1959 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1959.

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Events

January

• 15 January – Tyne Tees Television, the ITV franchise for North East England, goes on air.

February

• No events.

March

• No events.

April

• No events.

May

• No events.

June

• 1 June – Juke Box Jury premieres on the BBC Television Service.

July

• No events.

August

• No events.

September

• No events.

October

• 27 October – Anglia Television, the ITV franchise for Eastern England, goes on air.
• 31 October – Ulster Television, the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland, goes on air.

November

• No events.

December

• No events.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 7 January – The Nightwatchman's Stories (1959)
• 23 January – The Third Man (1959-1965)
• 30 January – The Last Chronicle of Barset (1959)
• 9 February – The Scarf (1959)
• 28 February – Garry Halliday (1959-1962)
• 3 April – Love and Mr Lewisham (1959)
• 4 April – Charlesworth (1959)
• 4 April – Drumbeat (1959)
• 5 April – Great Expectations (1959)
• 8 April – The Two Charleys (1959)
• 1 May – Frankly Howerd (1959)
• 15 May – Hilda Lessways (1959)
• 1 June – Juke Box Jury (1959–1967, 1979, 1989–1990)
• 1 June – The Widow of Bath (1959)
• 3 June – On the Bright Side (1959)
• 12 June – The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull (1959)
• 26 June – The Eustace Diamonds (1959)
• 5 July – The Golden Spur (1959)
• 13 July – The Naked Lady (1959)
• 25 July – The Ken Dodd Show (1959-1969)
• 10 August – Campion (1959-1960)
• 23 August – The Moonstone (1959)
• 26 August – Call Me Sam (1959)
• 28 August – The History of Mr. Polly (1959)
• 3 September – Spycatcher (1959–1961)
• 11 September – Noggin the Nog (1959–1982)
• 21 September – A Mask for Alexis (1959)
• 28 September – The Artful Dodger (1959)
• 16 October – Bleak House (1959)
• 2 November – The Men from Room 13 (1959-1961)
• 7 November – Three Golden Nobles (1959)
• 11 December – Para Handy - Master Mariner (1959-1960)
• Unknown – Whicker's World (1959–1988)

ITV

• 8 April – Crime Sheet (1959)
• 1 June – Don't Tell Father (1959)
• 14 June – Sunday's Child (1959)
• 2 July – Skyport (1959-1960)
• 6 July – Something in the City (1959)
• 13 July – Nick of the River (1959)
• 10 August – Gert and Daisy (1959)
• 1 September – The Secret of Carrick House (1959)
• 12 September – The Man Who Finally Died (1959)
• 13 September – Interpol Calling (1959-1960)
• 14 September – Probation Officer (1959-1962)
• 1 September – No Hiding Place (1959-1967)
• 17 September – The Four Just Men (1959-1960)
• 23 September – Tell It to the Marines (1959-1960)
• 13 October – Knight Errant Limited (1959-1961)
• 31 October – Epilogue to Capricorn (1959)
• 12 December – The Voodoo Factor (1959–1960)
• 24 December – Tales from Dickens (1959-1961)
• 26 December – International Detective (1959-1961)
• 28 December – Ivor the Engine (1959, 1975–1977)
• Unknown – Glencannon (1959-1960)
• Unknown – The Flying Doctor (1959)

Continuing television shows

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)

1930s

• BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)

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, 2020–present)
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)[1]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Army Game (1957–1961)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

Ending this year

• The Adventures of Twizzle (1957–1959)
• The Adventures of William Tell (1958–1959)
• The Invisible Man (1958–1959)
• Ivanhoe (1958–1959)
• Oh Boy! (1958–1959)
• Our Mutual Friend (1958–1959)
• Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)
• Torchy the Battery Boy (1958–1959)

Births

• 30 January – Alex Hyde-White, actor
• 20 March – Steve McFadden, actor
• 1 April – Joanna Kanska, actress
• 15 April – Emma Thompson, actress, comedian, and screenwriter
• 8 May – Kevin McCloud, designer, author, and television host
• 16 May – Tracy Hyde, actress and model
• 22 May – Jon Sopel, television presenter and BBC correspondent
• 29 May – Adrian Paul, actor
• 11 June – Hugh Laurie, actor, comedian and writer
• 29 June – Richard Vranch, comedian, actor, and TV panel show participant
• 10 September – Helen Pearson, actress
• 13 September – Bobby Davro, actor and comedian
• 7 October – Simon Cowell, music producer and television talent show judge
• 20 October – Niamh Cusack, Irish-born actress
• 26 October – Brian Bovell, actor
• 2 November – Peter Mullan, actor
• 9 November – Tony Slattery, actor and comedian
• 11 November – David Easter, actor
• 14 November – Paul McGann, British actor
• 24 November – Lucy Meacock, journalist and newsreader
• 30 November – Lorraine Kelly, British presenter and journalist
• 2 December – Gwyneth Strong, British actress
• 3 December – Eamonn Holmes, journalist and television personality
• 11 December – Nigel Pivaro, actor and journalist
• 30 December – Tracey Ullman, English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author

See also

• 1959 in British music
• 1959 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1959

References

1. Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline