1984 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1984.

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Events

January

• 4 January – Pat Phoenix leaves Coronation Street for the second and final time as Elsie Tanner goes to live with old flame Bill Gregory in Portugal, having been in the show since its inception in 1960.
• 7 January –
  • Fraggle Rock debuts on British television on ITV, nearly 1 year after airing on television in America. The series is a co-production by British television company Television South (TVS), CBC Television, U.S. pay television service HBO and Henson Associates.
  • Daytime Ceefax transmissions are renamed Pages from Ceefax following the decision by Radio Times to begin listing daytime Ceefax broadcasts.[1]
• 9 January – Children's animated series Towser premieres on ABC in Australia several months before airing in its country of origin.
• 16 January – "The Satellite Channel" is renamed "Sky Channel".
• 30 January – The BBC's Panorama documentary strand broadcasts "Maggie's Militant Tendency" which claims links between several Conservative MPs and far-right organisations both in Britain and Europe. Two of the MPs named, Neil Hamilton and Gerald Howarth subsequently sue the BBC for slander. In 1986 after the BBC withdraws from the case Hamilton is awarded £20,000 damages.[2]

February

• 14 February – An estimated 24 million viewers watch Torvill and Dean win Gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics skating to Ravel's Boléro.

March

• 10 March – British television debut of US teenage science fiction series Whiz Kids, aired as a Saturday feature by most ITV regions. Exceptions are Ulster which airs the series on Sundays and TVS which airs it at a later date.
• 16 March – Peter Davison's last serial as the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who, 'The Caves of Androzani', finished; Colin Baker became the Sixth Doctor in the same episode.
• 22 March –
  • Colin Baker makes his first full appearance as the Sixth Doctor in the Doctor Who serial "The Twin Dilemma".
  • Horse racing is shown on Channel 4 for the first time.
• 24 March – The Price Is Right makes its British television debut on ITV. The programme is produced for ITV by Central Television in association with Mark Goodson Productions and Talbot Television.[3]
• 26 March – Return of the popular 1950s panel game show What's My Line? after 20 years, with original host Eamonn Andrews in the chair, now on ITV.

April

• 15 April – Comedian and magician Tommy Cooper dies from a fatal heart attack on live television at the age of 63, during Live From Her Majesty's.

May

• 10 May–14 June – First run of the five-part BBC Schools French language adventure series La Marée et ses Secrets (The Tide and its Secrets), which is repeated each year until 1993.[4]

June

• 4 June – The hit animated series Danger Mouse is broadcast on children's cable network Nickelodeon in the US. It also became the first British cartoon to air on that channel as well as becoming one of the earliest British cartoons to be in syndication in America.
• 7 June – BBC1 airs the first edition of Crimewatch. The first case to be featured on the show is the murder of Colette Aram, which had occurred the previous year. A man is finally charged with the murder in 2009,[5] and sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2010 after pleading guilty.[6]
• 23 June – ITV broadcasts the rock concert New Brighton Rock recorded at the event staged in the seaside resort of New Brighton, Merseyside over two days on 21 and 22 May.

July

• 28–29 July – BBC2 hosts Jazz on a Summer's Day, a weekend of programmes devoted to jazz music.[7]
• 28 July–12 August – BBC Television broadcasts the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. Due to the Games taking place in Los Angeles, the BBC stays on air into the night to provide live coverage of the major events.

August

• 25–26 August – For the second time, BBC2 Rocks Around the Clock.[8]
• 27 August – Technicians at Thames Television walk out on strike over the use of new cameras and editing equipment along with overtime payments for transmission staff. The strike lasts for two weeks but the station is off the air for just one day over the August Bank Holiday weekend.[9] Management and administration staff take over their roles, broadcasting a skeleton service.[10]

September

• 1 September – The Children's Channel original launched on satellite television.
• 2 September – British television premiere of the two-part US mini-series Lace on ITV.
• 3 September –
  • BBC1's teatime news hour is relaunched and now runs from 6pm until 7pm. A new 30-minute long news programme the Six O'Clock News is launched and this is followed by a longer regional news magazine, which is expanded to 25 minutes.
  • ITV airs the British television premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley.
• 11 September – After making its debut in Australia, Towser finally premieres in the UK on ITV.
• 23 September – British single TV drama play Threads premiered on BBC2.[11]

October

• 5 October –
  • The very first television programme produced by Maddocks Cartoon Productions The Family-Ness begins on BBC1.
  • BBC2 broadcasts an Open University programme at teatime for the final time.
• 6 October – TVTimes Magazine is rebranded back to its original TVTimes name.
• 8 October –
  • BBC2 launches a full afternoon service, consisting primarily of repeats of Dallas and old feature films.
  • The Australian soap Prisoner: Cell Block H makes its British television debut when Yorkshire Television becomes the first ITV region to begin airing the programme in a late night slot. It is followed by all other ITV regions over the following five years.
  • Scottish Television relaunches its regional news programme Scotland Today as a features-led magazine format with the news relegated to brief summaries before and after the programme.[12]
• 9 October – The television series based on the children's books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry and narrated by Ringo Starr, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends is first broadcast on ITV, becoming one of the most successful children's TV programmes of all time since Postman Pat on the BBC three years prior. The programme would move to one future station Cartoon Network in the mid 90s, before returning to terrestrial television in 2003 and moving to its new permanent future station Channel 5 three years later.
• 15 October – Channel 4's output increases by 25%. The weekday schedules now begin at 2.30pm instead of 5:00pm, while weekend airtime starts at 1:00pm rather than 2:00pm.[13]
• 16 October – The Bill, a police TV drama, airs for the first time on ITV. It debuted last year as a pilot show Wooden Top.[14] When the last episode is shown in 2010 it will be the longest-running police procedural in British television history.
• 19 October – Yorkshire Television broadcasts a special documentary on the birth of Prince Harry.
• 23 October – BBC News newsreader Michael Buerk gives a powerful commentary of the famine in Ethiopia which has already claimed thousands of lives and reportedly has the potential to kill as many as 7 million people.

November

• 3 November – Following the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October, coverage of her funeral is televised by the BBC and ITV.
• 4 November – Channel 4 airs London Weekend Television's four hour drama-documentary The Trial of Richard III.[13]
• 7 November – BBC1 airs season 8 of the US drama series Dallas.
• 21 November – Debut of Alan Seymour's dramatisation of the John Masefield fantasy adventure novel The Box of Delights.[15] The six part series concludes on Christmas Eve.[16]

December

• 1 December – The Cable Authority comes into existence and on 1 January 1985 it takes on the functions granted to it by the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984, paving the way for fully commercial cable franchise to be awarded on a city-by-city basis.
• 10 December – Channel 4 airs An Evening with Mary Tyler Moore, which episodes of St. Elsewhere and 'The Betty White Show.[13]
• 26 December – Joan Hickson makes her debut as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in BBC1's eponymous television series, with the first part of a three-part adaptation of The Body in the Library.[17] Part two airs on 27 December,[18] and Part three on 28 December.[19]
• 30 December – BBC1 airs the British television premiere of Kramer vs. Kramer, the Oscar-winning 1979 legal drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep.[20]

Unknown

• Telstar TV, the UK's first pirate television station goes on air in Birmingham. The channel broadcasts for about eight weeks on the BBC2 transmitter in the Northfield and Rubery areas of the city, showing a mixture of films and pop videos after BBC2 closes at weekends. It goes unnoticed by the authorities for several weeks much to their embarrassment.[21]

Debuts

BBC1

• 4 January – Cockles (1984)
• 8 January – / The Thorn Birds (1983)
• 10 January – The District Nurse (1984–1987)
• 11 January – Strangers and Brothers (1984)
• 12 January – Diana (1984)
• 19 January – The Living Planet (1984)
• 27 January – Sharon and Elsie (1984–1985)
• 29 January –
  • Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989)
  • Goodbye Mr. Chips (1984)
  • One by One (1984–1987)
• 11 February –The Odd Job Man (1984)
• 22 February – Moonfleet (1984)
• 3 March – Driving Ambition (1984)
• 29 March – Missing from Home (1984)
• 7 April – The Laughter Show (1984–1991)
• 12 May – Automan (1983–1984)
• 4 June – Manimal (1983)
• 7 June – Crimewatch (1984–2017)
• 25 June – Round and Round (1984)
• 9 July – The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979–1986)
• 1 September – Bob's Full House (1984–1990)
• 3 September –
  • North West Tonight (1984–present)
  • Inside Ulster (1984–1996)
  • London Plus (1984–1989)
  • Six O'Clock News (1984–present)
• 4 September – The Invisible Man (1984)
• 4 September – The Lenny Henry Show (1984–1988)
• 6 September – The Magnificent Evans (1984)
• 12 September – Cold Warrior (1984)
• 14 September – Hartbeat (1984–1993)
• 15 September – / The Tripods (1984–1985)
• 24 September – Beat the Teacher (1984–1988)
• 5 October – The Family-Ness (1984–1985)
• 14 October – Big Deal (1984–1986)
• 18 November – The Prisoner of Zenda (1984)
• 21 November – The Box of Delights (1984)
• 6 December – The Front Line (1984–1985)
• 6 December – The Secret Servant (1984)
• 10 December –Hilary (1984–1986)
• 21 December – City Lights (1984–1991)
• 24 December – The ChuckleHounds (1984–1986)
• 26 December – Miss Marple (1984–1992)

BBC2

• 5 January – The Hello Goodbye Man (1984)
• 13 January – A Family Man (1984)
• 31 January – Alas Smith and Jones (1984–1998)
• 6 May – Sharing Time (1984)
• 20 June – Leaving (1984–1985)
• 11 July – A Winter Harvest (1984)
• 10 September – Bootle Saddles (1984)
• 12 September – Sea of Faith (1984)
• 14 September – Freud (1984)
• 23 September – Threads (1984)
• 22 October – Lame Ducks (1984–1986)
• 29 October –
  • Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee (1984)
  • Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery (1984–1987)
• 14 November – Oxbridge Blues (1984)
• 27 November – The Clairvoyant (1984)
• 3 December –The New Statesman (1984–1985)
• 17 December – Comrade Dad (1985–1986)

ITV

• 7 January –
  • // Fraggle Rock (1984–1990)
  • Child's Play (1984–1988)
• 8 January – Love and Marriage (1984–1986)
• 9 January –
  • The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
  • Chocky (1984)
• 19 January – The Steam Video Company (1984)
• 13 February – Duty Free (1984–1986)
• 22 February – The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984)
• 26 February – Spitting Image (1984–1996)
• 7 March – Fresh Fields (1984–1986)
• 10 March – Whiz Kids (1983–1984)
• 24 March – The Price Is Right (1984–2007 ITV and Sky 1, 2017 Channel 4)
• 26 March – Charlie (1984)
• 2 April – The Kit Curran Radio Show (1984–1986)
• 10 April – How Dare You (1984–1987)
• 18 April – Mr. Palfrey of Westminster (1984–1985)
• 20 April – Through the Keyhole (1984–1997)
• 24 April – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1988, 1991–1994)
• 27 April – The Wind in the Willows (1984–1990)
• 28 April – Robin of Sherwood (1984–1986)
• 6 May – Surprise Surprise (1984–2001, 2012–present)
• 31 May – Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1985)
• 6 June – Sorrell and Son (1984)
• 9 June – Aspel and Company (1984–1993)
• 15 June – Pull the Other One (1984)
• 19 June – Singles (1984–1986)
• 26 June – The Brief (1984)
• 8 July – Weekend Playhouse (1984)
• 12 July – Poor Little Rich Girls (1984)
• 17 July – The Lonelyhearts Kid (1984)
• 26 July – Starstrider (1984–1985)
• 27 July –I Thought You'd Gone (1984)
• 30 July – V (1983–1985, 2009–2011)
• 10 August – / Annika (1984)
• 31 August – Me and My Girl (1984–1988)
• 31 August – Mitch (1984)
• 31 August – // Inspector Gadget (1983–1986)
• 1 September –
  • Bottle Boys (1984–1985)
  • The Saturday Starship (1984–1985)
• 2 September – Lace (1984)
• 5 September – Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1984)
• 11 September – Towser (1984)
• 24 September – Tripper's Day (1984)
• 1 October – The Glory Boys (1984)
• 8 October – Prisoner Cell Block H Yorkshire region only (1984–1998)
• 9 October – Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (ITV and Cartoon Network 1984–2006, Channel 5 2006–present)
• 13 October – Wide Awake Club (1984–1992)
• 16 October – The Bill (1984–2010)
• 17 October – Rub-a-Dub-Dub (1984)
• 5 November – Tickle on the Tum (1984–1988)
• 7 November – Chish 'n' Fips (1984–1987)
• 7 November – Travelling Man (1984–1985)
• 8 November – Stanley Bagshaw (1984)
• 9 November – Eh Brian! It's a Whopper (1984)
• 21 November – Wil Cwac Cwac (1982–1986)
• Unknown –
  • We Love TV (1984–1986)

Channel 4

• 3 January – The Far Pavilions (1984)
• 6 January – Dream Stuffing (1984)
• 22 March – Channel 4 Racing (1984–2016)
• 14 July – They Came from Somewhere Else (1984)
• 10 August – Annika (1984)
• 10 September – Chance in a Million (1984–1986)
• 22 October – Fairly Secret Army (1984–1986)

Channels

New channels

Date	Channel
29 March	Music Box Screensport The Entertainment Network
1 September	The Children's Channel

Rebranded channels

Date	Old Name	New Name
16 January	Satellite Television	Sky Channel

Television shows

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• 26 March – What's My Line? (1951–1964, 1984–1996)

Continuing television shows

1920s

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

1930s

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

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• What's My Line? (1951–1964, 1984–1996)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• 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)
• 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)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)

1970s

• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1997)
• Emmerdale (1972–present)
• Newsround (1972–present)
• Weekend World (1972–1988)
• We Are the Champions (1973–1987)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
• That's Life! (1973–1994)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)
• Arena (1975–present)
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• One Man and His Dog (1976–present)
• 3-2-1 (1978–1988)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008)
• Terry and June (1979–1987)
• The Book Tower (1979–1989)
• Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002)
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1979–1994)
• Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)
• Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

• Juliet Bravo (1980–1985)
• Cockleshell Bay (1980–1986)
• Children in Need (1980–present)
• Finders Keepers (1981–1985, 1991–1996, 2006)
• Freetime (1981–1985)
• Game for a Laugh (1981–1985)
• Tenko (1981–1985)
• That's My Boy (1981–1986)
• Razzamatazz (1981–1987)
• Bergerac (1981–1991)
• Odd One Out (1982–1985)
• On Safari (1982–1985)
• 'Allo 'Allo! (1982–1992)
• Wogan (1982–1992)
• Saturday Superstore (1982–1987)
• The Tube (1982–1987)
• Brookside (1982–2003)
• Countdown (1982–present)
• Let's Pretend (TV series) (1982–1988)
• No. 73 (1982–1988)
• Timewatch (1982–present)
• Right to Reply (1982–2001)
• Up the Elephant and Round the Castle (1983–1985)
• Inspector Gadget (1983–1986)
• Bananaman (1983–1986)
• Just Good Friends (1983–1986)
• Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983–1986)
• Breakfast Time (1983–1989)
• Dramarama (1983–1989)
• Don't Wait Up (1983–1990)
• Good Morning Britain (1983–1992)
• First Tuesday (1983–1993)
• Highway (1983–1993)
• Blockbusters (1983–93, 1994–95, 1997, 2000–01, 2012)
• Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989)
• Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (1984–present)
• The Trap Door (1984–1986)
• James the Cat (1984–2003)
• Channel 4 Racing (1984–2016)

Ending this year

• 12 January – Shelley (1979–1984, 1988–1992)
• 14 January – Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983–1984)
• 17 February – A Fine Romance (1981–1984)
• 29 March – Crown Court (1972–1984)
• 2 April – Alphabet Zoo (1983–1984)
• 3 April – The Jewel In The Crown (1984)
• 14 April – The Saturday Show (1982–1984)
• 11 June – Rentaghost (1976–1984)
• 19 June – The Young Ones (1982–1984)
• 27 July – Sixty Minutes (1983–1984)
• 16 October – Towser (1984)
• 20 November – Rub-a-Dub-Dub (1984)
• 24 November – The Gentle Touch (1980–1984)
• 11 December – On Safari (1982–1984)
• 20 December – Screen Test (1969–1984)
• 21 December – Crackerjack (1955–1984, 2020–present)
• 22 December – Punchlines (1981–1984)

Births

• 6 February – Gemma Merna, actress
• 7 March – Rachel Rice, actress and reality show contestant
• 28 March – Nikki Sanderson, actress
• 22 April – Michelle Ryan, actress
• 19 August – Simon Bird, actor
• 27 October – Kelly Osbourne, singer
• 16 November – Gemma Atkinson, actress and model
• 25 December – Georgia Tennant (née Moffett), actress

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Cinematic Credibility
11 February	John Comer	59	actor (Sid in Last of the Summer Wine)
4 March	Geoffrey Lumsden	69	actor (Captain Square in Dad's Army)
12 March	Arnold Ridley	88	actor (Private Charles Godfrey in Dad's Army)
31 March	Jack Howarth		actor (Albert Tatlock in Coronation Street)
15 April	Tommy Cooper	63	comedian and magician
4 May	Diana Dors	52	actress (Queenie's Castle,Just William, The Two Ronnies.)
27 May	Reginald Bosanquet	51	journalist and newsreader, presented News at Ten during the 1970s
28 May	Eric Morecambe	58	comedian (Morecambe and Wise)
12 August	Christine Hargreaves	45	actress (Christine Appleby in Coronation Street)
27 August	Bernard Youens	69	actor (Stan Ogden in Coronation Street)
27 September	Toke Townley	71	actor (Sam Pearson in Emmerdale)
6 October	Leonard Rossiter	57	actor (Rising Damp, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin)
10 October	Alan Lake	43	actor
15 December	Lennard Pearce	69	actor (Grandad in Only Fools and Horses)

See also

• 1984 in British music
• 1984 in British radio
• 1984 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1984

References

1. "BBC Two England – 7 January 1984 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
2. Wilson, Jamie (22 December 1999). "Who will listen to his story now?". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
3. "The Price is Right". UKGameshows. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
4. "La Marée et ses Secrets". BroadcastForSchools.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
5. "Man remanded in 1983 death case". BBC News. 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
6. "Man sentenced to life for 1983 murder of Colette Aramref". BBC News. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
7. "BBC Two England – 28 July 1984 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
8. "BBC Two England – 25 August 1984 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
9. "Thames strike caption (27 August 1984)". Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
10. Cherry, S. ITV: The People's Channel, Reynolds and Hearn, 2005, p196
11. "Threads – BBC Two England – 23 September 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
12. Kelly gets his eye in, Gavin Docherty, Evening Times, 8 October 1984
13. "1984 : Off The Telly". Retrieved 23 January 2019.
14. "The Bill". tv.com. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
15. "The Box of Delights – BBC One London – 21 November 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
16. "The Box of Delights – BBC One London – 24 December 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
17. "Miss Marple: The Body in the Library: Part 1 – BBC One London – 26 December 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
18. "Miss Marple: The Body in the Library: Part 2 – BBC One London – 27 December 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
19. "Miss Marple: The Body in the Library: Part 3 – BBC One London – 28 December 1984 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
20. "Kramer vs Kramer – BBC One London – 30 December 1984 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
21. Minto, Veronica (19 February 1984). "Britain's First Pirate TV Station". West Indian World (650). Freespace.virgin.net. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.