1960 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1960.

Events

• 1 January – Sir Hugh Greene becomes Director-General of the BBC.
• 26 March – The Grand National is televised for the first time, by the BBC Television Service.^[1][2]
• 29 March – The 5th Eurovision Song Contest is held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. France wins the contest with the song "Tom Pillibi", performed by Jacqueline Boyer.
• 20 June – Nan Winton becomes the first national female newsreader on the BBC Television Service.
• 29 June – The BBC Television Centre is opened in London.^[3]
• 13 July – The Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting is established to consider the future of broadcasting, cable and "the possibility of television for public showing". Their report, published in 1962, criticises the populism of ITV, and recommends that Britain's third national television channel (after the BBC Television Service and ITV) should be awarded to the BBC. BBC Two is launched in April 1964.
• 10 September – ITV broadcasts the first live Football League match to be shown on television, and the last for 23 years.^[4]
• 11 September – Danger Man premieres on ITV.
• 19 September – BBC Schools starts using the Pie Chart ident.
• 8 October – The BBC Television Service is renamed as BBC TV.
• 9 December – The first episode of soap opera Coronation Street, made by Granada Television in Manchester, is aired on ITV.^[4] Intended as a 13-week pilot, it continues to air past its 55th anniversary as Britain's longest running soap. Characters introduced in the first episode include Ken Barlow (William Roache), Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and Ena Sharples (Violet Carson).

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 29 January – Sykes and A... (1960–1965)

ITV

• 4 May – Young at Heart (1960)
• 10 September – Police Surgeon (1960)
• 11 September – Danger Man (1960–1961, 1964–1968)
• 9 December – Coronation Street (1960–present)

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)
• 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)^[5]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Army Game (1957–1961)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)
• Face to Face (1959–1962)
• Noggin the Nog (1959–1965)

Ending this year

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
• Life With The Lyons (1955–1960)

Births

• 4 January – Julia St. John|, British actress
• 6 January – Nigella Lawson, British chef and writer
• 6 February – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist and television presenter
• 18 February – Carol McGiffin, broadcaster
• 19 February – Leslie Ash, British actress
• 22 February – Paul Abbott, British television writer
• 10 March – Anne MacKenzie, British broadcaster
• 16 March – Jenny Eclair, comedian and novelist
• 11 April – Jeremy Clarkson, English journalist and television show host
• 22 April – Gary Rhodes, British restaurateur and celebrity chef
• 25 April – Robert Peston, journalist and BBC business editor
• 5 May – Gillian Wright, actress
• 6 May – Roma Downey, Northern Irish actress and producer
• 25 May – Anthea Turner, television presenter and media personality
• 4 June – Bradley Walsh, English comedian and actor
• June – Lindsey Coulson, actress
• 11 July – Caroline Quentin, actress
• 13 July – Ian Hislop, British broadcaster and editor
• 27 July – Gabrielle Glaister, Actress (Brookside)
• 10 September – Colin Firth, English actor
• 12 September – Felicity Montagu, Actress (I'm Alan Partridge)
• 17 September – Annabelle Apsion, actress
• 11 October – Nicola Bryant, British actress
• 29 October – Finola Hughes, British actress
• 17 November – Jonathan Ross, English television presenter
• 23 November – Darren Jordon, journalist and news presenter
• 30 November – Gary Lineker, English footballer and television presenter
• 17 December – Kay Burley, newsreader
• 24 December – Carol Vorderman, British television presenter
• 27 December – Maryam d'Abo, British actress

References