan, Irish-born actor (Remington Steele)
• 19 May – Victoria Wood, English comic peformer (d. 2016)
• 24 May – Alfred Molina, English actor
• 26 May – Michael Portillo, English politician, journalist and broadcaster
• 23 September – Nicholas Witchell, journalist
• 4 October – Christopher Fairbank, English actor
• 12 October – Les Dennis, game show host, actor
• 27 October – Peter Firth, British actor
• 13 November – Diana Weston, actress
• 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, comedian, actor and writer
• 13 December – Jim Davidson, comedian

References