1988 in British television

none 1988 British television This is a list of British television related events from 1988. Events January 1 January New Year's Day highlights on BBC1 include the network television premiere of Roger Donaldson's 1984 historical drama The Bounty, starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9716fbf98850421a9692590e0d345eaf https://web.archive.org/web/20141018010413/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9716fbf98850421a9692590e0d345eaf dead October 18, 2014 The Bounty – BBC One London – 1 January 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 BBC2 airs a five-hour Whistle Test special to welcome in 1988 which aired from 9:35pm on New Year's Eve to 2:55am on New Year's Day. The special takes a look back through the archives in what is the programme's final outing.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7531a047218742969d9af6d538ec2607 https://web.archive.org/web/20170813190516/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7531a047218742969d9af6d538ec2607 dead August 13, 2017 87 Whistle Test 88 – BBC Two England – 31 December 1987 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 It will be three decades later in 2018 before a new edition of the programme is broadcast.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43002005# What's old, grey and making a comeback? BBC News BBC 9 February 2018 9 February 2018 Michael Grade takes on the role of Chief Executive of Channel 4.http://index668b.html/?page_id=933 1988 : Off The Telly 23 January 2019May 2020 InternetArchiveBot yes From today, each programme on ITV is no longer preceded by the identifier of the regional company that had produced the show. 4 January – BBC1 moves the repeat episode of Neighbours to a 5:35pm evening slot,http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-01-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017213910/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-01-04 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 4 January 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 the decision to do this having been made by controller Michael Grade on the advice of his daughter. 5 January – Actor Rowan Atkinson launches the new Comic Relief charity appeal. 6 January – All ITV regions begin to broadcast Emmerdale Farm in the Wednesday and Thursday 6:30pm slot. 8 January BBC1 network television premiere of the hit 1984 musical drama film Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon. Launch of LWT News, a news service from London Weekend Television providing at least eight bulletins each weekend for the ITV London region and created as a response to IBA concerns about the lack of a proper news service in London at weekends. 9 January ITV's weekend morning children's programme No. 73 is rebranded as 7T3. 11 January The US animated series The Real Ghostbusters, based on the hit 1984 Ghostbusters movie makes its UK debut on Children's ITV. Debut of the game show Fifteen to One on Channel 4, presented by William G. Stewart. The show's first winner is Gareth McMullan, a teacher from Northern Ireland.http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Weaver's_Week_2003-12-13 Weaver's Week 2003-12-13 UKGameshows 13 December 2003 19 July 2015 14 January – Talks between TV-am's management and the ACTT union begin, aiming to resolve the ongoing strike.https://books.google.com/books?id=WpQ_esoMKLMC&q=%22Batman%22+%22TV-am%22&pg=PA96 Morning Glory: A History of British Breakfast Television Ian Jones Eight: "I know a lot of people can't stand me" 978-1903053201 30 November 2003 Kelly Publications 93–102 25 January – TVS launches Late Night Late and gradually extends its broadcast hours over the next few months.TV Live: ITV Night Time – Late Night Late 25–29 January – TV-am airs a week of live broadcasts from Sydney to celebrate Australia's bicentenary and featuring Anne Diamond and Mike Morris. 30 January – The network television premiere of the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy on ITV, starring Roger Moore.https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/history_bond_on_tv.php3 James Bond On TV – Movies MI6 – The Home Of James Bond 007 5 April 2011 26 January 2018 6 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201106124333/https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/history_bond_on_tv.php3 dead February 1 February TV-am celebrates its fifth birthday, with Anne Diamond being joined by Richard Keys, Gyles Brandreth, Su Pollard and Jimmy Greaves. It is the first time it has been able to get its daily output down to an hour of pre-recorded material since the beginning of the strike. However, the station continues to air imports of old US shows for several months. The deadline on which the ACTT must accept TV-am's "Ten Point Plan" aimed at resolving the strike. However, the plan is rejected by a ballot and the union refuses to resume negotiations. 5 February – The inaugural Red Nose Day sees Comic Relief air its first live fundraiser on BBC1. Hosted by Lenny Henry and Griff Rhys Jones, "A Night of Comic Relief" would go on to raise £15 million for the charity.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/38f34a7267be411686536d6018e7a77e https://web.archive.org/web/20161030102906/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/38f34a7267be411686536d6018e7a77e dead October 30, 2016 A Night of Comic Relief – BBC One London – 5 February 1988 BBC Genome BBC 12 November 2016 9 February – MPs vote in favour of allowing television cameras into the House of Commons.Daily Express 10 February 1988 10 February – Debut of Moondial, a six-part series adapted from the novel by Helen Cresswell on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/80a62e7883fa45c3a8fa993c485b418d https://web.archive.org/web/20170806185435/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/80a62e7883fa45c3a8fa993c485b418d dead August 6, 2017 Moondial – BBC One London – 10 February 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bb7e8f17c554471f8e6fb1265308ee9e https://web.archive.org/web/20170806184947/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bb7e8f17c554471f8e6fb1265308ee9e dead August 6, 2017 Moondial – BBC One London – 16 March 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 The series is repeated by BBC1 in 1990.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-05-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017035034/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-05-09 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 9 May 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 13 February Scottish and GranadaLast Granada closedown Friday 12 into Saturday 13 February 1988 begin 24-hour broadcasting. Central, which has been keeping its transmitters on the air since last April by filling its closedown period with its Jobfinder service, launches a full overnight schedule. Jobfinder also launches on both Granada and Scottish and all three companies broadcast Jobfinder for one hour beginning at 4am. 13–28 February – The 1988 Winter Olympics are held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The BBC provides British coverage of the event. 15 February Channel 4 starts broadcasting into the early hours, closing down between 2am and 3am. Previously, Channel 4 has closed down at just after midnight. An early morning 60-minute news programme, ITN Early Morning News, is launched but is available in areas which have 24-hour broadcasting only. The first 30 minutes of the programme includes a full broadcast of ITN's international news bulletin ITN World News. The new bulletin is supplemented by the launch of additional, brief news summaries which are broadcast at various points through the night. The cult science-fiction comedy series Red Dwarf makes its debut on BBC2, starring Chris Barrie, Craig Charles and Danny John-Jules.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/80e68eee3d7d4965b02ec5d443ef2fd4 https://web.archive.org/web/20160307085637/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/80e68eee3d7d4965b02ec5d443ef2fd4 dead March 7, 2016 Red Dwarf: The End – BBC Two England – 15 February 1988 BBC Genome BBC 12 November 2016 16 February – TV-am Managing Director Bruce Gyngell sacks the station's locked out staff and calls a meeting of its remaining employees the following morning to announce that the ACTT will never again organise itself at TV-am's studios. His decision fails to resolve the crisis, however, as picketing continues and the quality of its output remains unchanged. 17 February – Debut of five-part crime drama The Fear on ITV, starring Iain Glen, Susannah Harker, Anthony Valentine, Jesse Birdsall, Jerome Flynn and Adrian Dunbar. It focuses on the story of Carl Galton, the enterprising leader of a criminal gang running a protection racket in North London who represents a new breed seeking to expand his underworld empire and take on the old East End firms. The series continues on 16 March. 19 February – The popular comedy and music show Friday Night Live returns to Channel 4 (with a change of title from Saturday Live), and again featuring comedians Ben Elton and Harry Enfield. 20 February Debut of the stunt-based game show You Bet! on ITV, presented by Bruce Forsyth.http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/You_Bet! You Bet! UKGameshows 2018-01-13 London's Burning makes its debut as a regular series on ITV, having been developed from Jack Rosenthal's original 1986 film. February – British Medical Television is officially launched, ahead of it commencing broadcasting later in the year as a subscription service airing during BBC1's overnight closedown period.BBC Select: A Failed Subscription Service March 3 March – BBC1 airs Around the World with Willy Fog with former CBBC and Broom Cupboard presenter Andy Crane singing the theme tune. A special event called "National Willy Fog Day" which Crane invented will also appear on 28 April to air the final episode and celebrate the final broadcast. 7 March – ITV's lunchtime news programme returns to the 1pm timeslot. 11 March – The final episode of the long-running children's series Play School is broadcast on BBC1, although repeats will continue until October. 18 March – The final US edition of Top of the Pops is broadcast. 19 March – Corporals killings: Two British soldiers in civilian dress are killed after stumbling into an IRA funeral procession in Belfast. Footage of the incident is captured by journalists and widely broadcast.https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/23/world/6-murders-linked-in-belfast-court.html 6 Murders Linked in Belfast Court The New York Times 23 March 1988 3 July 2013 21 March – Anglia's silver statue of a knight on horseback ident is consigned to history, having been used as Anglia's identity since the station went on the air 29 years earlier. It is replaced by a new identity, a quasi-heraldic stylised 'A' made of triangles, designed by Robinson Lambie-Nairn at a cost of £500,000.(Norfolk) Evening Star. Tuesday 22 March 1988 "Exit the knight who has had his day..." About Anglia is also given a new look to coincide with the ident change. 22 March – Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tells the House of Commons that journalists have a "bounden duty" to assist the police investigation into the Corporals killings by handing over their footage. Many have refused to do so fearing it could place them in danger. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/media/moloney.htm#media The Media and Northern Ireland Chapter 1: Closing Down the Airwaves: The story of the Broadcasting Ban Macmillan Academic and Professional Ltd 1991 0-333-51575-7 Bill Rolston Ed Moloney 23 March – Film of the Corporals killings is seized from the BBC and ITN under the Prevention of Terrorism and Emergency Provisions Acts. 25 March BBC2 shows Two of Us, a gay-themed television film.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1988-03-25#at-23.30 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017230001/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1988-03-25#at-23.30 dead October 17, 2014 BBC Two England – 25 March 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 8 November 2018 It has been produced as part of the BBC Schools Scene programme and is intended for young adults. It confronts the Thatcherite government's attempt to prohibit gay sex education in schools via the controversial and subsequently repealed section 28 legislation.http://www.gaycelluloid.com/search/088.htm Two of Us gay drama 6 July 2016 Given this backdrop, the BBC opts not to show it during the day and it is screened late at night on this day, even though originally created for a school audience. In 1990, the play is finally shown during the day, when it is broadcast in a lunchtime slot.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=Two+of+Us&svc=9371535#search https://web.archive.org/web/20181108225529/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=Two+of+Us&svc=9371535#search dead November 8, 2018 Search Results – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 8 November 2018https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1990-02-02#at-12.15 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017034709/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1990-02-02#at-12.15 dead October 17, 2014 BBC Two England – 2 February 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 8 November 2018 Former MP John Stonehouse collapses on set during an edition of Central Weekend in Birmingham during the filming of a programme about missing people. He is given emergency medical treatment at the studio and taken to hospital, where he is diagnosed as having suffered from a minor heart attack, but will die at home three weeks later.John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story of the Runaway MP Julia Stonehouse 2021 978-178578-741-6 27 March – The final edition of children's programme 7T3 is broadcast on ITV. 31 March – Daphne Hudson wins the first series of the BBC's quiz show Going for Gold, and is awarded the prize of tickets to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. April 1 April – The network television premiere of the Rankin/Bass animated film The Flight of Dragons on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b58275b4389540a1a81b26574c277962 https://web.archive.org/web/20190204015120/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b58275b4389540a1a81b26574c277962 dead February 4, 2019 The Flight of Dragons 24 March 1988 3356 84 3 February 2019 BBC Genome 3 April – BBC1 airs the first terrestrial television showing of A Passage to India, David Lean's 1984 epic drama based on E. M. Forster's 1924 novel and Santha Rama Rau's 1960 play of the same name which stars Judy Davis, Peggy Ashcroft, Victor Banerjee, James Fox, Alec Guinness, Nigel Havers and Art Malik. 4 April The original series of Crossroads airs for the last time on ITV. It returns in 2001 before being axed again in 2003. The network television premiere of Terry Gilliam's 1985 dystopian dark comedy Brazil on BBC2, starring Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins and Ian Holm. 6 April – ITV's chart show The Roxy airs for the last time; that same day, Children's ITV begins re-airing Thomas & Friends Season 2. 7 April – Ireland has purchased the Welsh children's stop-motion animated series Fireman Sam for television broadcasting there. The show will debut on RTÉ1 with the first series only, and will return to air a number of times on RTÉ2, known at this time as Network 2, although viewers in Ireland with access to British television are able to see earlier transmissions including all four series and the Christmas special with their original airdates. 10 April – Debut of East of the Moon on Channel 4, a new series for children based on fairy tales written by former Monty Python member Terry Jones brought to life with live-action and animation and songs written and performed by Neil Innes. 15 April – The Pogues perform their controversial hit "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six", a song expressing support for those convicted over the Guildford and Birmingham pub bombings on the Ben Elton-presented Channel 4 show Friday Night Live. The song is cut short, however, by a commercial break. 19 April – Liz Forgan becomes Channel 4's first official Director of Programmes. 23 April-10 September – Two new Saturday morning magazine series are shown this Summer: On the Waterfront is aired for the first part of the seasonhttps://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f3899ff660a24c1eb3f143776a676605 https://web.archive.org/web/20200715174843/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f3899ff660a24c1eb3f143776a676605 dead July 15, 2020 On the Waterfront – BBC One London – 23 April 1988 BBC Genome Project 15 July 2020 with UP2U taking over in mid-July.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d41a4edbf7f749b69023574aab84df4c https://web.archive.org/web/20200716105813/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d41a4edbf7f749b69023574aab84df4c dead July 16, 2020 UP2U – BBC One London – 16 July 1988 BBC Genome Project 15 July 2020 The same two shows are also shown the following Summer. 28 April BBC1 airs the concluding episode of Around the World with Willy Fog.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/35c2e3de54be4778be630bbb4bd35f5f https://web.archive.org/web/20180112102143/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/35c2e3de54be4778be630bbb4bd35f5f dead January 12, 2018 Around the World with Willy Fog – BBC One London – 28 April 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 ITV broadcasts "Death on the Rock", a hugely controversial episode of Thames's This Week current affairs strand, investigating Operation Flavius which resulted in the SAS killing three members of the IRA in Gibraltar on 6 March. The programme is later considered as a contributing factor towards the introduction of the Broadcasting Act 1990 by Margaret Thatcher and Thames subsequently losing its ITV franchise in 1991. 30 April – Canadian singer Celine Dion wins the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest (staged in Dublin) for Switzerland with the French language song "Ne partez pas sans moi" (Don't Leave Without Me). The United Kingdom entry, "Go", performed by Scott Fitzgerald and written by Julie Forsyth, daughter of entertainer Bruce Forsyth, finishes just one point behind as runner-up. May 8 May – Debut of the cult movie series Moviedrome on BBC2, hosted by film director Alex Cox. The first edition shows Robin Hardy's 1973 folk horror classic The Wicker Man, starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee. 9 May – The youth strand DEF II is launched on BBC2.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1988-05-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017225858/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1988-05-09 dead October 17, 2014 BBC Two England – 9 May 1988 BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 26 October 2016 18 May – Channel 4 shows the network television premiere of Rob Reiner's 1984 cult music comedy film This Is Spinal Tap, starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. 19 May – Anita Dobson makes her last appearance in EastEnders when her character, Angie Watts, departs for a new life in Spain. 23 May – Three gay rights activists invade the BBC studios during this day's Six O'Clock News bulletin on BBC1 to protest about the introduction of Section 28, a law preventing schools from teaching their students about homosexuality. Protesters are heard chanting as Sue Lawley continues to read the news, prompting her to comment "we have been rather invaded by some people who we hope to be removing very shortly".http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/02/09/t-shirt-worn-during-lesbian-invasion-of-bbc-news-on-show-in-haringey/ T-shirt worn during lesbian invasion of BBC news on show in Haringey Pink News 9 February 2009 21 April 2016 27 May – Almost all of the production areas at the BBC Television Centre are shut down after the discovery of asbestos fibres in the soundproof ceiling of TC5 during routine maintenance. It is also found in the coating of trusses supporting the studio grids. As a consequence, production teams are required to move from Television Centre to other BBC studios, such as Bristol and Birmingham. Work to remove the asbestos takes several months.https://pocketmags.com/doctor-who-magazine/dws-2018-1/articles/376093/the-greatest-show-in-the-car-park The Greatest Show in the Car Park Doctor Who Magazine January 2018 27 March 2021 Chris Bentley 49 subscription required 29–30 May – ITV stages its first Telethon, a 27-hour nationwide fundraising effort involving participation and input from all of the regional broadcasters around the country. Its aim is to raise money for disability charities across the UK. 30 May Yorkshire Television resumes 24-hour broadcasting. TV-am does not go on the air, with its airtime instead taken up by coverage of ITV's Telethon '88. The ACTT had asked its members to boycott the programme on this day and fearful of sparking a nationwide dispute, TV-am's acting Managing Director, Adrian Moore, allows ITV to use the early morning airtime. 31 May Debut of People, a thirteen-part series on BBC1 featuring human interest stories, which is presented by Derek Jameson. He is joined by Jeni Barnett, Lucy Pilkington and Chris Serle.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9c8d2d7f74f548d3aad508f064961488 https://web.archive.org/web/20170811225423/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9c8d2d7f74f548d3aad508f064961488 dead August 11, 2017 People – BBC One London – 31 May 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 Debut of Charles Wood's screenplay Tumbledown on BBC1, about the experiences of Scots Guard Robert Lawrence who was left paralysed after being shot in the head by a sniper at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown during the Falklands War.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4bad8c43f7e14bdbadff5206cca4ad89 https://web.archive.org/web/20161023062706/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4bad8c43f7e14bdbadff5206cca4ad89 dead October 23, 2016 Tumbledown – BBC One London – 31 May 1988 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 The film is shown again on 9 October.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8022c8447c5b4af3b542d20db95ce0af https://web.archive.org/web/20181022193517/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8022c8447c5b4af3b542d20db95ce0af dead October 22, 2018 Sunday Premiere: Tumbledown – BBC One London – 9 October 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 October 2018 June 1 June – Live horse racing is shown for the final time on ITV when it simulcasts Channel 4's coverage of the 1988 Epsom Derby. The sport will to return to ITV in 2017. 5 June – Channel 4 airs the Thames documentary Waldheim: A Commission of Inquiry, a programme investigating the history of the alleged Nazi conspirator Kurt Waldheim. 6 June – Yorkshire Television begins transmitting the Australian soap opera The Young Doctors. However, in order to catch up with its neighbouring region Tyne Tees Television, Yorkshire will have to skip at least 215 episodes. 8 June Presenter Russell Harty dies at the age of 53.AP https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/obituaries/russell-harty-talk-show-host-54.html Russell Harty, Talk-Show Host, 54 The New York Times 1988-06-09 2018-01-13 Media mogul Rupert Murdoch announces to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts his intention to launch a four-channel service on the soon to be launched Astra satellite.The £199 dish that will launch a television revolution Richard Evans The Times London 1988-06-09 11 June – The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert is staged at Wembley Stadium, LondonAfrican National Congress Mike Ketchum http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/awards/wembley88.html The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, London, 11 June 1988 https://web.archive.org/web/20090403083630/http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/awards/wembley88.html 3 April 2009 dead 10 April 2009 and is broadcast on BBC2.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a074950f7c2f4162b332f297e60c2e47 https://web.archive.org/web/20161120011540/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a074950f7c2f4162b332f297e60c2e47 dead November 20, 2016 The Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert – BBC Two England – 11 June 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 13 June – Presenter Frank Bough leaves the BBC after a News of the World exposé of his private life.Bough rests 1988-06-14 The Times London 3 20 June – TVS and Channel Television commence 24-hour broadcasting. 21 June – BBC1 airs Crystal Clear, a film based on the award-winning play of the same name that deals with the subject of sight loss.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/37d382b3c26946dcb0418cfd6f75f159 https://web.archive.org/web/20160513123328/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/37d382b3c26946dcb0418cfd6f75f159 dead May 13, 2016 Crystal Clear – BBC One London – 21 June 1988 BBC Genome BBC 21 April 2016 July 1 July – The Australian series The Flying Doctors makes its UK debut on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fa875fd42be64477aa69470aa9cda96f https://web.archive.org/web/20161120015042/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fa875fd42be64477aa69470aa9cda96f dead November 20, 2016 The Flying Doctors – BBC One London – 1 July 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 Initially airing on Fridays at 8:10pm, from 20 August, it is moved to a Saturday early evening slot.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1d6b48e1e2694710941935eab0280065 https://web.archive.org/web/20161120011038/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1d6b48e1e2694710941935eab0280065 dead November 20, 2016 The Flying Doctors – BBC One London – 20 August 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 4 July – Miami Vice returns to BBC1 after 10 months; however, owing to controversies over violence and drug use, several of the episodes are not shown on the BBC, including one featuring a sympathetic IRA member played by Liam Neeson, and another which sees the death of a key character, "Larry" Zito, played by John Diehl. 7 July – The Times reports that TVS have bought US production company MTM Enterprises for £190m.French join Television South in £190m purchase of MTM Michael Tate The Times London 1988-07-07 27 15 July – London Weekend Television airs the final edition of its Friday evening programme The Six O'Clock Show. It is replaced by Friday Now!, a smaller scale current affairs programme from October. 17 July – After 1,576 episodes, Farming is broadcast on BBC1 for the final time. It is replaced the following week by Countryfile whose brief is to look at issues reflecting all aspects of the countryside rather than just focussing on farming.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-07-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017230751/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-07-17 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 17 July 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 6 August 2018 19 July The Bill broadcasts the first episode of its fourth series and switches to a year-round serial format. Debut of the UK version of the game show Wheel of Fortune on ITV, presented by Nicky Campbell with Angela Ekaette. 26 July – Anna Wing makes her final appearance as EastEnders matriarch Lou Beale, dispensing words of wisdom and advice to her family before retiring to her bedroom to slip away. Her final words in the soap are: "That's you lot sorted. I can go now." The character has died by the following episode and at her funeral, her on-screen son Pete (Peter Dean) proposes a toast to that "bloody old bag". Wing herself will die, at the age of 98, in 2013.Stuart Jeffries https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/jul/11/anna-wing-lou-beale-eastenders Anna Wing obituary The Guardian London 11 July 2013 17 January 2016 July – Stephen Barden is appointed as TV-am's new Managing Editor. With the station facing criticism from the IBA over the quality of its output, he acts quickly to improve matters. Repeats of imported US programmes finally come to an end, while new programming is launches and programmes such as Frost on Sunday, off air since the strike began, are restored. August 3 August – Brookside is moved from Tuesdays to Wednesdays which means the soap can now be seen on Mondays and Wednesdays. 4 August – The band All About Eve perform their single "Martha's Harbour" on Top of the Pops. The group, ready to do a mimed (as is BBC policy at this time) performance of their hit, are not played the backing track through their monitors and they sit motionless while the television and studio audience hear the song.Paphides Peter Six of the most memorable moments in miming https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/feb/04/six-most-memorable-moments-mime 10 May 2017 The Guardian 4 February 2014 Due to this error on the part of the BBC, the band are invited back the following week and insist on playing the song live. 5 August The eight-part New Zealand thriller Steel Riders makes its debut on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/aa0875b40e5e46209740ea8e7b6f9b43 https://web.archive.org/web/20181123155142/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/aa0875b40e5e46209740ea8e7b6f9b43 dead November 23, 2018 Steel Riders – BBC One London – 5 August 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 November 2018 Channel 4 debuts the Jonathan Ross presented documentary series on B-Movies, The Incredibly Strange Film Show. 10 August – Debut of Crimewatch File, a BBC1 documentary series in which detectives tell the inside stories of some of the UK's major criminal investigations during which they appeal to viewers for help.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9d1cdb5292b240c08c3730f97f60e673 https://web.archive.org/web/20180226032943/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9d1cdb5292b240c08c3730f97f60e673 dead February 26, 2018 Crimewatch File – BBC One London – 10 August 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 February 2018 19 August – Following concerns about the quality of TV-am's programming, an emergency meeting of the IBA considers whether to review the station's franchise in early 1989. However, it is ultimately decided not to proceed with the review since the next franchise round is approaching and the IBA feels the success of both organisations is mutually exclusive. 22 August – HTV begins 24-hour broadcasting. August – Weekly highlights of First Division matches in the 1988–89 season are shown on satellite and cable via Super Channel,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAbSTQ3JBuE English Soccer: Sep 10, 1988 2021-02-08 RandomChannelUK 2024-06-05 YouTubeNov 07, 1988, page 12 - South Wales Evening Post at Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/996081005 2024-06-05 Newspapers.com enNov 14, 1988, page 12 - South Wales Evening Post at Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/996088311 2024-06-05 Newspapers.com en doing so by relaying the Chrysalis Television produced English Soccer programme 31 August – ITV airs a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles, starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson. September 1 September – To celebrate BBC Radio 1's FM "switch on day", BBC1's Top of the Pops is simulcast with that station for the first time, allowing listeners to hear the programme in stereo. This edition is presented by Steve Wright and Mark Goodier.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7f5d3e7797ee410999d2d0a15facd337 https://web.archive.org/web/20171113005455/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7f5d3e7797ee410999d2d0a15facd337 dead November 13, 2017 Top of the Pops – BBC Radio 1 England – 1 September 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 Top of the Pops is then simulcast weekly with Radio 1 until August 1991.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/95f82c7c1dc746f8b7116d629550946f https://web.archive.org/web/20171113005228/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/95f82c7c1dc746f8b7116d629550946f dead November 13, 2017 Top of the Pops – BBC Radio 1 England – 29 August 1991 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 2 September – TSW, Grampian and Border begin 24-hour broadcasting as they take up Night Time, a new late night service launched that night, produced by Granada. Tyne Tees also takes up the service. 3 September Motormouth launches as ITV's new Saturday morning children's programme.http://www.paulmorris.co.uk/satkids/index2.htm Sat Kids Paulmorris.co.uk 21 April 2009http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/446013/ Saturday Morning TV screenonline 26 August 1996 21 April 2009 First edition of The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow in which Noel Edmonds did his first major TV project since the demise of The Late, Late Breakfast Show two years earlier. The series ran for three years and some segments on the show would later be featured and developed in Edmonds' later series Noel's House Party. 5 September BBC's main evening news programme Wales Today moves to the 6:30pm timeslot. BBC1 airs Bros Special, a 30-minute programme showing exclusive footage of pop band Bros in concert and on their UK tour.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ff80d40d70df483f9d27c5fd3e47eddf https://web.archive.org/web/20181228223809/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ff80d40d70df483f9d27c5fd3e47eddf dead December 28, 2018 Bros Special 1 September 1988 3379 38 28 December 2018 BBC Genome The programme is repeated on 29 December.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f6a28cc0c2ff4b10a73c122dee24db92 https://web.archive.org/web/20181228224052/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f6a28cc0c2ff4b10a73c122dee24db92 dead December 28, 2018 Bros Special 15 December 1988 3394 128 28 December 2018 BBC Genome The Welsh language sports programme Sgorio debuts on S4C. It is set up to provide highlights of European football although other sports are included within it. Also on S4C, the soap opera Pobol Y Cwm starts airing episodes 5 days a week rather than once which they had done since the series started in 1974, becoming the first British soap opera since Crossroads in the late 1960s to have been done this way. There is also a repeat screening on a lunchtime slot the following day. 6 September – The children's animated series Count Duckula makes its debut on Children's ITV. Devised as a sequel to Danger Mouse it again features the voice of David Jason. 7 September Repeat showing of Paul Hamann's death row documentary Fourteen Days in May, telling the story of the final days of Edward Earl Johnson as he awaits execution on Mississippi's death row on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d38fb51a04ef48a3ae86758c5cccfd54 https://web.archive.org/web/20161023062709/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d38fb51a04ef48a3ae86758c5cccfd54 dead October 23, 2016 Fourteen Days in May – BBC One London – 7 September 1988 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 The film is followed on 14 September by The Journey, in which lawyer Clive Stafford Smith returns to Mississippi in an attempt to posthumously clear Johnson of the crimes to which he always professed his innocence.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/50a5e23eafb4418bba37393969711cd3 https://web.archive.org/web/20161023071236/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/50a5e23eafb4418bba37393969711cd3 dead October 23, 2016 The Journey – BBC One London – 14 September 1988 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 BBC2 screens the Timewatch episode Shadow of the Ripper. Written and hosted by Christopher Frayling, it looks at the 100 year old Jack the Ripper murders. 8 September – Channel 4 drops plans to invite Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to appear on an edition of its late-night discussion programme After Dark, following objections from other contributors. Sinn Féin chief's TV invitation withdrawn The Times News international 9 September 1988 9 September – Casualty returns to BBC1 for a third series,http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3a13fcaaef404ff0b75a7499d5570740 https://web.archive.org/web/20161120011313/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3a13fcaaef404ff0b75a7499d5570740 dead November 20, 2016 Casualty – BBC One London – 9 September 1988 BBC Genome BBC 19 November 2016 moving from its previous Saturday evening slot to Friday evenings. 10 September Presenters Mike Smith and Sarah Greene are seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Gloucestershire. https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/10/newsid_2504000/2504243.stm BBC presenters in helicopter crash BBC On This Day 17 May 2009 1988-09-10 BBC2 screens Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 cult film adaptations of S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, both starring Matt Dillon and Diane Lane. 12 September Debut of Stoppit and Tidyup on BBC1,https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-09-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017225237/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-09-12 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 12 September 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 November 2018 a 13-part animated series narrated by Terry Wogan and partly funded by the Tidy Britain Group charity. Debut of 12-part documentary series Reaching for the Skies on BBC2, narrated by Anthony Quayle. The programme includes many aerial sequences specifically filmed for the series together with archive material combined with interviews. The aerial footage is usually accompanied by music sequences. The series ends on 28 November. 13 September – The children's animated series PC Pinkerton makes its debut on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-09-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017225237/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-09-13 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 13 September 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 November 2018 The show is produced by Trevor Bond who has also worked on the original Mr. Men series and Bananaman with veteran animation producer Terry Ward and features the voice of Ian Lavender, best known for playing the role of Private Pike in the hit sitcom Dad's Army. 14 September – Debut of the eight-part Australian series The True Story of Spit MacPhee on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/171e10587cf0445e815583c5c201c6ef https://web.archive.org/web/20181123155203/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/171e10587cf0445e815583c5c201c6ef dead November 23, 2018 The True Story of Spit MacPhee – BBC One London – 14 September 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 November 2018 It concludes on 2 November.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/16e31677910940d4a2060a5e7b0c59bd https://web.archive.org/web/20181123154830/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/16e31677910940d4a2060a5e7b0c59bd dead November 23, 2018 The True Story of Spit MacPhee – BBC One London – 2 November 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 November 2018 17 September–2 October – The 1988 Summer Olympics are held in Seoul, South Korea. The BBC provides live coverage, as does ITV, in conjunction with Channel 4. This is to be the final time that ITV will broadcast the Olympic Games and Channel 4's only broadcast of the Olympics. ITV also shows daytime coverage while Channel 4 airs the overnight and breakfast coverage. 18 September – Debut of the BBC political discussion programme On the Record, presented by Jonathan Dimbleby.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bc61d90fb1b845a29a4330bd7b6bc03b https://web.archive.org/web/20161019061214/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bc61d90fb1b845a29a4330bd7b6bc03b dead October 19, 2016 News – BBC One London – 18 September 1988 BBC Genome BBC 22 October 2016 23 September – Channel 4 launches the improvisational comedy game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, presented by Clive Anderson and featuring numerous comedians and celebrities. October 2 October – Debut of the long-running comedy sketch show Hale and Pace on ITV. 3 October The magazine programme This Morning makes its debut on ITV. It is presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan until 2001 and is broadcast from the Albert Dock in Liverpool until 1996. Ulster is the last in the ITV network to begin 24-hour transmissions when it also begins showing Granada's Night Time service. The Oprah Winfrey Show makes its UK debut on Channel 4.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2mus-XyGPC0C&dat=19881003&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Evening Times – Google News Archive Search 5 October – ITV begins airing the Australian soap Richmond Hill in a 2pm slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the first time the channel has networked an Australian soap. However, some regions, including Central and Granada opt out of networking the series when it is cancelled by Network Ten the following year. 6 October – Thames, Border, Tyne Tees and Ulster air the final episode of The Sullivans, becoming the first ITV regions to complete the series. 7 October – Launch of LWT's current affairs programme Friday Now!.http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4f4b9d126fb23 https://web.archive.org/web/20190204014444/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4f4b9d126fb23 dead February 4, 2019 Friday Now (TV series) BFI 3 February 2019 11 October – ITV airs the first episode of the two-part miniseries, Jack the Ripper, starring Michael Caine, Lewis Collins and Jane Seymour. 14 October – Play School is broadcast for the final time on BBC1. The last new edition was shown in March. 17 October Playbus, a television programme for preschoolers and the replacement programme for Play School, makes its debut on BBC1. The sitcom Wyatt's Watchdogs makes its debut on BBC1. 18 October – Debut of the comedy series Colin's Sandwich on BBC2, starring Mel Smith. 19 October – 1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions: Home Secretary Douglas Hurd issues a notice under clause 13(4) of the BBC Licence and Agreement to the BBC and under section 29(3) of the Broadcasting Act 1981 to the IBA prohibiting the broadcast of direct statements by representatives or supporters of 11 Irish political and paramilitary organisations.Glasgow Media Group Reader: Industry, Economy, War and Politics 48 2 Psychology Press John Eric Thomas Eldridge Greg Philo 1995 9780415130363 https://books.google.com/books?id=vo4FQX4B-msC&pg=PA48Political Debate and the Role of the Media: The Fragility of Free Speech p 91 footnote 14 European Audiovisual Observatory 978-92-871-5675-4 2004 https://books.google.com/books?id=vPXw-8wmitQC&pg=PA91 The ban lasts until 1994 and denies the UK news media the right to broadcast the voices, though not the words, of all Irish republican and Loyalist paramilitaries. In view of the restrictions, targeted primarily at Sinn Féin, broadcasters use actors to speak the words of any representative interviewed.The 'broadcast ban' on Sinn Féin BBC News Francis Welch 5 April 2005 https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4409447.stm 20 October – Debut of the 13-part children's stop-motion animated series Charlie Chalk, produced by Woodland Animations Ltd (the company behind Postman Pat) on BBC1, featuring the voices of Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Michael Williams and John Wells. The last three episodes will air the following year. 23 October – The final episode of Channel 4's groundbreaking youth music and current affairs programme Network 7 is broadcast. 25 October – As the 25th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy approaches, ITV airs the two-part documentary The Men Who Killed Kennedy, a film which explores discrepancies and inconsistencies in the US Government's official version of events. 29 October – The network television premiere of the 1985 fantasy adventure Red Sonja on BBC1, starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 30 October Following the signing of a new four-year deal to show exclusive live coverage of top flight English football, ITV begins showing a live game every Sunday afternoon. First Born, a three-part adaptation of Maureen Duffy's novel Gor Saga, makes its debut on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6d556db1e8504ae5a13ad24c602cde0b https://web.archive.org/web/20170407054901/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6d556db1e8504ae5a13ad24c602cde0b dead April 7, 2017 First Born – BBC One London – 30 October 1988 BBC Genome BBC 6 April 2017 31 October – For the first time, BBC2's Newsnight is given a fixed starting time of 10:30pm. It is established in the face of fierce objections from the managing director of BBC Television at this time, Bill Cotton, otherwise in charge of all scheduling decisions. The decision sparks a widely reported row within the corporation.Chris Horrie and Steve Clarke Fuzzy Monsters: Fear and Loathing at the BBC (1994) November 1 November – Having decided to step down from her presenting role on TV-am, Anne Diamond makes her final regular appearance on the station. 2 November In the House of Commons, an amendment introduced by the opposition Labour Party condemning the government's decision over the broadcasting ban on featuring Irish Republican figures as "incompatible with a free society" is rejected, despite some Conservative MPs voting with Labour. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EfglAAAAIBAJ&pg=7023,650345&dq=broadcast+ban+northern+ireland&hl=en Thatcher wins backing for IRA-TV ban The Telegraph 3 November 1988 2 July 2013 Michael West 34 Evacuation, an episode of ITV's The Bill features one of the series' early prominent events, an explosion at Sun Hill police station. 7 November – A government white paper on broadcasting, Broadcasting in the '90s: Competition, Choice and Quality, includes provisions for a fifth UK television channel after management consultants Booz Allen recommend it as an option, claiming the extra channel would reduce the current ITV monopoly and also reduce advertising costs.Maggie Brown https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/23/channel-five-timeline Channel Five: a timeline The Guardian 23 July 2010 21 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181122092106/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/23/channel-five-timeline 2018-11-22 live 8 November – BBC1 airs Episode 523 of Neighbours, featuring the wedding of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell, played by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue, which is watched by 20 million viewers.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/101+NEIGHBOURS+FACTS+TO+OZ-TONISH+YOU!%3b+It's+the+show+that+brought...-a061154021 101 Neighbours Facts To Oz-tonish You! Simon Jane 13 October 1996 The People Trinity Mirror 10 August 2012http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16782813.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150329103830/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16782813.html usurped 29 March 2015 Is Kylie really so lucky, lucky, lucky? Independent News and Media Belfast Telegraph 27 June 2008 21 March 2014 HighBeam Research subscription 12 November – BBC2 airs the first terrestrial television showing of Thérèse, Alain Cavalier's 1986 award-winning biographical drama about the life of the French Carmelite nun Thérèse of Lisieux which stars Catherine Mouchet. It is also shown as a double bill with the 1947 classic Black Narcissus and is introduced by English novelist Marina Warner. 13 November The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, is aired as a six-part TV serial on BBC1,http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/447180cec0b5483e8f28f44096d9d489 https://web.archive.org/web/20161124040008/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/447180cec0b5483e8f28f44096d9d489 dead November 24, 2016 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: 1 – BBC One London – 13 November 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 starring Ronald Pickup, Barbara Kellerman and Michael Aldridge. The serial continues on 18 December.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/944e6bce4e7144389f654668826190c4 https://web.archive.org/web/20161124040015/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/944e6bce4e7144389f654668826190c4 dead November 24, 2016 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: 6 – BBC One London – 18 December 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 The network television premiere of John Hughes' 1985 Brat Pack comedy drama The Breakfast Club on BBC2, starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy. 15 November – Debut of educational documentary series The Secret Life of Machines on Channel 4. It is hosted by inventor and roboteer Rex Garrod and engineer, cartoonist, artist and writer Tim Hunkin who is also the creator of the series. 16 November – Debut of Dennis Potter's four-part drama series Christabel on BBC2, starring Elizabeth Hurley, Stephen Dillane and Geoffrey Palmer. It is based on the memoirs of Christabel Bielenberg, an English woman married to a German lawyer who is shattered into the full horror of the Nazi regime during World War II. The serial continues on 7 December. 21 November – The Welsh children's stop-motion series Fireman Sam is broadcast in Singapore for the first time, being shown on MediaCorp Channel 5. 23 November – The long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who celebrates its 25th anniversary and begins the three-part serial Silver Nemesis.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/66acc90134f24418935aca8e676c5011 https://web.archive.org/web/20161124040010/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/66acc90134f24418935aca8e676c5011 dead November 24, 2016 Doctor Who – BBC One London – 23 November 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 24 November – Frank Ruse, a left-wing Labour councillor for Liverpool City Council, accompanies Liverpool's Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra to London for an appearance on Blue Peter.http://www.kaleidoscopepublishing.co.uk/books-bp.html Blue Peter: Inside The Archives by Richard Marson (page 252, Series 1988–1989 Programme 22) Kaleidoscope Publishing 27 October 2008 2 February 2009 He is given a Blue Peter badge, but later receives a BBC-headed letter requesting its return. The letter, later discovered to be a forgery, claims the programme has been approached by the office of Labour leader Neil Kinnock expressing concern that a councillor with hard-left views had been given a Blue Peter badge. Upon receiving the returned badge, the BBC writes back to Ruse stating that it had not sent the letter. The incident prompts Ruse to start an enquiry to find out who sent the hoax letter.http://www.shortbooks.co.uk/book/dear-blue-peter/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120512013736/http://shortbooks.co.uk/book/dear-blue-peter usurped May 12, 2012 Dear Blue Peter...: The Best of 50 Years of Letters to Britain's Favourite Children's Programme 1958–2008 by Biddy Baxter (pages 20–21) Short Books 4 September 2008 4 January 2009 December 1 December – ITV's ORACLE Teletext service launches Park Avenue, a teletext-based soap opera. It is written by Robert Burns and runs until they lose its franchise at the end of 1992. 3 December – Comedian Steve Tandy wins New Faces of '88. 10 December ITV airs An Audience with Victoria Wood.https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/an_audience_with/episodes/1/9/ An Audience With... Series 1, Episode 9 – Victoria Wood – British Comedy Guide Comedy.co.uk 11 July 2018 Channel 4 airs the marathon charity rock concert Human Rights Now!. 11 December – Launch date of the Astra Satellite. It will provide television coverage to Western Europe and is revolutionary as one of the first medium-powered satellites, allowing reception with smaller dishes than has previously been possible. 13 December – Central airs the final episode of Sons and Daughters, making it the first ITV region to complete the series. 18 December – The Flashing Blade airs for the last time on BBC1. 21 December – Both BBC channels and ITV airs newsflashes of a crash in the Scottish town of Lockerbie. BBC1's first news report is shown after Points of View, delaying the BBC 9'O Clock News. When it is announced that the crash was important, the channel interrupts the movie Poison Candy for another news bulletin. Another news report airs after the late night movie The Cruel Sea, shown as a part of one of the Movie Classics. BBC2 also airs a newsflash before Sweet Dreams, while ITV airs theirs during commercial breaks of Des O'Connor Tonight, Rumpole of the Bailey and Magnum Force, as well as airing a twenty-minute special report at 12.45am, delaying nightime programming. 22 December – Singer Neneh Cherry performs her single "Buffalo Stance" on Top of the Pops while seven months pregnant, something that goes on to cause a furore in the media.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0730885/ Top of the Pops: Episode dated 22 December 1988 Internet Movie Database 28 June 2015Neneh Cherry: 'Jazz can be the way you make love' Jude Rogers The Guardian 22 May 2012 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/may/22/neneh-cherry 28 June 2015 23 December – BBC1 airs Blackadder's Christmas Carol, a special one-off episode which parodied Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and stars Rowan Atkinson as Ebenezer Blackadder. 24 December – Christmas Eve highlights on BBC1 include the network television premiere of Alexander Salkind's 1985 Christmas family film Santa Claus: The Movie, starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. The film would go on to become the most repeated Christmas film shown on British television on both BBC and ITV.https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/24/die-hard-and-carry-on-britains-most-aired-films-over-christmas-revealed Britain’s most-aired films over Christmas revealed 24 Dec 2023 The 1985 Richard Marquand directed thriller Jagged Edge, starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close, is shown later in the evening.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-12-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017224932/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-12-24 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 24 December 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 6 August 2018 25 December The final edition of It's a Knockout to air on BBC1 is another celebrity special, It's a Charity Knockout from Walt Disney World, featuring teams of celebrities from the UK, the US and Australia. The series returns to S4C in 1991. "Ding Dong Merrily", the London's Burning Christmas special and the only episode of the series to have a title, airs on ITV as part of its Christmas Day lineup. Christmas Day highlights on BBC1 include the network television premiere of Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis' 1985 blockbuster sci-fi comedy Back to the Future, starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd, as well as Lawrence Kasdan's 1985 western adventure Silverado, starring Kevin Kline and Kevin Costner. ITV's Christmas Day movie highlight is the network television premiere of the epic 1980 Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. 26 December ITV Boxing Day highlights include An Officer and a Car Salesman, the second feature length episode of Minder. BBC1 Boxing Day premiere of the blockbuster 1984 action comedy film Beverley Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. This is the edited for television version, with the profanity censored. BBC1 airs CivvyStreet, a spin-off episode of EastEnders, set during World War II.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5d9b602a63e64402bbec9df9ca1932c6 https://web.archive.org/web/20161124040006/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5d9b602a63e64402bbec9df9ca1932c6 dead November 24, 2016 CivvyStreet – BBC One London – 26 December 1988 BBC Genome BBC 25 November 2016 Later this evening, the channel airs Bruce and Ronnie, a Christmas special presented by Bruce Forsyth and Ronnie Corbett who first appeared together at the 1988 Royal Variety Performance.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/43919692e0f8432483a7b47b42cc4e45 https://web.archive.org/web/20170819193022/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/43919692e0f8432483a7b47b42cc4e45 dead August 19, 2017 Bruce and Ronnie – BBC One London – 26 December 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 As part of a Christmas special, the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside airs five episodes which last until 30 December. 28 December – BBC1 airs the first part of the Australian film Bushfire Moon.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bcff24b9983c4c219838dfa995ca5c7d https://web.archive.org/web/20181107230103/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bcff24b9983c4c219838dfa995ca5c7d dead November 7, 2018 Bushfire Moon – BBC One London – 28 December 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 7 November 2018 The second part is shown on 30 December.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/02bf274c33684db18f1ab3efdd803a03 https://web.archive.org/web/20181107230846/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/02bf274c33684db18f1ab3efdd803a03 dead November 7, 2018 Children's BBC – BBC One London – 30 December 1988 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 7 November 2018 29 December Debut of You Rang, M'Lord? on BBC1. The last sitcom to be written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, it is notable for its 50-minute-long episodes. BBC2 airs the first terrestrial television showing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Miloš Forman's 1975 award-winning psychological drama based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name which stars Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, Brad Dourif, Sydney Lassick and Danny DeVito. The network television premiere of Joe Dante's 1984 smash hit comedy horror Gremlins on ITV, starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton and Corey Feldman. 30 December – Channel 4 airs "The Cotton Collection", an evening of classic BBC programmes, including episodes of Frost Over England and Dad's Army. 31 December – New Year's Eve highlights on BBC1 include a special edition of Top of the Pops celebrating the programme's 25th anniversary and the network television premiere of Perry Mason in the Case of the Sinister Spirit.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-12-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017230604/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1988-12-31 dead October 17, 2014 BBC One London – 31 December 1988 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 Undated Autumn – The BBC takes its first tentative steps into later closedowns. Previously, weekday programmes ended no later than 12:15am and weekend broadcasting at 1:30am. Swindon cable's TV channel is relaunched as Swindon's Local Channel. This sees the return to the service of local news, sport and one-off documentaries. Debuts BBC1 1 January – Way Upstream (1987) 3 January – First of the Summer Wine (1988–1989) 11 January – Star Wars: Droids (1985–1986) 16 January – Kissyfur (1986–1990) 19 January – The Play on One (1988–1991) 10 February – Moondial (1988) 24 February – Gruey (1988–1989) 5 April – Degrassi Junior High (1987–1989) 19 April – Talking Heads (1988, 1998, 2020) 3 May – 4 Square (1988–1991) 17 May – The Lowdown (1988–1998) 31 May – Tumbledown (1988) 8 June – The Movie Game (1988–1995) 1 July – The Flying Doctors (1986–1993) 24 July – Countryfile (1988–present) 3 September The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow (1988–1990) Eggs 'n' Baker (1988–1993) 5 September – No Frills (1988) 12 September Stoppit and Tidyup (1988) Defenders of the Earth (1986) 14 September – The True Story of Spit MacPhee (1988) 15 September – The Snorks (1984–1989) 18 September – On the Record (1988–2002) 25 September – The Franchise Affair (1988) 17 October Wyatt's Watchdogs (1988) Playdays (1988–1997) 20 October Charlie Chalk (1988–1989) The River (1988) 24 October – Streets Apart (1988–1989) 25 October – South of the Border (1988–1990) 29 October – Hearts of Gold (1988–1996) 30 October – First Born (1988) 10 November – Thompson (1988) 13 November – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988) 4 December – The Rainbow (1988) 5 December – Supersense (1988) 21 December – Barney (1988–1989) 23 December Billy's Christmas Angels (1988) Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) 29 December – You Rang, M'Lord? (1988–1993) BBC2 4 January – Clarence (1988) 12 January – Geordie Racer (1988) 15 February – Red Dwarf (1988–1999, 2012–2020) 25 March – Two of Us (1987) 13 April – Sophia and Constance (1988) 8 May – Moviedrome (1988–2000) 9 May – DEF II (1988–1994) 12 September – Reaching for the Skies (1988) 23 September – A Gentleman's Club (1988) 3 October – Rapido (1988–1992) 13 October – Alexei Sayle's Stuff (1988–1991) 18 October – Colin's Sandwich (1988–1990) 15 November – The Train Now Departing (1988) 16 November – Christabel (1988) ITV 4 January – After Henry (1988–1992) 6 January – Hannay (1988–1989) 10 January – Closing Ranks (1988) 11 January – The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991) 17 January – Wish Me Luck (1988–1990) 18 January – Hard Cases (1988–1989) 19 January – That's Love (1988–1992) 24 January – Small World (1988) 27 January – Singles (1988–1991) 15 February – ITV News at 5:30 (1988–2012) 17 February – The Fear (1988) 19 February – A Kind of Living (1988–1990) 20 February You Bet! (1988–1997, 2024–2025) London's Burning (1988–2002) 22 February Andy Capp (1988) News at Twelve (1988) 13 March – Mr Majeika (1988–1990) 21 March – Lucky Ladders (1988–1993) 29 March – Codename: Kyril (1988) 10 April – Gentlemen and Players (1988–1989) 17 April – All Clued Up (1988–1991) 4 June – The One Game (1988) 6 June – Masha's Adventures (1988–2008) 19 July – Wheel of Fortune (1988–2001, 2024–present) 26 July – I Can Do That (1988–1991) 3 September The Hitman and Her (1988–1992) Motormouth (1988–1992) Square Deal (1988–1989) 5 September Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories (1988–1990) Tube Mice (1988) 6 September – Count Duckula (1988–1993) 7 September The Joe Longthorne Show (1988–1991) Toksvig (1988) 23 September – Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990) 2 October Piece of Cake (1988) Hale and Pace (1988–1998) 3 October Game, Set and Match (1988) This Morning (1988—present) 5 October – Richmond Hill (1988–1989) 11 October Jack the Ripper (1988) The Return of Shelley (1988–1992) 14 October – A Taste for Death (1988) 9 November The Ratties (1988) Palace Hill (1988–1991) 26 November – The Snow Spider (1988) 27 November – The Beiderbecke Connection (1988) 1 December – Park Avenue on ORACLE (1988–1992) 3 December – How to Be Cool (1988)http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/17006 https://web.archive.org/web/20110903211635/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/17006 dead 3 September 2011 How to Be Cool (TV series) 6 August 2018 16 December – Edens Lost (1988) Channel 4 6 January – Little Prince Cedie (1988) 11 January – Fifteen to One (1988–2003, 2013–2019) 28 February – Helping Henry (1988) 9 March – Chelmsford 123 (1988–1990) 14 March – South (1988) 8 April – Winners (1985) 24 May – Echoes (1988) 12 June – The StoryTeller (1987) 19 June – A Very British Coup (1988) 5 August – The Incredibly Strange Film Show (1988–1989) 23 September – Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1999) 3 October – The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986–2011) 31 October – This is David Lander (1988–1990) 6 November – Eurocops (1988–1992) 15 November – The Secret Life of Machines (1988–1993) 30 December – Twelfth Night (1988) S4C 1 April – Jabas (1988–1990) 5 September – Sgorio (1988–present) 18 November – C'mon Midffîld! (1988–1994) Television shows Returning after a break of a year or longer Shelley (1979–1984; 1988–1992) (as The Return of Shelley) Continuing television shows 1920s BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present) 1930s Trooping the Colour (1937–1939, 1946–2019, 2023–present) The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present) 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)What the Papers Say in pictures https://www.theguardian.com/media/gallery/2008/may/29/what.the.papers.say The Guardian 2 April 2022 29 May 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, 1996, 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. (1965–1999) World of Sport (1965–1985) Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006) Sportsnight (1965–1997) Call My Bluff (1965–2005) The Money Programme (1966–2010) Reksio (1967–1990) 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) Ski Sunday (1978–present) 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 Play Your Cards Right (1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002–2003) Family Fortunes (1980–2002, 2006–2015, 2020–present) Juliet Bravo (1980–1985) Cockleshell Bay (1980–1986) Children in Need (1980–present) Finders Keepers (1981–1985) 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) Breadwinners (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, 2019) The New Statesman (1987–1994) The Cook Report (1987–1999) Ending this year 2 January No. 73 (1982–1988) Weekend World (1972–1988) Let's Pretend (1982–1988) Bad Boyes (1987–1988) 13 January – Your Mother Wouldn't Like It (1985–1988) 28 January – Yes Minister (1980–1988) 30 January – Hi-de-Hi! (1980–1988) 9 February – Running Loose (1986–1988) 11 March – Play School (1964–1988) 16 March – Moondial (1988) 18 March He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983–1988) Rockliffe's Babies (1987–1988) 4 April – Crossroads (1964–1988, 2001–2003) 6 April – The Roxy (1987–1988) 17 April – Hot Metal (1986–1988) 28 April – Around the World with Willy Fog (1983) 30 April – The Loud House (1979–1988) 13 May – Tales of the Unexpected (1979–1988) 22 May – East of the Moon (1988) 30 May – All in Good Faith (1985–1988) 12 June – Weekend World (1972–1988) 23 August – Inspector Gadget (1984–1988) 26 August Child's Play (1984–1988) Valentine Park (1987–1988) 28 August Get Fresh (1986–1988) The Bretts (1987–1988) 10 October – Sorry! (1981–1982, 1985–1988) 23 October – Network 7 (1987–1988) 27 October – Beat the Teacher (1984–1988) 12 November – Bust (1987–1988) 29 November – Tickle on the Tum (1984–1988) 1 December – Button Moon (1980–1988) 3 December – New Faces (1973–1978, 1986–1988) 5 December – Stoppit and Tidyup (1988) 6 December – PC Pinkerton (1988) 17 December – How to Be Cool (1988) 22 December – The Ratties (1988) 24 December – 3-2-1 (1978–1988) 27 December – Executive Stress (1986–1988) 31 December – Little Prince Cedie (1988) Births 14 January – Jack P. Shepherd, actor 22 March – Gaz Beadle, TV personality 28 March – Lacey Turner, actress 5 July – Joe Lycett, comedian 12 August – Tyson Fury, boxer 25 October – Rylan Clark-Neal, born Ross Clark, TV personality 2 December – Alfred Enoch, actor Deaths Date Name Age Cinematic Credibility1 JanuaryMargot Bryant90actress (Minnie Caldwell in Coronation Street)7 JanuaryTrevor Howard74actorMichael Mills68television producer16 JanuaryBallard Berkeley83actor (Fawlty Towers)John A. Willis Screen World https://books.google.com/books?id=J0cZAQAAIAAJ 1989 Crown Publishers 978-0-517-57332-7 23527 FebruaryBasil Boothroyd77television scriptwriter18 MarchPercy Thrower75gardener and broadcaster6 AprilJohn Clements77actor15 AprilKenneth Williams62comic actor27 AprilDavid Scarboro20actor (Mark Fowler in EastEnders)18 MayAnthony Forwood72actor5 JuneMichael Barrington63actor (Porridge)8 JuneRussell Harty53television presenter7 JulyJimmy Edwards68actor (Whack-O!)9 JulyBarbara Woodhouse78dog trainer (Training Dogs the Woodhouse Way)12 JulyJosephine Douglas61actress and television producer22 JulyPatrick Newell56actor (The Avengers)20 SeptemberRoy Kinnear53narrator, actor, voice actor (Towser, Bertha, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory)21 SeptemberChristine Norden63actress4 OctoberMargaret Lacey76actress11 OctoberRoy Herrick52actor27 OctoberCharles Hawtrey73actor15 NovemberMona Washbourne84actress1 DecemberAlun Oldfield-Davies83television executive See also 1988 in British music 1988 in British radio 1988 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1988 References 30em External links List of 1988 British television series at IMDb 1988