1995 in British television

List of years in British television (table)
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This is a list of British television related events from 1995.

Events

January

• 2 January – The Doors, Oliver Stone's critically acclaimed biopic of Jim Morrison, receives its British television debut on BBC2.^[1]
• 16 January – BBC World Service Television was renamed as "BBC World" at 19:00 GMT as the international free-to-air news channel. It was officially launched on Thursday, 26 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT.
• 24 January – Martine McCutcheon makes her EastEnders debut as Tiffany Raymond (later Mitchell).
• 26 January – Launch of BBC World and BBC Prime, successors to World Service Television.
• 30 January – On Channel 4, the most watched episode of Brookside was broadcast where the body of Trevor Jordache was found under the patio.

February

• 3 February – An edition of the live morning ITV discussion programme The Time, The Place is abruptly ended ten minutes early. After an item about men's fashion featured a black male model wearing a skirt, another black man in the audience starts complaining that the show is racist, eventually making his way onto the stage.
• 15 February – As part of the Modern Times series BBC2 airs Death on Request, a Dutch documentary showing a doctor giving a terminally-ill patient a lethal injection of drugs. The programme is criticised by groups opposed to euthanasia.
• 19 February – 10th anniversary of the launch of EastEnders. As part of the celebrations, episodes from 1985 are repeated each morning at 10am from February to May, starting from episode one. Selected episodes from 1985 and 1986 are also repeated on BBC1 on Friday evenings at 20:30 for a short while.

March

• 24 March – Channel 4 broadcasts the final edition of its music show, The Word after five years on air.

April

• 3 April – A Scottish Court imposes a ban on BBC Scotland airing an edition of Panorama that includes an interview with Prime Minister John Major amid concerns it could have an impact on local elections to be held on 6 April. However, the edition is broadcast in England and Wales.
• 10 April – Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken calls a televised press conference three hours before the transmission of a World in Action film, Jonathan of Arabia, demanding that allegations about his dealings with leading Saudis be withdrawn.^[2] He promises to wield "the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play ... to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism."^[3] After launching a subsequent libel case against the makers of the film Aitken is sentenced to 18 months in prison for perjuring himself.^[4]

May

• 1 May – ITV airs what is billed as a one off episode of Boon. The episode, Thieves Like Us was originally due for transmission at the end of series 7 in 1992/93. No reason for this delay has ever been given as the record wait was 2 or 3 years long.
• 2 May – Debut of News '45, a news bulletin-style programme presented by Sue Lawley to mark the 50th anniversary of VE Day.
• 8 May – The 50th anniversary of VE Day is widely marked in television programmes.
• 9 May – The US/Canadian police comedy drama Due South makes its British television debut on BBC1.
• 25 May–24 June – ITV provides coverage of the 1995 Rugby World Cup from South Africa, the first Rugby World Cup to be held entirely in one country.
• 31 May – Debut of the new BBC twice-weekly soap Castles, centring on the lives of the middle-class Castle family. The series attracts a relatively poor peak time audience of 3.2 million, leading the corporation's head of Drama, Charles Denton to brand it a failure.^[5] It is cancelled after 26 episodes.

June

• 12 June – Mirror Group Newspapers launches the cable channel L!VE TV.^[6]
• 22 June – Prime Minister John Major's intention to resign and stand in a Conservative Party leadership election is announced on screen as England are playing France in the Rugby World Cup third place play off.
• 29 June – Debut of Gaytime TV on BBC 2, the BBC's first gay magazine programme.^[7]

July

• 8 July – Lee Griffiths wins the sixth series of Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Bobby Darin.
• 9 July – Marion Macfarlane wins the 1995 series of MasterChef.

August

• 2 August – Channel 4 begins a season of documentaries and features for gay and lesbian viewers.^[7]
• 15 August –
  • Launch of L!VE TV, a cable channel owned by MGN. The channel's programming quickly earns it a reputation as tabloid television. It is perhaps best remembered for its mascot News Bunny who, among other things, stood for Parliament at the 1996 South Staffordshire by-election and polled 85 votes.
  • Sue Lawley presents News '45: VJ Day to mark the 50th anniversary of VJ Day and the conclusion of World War II.
• 27 August – Speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival, Michael Mansfield, QC, one of Britain's leading barristers calls for television cameras to be admitted into English courts to help demystify the legal process and restore public confidence in it.^[8]
• 30 August – The first National Television Awards are held at the Wembley Conference Centre and presented by Eammon Holmes.

September

• 2 September – Channel 4 debuts Dyke TV, the first television series aimed at lesbians.^[7]
• 24 September – Pride and Prejudice (UK), the BBC's massively popular adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, debuts on BBC One. The six-part serial finishes on 29 October.

October

• 1 October – Six years after it was originally planned, a British version of the Disney Channel launches in the UK and The God Channel, then known as Christian Channel Europe, also launches.
• 9 October – Launch of BBC Learning Zone, an education service shown overnight on BBC Two.
• 12 October – ITV airs "Bait", an episode of The Bill that concludes a three-part story, and sees the exit of the character Jo Morgan (played by Mary Jo Randle), who is shot while trying to warn June Ackland (Trudie Goodwin) of an impending attack on her car.
• 16 October – After 25 years as Coronation Street landlady Bet Lynch, Julie Goodyear makes her final regular appearance in the soap. She briefly returned to the show in 2002 and 2003, and starred in a spin-off series, Coronation Street: After Hours in 1999. At the time of her departure, Goodyear had recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural National Television Awards.
• 22 October – Jenna Tinson wins the 1995 series of Junior MasterChef.
• 23 October – Channel 4 broadcasts the first ever episode of Hollyoaks.

November

• 1 November – Seven more satellite and cable channels launch in the United Kingdom: Euro Business News, Playboy TV, The Paramount Channel, The History Channel, Sky Sports Gold, and the Sci-Fi Channel.
• 20 November
  • Zee TV (Hindi television channel) launches in the UK.
  • During an hour-long interview with Martin Bashir for the BBC's Panorama programme, The Princess of Wales speaks openly for the first time about her separation from The Prince of Wales, and admits to an adulterous affair with her riding instructor, James Hewitt.^[9] An estimated 22.78 million watch the broadcast,^[10] the all-time record for a British current affairs programme.

December

• 7 December – PText, the Paramount Comedy Channel's teletext service, begins showing old episodes of the ORACLE soap, Park Avenue. After showing the first four episodes, from 11 December they switch to episode 376, doing so in order that the dates correspond (i.e., 11 December in the soap is also 11 December for the viewers). In all PText showed 700 episodes of Park Avenue.
• 25 December – Christmas Day highlights include the British television premier of Indecent Proposal on BBC1.^[11]

Unknown events

• Unknown – BBC Enterprises, the BBC's commercial arm, is restructured as BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Debuts

BBC1

• 27 January – Dangerfield (1995–1999)
• 31 May
  • Castles (1995)
  • Monkhouse's Memory Masters (1995)
• 11 June – Oliver's Travels
• 14 August – Oh, Doctor Beeching! (1995–1997)
• 7 September – Oakie Doke (1995–1996)
• 14 September – They Think It's All Over (1995–2006)
• 24 September – Pride and Prejudice (1995)
• 13 November – The Thin Blue Line (1995–1996)
• 20 November – Can't Cook, Won't Cook (1995–2000)

BBC2

• 27 February – Game On (1995–1998)
• 22 April – Fully Booked (1995–1999)
• 24 December – A Close Shave (1995)

ITV

• 3 January – Kavanagh QC (1995–2001)
• 17 April – A Village Affair (1995)
• 22 May – Bramwell (1995–1998)
• 10 July – Barbara (1995–2003)
• 2 September – Raise the Roof (1995–1996)
• 12 September – Is It Legal? (1995–1998)
• 20 September – Tee Off, Mr. Bean (1995)
• 31 October – Goodnight Mr. Bean (1995)
• 15 November – Hair by Mr. Bean of London (1995)
• 25 December – The Best Bits of Mr. Bean (1995)
• 26 December – Cadfael The Virgin in the Ice (1995 Season 2 Episode 1)

Channel 4

• 20 March – Deadline (1995)
• 21 April – Father Ted (1995–1998)
• 16 May – The Politician's Wife
• 23 October – Hollyoaks (1995–present)

S4C

• Rownd a Rownd (1995–present)

Sky Sports

• August – Soccer AM (1995–present)

Television shows

Changes of network affiliation

Shows	Moved from	Moved to
Hong Kong Phooey	BBC1	Channel 4

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1993, 1994, 1995)
• Boon (1986–1992, 1995)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Panorama (1953–present)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• 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)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006)
• Match of the Day (1964–present)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)

1970s

• Emmerdale (1972–present)
• Newsround (1972–present)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)
• Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–present)
• Arena (1975–present)
• One Man and His Dog (1976–present)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008)
• Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)
• Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

• Children in Need (1980–present)
• Timewatch (1982–present)
• Brookside (1982–2003)
• Countdown (1982–present)
• Right to Reply (1982–2001)
• Spitting Image (1984–1996)
• The Bill (1984–2010)
• Thomas & Friends (1984–present)
• EastEnders (1985–present)
• The Cook Report (1985–1998)
• Crosswits (1985–1998)
• Telly Addicts (1985–1998)
• Comic Relief (1985–present)
• Beadle's About (1986–1996)
• The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)
• Casualty (1986–present)
• Going for Gold (1987–1996, 2008–2009)
• The Time, The Place (1987–1996)
• Chain Letters (1987–1997)
• ChuckleVision (1987–2009)
• 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)
• Birds of a Feather (1989–1998, 2014–present)

1990s

• Turnabout (1990–1996)
• The Upper Hand (1990–1996)
• Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998)
• Stars in Their Eyes (1990–2006)
• 2point4 Children (1991–1999)
• Big Break (1991–2002)
• The Brittas Empire (1991–1997)
• Soldier Soldier (1991–1997)
• Noel's House Party (1991–1999)
• Rugrats (1991–2004)
• GamesMaster (1992–1998)
• Heartbeat (1992–2010)
• Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998)
• The Big Breakfast (1992–2002)
• 999 (1992–2003)
• Chef! (1993–1996)
• Doctor Finlay (1993–1996)
• Saturday Disney (1993–1996)
• Mr. Motivator exercise routines (1993–2000)
• Breakfast with Frost (1993–2005)
• Wycliffe (1994–1998)
• Body Heat (1994–1996)
• Pets Win Prizes (1994–1996)
• Small Talk (1994–1996)
• Aaahh!! Real Monsters (1994–1997)
• Wipeout (1994–2002)
• Animal Hospital (1994–2004)
• Time Team (1994–2013)

Ending this year

• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• The Tomorrow People (1973–1979, 1992–1995)
• Why Don't You? (1973–1995)
• The Krypton Factor (1977–1995, 2009–2010)
• Bullseye (1981–1995, 2006)
• Boon (1986–1992, 1995)
• Allsorts (1987–1995)
• A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995)
• Challenge Anneka (1989–1995, 2006)
• Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1993, 1994, 1995)
• The Crystal Maze (1990–1995)
• Mr. Bean (1990–1995)
• Bottom (1991–1995)
• What's Up Doc? (1992–1995)
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993–1995)
• The High Life (1994–1995)
• Don't Forget Your Toothbrush (1994–1995)
• Scavengers (1994–1995)
• Incredible Games (1994–1995)
• Knowing Me Knowing You (1994–1995)
• Castles (1995)

Births

• 23 January – Holly Kenny, actress
• 18 June – Jacob Andeson, actor
• 9 July – Georgie Henley, actress

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Cinematic Credibility
7 January	Larry Grayson[12]	71	comedian and television presenter
22 March	Peter Woods	64	BBC journalist
4 April	Kenny Everett	50	comedian and actor
16 April	Arthur English	75	actor (The Ghosts of Motley Hall, Are You Being Served?, In Sickness and in Health)
2 May	Michael Hordern	83	actor (narrator of Paddington Bear and voice of badger from The Wind in the Willows)
29 June	Noel Dyson	78	actress (Coronation Street, Father, Dear Father)
12 September	Jeremy Brett	59	actor (Sherlock Holmes in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
4 November	Marti Caine	51	actress, dancer, presenter, singer, writer and comedian
	Paul Eddington	68	actor (The Good Life and Yes Minister)

References

1. "BBC Two England - 2 January 1995". BBC Genome (BBC). Retrieved 18 January 2016.
2. "Aitken sues over Saudi claims". The Guardian. 11 April 1995. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
3. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Dec 1997". House of Commons. 17 December 1997. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
4. "Special reports: the Aitken case". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
5. Williams, Rhys (12 July 1995). "BBC chief admits 'Castles' a failure". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 3 June 2013.
6. Horsman, Mathew (21 April 1995). "Mirror TV move outlined as profits jump 43%". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 28 June 2014.
7. Burston, Paul (20 June 1995). "Gay TV: as in lively, bright, playful, merry". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
8. Williams, Rhys (28 August 1995). "Cameras in court 'will let justice be seen to be done'". The Independent (Independent Print Ltd). Retrieved 2 May 2012.
9. "Diana admits adultery in TV interview". On This Day (BBC). 1995-11-20. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
10. "Top 10 Programmes – 1995". BARB. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
11. "BBC One London - 25 December 1995". BBC Genome (BBC). Retrieved 18 January 2016.
12. Hayward, Anthony (8 January 1995). "Obituary: Larry Grayson". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 15 January 2016.