1961 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1961.

Events

• 7 January – The Avengers premieres on ITV.
• 3 February – The final live episode of Coronation Street is aired. From now on all episodes are prerecorded. The next live transmission will not occur until 8 December 2000.
• 6 March – Coronation Street begins airing on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 19:30. Previously, it had been transmitted on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 19:00.^[1] (see scheduling of Coronation Street)
• 29 April – Westward Television, the first ITV franchise for South West England, goes on air.
• 1 September – Border Television, the ITV franchise for the English-Scottish Border and Isle of Man, goes on air.
• 30 September – Grampian Television, the ITV franchise for North East Scotland, goes on air.
• 1 October – Songs of Praise, featuring Christian congregations singing hymns, debuts on BBC Television, the first programme being hosted by Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff. The series will still be on the air more than 50 years later.
• 2 October – Points of View, featuring the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and comments on the television of recent weeks, debuts on BBC Television. The series will still be on the air more than 50 years later.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 14 May – Marriage Lines (1961–1966)
• 24 September – Stranger on the Shore (1961)
• 1 October – Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• 2 October – Points of View (1961–present)
• 12 November – Sir Francis Drake (1961–1962)
• 15 December – Comedy Playhouse (1961–1974)

ITV

• 7 January – The Avengers (1961–1969)
• 28 January – Supercar (1961–1962)
• 11 March – The Arthur Askey Show (1961)
• 1 April – Thank Your Lucky Stars (1961–1966)
• 9 September –
  • Ghost Squad (1961–1964)
  • The Jo Stafford Show (1961)
• Unknown – Two of a Kind (1961–1968)

Television shows

1940s

• Watch with Mother (1946–1973)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• 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)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)^[2]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)
• Face to Face (1959–1962)
• Noggin the Nog (1959–1965)

1960s

• Sykes and A... (1960–1965)
• The Flintstones (1960–1966)
• Coronation Street (1960–present)

Ending this year

• All Your Own (1952–1961)
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
• The Army Game (1957–1961)
• Danger Man (1960–1961, 1964–1968)
• The Jo Stafford Show (1961)

Births

• 1 January
  • Fiona Phillips, journalist, broadcaster and television presenter
  • Mark Wingett, British actor
• 12 January – Simon Russell Beale, British actor
• 26 January – Mark Urban, journalist and author
• 20 February – Imogen Stubbs, British actress
• 21 February – Ross King, television presenter, actor and author
• 10 April – Nicky Campbell, radio and television presenter
• 14 April – Robert Carlyle, Scottish actor
• 18 April – Jane Leeves, English actress
• 20 April
  • Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor
  • Paul Usher, actor
• 2 May – Phil Vickery, British celebrity chef
• 12 May – Charlie Neil, British regional TV weather reader
• 14 May – Tim Roth, English actor
• 30 May – Harry Enfield, English comedian
• 24 June – Iain Glen, Scottish actor
• 25 June – Ricky Gervais, English comedian
• 27 June – Meera Syal, British comedian and writer
• 5 July – Gareth Jones, television presenter
• 17 July – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio panelist, and singer
• 5 August – Janet McTeer, British actress
• 7 August – Brian Conley, comedian, television presenter, singer and actor
• 16 August – Saskia Reeves, British actress
• 18 August – Huw Edwards, journalist and news presenter
• 27 August – Mark Curry, television presenter
• 7 October – Simon McCoy, BBC newsreader
• 10 October – Martin Kemp, musician and actor
• 26 October – Linda Barker, interior designer and television presenter
• 27 October – Joanna Scanlan, actress and television writer
• 9 November – Jill Dando, television newsreader (died 1999)
• 27 November – Samantha Bond, British actress
• 28 November – Martin Clunes, actor
• 11 December – Marco Pierre White, British chef and restaurateur
• 12 December – Sarah Sutton, British actress
• 19 December – Matthew Waterhouse, British actor
• 23 December – Carol Smillie, television presenter

Deaths

• 28 September – Michael Shepley, actor, 53
• 12 October – Jack Livesey, actor, 60

References

1. Little. (2000) p.10. Note: both Kershaw and Little make errors in relating the early transmission of the programme. The information here is taken from broadcast details in contemporary editions of The Times and TV Times.
2. Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline