1960 in British television

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

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Events

January

• 1 January – Sir Hugh Greene becomes Director-General of the BBC.
• 31 January – Southern Television's broadcast area expands when it begins broadcasting to Kent and East Sussex[1] following the Independent Television Authority granting Southern the right to broadcast to South East England.

February

• No events.

March

• 26 March – The Grand National is televised for the first time, by the BBC Television Service.[2][3]
• 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.

April

• No events.

May

• May – About Anglia launches as a twice-weekly programme accompanying the 10-minute regional evening news bulletin in East Anglia on weekdays. Its success prompts it to be extended to four nights a week the following September and then to every weeknight.[4]

June

• 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.[5]

July

• 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.

August

• No events.

September

• 10 September – ITV broadcasts the first live Football League match to be shown on television, and the last for 23 years.[6]
• 11 September – Danger Man premieres on ITV.
• 19 September – BBC Schools starts using the Pie Chart ident.

October

• 8 October – The BBC Television Service is renamed as BBC TV.

November

• No events.

December

• 9 December – The first episode of soap opera Coronation Street, made by Granada Television in Manchester, is aired on ITV.[6] Intended as a 13-week pilot, it will continue past its 10,000th episode in its 60th anniversary year as Britain's longest running television 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

• 1 January – The Trouble with Harry (1960)
• 1 January – How Green Was My Valley (1960)
• 3 January – BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960-1963)
• 3 January – The Secret Garden (1960)
• 21 January – A Life of Bliss (1960-1961)
• 29 January – Sykes and A... (1960–1965)
• 26 February – Emma (1960)
• 4 April – Don't Do It Dempsey (1960)
• 12 April – Scotland Yard (1960)
• 24 April – The Long Way Home (1960)
• 28 April – An Age of Kings (1960)
• 16 May – A Matter of Degree (1960)
• 17 May – Yorky (1960-1961)
• 8 June – The Days of Vengeance (1960)
• 12 June – St. Ives (1960)
• 1 July – The Herries Chronicle (1960)
• 24 July – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1960)
• 27 July – Golden Girl (1960-1961)
• 8 August – Here Lies Miss Sabry (1960)
• 19 August – The Small House at Allington (1960)
• 16 September It's a Square World (1960-1964)
• 16 September – No Wreath for the General (1960)
• 18 September – Sheep's Clothing (1960)
• 22 September – Meet the Champ (1960)
• 30 September – Barnaby Rudge (1960)
• 10 October – Paul of Tarsus (1960)
• 11 October – Here's Harry (1960-1965)
• 31 October – Maigret (1960-1963)
• 15 November – The World of Tim Frazer (1960-1961)
• 24 November – Citizen James (1960-1962)
• 25 November – The Charlie Drake Show (1960-1961)
• 27 November – The Valiant Years (1960-1961)
• 26 December – Brian Rix Presents (1960-1971)
• Unknown – Tales from the Riverbank (1960)

ITV

• 17 January – Counter-Attack! (1960)
• 30 January – Man from Interpol (1960)
• 3 February – Somerset Maugham Hour (1960-1963)
• 6 March – Formula for Danger (1960)
• 25 February – Four Feather Falls (1960)
• 28 February – Inside Story (1960)
• 28 February –Suspense (1960)
• 1 March – Francis Storm Investigates (1960)
• 1 April – Biggles (1960)
• 1 April – The Roving Reasons (1960)
• 20 April – The Love of Mike (1960)
• 24 April – Target Luna (1960)
• 4 May – Young at Heart (1960)
• 5 June – Armchair Mystery Theatre (1960-1965)
• 13 June – Deadline Midnight (1960-1961)
• 28 June – Mess Mates (1960-1962)
• 8 July On Trial (1960)
• 10 September – Police Surgeon (1960)
• 10 September – Theatre 70 (1960-1961)
• 11 September – Danger Man (1960–1961, 1964–1968)
• 11 September – Our House (1960-1962)
• 11 September – Pathfinders in Space (1960)
• 23 September Bootsie and Snudge (1960-1963, 1974)
• 19 October – The Odd Man (1960-1963)
• 1 November – The Old Pull 'n Push (1960-1961)
• 14 November – The Dickie Henderson Show (1960-1968)
• 9 December – Coronation Street (1960–present)
• 10 December – The Cheaters (1960-1962)
• 11 December – Pathfinders to Mars (1960-1961)
• Unknown – Torchy the Battery Boy (1960–1961)

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)
• 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)[7]
• 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, 1970, 1979–1982)

Ending this year

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
• Life With The Lyons (1955–1960)
• Campion (1959-1960)

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 (died 2019)
• 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

See also

• 1960 in British music
• 1960 in British radio
• 1960 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1960

References

1. Southern - The Broadcasting Years
2. "Broadcasting of the Grand National". Aintree.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-03-20. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
3. Keating, Frank (10 April 2012). "BBC prepares to hand over Grand National, jewel in its racing crown". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
4. Dinosaurs – Anglia Television.
5. "BBC unveils TV 'factory'". BBC On This Day. 1960-06-29. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
6. Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
7. Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline