1956 in British television

none 1956 British television This is a list of British television related events from 1956. Events February 12 February–1 April – BBC Television Children's Department screens Jesus of Nazareth, an 8-part Sunday afternoon dramatisation of the Gospel story directed by Joy Harington with Tom Fleming as the adult Jesus, performed live with inserts filmed in the Holy Land.Paul Hayes Depicting Jesus https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/jesus-of-nazareth History of the BBC BBC 2026-02-08 17 February – The Midlands becomes the first part of the UK outside London to receive ITV, when ATV Midlands begins broadcasting their weekday franchise. The weekend franchise, ABC, appears a day later. 24 February – Associated-Rediffusion begins showing a sequence of comedy sketch shows (The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d, A Show Called Fred and Son of Fred) largely scripted by Spike Milligan and starring Peter Sellers that attempt to translate the surreal humour of radio's The Goon Show to television.Dave Freeman https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html The Independent 2005-04-04 2015-11-18 Although this baffles some viewers, leading to complaints,Baily Kenneth TV News The People 1956-05-20 4 there is also praise for Milligan pioneering a wholly televisual style of comedy.Levin Bernard Bernard Levin Sideways Through Milligan Truth 1956-05-25 11 March 28 March – Television transmissions begin from the new Crystal Palace site in south London for the BBC. April 28 April – ITV, at this point available only in the London and Midlands areas, shows cricket for the first time, when it broadcasts the Australian touring team's match against the Duke of Norfolk's XI at Arundel Castle.Advert placed by ABC Television (UK) in the Coventry Evening Telegraph 27 April 1956, p. 2. May 3 May – Granada Television begins broadcasting, extending ITV's coverage to Northern England from Winter Hill transmitting station, but starts broadcasting across Yorkshire (part of Granada's region until 1968) only in late Autumn. ABC's weekend franchise begins two days later. 10 May – British TV debut of Gunsmoke as Gun Law, on ITV. The TV programme will have a 20 year run on ITV before moving to other channels. 24 May – The BBC broadcasts the very first Eurovision Song Contest, live from Switzerland. However no act or artist was chosen by the BBC to represent the United Kingdom, due to the competition clashing with the short-lived Festival of British Popular Songs. June 18 June – Irish playwright Brendan Behan is drunk when interviewed by Malcolm Muggeridge on the BBC's Panorama and for the first time on British television utters the word "fuck".Brendan Behan's 1956 Panorama interview The Lost Media Wiki https://lostmediawiki.com/Brendan_Behan%27s_1956_Panorama_interview_(lost_interview_footage_of_Irish_playwright;_1956) 2023-05-21 2025-11-03 July 6 July – Hancock's Half Hour debuts on the BBC Television. 8 July – The anthology drama series Armchair Theatre, produced by ABC Weekend TV for the ITV network, begins its run (until 1974).Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline 31 July – The BBC shows Glorious Goodwood for the first time. September 15 September – The Adventures of Sir Lancelot debuts on ITV. After being sold to the NBC network in the United States, it later becomes the first British television series ever to be made in colour. It premieres in the United States on 24 September. October 31 October – On popular ITV television talk show Free Speech, an especially bitter debate on the Suez Crisis takes place, with leftist historian A. J. P. Taylor and Labour journalist and future party leader Michael Foot calling their fellow-panellist, Conservative MP Robert Boothby, a "criminal" for supporting the war.Cole Robert A. J. P. Taylor: the Traitor Within the Gates London Macmillan 1993 9781349230235 149 November 3 November – The Emley Moor transmitting station enters service, broadcasting ITV programmes to Yorkshire from its original lattice tower. 8 November – The BBC airs a drama, Man From the Sun, concerning racial prejudice in the UK.1956 Robert Seatter Broadcasting Britain: 100 years of the BBC London Dorling Kindersley 2022 9780241567548 28 November – Granada broadcasts a live production of John Osborne's influential new play Look Back in Anger from its Manchester studio in the ITV Play of the Week strandLook Back in Anger https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974168/ IMDb 2026-07-09 (the BBC had broadcast an extract on 16 October). November – Rowntree's launch their long-running ITV advertising campaign using the slogan "Don't forget the fruit gums, Mum."Interactive Timeline https://www.rowntreesociety.org.uk/interactive-timeline/ Rowntree Society 2025-06-22 December 25 December Christmas Day highlights include the British TV debut of The Lone Ranger on BBC TV. PG Tips launch their long-running ITV advertising campaign using a chimpanzees' tea party with voices provided by Peter Sellers. Unknown Trade test colour films are broadcast on BBC Television for the first time Debuts BBC Television Service/BBC TV 8 January – Space School (1956) 12 January – Strictly T-T (1956) 17 January – The Frontiers of Science (1956–1960; 1968–1969) 21 January – Tales from Soho (1956) 5 February – The White Falcon (1956) 21 February – Nathaniel Titlark (1956) 24 February – Jane Eyre (1956) 8 March – Men in Battle (1956–1957) 10 March – My Friend Charles (1956) 29 March – Billy Cotton Band Show (1956–1968) 5 April – Double Cross (1956) 6 April – Diving To Adventure (1956) 10 April – Picture Parade (1956–1962) 15 April – Rex Milligan (1956) 21 April – Opportunity Murder (1956) 7 May – The Adventures of the Big Man (1956) 24 May – Eurovision Song Contest (1956–present) 4 July – Abigail and Roger (1956) 6 July – Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961) 21 August – The Black Tulip (1956) 25 August – Bill Radford: Reporter (1956) 28 September – David Copperfield (1956) 4 October – Whack-O! (1956–1960, 1971–1972) 6 October – Potts in Parovia (1956) 20 October – The Other Man (1956) 28 October Kidnapped (1956) The Recording Angells (1956) 10 November – Evans Abode (1956) 13 November – The Watch Tower (1956) 1 December The Norman Wisdom Show (1956) The Crime of the Century (1956) 25 December – The Lone Ranger (1949–1957) 28 December – Vanity Fair (1956–1957) Unknown – Champion the Wonder Horse (1956–1957) ITV 6 January – This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992) 16 February – Alfred Marks Time (1956–1961) 20 February – The Count of Monte Cristo (1956) 24 February – The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d 2 March – I'm Not Bothered (1956) 27 April – The Tony Hancock Show (1956–1957) 2 May – A Show Called Fred (1956) 7 May – The Monday Club (1956–1958) 8 May – Zoo Time (1956–1968) 9 May – Gunsmoke (1955–1975) 10 May – Spot the Tune (1956–1962) 19 May – My Sister and I (1956) 19 May – The 64,000 Question (1956–1958) 8 June – Palais Party (1956–1959) 9 June – Those Kids (1956) 20 June – Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990) Undated in June – ITV Wimbledon (1956–1968) 8 July – Armchair Theatre (1956–1974) 20 July – My Husband and I (1956) 31 July – The Crimson Ramblers (1956) 14 August – Two for the Money (1956–1957) 15 September The Adventures of Aggie (1956–1957) The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957) Assignment Foreign Legion (1956) Wyatt Earp (1955–1961) The Strange World of Planet X (1956) 17 September Sailor of Fortune (1955–1956) Son of Fred (1956) 18 September – Do You Trust Your Wife? (1956–1957) 19 September – The Buccaneers (1956–1957) 20 September – Over to William (1956) 2 October – My Wife's Sister (1956–1957) 3 November – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1956) 5 November – What the Papers Say (1956–2008)What the Papers Say (5.11.56) (1956) https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5ebc84ec09c05 https://web.archive.org/web/20220402120621/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5ebc84ec09c05 dead April 2, 2022 BFI 2 April 2022 enWhat 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 1 December – The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956–1957) 15 December – The Trollenberg Terror (1956) 24 December – Boyd Q.C. (1956–1964) 31 December – Cool for Cats (1956–1961) Unknown Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956–1967) Highway Patrol (1956–1960) The Bob Cummings Show (1955–1959) 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 The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971) Come Dancing (1949–1998) 1950s Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005) What's My Line? (1951–1963) Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002) Watch with Mother (1952–1975) The Appleyards (1952–1957) All Your Own (1952–1961) Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965) The Good Old Days (1953–1983) Panorama (1953–present) The Grove Family (1954–1957) Zoo Quest (1954–1963) The Woodentops (1955–1958) Strange Experiences (1955–1962) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960) 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 (1955–1970, 1972–1984, 2020–2021) Ending this year Fabian of the Yard (1954–1956) Births 6 January – Angus Deayton, actor and television presenter 9 January – Imelda Staunton, actress 25 January – Bill Turnbull, television presenter (died 2022) 8 February – Richard Sharp, banker and Chairman of the BBC 14 February – Tom Watt, radio presenter, journalist and actor 11 March – Helen Rollason, sports journalist and television presenter (died 1999) 19 April – Sue Barker, tennis player and television presenter 20 April – Georgie Glen, Scottish actress 26 April – Koo Stark, American-born actress 13 May – Richard Madeley, television presenter 28 May – Julie Peasgood, actress, author and television presenter 1 June – Louise Plowright, actress (died 2016)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12182352/Louise-Plowright-actress-obituary.html Louise Plowright, actress – obituary Telegraph Media Group London The Daily Telegraph 3 March 2016 3 March 2016 10 October – Amanda Burton, actress 11 October – Neil Buchanan, artist, presenter and musician 30 October – Juliet Stevenson, actress 16 November – Lorraine Heggessey, television executive 28 November – Lucy Gutteridge, actress 7 December – Anna Soubry, television journalist, barrister and politician See also 1956 in British music 1956 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1956 References External links List of 1956 British television series at IMDb 1956