1971 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1971.

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Events

January

• 3 January – BBC Open University broadcasts begin on BBC2.[1][2][3]
• 27 January – Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street.

February

• 3 February – After nearly three months, the ITV Colour Strike ends and programmes resume being made in colour.
• 6 February–13 March — BBC Two first broadcasts the serial Jude the Obscure, starring Robert Powell, in six 45-minute episodes.
• 17 February – BBC2 airs Elizabeth R, a drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson in the title role.

March

• 29 March – Long running US children's educational series Sesame Street begins airing on British television for the very first time ever. It will debut on ITV by first airing on HTV.

April

• 10 April – The Two Ronnies debuts on BBC1.

May

• 22 May — Westward Television starts broadcasting in colour from the Redruth transmitter.

June

• 7 June – The UK children's magazine show Blue Peter buries a time capsule in the grounds of BBC Television Centre, due to be opened on the first episode of the year 2000.
• 16 June – BBC1 airs the documentary "Yesterday's Men" as part of the 24 Hours strand, a film about former Prime Minister Harold Wilson and the Labour Party Cabinet following Labour's loss of power at the 1970 general election. The BBC removes parts of the programme amid complaints from Labour about allegations surrounding Wilson's memoirs, prompting producer Angela Pope to have her name removed from the documentary. The BBC ultimately agrees not to repeat the film during Wilson's lifetime, and it is not shown again until 2013.

July

• No events.

August

• No events.

September

• 1 September – Border Television marks its tenth anniversary and begins broadcasting in colour, but initially only from the Caldbeck transmitter, while viewers served by the Selkirk transmitter had to wait until the following year for colour television broadcasts to begin.
• 21 September – The Old Grey Whistle Test premieres on BBC2.
• 25 September – Sesame Street starts airing on LWT and Grampian Television.
• 30 September — Grampian Television marks its tenth anniversary and begins broadcasting in colour from the Durris transmitter.

October

• 2 October – Debut on BBC1 of The Generation Game, presented by Bruce Forsyth.[4]
• 10 October – Upstairs, Downstairs debuts on ITV.

November

• 10 November – Princess Anne opens the BBC's new Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham.

December

• No events.

Debuts

BBC1

• 17 January – The Last of the Mohicans (1971)
• 22 January – That's Your Funeral (1971)
• 25 February – Mr Benn (1971, 2005)
• 10 April – The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• 19 June – Parkinson (1971–1982, 1998–2007)
• 2 October – The Generation Game (1971–1982, 1990–2002)
• 15 October – The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
• 5 November – Now Look Here (1971–1973)

BBC2

• 6 February – Jude the Obscure (1971)
• 17 February – Elizabeth R (1971)
• 21 September – The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• 22 September – The Search for the Nile (1971)
• 16 November – Casanova (1971)

ITV

• 14 January – A Class by Himself (1971–1972)
• 29 March – Sesame Street (1969–present)
• 7 April – Hine (1971)
• 9 April – Budgie (1971–1972)
• 18 April – Persuasion (1971)
• 27 April – ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–1973)
• 12 June – The Comedians (1971–1985)
• 28 June – Follyfoot (1971–1973)
• 17 September – The Persuaders! (1971–1972)
• 24 September – The Fenn Street Gang (1971–1973)
• 10 October – Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975, 2010–2012)
• 25 October – Lollipop Loves Mr Mole (1971–1972)

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

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984, 2020–present)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)[5]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• Steptoe and Son (1962–1965, 1970–1974)
• Z-Cars (1962–1978)
• Animal Magic (1962–1983)
• Doctor Who (1963–1989, 2005–present)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006)
• Match of the Day (1964–present)
• Crossroads (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
• Play School (1964–1988)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)
• Callan (1967–1972)
• The Golden Shot (1967–1975)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Please Sir! (1968–1972)
• Father, Dear Father (1968–1973)
• Dad's Army (1968–1977)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• On the Buses (1969–1973)
• Clangers (1969–1974, 2015–present)
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
• Nationwide (1969–1983)
• Screen Test (1969–1984)

1970s

• A Family at War (1970–1972)
• Queenie's Castle (1970–1972)
• The Goodies (1970–1982)

Ending this year

• All Gas and Gaiters (1966–1971)
• Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1967–1971)
• Me Mammy (1968–1971)
• The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder (1969-1971)
• Albert and Victoria (1970–1971)
• Bachelor Father (1970–1971)
• The Lovers (1970–1971)
• Timeslip (1970–1971)
• UFO (1970–1971)

Births

• 1 January – Suzanne Virdee, British regional newscaster (Midlands Today)
• 3 January – Sarah Alexander, actress
• 5 January –
  • Joanna Gosling, journalist and newsreader
  • Jayne Middlemiss, British television presenter
• 12 January – Jay Burridge, British artist and television presenter
• 13 January – Sarah Tansey, UK actress (Heartbeat)
• 14 January – Yiolanda Koppel, UK presenter
• 15 January – Lara Cazalet, British actress
• 16 January – Julia Ford, English actress
• 20 January –
  • Pixie McKenna, Irish presenter (Embarrassing Bodies)
  • Gary Barlow, singer and actor
• 23 January – Lorne Spicer, British presenter (Cash in the Attic)
• 29 January – Clare Balding, sports presenter, journalist and jockey
• 30 January – Darren Boyd, actor
• 31 January – Patrick Kielty, Northern Irish comedian and television presenter
• 2 February – Michelle Gayle, singer and actress
• 13 February – Sonia, English pop singer
• 16 February –
  • Amanda Holden, British actress and television presenter
  • Steven Houghton, British actor and singer
• 17 February – Jeremy Edwards, actor
• 20 February – Sarah Hadland, actress
• 23 February – Melinda Messenger, British television presenter and model
• 2 March – Dave Gorman, comedian and broadcaster
• 3 March – Charlie Brooker, presenter and satirist
• 9 March – Stephanie Chambers, actress
• 23 March – Gail Porter, British television presenter.
• 5 April – Victoria Hamilton, actress
• 15 April – Kate Harbour, voice actress
• 16 April – Max Beesley, actor and musician
• 17 April – Claire Sweeney, actress, singer and television personality
• 18 April – David Tennant, Scottish actor
• 27 May – Paul Bettany, British actor
• 5 June – Susan Lynch, Northern Irish actress
• 26 June – Emma Noble, actress and model
• 5 July – Nicola Stephenson, actress
• 24 July – John Partridge, actor
• 25 July – Chloë Annett, actress
• 20 August – Helen Grace, actress
• 31 August – Kirstie Allsopp, British television presenter
• 1 September – Debbie Chazen, actress
• 7 September – Lisa Rogers, television presenter
• 8 September – Martin Freeman, actor
• 25 September – Jessie Wallace, British actress
• 29 September – Mackenzie Crook, English actor
• 4 October – Simone Hyams, actress
• 13 October – Sacha Baron Cohen, British comedian
• 16 October – Craig Phillips, British reality show star, Winner of Big Brother UK in 2000
• 24 October – Dervla Kirwan, actress
• 1 December – Emily Mortimer, British actress
• Unknown – Helen Blakeman, playwright and screenwriter

See also

• 1971 in British music
• 1971 in British radio
• 1971 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1971

References

1. "BBC – History of the BBC, The Open University programmes begin 3 January 1971". BBC. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
2. "Open University marks 40th anniversary of first broadcast on the BBC". www3.open.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
3. "BBC Two England – 3 January 1971 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
4. "Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game – BBC One London – 2 October 1971". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
5. Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline