Events
January
- 1 January –
- 7 January – BBC 1 launches the local news programme, East Midlands Today for the East Midlands region. News coverage for the area had previously been provided by a seven-minute opt out from the Birmingham-based Midlands Today.[2]
- 8 January – The opening episode of season two of Twin Peaks makes its UK television debut on BBC2.[3]
- 14 January – American television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is broadcast in the United Kingdom for the first time, making its debut on BBC2 as part of the DEF II programming strand.[4]
- 17 January – Regular programming is abandoned to bring live coverage of the Gulf War after Allied Forces launch Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. Over the coming weeks there is extended coverage of events in the Persian Gulf. ITV also broadcasts news and discussion programmes about the war throughout the night. Some broadcasting, particularly in the earlier part of the war, comes from CNN.
- 19 January – The 17 January edition of Top of the Pops is broadcast, having been postponed from that date due to extended news coverage of the Gulf War.
- 28 January – Oliver Reed appears on an edition of the late night discussion programme After Dark discussing militarism, masculine stereotypes and violence to women. Reed drinks alcohol during the broadcast, leading him to become drunk, aggressive and incoherent.[5] He refers to another member of the panel, who has a moustache, as 'tache' and uses offensive language. After one hour Reed returns from the toilet and, getting more to drink, rolls on top of the noted feminist author Kate Millett. The show is briefly taken off air following a hoax call to the station claiming that Channel 4 boss Michael Grade is furious.
February
- 15 February – The COW ident is seen for the final time on BBC1, after six years in use, and the BBC2 'TWO' ident is also seen for the final time after five years in use.
- 16 February –
- BBC1 and BBC2 receive new idents, both generated from laserdisc and featuring the BBC corporate logo introduced in 1986. BBC1 features a numeral '1' encased in a globe, and BBC2 features eleven idents based around a numeral '2'.
- Matthew Kelly succeeds Bruce Forsyth as presenter of ITV's You Bet!.
- 25 February – BBC1 transmits a new television series for children featuring live action and puppetry called Radio Roo starring actor, former Play School presenter and veteran children's television scriptwriter Wayne Jackman.[6]
- 26 February – Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. As the war comes to its conclusion, television programming begins to return to regular broadcasting.
March
- March – Following the conclusion of the Gulf War, the ITN Early Morning News is halved in length and now goes on air at 5.30. From this point, the ITN World News is no longer broadcast as part of the bulletin.
- 1 March – The monopoly on listings magazines ends with the deregulation of TV listings. Before today, the Radio Times published only BBC listings and TVTimes published ITV and, from 1982, Channel 4 listings. However, from today they can carry listings for all channels. Newspapers are also allowed to publish 7-day listings for the first time, having previously only been able to publish the present day's (and two days on Saturdays). A raft of listings magazines start up in the wake of the changes.[7]
- 9 March – While a guest on the ITV chat show Aspel & Company, singer Rod Stewart takes off his shoes and tosses them into the audience.
- 15 March – BBC1 airs Comic Relief 1991.[8]
April
- April – Channel 4's three-week Banned season features a series of films and programmes which had previously been banned from British television or cinema.[9] The season includes network television showings of Scum, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Sebastiane. There is also a second broadcast of the controversial 1988 Thames Television documentary Death on the Rock which investigated the shooting of three members of the IRA by the SAS in Gibraltar. The season proves to be controversial and Channel 4 is investigated by the Obscene Publications Squad and referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.[10]
- 1 April – Sue Lawley interviews Prime Minister John Major for ITV.[11]
- 7 April – ITV airs the first Prime Suspect serial starring Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison.
- 8 April – The Power Station, one of the channels to have survived the BSB merger with Sky, closes down at 4 am after it was decided that the American MTV would be used as the music channel on BSkyB's Astra satellite service.
- 9 April – British actor Derek Nimmo makes a cameo appearance in Australian soap Neighbours as an eccentric English aristocrat, the episode having debuted in Australia on 26 February 1990.[12]
- 20 April – The Sports Channel is rebranded as Sky Sports.
- 29 April – On an edition of Terry Wogan's evening chat show Wogan and amid howls of laughter from the studio audience, former footballer David Icke claims that he is "the son of God," and that Britain will be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes.[13] He later said that he had been misinterpreted, and that he had used the term "the son of God" to mean an "aspect" of the Infinite consciousness.[14] The interview proved devastating for him. The BBC was later criticised for allowing the interview to go ahead, Des Christy in The Guardian calling it a "media crucifixion."[15]
August
- 3 August – First showing on network television of Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs, a comedy thriller starring Ed Begley, Jr, which airs on BBC1.[33]
- 14 August – BBC1 airs Mozart in London, the first of a three-part series marking the bicentenary of Mozart's death, and in which his earliest pieces are performed by children of about the same age as he was when he wrote them. It is the first time this has been done on British television.[34]
- 26 August – BBC2 airs a day of programmes paying tribute to the Lime Grove Studios, which includes a remake of the 1950s soap opera The Grove Family featuring actors from the present day.[35]
- 29 August – Top of the Pops is simulcast on Radio 1 for the last time, the programme introduced by Jakki Brambles.[36]
- 31 August – NICAM stereo sound introduced on BBC Television.
September
- 5 September – The actor Arthur Pentelow, who died on 6 August, makes his final on screen appearance as Henry Wilks in Emmerdale. The character dies off screen on 3 October.
- 11 September – ITV screens Thatcher: The Final Days, a dramatisation of the final days of Margaret Thatcher's premiership. The film stars Sylvia Sims as the former prime minister.
- 13 September – The documentary The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife is aired on Channel 4. It is set during the final days of the apartheid regime in South Africa, particularly centring on Eugène Terre'Blanche, founder and leader of the far-right, white supremacist political organisation AWB. In 1992, Channel 4 faces its first libel case by Jani Allan, a South African journalist, who objected to her representation in the documentary.[37]
- 17 September – Comedy series Bottom starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson debuts on BBC2.[38]
- 20 September – BBC2 begins a rerun of Gerry Anderson's classic 1960s television series Thunderbirds.[39] The series proves to be popular, leading to a shortage of Tracy Island toys in stores during the run up to Christmas 1992, something that prompts the children's television series, Blue Peter to show viewers and their parents how to make their own Tracy Island model.[40] An instruction sheet produced by the programme receives more than 100,000 requests.[41]
- 22 September – Sponsorship of ITV programmes are first allowed.
- 26 September – Children's TV series Brum debuts on BBC1.[42]
- 28 September – ITV airs the 1988 film Buster, starring Phil Collins as Great Train robber Buster Edwards.
October
- October – Cigar and pipe tobacco adverts are banned from UK television.
- 2 October – Channel 4 airs the 1000th episode of Brookside.[43]
- 3 October – 2 November – ITV airs coverage of the 1991 Rugby World Cup. The competition is hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France.
- 6 October – BBC1 airs "Conundrum", the final episode of the original run of Dallas. The feature-length episode imagines a world in which the soap's central character, J. R. Ewing had not existed.[44]
- 9 October – The 1000th episode of Brookside is broadcast on Channel 4.
- 14 October – BBC World Service TV launches its Asian service.
- 16 October – The ITV franchise auction results are announced and take effect starting midnight GMT on 1 January 1993. It will see many notable names going off air after losing their franchises, including Thames Television, TVS, Television South West, TV-am and ORACLE Teletext.
December
- 3 December – Channel 4 screens the controversial documentary The Holy Family Album as part of its Without Walls series.
- 15–16 December – ITV airs Heroes II: The Return, a British-Australian miniseries about Operation Rimau during World War II.
- 16 December – ITV's Central region airs the final episode of Prisoner: Cell Block H, making it the first ITV region to complete the series.
- 21 December –
- 23 December – BBC1 airs the British television premiere of Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.[49]
- 24 December – Christmas Eve highlights on BBC1 include the first part of the Only Fools and Horses story "Miami Twice", and the network television premiere of the thriller No Way Out starring starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, and Sean Young.[50]
- 25 December –
- 26 December – Boxing Day highlights on BBC1 include "All for Love", a feature-length episode of Bergerac and the network television premiere of A Fish Called Wanda.[53]
- 28 December – BBC2 shoes the network television premiere of Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, Taylor Hackford's acclaimed documentary celebrating Chuck Berry's 60th birthday, with footage of two concerts from 1986.[54]
- 29 December – British television premiere of White Mischief on BBC2.[55]
- 31 December –
- BBC1's New Year's Eve highlights include the network television premiere of Back to School, and the year's end review programme Clive James on 1991.[56]
- The cult thriller Mad Max gets its British television debut on BBC2.[57]
Channels
Rebranded channels
| Date |
Old Name |
New Name |
| 20 April |
The Sports Channel |
Sky Sports |
Television shows
Changes of network affiliation
Returning this year after a break of one year or longer
- 16 January – Van der Valk (1972–1973, 1977, 1991–1992)
- 10 April – The Two Ronnies for a 20th Anniversary special (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
- 16 September – Postman Pat (1981, 1991–1994, 1996, 2004–2008)
- 14 December – Up Pompeii! (1969–1975, 1991–1992)
1920s
- BBC Wimbledon (1927–present)
1930s
- BBC Cricket (1939–1999, 2020–2024)
1980s
- Children in Need (1980–present)
- 'Allo 'Allo! (1982–1992)
- Wogan (1981–1992)
- Brookside (1982–2003)
- Countdown (1982–present)
- Timewatch (1982–present)
- Right to Reply (1982–2001)
- Good Morning Britain (1983–1992, 2014–present)
- First Tuesday (1983–1993)
- Highway (1983–1993)
- Blockbusters (1983–93, 1994–95, 1997, 2000–01, 2012)
- Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984–present)
- Wide Awake Club (1984–1992)
- Spitting Image (1984–1996)
- The Bill (1984–2010)
- Channel 4 Racing (1984–2016)
- Busman's Holiday (1985–1993)
- EastEnders (1985–present)
- The Cook Report (1985–1998)
- Crosswits (1985–1998)
- Telly Addicts (1985–1998)
- Comic Relief (1985–present)
- Boon (1986–1992, 1995)
- Every Second Counts (1986–1993)
- Lovejoy (1986–1994)
- Beadle's About (1986–1996)
- The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)
- Casualty (1986–present)
- All Clued Up (1987–1992)
- Going Live! (1987–1993)
- Watching (1987–1993)
- The Time, The Place (1987–1996)
- Allsorts (1987–1995)
- Going for Gold (1987–1996, 2008–2009)
- Chain Letters (1987–1997)
- ChuckleVision (1987–2009)
- Playbox (1987–1992)
- After Henry (1988–1992)
- Park Avenue (1988–1992)
- Count Duckula (1988–1993)
- You Rang, M'Lord? (1988–1993)
- You Bet! (1988–1997)
- Playdays (1988–1997)
- London's Burning (1988–2002)
- On the Record (1988–2002)
- Fifteen to One (1988–2003, 2013–present)
- This Morning (1988–present)
- Fun House (1989–1999)
- The Channel 4 Daily (1989–1992)
- Absolutely (1989–1993)
- KYTV (1989–1993)
- Press Gang (1989–1993)
- Birds of a Feather (1989–1998, 2014–present)
- A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995)
- Desmond's (1989–1994)
- Mike and Angelo (1989–2000)
- Bodger & Badger (1989–1999)
References
- ↑ "BBC One London – 1 January 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ↑ "BBC East Midlands News". TVARK. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ↑ "Twin Peaks – BBC Two England – 8 January 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "DEFII The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – BBC Two England – 14 January 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ↑ OliverReed.net. "Ollie's TV shame". Archived from the original on 10 May 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ↑ "Radio Roo – BBC One London – 25 February 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ Carnody, Robin (July 2000). "The Good New Times ... The Bradshaw of Broadcasting: 1980s – 2000: Robin Carmody on Radio and TV Times". Off The Telly. Archived from the original on 10 May 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
- ↑ "Comic Relief 1991 – BBC One London – 15 March 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ "Channel 4 timeline". Channel 4. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
- ↑ "Channel 4 at 25: 1991 compiled by Steve Williams, Ian Jones and Jack Kibble-White". Archived from the original on 10 May 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
- ↑ "Television". The Spectator. 5 April 1991. p. 40. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ↑ "Neighbours Episode Guide: 1126–1150". Ramsay-street.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
- ↑ Wogan, Terry (2006). "David Icke interviewed by Terry Wogan". BBC. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
- ↑ Icke, David (2003). Tales From The Time Loop.
- ↑ Christy, Des (6 May 1991). "Crucifixion, courtesy of the BBC". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group.
- ↑ "The Girl from Tomorrow – BBC One London – 3 May 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Commission Decision of 19 February 1991 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/32.524 - Screensport/EBU members)". Eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
- ↑ Coogan, Tim Pat (2003). Ireland in the Twentieth Century. Hutchinson. p. 618. ISBN 978-0091794279. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ McCarthy, Justine (24 March 2012). "Tribunal after tribunal, yet the corruption festers on". The Sunday Times. News UK. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ "Dragnet – BBC One London – 27 May 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "Cry Freedom – BBC One London – 16 June 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Cry Freedom – BBC One London – 23 June 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Twin Peaks – BBC Two England – 18 June 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ McKay, Neil (14 March 2009). "The day a good man died – and we all realised nobody is safe from the threat of violence". The Journal. Newcastle upon Tyne. p. 30.
- ↑ Wainwright, Martin (21 June 1991). "Planning chief killed in demolition row: Bitter dispute over ex-steel worker's illegal summerhouse spills over". The Guardian. London. p. 2.
- ↑ "Albert Dryden Shooting: 'Still haunted by day I saw a man killed in cold blood'". The Northern Echo. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ↑ Davenport, Peter; Clancy, Ray (21 June 1991). "Council man shot dead in dispute on bungalow". The Times. London.
- ↑ "Albert Dryden death: Man who shot dead council official live on TV dies aged 77". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "Planning row killer Albert Dryden dies year after release". BBC News. BBC. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "Wogan – BBC One London – 22 July 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ↑ "Johnson and Friends – BBC Two England – 30 July 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ↑ Cassidy, Suzanne (31 July 1991). "Pavarotti Celebrates by Singing in the Rain". The New York Times. London: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ↑ "Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs – BBC One London – 3 August 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "Mozart Specials – BBC One London – 14 August 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "BBC Two England – 26 August 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ↑ "Top of the Pops – BBC Radio 1 England – 29 August 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "BBC News – UK – Victims of the 'silver fox'". 29 August 2000. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
- ↑ "Bottom: Smells – BBC Two England – 17 September 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ↑ "Thunderbirds: Trapped in the Sky – BBC Two England – 20 September 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ↑ "Blue Peter to be shown on CBBC before BBC One". BBC News. BBC. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ↑ "50 facts about Blue Peter". BBC Press Office. BBC. October 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ↑ "Brum – BBC One London – 26 September 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Brookside guide-24". Brooksidesoapbox.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Dallas – BBC One London – 6 October 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ↑ "Dark Season – BBC One London – 14 November 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Biteback – BBC One London – 17 November 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "The House on Carroll Street – BBC One London – 21 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "BBC Two England – 21 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Rain Man – BBC One London – 23 December 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ↑ "BBC One London – 24 December 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ↑ "BBC One London – 25 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Advent Throwback Door 6: One soap did something a bit different with its Christmas episode". Irish Examiner. Irish Times Trust. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ↑ "BBC One London – 26 December 1991 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ↑ "Hail! Hail! Rock n' Roll – BBC Two England – 28 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "White Mischief – BBC Two England – 29 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "BBC One London – 31 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Mad Max – BBC Two England – 31 December 1991 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ↑ "Bitsa – BBC One London – 8 January 1991". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ↑ "Bitsa – BBC One London – 20 March 1996". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
