1958 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1958.

Events

• 14 January – TWW, the first ITV franchise for South Wales and West of England, goes on the air.
• 17 February – Pope Pius XII designates St. Clare of Assisi the patron saint of television.^[1] Thereafter, placing her icon on a television set was said to improve reception.
• 5 May – First experimental transmissions of a 625-line television service.
• 30 August – Southern Television, the ITV franchise for South Central and South East England, goes on the air.
• 11 October – The long running Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand debuts on the BBC Television Service. It aired until 2007.
• 16 October – Blue Peter, the world's longest-running children's TV programme, debuts on the BBC Television Service. It continues to air to the present day.
• 28 October – The State Opening of Parliament is broadcast on television for the first time.
• 30 November – During the live broadcast of the Armchair Theatre play Underground on the ITV network, actor Gareth Jones has a fatal heart attack between two of his scenes while in make-up.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 7 May – White Heather Club (1958–1968)
• 14 June – The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958–1978)
• 11 October – Grandstand (1958–2007)
• 16 October – Blue Peter (1958–present)
• 22 December – Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)

ITV

• 8 January – Ivanhoe (1958–1959)
• 13 September – Oh Boy! (1958–1959)
• 14 September – The Invisible Man (1958–1959)
• 19 September – The Larkins (1958–1964)
• 20 September – The Adventures of William Tell (1958–1959)
• Unknown
  • Gwlad y Gan (1958–1964)
  • Torchy the Battery Boy (1958–1959)

Television shows

1940s

• Watch with Mother (1946–1973)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• All Your Own (1952–1961)
• Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
• Picture Book (1955–1965)
• Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• Double Your Money (1955–1968)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)^[2]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Army Game (1957–1961)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957–1997)

Ending this year

• The Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002)
• The Woodentops (1955–1958)
• Living It Up (1957–1958)
• Six-Five Special (1957–1958)

Births

• 10 January – Caroline Langrishe, actress
• 24 January – Jools Holland, British musician
• 29 January – Linda Smith, comedian (died 2006)
• 11 February – Michael Jackson, British broadcast executive
• 20 February – James Wilby, British actor
• 3 March – Miranda Richardson, English actress
• 7 March – Rik Mayall, comedian and actor (died 2014)
• 14 March – Francine Stock, radio and television presenter and author
• 21 March – Gary Oldman, English actor
• 14 April – Peter Capaldi, Scottish actor and director
• 3 May – Sandi Toksvig, Danish-born comedian, author, and radio presenter
• 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, Welsh comedian and actor
• 18 May – Toyah Willcox, actress and singer
• 22 May – Denise Welch, actress and television presenter
• June – Karen Drury, actress
• 6 July – Jennifer Saunders, British comedian
• 24 July – Joe McGann, actor
• 31 July – Sue Jenkins, actress
• 29 August – Lenny Henry, British entertainer
• 13 September – Bobby Davro, actor and comedian
• 18 September – Linda Lusardi, British model, actress, and television presenter
• 21 September
  • Simon Mayo, British radio presenter
  • Penny Smith, television presenter
• 25 October – Simon Gipps-Kent, actor
• 31 October – Debbie McGee, television, radio and stage performer
• 6 December – Nick Park, English filmmaker and animator

Deaths

• 30 November – Gareth Jones, actor

References