1955 in British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1955.
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Events
January
- January – First televised Welsh language play, Cap Wil Tomos.
- 2 January – Annette Mills who hosted Muffin the Mule makes her last appearance on television.
- 10 January – Annette Mills dies from a heart attack after an operation. Following her death, Muffin the Mule is dropped by the BBC Television Service.
- 15 January –
- The Benny Hill Show premieres on the BBC Television Service, later moving to ITV. Its global audience figures will be counted in the billions.
- The BBC broadcasts Heinz Sielmann's pioneering nature documentary Zimmerleute des Waldes as Woodpecker at the behest of David Attenborough and presented by Peter Scott; it is repeated several times during the year.
- January – A consortium of the initial four Independent Television broadcasting companies launch ITN, which will provide ITV with its news service.
February
- No events.
March
- No events.
April
- No events.
May
- 17 May – Sir Anthony Eden hosts a ground-breaking television election programme for the Conservative Party, the first broadcast of its type. The 30 minute programme features government ministers pitted against newspaper editors.[1]
June
- 29 June – Life with the Lyons, one of the first successful British sitcoms (though starring the American, Ben Lyon), premieres on the BBC Television Service, having previously been broadcast only on radio.
July
- 9 July – Dixon of Dock Green premieres on the BBC Television Service.
- 21 July – The BBC brings into service its Divis transmitting station, its first permanent 405-line VHF Band I facility serving Northern Ireland, marking the launch of a television service for Northern Ireland; the 35 kW transmissions can also be readily received in much of the Republic of Ireland.[2]
- 29 July – This Is Your Life premieres on the BBC Television Service.
August
- No events.
September
- 4 September – Newsreaders appear "in vision" for the first time.
- 22 September – Commercial television starts in the UK, with the launch of ITV in London – Associated-Rediffusion on weekdays, Associated Television Network (ATV) at weekends. The rest of the UK receive their ITV regions over the next seven years.[3] The first advertisement shown is for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
- September – Barbara Mandell becomes Britain's first female newsreader, presenting the Midday News bulletin on ITV.[4]
October
- 10 October – Alexandra Palace begins test transmissions of a 405-line colour television service.
- 22 October – Quatermass II sequel to 1953's The Quatermass Experiment, premieres on the BBC Television Service. It ends on 26 November.
November
- No events.
December
- 25 December – After being on radio since 1932, the Royal Christmas Message is broadcast on British television for the first time, in sound only at 3.00pm. The first visual Christmas message is shown in 1957.
Debuts
BBC Television Service/BBC TV
- 15 January – The Benny Hill Show (1955–1991)
- 29 June – Life with the Lyons (1955–1960)
- 9 July – Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
- 29 July – This Is Your Life (1955–1964, 1969–2003, 2007)
- 14 September – Crackerjack (1955–1984, 2020–present)
- 22 October – Quatermass II (1955)
- Unknown
- Look (natural history series presented by Peter Scott, 1955–1981)
- Picture Book (1955–1973)
- The Woodentops (1955–1958)
ITV
- 23 September – Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
- 25 September –
- The Adventures of Noddy (1955–1956)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
- Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)
- 26 September – Double Your Money (1955–1968)
Continuing television shows
1920s
- BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)
1930s
- BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2021–2024)
1940s
- Come Dancing (1949–1998)
1950s
- Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
- Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002)
- Watch with Mother (1952–1973)
- The Appleyards (1952–1957)
- All Your Own (1952–1961)
- Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
- The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
- Panorama (1953–present)
- Fabian of the Yard (1954–1956)
- The Grove Family (1954–1957)
- Zoo Quest (1954–1963)
Ending this year
- Muffin the Mule (1946–1955, 2005–2006)
Births
- 5 January – Jimmy Mulville, comedian and producer
- 6 January – Rowan Atkinson, comedian and actor
- 17 January – Gaby Rado, television journalist (died 2003)
- 3 February – Kirsty Wark, television presenter
- 8 February – Carol Harrison, actress and writer
- 29 March – Marina Sirtis, actress
- 22 May – Dale Winton, broadcast presenter (died 2018)
- 7 June – Dean Sullivan, actor
- 12 June – Paul O'Grady, talk show host and comedian
- 14 June – Gillian Bailey, actor
- 14 August – Gillian Taylforth, actress
- 20 September – David Haig, actor
- 18 October – Timmy Mallett, television presenter
- 9 November – Karen Dotrice, actress
- 22 November – George Alagiah, BBC journalist and newsreader
- 6 December – Jeff Stelling, sports journalist and television presenter
References
- "Eden takes to the airwaves". BBC On This Day. 1955-05-17. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- "The 1950s". Irish TV: The story of Irish Television. Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
- "New TV channel ends BBC monopoly". BBC "On This Day". 1955-09-22. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
- Hayward, Anthony (5 September 1998). "Obituary: Barbara Mandell – Arts & Entertainment". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
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