1990 in British television

none October 2019 June 2020 1990 British television This is a list of British television related events from 1990. Events January 1 January New Year's Day highlights on BBC1 include the network television premiere of the 1985 romantic drama Out of Africa, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep as well as the 1982 musical sequel Grease 2.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-01-01 BBC One London – 1 January 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 21 October 2018 16 October 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201016041219/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-01-01 dead Debut of the iconic sitcom Mr. Bean on ITV, starring Rowan Atkinson as the titular character. 2 January Granada's flagship nightly news programme Granada Reports is rebranded as Granada Tonight. The first episode of the sixth T-Bag series airs in which Georgina Hale debuts as Tabatha Bag, the second T-Bag. The 30-minute weekday 6am Ceefax slot returns to BBC1, but rather than the special pages used for Ceefax AM, the content is the same as for all other Ceefax broadcasts.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-01-02 BBC Genome Project – BBC1 listings 2 January 1990 For the first time, Emmerdale is networked across almost all of ITV, airing at 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 3 January – The US animated series Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles makes its debut on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/00d40f161ba64c7a99dccf704dd6df94 Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles – BBC One – 3 January 1990 BBC BBC Genome 19 April 2019 19 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190419143449/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/00d40f161ba64c7a99dccf704dd6df94 dead The show's original US title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is changed for the UK because of controversy surrounding ninjas and related weapons such as nunchaku. Susan Cohen Teenage Mutant Ninja Television: Who's winning the battle over kids' TV? Washington Post Magazine 7 April 1991 The intro sequence is heavily edited because of this, replacing the word ninja with hero or fighting, using a digitally faded logo instead of the animated blob and removing any scenes in which the character Michelangelo wields his nunchaku. TMNT: The Renaissance Reptiles Return Kung Fu Magazine http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=703 27 December 2009 6 January 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100106040732/http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=703 dead Scenes of Michelangelo using his nunchaku are likewise edited out of the episodes themselves, leading the American producers to drop the weapons from the series entirely, in order to make the show more appropriate for the international market. 4 January – Debut of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave on BBC1, starring Richard Wilson.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/p09tv4n4 One Foot in the Grave – BBC One London – 4 January 1990 BBC Genome BBC 3 March 2022 6 January The US action drama series Baywatch, starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, makes its UK debut on ITV. Made by NBC, the series proves popular with British viewers with audience figures regularly reaching 13 million. When NBC cancels the series after its first season, ITV teams up with an international consortium of broadcasters to sponsor the show for further seasons.Paul Bonner Lesley Aston Independent Television in Britain: ITV and IBA 1981–92: The Old Relationship https://books.google.com/books?id=DR5_DAAAQBAJ&q=%22Baywatch%22+%22ITV%22+%22January+1990%22&pg=PA107 Palgrave Macmillan 13 July 1998 978-0333647738 106–107 The series comes to an end in 2001, following an eleven-year run.Wilkes Neil http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a1878/baywatch-axed/ Baywatch axed Digital Spy 11 February 2001 15 September 2018 Debut of Jekyll & Hyde on ITV, a made-for-television film starring Michael Caine and Cheryl Ladd. 8 January – The popular classic children's song Nellie the Elephant has been spawned into a five-minute animated cartoon series on ITV, featuring the voices of singer Lulu and Tony Robinson. The first episode is called Nellie and the Ghost and was shown every Monday until 9 April with the episode Nellie Rescues Mrs Maple's Moggy. The series will return on 5 September with Nellie Goes Ballooning and will be shifted onto a Wednesday timeslot. The last three episodes will be broadcast in January 1991 with the final one being shown on 21 January. 9 January – The Secret Cabaret, an innovative and shocking magic-based programme hosted by magician Simon Drake, makes its debut on Channel 4. 14 January – The Observer reports that TVS have started searching for a buyer for a 49% stake in US production company MTM Enterprises which it bought in 1988."TVS seeks buyer for 'Hill Street' stake" The Observer 14 January 1990; 24 January–3 February – The BBC broadcasts the 1990 Commonwealth Games. BBC1 stays on the air all night to provide live coverage. This is the first time that BBC1 has provided full live coverage of an overseas Commonwealth Games with around 12 hours of live action broadcast each day. 27 January – The final episode of Bob's Full House is broadcast on BBC1. 31 January – The network television premiere of the James Bond film A View to a Kill on ITV, starring Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Patrick Macnee, Christopher Walken and Grace Jones.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 January Chrysalis Television takes over the contract to produce LWT News.https://identcentral.co.uk/news-presentation/itv-regional-news/lwt-news/lwt-news-1990-1993/ LWT News: 1990–1993 29 April 2018 9 March 2019 18 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190218081910/https://identcentral.co.uk/news-presentation/itv-regional-news/lwt-news/lwt-news-1990-1993/ dead February 2 February – The BBC Schools gay-themed television film Two of Us is given its first daytime showing on BBC2. It is shown in two parts, on consecutive Friday lunchtimes.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1990-02-02#at-12.15 BBC Two England – 2 February 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 9 March 2019 17 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017034709/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1990-02-02#at-12.15 dead The channel had previously shown the film late at night in March 1988.http://www.gaycelluloid.com/search/088.htm Two of Us gay drama 6 July 2016 5 February – Sky Movies is fully encrypted and becomes Sky's first pay channel. 11 February Live coverage is aired of the African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela's release from Victor Verster Prison, near Cape Town, South Africa. Sky Movies broadcasts its first special event, the boxing fight between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas. 13 February – The US science-fiction series Quantum Leap makes its UK debut on BBC2, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0d39b86a7c8349219b81d5dc65f955bc Quantum Leap – BBC Two England – 13 February 1990 BBC Genome BBC 11 October 2016 6 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200806162710/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0d39b86a7c8349219b81d5dc65f955bc dead 15 February – The hugely popular game show The Crystal Maze makes its debut on Channel 4, presented by Richard O'Brien. 19 February – The documentary series Cutting Edge makes its debut on Channel 4. 20 February – Steve McFadden makes his first appearance as the EastEnders character Phil Mitchell. Ross Kemp's debut as Phil's brother, Grant would air two days later. March 4 March – The Observer newspaper reports that it has formed a partnership with Central to create Central Observer, making environmental themed films for British Satellite Broadcasting and other terrestrial channels with funding from the charity Television Trust for the Environment.Observer to pioneer green broadcasting The Observer 4 March 1990 3 12 March Ahead of the first free legislative election in the German Democratic Republic, BBC1 airs an edition of Panorama in which Fred Emery reports from the GDR and West Germany on the opportunities and strains facing the Germans.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fe4add867c264f0ea26fd9527b0ea1fc Panorama – BBC One London – 12 March 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 6 November 2018 6 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181106172050/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fe4add867c264f0ea26fd9527b0ea1fc dead The final episode of Blankety Blank presented by Les Dawson is broadcast on BBC1, the series is officially cancelled later in September,Les is Blankley Blanked off TV https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0000560%2F19900928&page=1&article=007&stringtohighlight=les+dawson Daily Mirror 28 September 1990 1 although it would return in 1997 with Lily Savage as its host. 20 March – Chancellor John Major delivers the first budget to be broadcast on television.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1bc6ce99f3da4282bfdff7119b6c89e0 Budget 90 Special – BBC Two England – 20 March 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 5 November 2018 23 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141023160924/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1bc6ce99f3da4282bfdff7119b6c89e0 dead 25 March – British Satellite Broadcasting launches on cable as a rival to Sky Television which launched the previous year. Its five BSB channels are launched one-by-one over the space of five days, with The Movie Channel being the first to go on air. 26 March The science-fiction soap Jupiter Moon makes its debut on the Galaxy channel. 150 episodes are commissioned, but only 108 are aired before the series is cancelled in December following BSB's merger with Sky. Debut of the game show Turnabout on BBC1, presented by Rob Curling. 27 March – BBC1 airs the first of two flashback episodes of EastEnders as part of a storyline in which Diane Butcher, played by Sophie Lawrence, ran away from home. The episodes show Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) going to meet his teenage daughter at King's Cross station after she contacted him following a three-month absence. Scenes showing Frank waiting for Diane and their subsequent reunion are interspersed with flashbacks to January showing her leaving home and living rough on the streets.Brake Colin Colin Brake EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration 1995 BBC Books 0-563-37057-2 Sophie Lawrence did research among real homeless people for the storyline. Kingsley Hilary The EastEnders Handbook 1990 BBC books 978-0-563-36292-0 28 March – ITV airs the Granada documentary drama Who Bombed Birmingham?. The programme, which looks at the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings and the conviction of the Birmingham Six, names several people believed to have actually been behind the bombings.The New York Times 29 March 1990 https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD7123DF93AA15750C0A966958260 British TV Names Bombing Suspects 31 March – Opportunity Knocks returns to BBC1 for the 1990 series with its original title and with Les Dawson as host.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f195cefe6f6849929c4af08976eca6ad Opportunity Knocks – BBC One London – 31 March 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 4 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170804121938/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f195cefe6f6849929c4af08976eca6ad dead April 3 April – ITV airs the First Tuesday documentary Sonia's Baby, the story of a woman's fight with the medical establishment to have a test tube baby using her late husband's sperm. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/444065 https://web.archive.org/web/20090208150812/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/444065 dead 2009-02-08 First Tuesday: Sonia's Baby, BFI profile 6 April – The Australian children's science-fiction comedy Round the Twist makes its UK debut on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8b1dace203f9404db16465e5045a616c Round the Twist – BBC One London – 6 April 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 19 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200719204839/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8b1dace203f9404db16465e5045a616c dead 10 April – The UK's first Asian TV channel TV Asia launches and becomes Europe's first entertainment and information channel for the South Asian community from the Indian subcontinent. It initially broadcasts through the night during Sky One's downtime. 14 April BBC2 begins showing the 91-part 1988 Indian serial Mahabharat, a dramatisation of the epic poem the Mahabharata. The programme is shown in Hindi with English subtitles and is repeated the following day in a late-night slot on BBC1.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/200b6217a7ac433481282da81fc91d1f Mahabharat – BBC Two England – 14 April 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 14 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181114061053/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/200b6217a7ac433481282da81fc91d1f dead http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c41e27cf75fc47fa89393f8adf33c45a Mahabharat – BBC One London – 16 April 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 14 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181114060742/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c41e27cf75fc47fa89393f8adf33c45a dead Debut of You've Been Framed! on ITV, presented by Jeremy Beadle. 16 April BBC1 airs Nelson Mandela – an International Tribute, a concert held at Wembley Stadium in honour of Nelson Mandela. The concert features a number of prominent musicians, including Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Stanley Clarke, Natalie Cole, George Duke, Peter Gabriel and Patti LaBelle. Nelson Mandela himself is also in attendance.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9b5d071f25a84333904d83b3228bf0b6 Nelson Mandela – an International Tribute – BBC Two England – 16 April 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 25 November 2018 25 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181125074514/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9b5d071f25a84333904d83b3228bf0b6 dead BBC1 airs Wogan on Ice, a special edition of Terry Wogan's chat show that gives viewers a rare chance to see ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean performing together. The pair, who achieved success during the 1984 Winter Olympics, are appearing together in the UK for the first time since 1985.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ab0556a54e084777aa98e886c13397ad Wogan on Ice – BBC One London – 16 April 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 25 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181125120522/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ab0556a54e084777aa98e886c13397ad dead 17 April – The Channel Four Daily is revamped in a bid to attract more viewers. Some of the segments are changed and the programme starts 30 minutes later, at 6:30am. 19 April – The Original airdate of a French and Saunders episode featuring the sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter", which forms the basis of the hugely popular sitcom Absolutely Fabulous that starts in 1992. 21 April The BBC reverts to airing just one summer Saturday morning magazine show and replaces On the Waterfront and UP2U with a new show, The 8.15 from Manchester, named after its start time and broadcast location.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/723c54f20d9d47459455c2fc56aa96f6 The 8:15 from Manchester – BBC One London – 21 April 1990 BBC Genome Project 3 January 2021 The final episode of You Bet! presented by Bruce Forsyth is broadcast on ITV. 29 April – British Satellite Broadcasting launches on satellite television. May 5 May – Italy's Toto Cutugno wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 from Yugoslavia with "Insieme: 1992"; the programme is notable for a technical fault with Spain's entry from Azucar Moreno. 6 May – The Original airdate of the Everyman episode A Game of Soldiers, a documentary which concerns a group of soldiers exploring their feelings about being trained to kill.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6f3cca50dee14a469b584ae856fb214a Everyman – BBC One London – 6 May 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 17 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170917173201/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6f3cca50dee14a469b584ae856fb214a dead 10 May – The Broadcasting Bill receives its third reading in the House of Commons and is passed with 259 votes to 180. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1990/may/10/broadcasting-bill Broadcasting Bill Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) 10 May 1990 10 April 2009 19 May – Helen Rollason becomes the first female presenter of BBC1's Grandstand.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-05-19 TV Listings for Saturday 19 May 1990 Radio Times BBC Genome Project 24 January 2015 1 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190801003532/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-05-19 dead 22 May – ITV airs Trojan Horse, an episode of The Bill in which the character PC Ken Melvin, played by Mark Powley, is killed while trying to park a car when a bomb inside explodes. 25 May – The anarchic cult comedy series Vic Reeves Big Night Out makes its debut on Channel 4, starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. 27–28 May – ITV stages its second nationwide Telethon. 28 May – ITV airs a special edition of Coronation Street as part of its Telethon in which Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) returns for a special visit. June 1 June – The game show The 64,000 Question makes its debut on ITV, presented by Bob Monkhouse. 2 June – The revived series of Opportunity Knocks ends its run on BBC1 after four series with the 1990 final http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3acfbd1e3abc4b31b1e446a517c22d38 Opportunity Knocks – The Final – BBC One London – 2 June 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 4 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170804061934/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3acfbd1e3abc4b31b1e446a517c22d38 dead which will be officially confirmed in September.Les is Blankley Blanked off TV https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0000560%2F19900928&page=1&article=007&stringtohighlight=les+dawson Daily Mirror 28 September 1990 1 4 June – The government announces that the copyright on TV and radio listings will end on 1 March 1991 meaning that, from this date, any publication (including newspapers) will be able to publish 7-day listings, having previously been able to publish only the present day's listings (and two days on Saturdays). 8 June–8 July – The BBC and ITV provide television coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. 15 June – The long-running children's arts and crafts series Art Attack makes its debut on Children's ITV, presented by Neil Buchanan. 16 June – Pages from Ceefax is shown after 10am for the final time and as from 19 June, BBC2 begins broadcasting programmes when Daytime on Two is not on the air at 10am rather than at lunchtime. 20 June – Archie Macpherson commentates his last football match for BBC Scotland with the Scotland v Brazil World Cup match in Italy which Brazil win 1–0 leaving Scotland eliminated from the finals. He is replaced by Jock Brown (who has commentated the same match on STV) as main commentator when Sportscene returns on 25 August. Brown is replaced by Gerry McNee for Scotsport which is shown the following day. 24 June – The network television premiere of James Cameron's 1984 science fiction film The Terminator, on BBC2 as part of the channel's Moviedrome strand, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bbded5dd672c4988a5a9fe3edb678021 Moviedrome – BBC Two England – 24 June 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 26 August 2018 26 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180826183035/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bbded5dd672c4988a5a9fe3edb678021 dead 28 June – The sitcom Waiting for God makes its debut on BBC1, starring Stephanie Cole.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/def76089ef7e471daf92fa157936e150 Waiting for God – BBC One London – 28 June 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 17 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200717014833/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/def76089ef7e471daf92fa157936e150 dead July 2 July ITV airs Tom McGurk's film Dear Sarah, a play about Giuseppe Conlon's letters to his wife, Sarah, after he was convicted as one of the Maguire Seven for allegedly making IRA bombs.Thomas Deborah http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/article/6th-july-1990/9/letters-from-an-innocent-man Letters From An Innocent Man Catholic Herald 6 July 1990 21 June 2014 Series 4 of The Cook Report began with Roger Cook returning to Spain's Costa Del Sol to investigate the growing drug trade. The Channel 4 game show Countdown celebrates its 1000th edition.http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Countdown Countdown UKGameshows.com 21 February 2015 Debut of the cookery competition MasterChef on BBC1, presented by Loyd Grossman. 5 July – The Tavernier family make their EastEnders debut with parents Celestine and Etta (played by Leroy Golding and Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence), their children, Clyde (Steven Woodcock), Hattie (Michelle Gayle) and Lloyd (Garey Bridges), and grandfather Jules (Tommy Eytle).http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/69cb847869fe4451829f4c6aee9723cd EastEnders – BBC One London – 5 July 1990 BBC Genome BBC 14 October 2016 19 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161019074304/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/69cb847869fe4451829f4c6aee9723cd dead 6 July Channel 4 introduces a third weekly episode of its soap Brookside, airing on a Friday evening. It now airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. BBC1 concludes season 13 of Dallas with a 90 minute feature-length episode. It would be the last time the original series would be on a peak time slot as the final season next year would be shown on Sunday afternoons. 7 July Hey, Hey, it's Saturday! replaces Wac '90 as TV-am's flagship Saturday morning children's programme. In Rome, on the eve of the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the Three Tenors sing together for the first time. The event is broadcast live on Channel 4. The main highlight is Luciano Pavarotti's performance of "Nessun Dorma" from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. It will reach number two on the UK Singles Chart. 9 July – Anglia replaces its news programme About Anglia with Anglia News. It is a new dual news service with both editions broadcast from Norwich. Journalists are also based at seven regional newsrooms and a Westminster bureau.Television & Radio. The Times, Monday, 9 July 1990. They also begin providing separate news services for the East and West of the Anglia region from that day.First Anglia News West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxaX2h0xaoQ https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/hxaX2h0xaoQ 2021-12-20 live YouTube 25 January 2012Barnes Steve Anglia Television – News http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/news.html TVARK: The Online Television Museum 25 January 2012 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120401122946/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/news.html 1 April 2012 Website contains video of original promotion of the new service. 13 July – The network television premiere of Michael Schultz's 1987 science-fiction adventure Timestalkers on BBC1,Timestalkers – BBC1 https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/aa24454da5aa40008e164bb35d64f12a 13 January 2018 Radio Times London, United Kingdom 13 July 1990 BBC Genome Project the film having been postponed from 25 JuneTimestalkers – BBC1 https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8c753d1dc8b14a5c82a8124a4268cdaf 14 April 2026 Radio Times London, United Kingdom 25 June 1990 BBC Genome Project (this was due to a live 1990 FIFA World Cup match between Italy and Uruguay played on the 25 June that was shown live on BBC1). 19 July – MPs vote to make televised proceedings of the House of Commons a permanent feature. 21 July – Debut of Stars in Their Eyes on ITV, a series presented by Leslie Crowther in which members of the public impersonate their favourite singers. 23 July – That night's edition of The Cook Report saw Roger Cook investigate the Tainted Blood Scandal. 25 July – Final appearance of Jason Donovan as Scott Robinson in Neighbours shown on BBC1 14 months after the episode aired in Australia. He will return for the 2022 finale. 31 July – The final edition of Engineering Announcements is shown on Channel 4 at 5:45am.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izz-4_AlKWg https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/Izz-4_AlKWg 2021-12-20 live IBA Engineering Announcements Last Edition 31st July 1990 bayside2000 4 September 2015 26 August 2018 YouTube August 9 August – Debut of the sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey on Channel 4. 16 August – With English clubs due to return to UEFA competition after the Heysel ban, the Football League approves a deal for ITV to show exclusive coverage of Manchester United and Aston Villa's European matches in the 1990–91 season.Ley John 17 August 1990 Luton prepared to scrap ban on away supporters https://www.newspapers.com/image/751433017/?terms=United%20villa%20itv%20euro 23 February 2024 Daily Telegraph 30 18 August – BSB's second Marcopolo satellite is launched. 20 August – The final episode of Miami Vice, Freefall, is broadcast on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fda9763fafd74dd09887bc4968868915 Miami Vice – BBC One – 20 August 1990 BBC Genome BBC 7 August 2019 7 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190807202513/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fda9763fafd74dd09887bc4968868915 dead 24 August – Debut of The Word on Channel 4 hosted by Terry Christian and Amanda de Cadenet with the series being shown on at 6pm and repeated late night later on in the evening. 25 August – The first series of Stars in Their Eyes on ITV is won by Maxine Barrie, performing as Shirley Bassey. 30 August – Dannii Minogue makes her first appearance as Emma Jackson on Home and Away which today airs on ITV, a few days after the character made her final appearance in Australia. 31 August – The network television premiere of Miracles on BBC1, Jim Kouf's 1986 comedy starring Tom Conti and Teri Garr.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9e8fc9e8b44848dd879992d8a65e050d Miracles – BBC One London – 31 August 1990 BBC Genome BBC 22 October 2016 19 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161019062725/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9e8fc9e8b44848dd879992d8a65e050d dead September 1 September — Sky Movies begins broadcasting 24 hours a day. Previously the channel had broadcast shopping programmes between 6am and 2pm. 2 September The network television premiere of Heartsounds on BBC1, a film based on the autobiographical book by Martha Weinman Lear and stars James Garner and Mary Tyler Moore.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0cb925cb531240139905eafd9afa61cd Heartsounds – BBC One London – 2 September 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 9 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170909011656/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0cb925cb531240139905eafd9afa61cd dead The long-running US animated series The Simpsons is broadcast in the UK for the first time, making its debut on Sky One.Wilkes Neil http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a847/simpsons-mania-on-sky-one.html#~oErAYH2Y2LPWic Simpsons Mania on Sky One Digital Spy 22 June 2000 16 May 2014 Call of the Simpsons is the first episode to be shown on Sky. 3 September – The children's series Rosie and Jim makes its debut on Children's ITV. 5 September – The new BBC building at White City opens. 7 September – After an eight-year absence, The Generation Game returns to BBC1 with Bruce Forsyth as its returning host and Rosemarie Ford as its hostess.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b44be341f13d4d8382e655397933e79b Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game – BBC One London – 7 September 1990 BBC Genome BBC 22 October 2016 4 April 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180404074307/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b44be341f13d4d8382e655397933e79b dead 8 September Ahead of the UK broadcast of the 1,000th episode of Neighbours, BBC1 airs Neighbours 1,000th Episode Celebration, a TV special produced by Australia's Network Ten which brought together past and present cast members to mark the occasion.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/de7109b9197b4c55b8b79cac70e623fb Neighbours 1,000th Episode Celebration – BBC One London – 8 September 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 7 January 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180107062656/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/de7109b9197b4c55b8b79cac70e623fb dead Debut of Unsolved Mysteries on Sky One. It uses a documentary format to profile real-life mysteries featuring re-enactments of unsolved crimes, conspiracy theories and unexplained paranormal phenomena. 9 September – As part of the Screen One series, BBC1 airs the groundbreaking comedy-drama Frankenstein's Baby which explores the subject of male pregnancy. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/436040 https://web.archive.org/web/20090129043856/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/436040 dead 2009-01-29 Frankenstein's Baby BFIhttps://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a2b82ef7994f4218ac72502112202d5d Screen One: Frankenstein's Baby – BBC One London – 9 September 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 September 2018 22 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211802/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a2b82ef7994f4218ac72502112202d5d dead 10 September – ThunderCats returns to BBC1 with the second half of the first series. However, because of the concerns 13 September – BBC1 airs the 1,000th episode of Neighbours which features a storyline in which the characters Des Clarke and Jane Harris, played by Paul Keane and Annie Jones, become engaged.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/786e0aa0d8914774958e941b84146ea7 Neighbours – BBC One London – 13 September 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 11 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181111215648/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/786e0aa0d8914774958e941b84146ea7 dead 15 September Raymond Baxter introduces BBC1's live coverage of the fly-past and parade at Buckingham Palace as the Royal Air Force marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/12dd550e317c4aae900ac3c0b6e72da3 The Battle of Britain Fly-Past – BBC One London – 15 September 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 5 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181105062915/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/12dd550e317c4aae900ac3c0b6e72da3 dead BBC2 screens Horror Cafe, a late-night horror themed special with film-makers and authors, such as John Carpenter, Clive Barker and Roger Corman telling scary stories. Followed by the George A. Romero film Martin the Vampire and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman. 16 September – Cliff Michelmore introduces BBC1's coverage of the Battle of Britain Service from Westminster Abbey, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev. and Rt Hon. Dr Robert Runcie.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bbd87c9cd3cf434398f59f231d69dfbb Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary Service – BBC One London – 16 September 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 5 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181105063915/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bbd87c9cd3cf434398f59f231d69dfbb dead 17 September – BBC1 airs a special edition of Blue Peter in which Yvette Fielding travels to Montserrat to report on efforts to rebuild the island which experienced widespread damage when it was struck by Hurricane Hugo on 17 September 1989.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a005ea58b30f44f5b4d802690ec2f9ff Blue Peter – BBC One London – 17 September 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 26 August 2018 26 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214728/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a005ea58b30f44f5b4d802690ec2f9ff dead 23 September – Debut of the Screen One drama Sweet Nothing which deals with the subject of homeless young people in London.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4c9b945537bc4eed89ae3aac8e53d866 Screen One: Sweet Nothing – BBC One London – 23 September 1990 BBC Genome BBC 22 October 2016 27 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180827005355/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4c9b945537bc4eed89ae3aac8e53d866 dead 24 September Yorkshire Television launches a third sub-regional news opt-out for south Yorkshire and north Derbyshire called South and is broadcast from Sheffield while East (Hull) continues to air in east Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and north Norfolk and Calendar News is broadcast to the rest of the region, west and north Yorkshire. Joan Bunting wins the 1990 series of MasterChef on BBC1. 25 September – The children's animated fantasy series The Dreamstone makes its debut on ITV. 26 September Star Trek: The Next Generation makes its UK debut on BBC2, with the feature-length episode Encounter at Farpoint.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e9d27ea9ac9a452397657f088212c6b6 Star Trek: The Next Generation: Encounter at Farpoint 20 September 1990 3484 45 3 February 2019 BBC Genome 4 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190204070623/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e9d27ea9ac9a452397657f088212c6b6 dead After a nine-year absence, the long-running children's series How is revived as How 2 on ITV, presented by Fred Dinenage, Carol Vorderman and Gareth Jones. 28 September – Debut of the panel game show Have I Got News For You on BBC2, presented by Angus Deayton. 30 September – The BSB channel Galaxy airs the pilot episode of Heil Honey I'm Home!, a controversial sitcom featuring a fictionalised Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. The show attracts much criticism and is cancelled after one episode. Several other episodes were recorded, but none has ever been broadcast. October 2 October – The First Tuesday documentary Swing Under the Swastika airs on ITV. The programme looks at jazz music under the Nazi regime and is narrated by Alan Plater. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/445186 https://web.archive.org/web/20090208150359/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/445186 dead 2009-02-08 First Tuesday: Swing Under The Swastika, BFI profile 3 October – The BBC Radio 1 comedy series The Mary Whitehouse Experience comes to television with a series on BBC2.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/98110115932b46e0913cfdb38cf3f588 The Mary Whitehouse Experience – BBC Two England – 3 October 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 November 2018 23 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181123023217/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/98110115932b46e0913cfdb38cf3f588 dead 6 October – ITV screens the network television premiere of Tony Scott's blockbuster 1986 film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. 7 October – Channel 4 premiers the Belgian animated series Bobobobs, while CBBC2 premieres Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio. 15 October BBC1 launches a new weekday morning service called Daytime UK.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-10-15 BBC One London – 15 October 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 17 November 2018 2 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210102180857/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-10-15 dead Linked live from Birmingham and running for four hours, from 8:50am until lunchtime, the new service includes hourly regional news summaries, broadcast after the on-the-hour news bulletins. Fireman Sam returns to BBC1 for a new series with a new character named Penny Morris. 18 October – That day's edition of BBC1's Question Time from Edinburgh becomes the first edition of the programme to feature six panellists after delays require the last-minute substitution of two guests. Tony Benn, Margaret Ewing, Andrew Neil and Malcolm Rifkind were originally scheduled to appear, but Menzies Campbell and Magnus Linklater are drafted in when Benn and Neil are late. They then arrive 20 minutes into the programme and join the discussion. 23 October – David Lynch's critically acclaimed serial drama Twin Peaks makes its UK debut at 9pm on BBC2.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f63934036eaa4bc695558232c1f4843b Twin Peaks: 1 – BBC Two England – 23 October 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 14 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181114060652/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f63934036eaa4bc695558232c1f4843b dead 29 October – Debut of the popular sitcom Keeping Up Appearances on BBC1, starring Patricia Routledge.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1d2e184fd9c64a74afabaf9ee88a1d45 Keeping Up Appearances – BBC One London – 29 October 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 5 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181105064439/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1d2e184fd9c64a74afabaf9ee88a1d45 dead 30 October – Debut of The Sentence, an eight-part BBC2 documentary series looking at life inside Glen Parva Young Offenders Institute near Leicester, Europe's largest prison of its type. It is the first time a television crew has been given access to the prison.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bd3b98a452e94d1eb359a3b93ed4e008 The Sentence – BBC Two England – 30 October 1990 BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 26 October 2016 29 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201129204255/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bd3b98a452e94d1eb359a3b93ed4e008 dead November 1 November – The Broadcasting Act 1990 receives Royal Assent. The Act paves the way for the deregulation of the British commercial broadcasting industry and will have many consequences for the ITV system. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/nov/20/broadcasting.mondaymediasection2 Broadcasting Act, 1990 The Guardian John Dugdale 20 November 2000 9 April 2009http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/itc_publications/itc_notes/view_note59.html The Broadcasting Acts of 1990 and 1996 Ofcom https://web.archive.org/web/20090508065029/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/itc_publications/itc_notes/view_note59.html 2009-05-08 live 2009-04-10 The Act also sets out the terms of a license for a fifth UK television channel which would need to be a general entertainment channel with a remit for some public service broadcasting. Additionally, it is estimated that the channel's coverage would reach only 74% of the UK and a video retuning operation would need to be undertaken.Maggie Brown https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/23/channel-five-timeline Channel Five: a timeline Guardian Media Group 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 2 November – BSB merges with Sky Television, becoming British Sky Broadcasting. Of BSB's five channels, only two, The Movie Channel and The Sports Channel, remain on the air long-term, though both are eventually renamed. Galaxy is closed with its transponders handed over to Sky One, Now is replaced in the most part with Sky News and The Power Station remains on the air until 8 April 1991 before being replaced with MTV. 8 November – The comedy sketch show Harry Enfield's Television Programme, later called Harry Enfield & Chums, makes its debut on BBC2. Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke star. 9 November – The Word is moved from 6pm to a late-night timeslot on Channel 4 with the show being repeated the following night. 11 November – At 10:40pm, ITV airs an ITN News special in which Trevor McDonald talks to Saddam Hussein. In his first interview with a British broadcaster since his country's invasion of Kuwait in August, the Iraqi President calls for talks and attempts to link the ongoing Gulf crisis with the Palestinian issue.http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1990/11/11/T11119008/ Gulf Crisis: Trevor Mcdonald Talks To Saddam Hussein: Special ITN Itn Source 11 November 1990 6 July 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110719185651/http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/2007/02/16/RTV248507/ 19 July 2011 12 November – The British/Swiss children's series Pingu makes its debut on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-11-12#at-10.25 BBC One London – 12 November 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 9 March 2019 23 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141023190005/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-11-12#at-10.25 dead 13 November – Geoffrey Howe makes a dramatic resignation speech in the House of Commons which will precipitate Margaret Thatcher's resignation as Prime Minister; this is the first significant speech to have been seen since television cameras were admitted to the House a year ago. 14 November – Tim Whitnall succeeds Tyler Butterworth as alien Angelo in the ITV children's sitcom Mike and Angelo. 18 November–23 December – The BBC's serialisation of The Chronicles of Narnia concludes with the fourth and final story, The Silver Chair, being aired in six parts.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/02e5571e476944718baa1f5d0f3a24a0 The Chronicles of Narnia – BBC One London – 18 November 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 November 2018 23 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181123023713/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/02e5571e476944718baa1f5d0f3a24a0 deadhttps://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5d57e837b66f458198ae46ca3fe1da85 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair: 6 – BBC One London – 23 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 November 2018 23 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181123023736/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5d57e837b66f458198ae46ca3fe1da85 dead 20 November The date of broadcaster John Sergeant's famous encounter with Margaret Thatcher on the steps of the British embassy in Paris. He was waiting for Thatcher in the hope of hearing her reaction to the first ballot in the party leadership contest of 1990, only to be pushed aside by her press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham, when Thatcher emerges from the building. Sergeant later wins the British Press Guild award for the most memorable broadcast of the year. BBC1 airs The Maze – Enemies Within, an Inside Story special looking at life inside Northern Ireland's Maze Prison.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a887fd1578da42438a62353cfed8db06 Inside Story Special – BBC One London – 20 November 1990 BBC Genome BBC 26 October 2016 17 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170917215536/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a887fd1578da42438a62353cfed8db06 dead On today's episode of Emmerdale, Malandra Burrows (as Kathy Merrick) sings "Just This Side of Love", a song that was released by Burrows as a single on 26 November. The song enters the UK Singles Chart at #44, before spending eight weeks in the top 60 and peaking at #11 on 22 December. 22 November – Following Margaret Thatcher's resignation as Prime Minister, this evening's edition of Question Time, broadcast from London's Barbican Centre, is transmitted in two parts, with two different panels. The first part features Enoch Powell, David Owen, James Callaghan and Simon Jenkins while Michael Howard, Nigel Lawson, Paddy Ashdown and Roy Hattersley are the panellists for the second part. 25 November The final episode of Howards' Way is broadcast on BBC1.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/86319da095b44073ac9d9976212d95be Howards' Way – BBC One London – 25 November 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 17 November 2018 18 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181118040027/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/86319da095b44073ac9d9976212d95be dead The original airdate of episode three of the ninth series of Spitting Image which concludes with a film showing footage of Britain's homeless crisis over which plays a parody of Dionne Warwick's 1964 song "Walk on By". The piece is introduced as one of the legacies of Margaret Thatcher's government and is rare for the series in that no puppets were used.Dave Hill https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jun/25/homelessness-boris-johnson-funding-shrinking End homelessness? Where will they go? Guardian Media Group The Guardian 25 June 2011 22 October 2016 December 1 December – With the media watching, the two ends of the service tunnel of the Channel Tunnel are joined together, linking Britain and France for the first time since the Ice Age. A handshake then takes place between Englishman Graham Fagg and Frenchman Phillippe Cozette, after which British and French workers board trains to complete the first journey between the two countries. Chunnel birthday Evening Mail Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd 2 December 2000 http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1990-12-02/news/1990336103_1_channel-tunnel-english-channel-french-construction Channel Tunnel Handshake | Historic tunnel handshake joins Britain to France Baltimore Sun Tribune Company 2 December 1990 5 May 2014 6 May 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140506031310/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1990-12-02/news/1990336103_1_channel-tunnel-english-channel-french-construction dead 2 December ITV airs a repeat of the first-ever episode of Coronation Street as the soap approaches its 30th anniversary. Galaxy and Now are closed down and are replaced on the Marcopolo satellite by Sky One and Sky News, although arts programmes are shown for a short time as a weekend opt-out service from Sky News. 7 December – BBC2 airs Your Move, a pioneering interactive show in which the home audience are invited to play chess against grandmaster Jonathan Speelman using telephone voting to select each move.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f9a76690edde4ce1ba33d14b0576d845 * Your Move – BBC Two England – 7 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 23 September 2018 23 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180923200823/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f9a76690edde4ce1ba33d14b0576d845 dead 9 December Cilla Black hosts Happy Birthday Coronation Street, an evening of entertainment on ITV to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the long–running soap.https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/martyn-hett/coronation-street_b_9040976.html Late 80s to Early 90s – A Golden Era for 'Coronation Street'? Martin Hett HuffPost 22 January 2016 The Greek language channel Hellenic TV, the UK's first foreign-language service to be given a broadcast licence by the Independent Television Commission goes on the air in London. 15 December – Last edition of The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow on BBC1. The programme was a slow-burning success since it began in 1988, and following this series, Edmonds' popularity and reputation were sufficiently re-established with the public for Edmonds to pitch Noel's House Party to the BBC, which began the following year. 16 December – The network television premiere of the 1984 comedy film The Muppets Take Manhattan on BBC1, the third feature-length film starring The Muppets.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/483e554bd56c49a48ccc6051359f5dc9 The Muppets Take Manhattan – BBC One – 16 December 1990 BBC Genome BBC 5 January 2020 24 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141024063529/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/483e554bd56c49a48ccc6051359f5dc9 dead 22 December – BBC1 shows the network television premiere of the 1987 sci-fi comedy film Innerspace, starring Dennis Quaid and Martin Short. 24 December BBC1 airs feature-length episode of All Creatures Great and Small, the last to be shown in the long-running series.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f82e5eb92ebb42419fcd35f01857bd8b All Creatures Great and Small – BBC One London – 24 December 1990 – BBC Genome Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2018-01-13 27 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180827075613/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f82e5eb92ebb42419fcd35f01857bd8b dead The first Wallace & Gromit film, A Grand Day Out, makes its debut on Channel 4. The film itself already had its premiere a year earlier at an animation festival in Bristol and features the voice of Peter Sallis as Wallace. 25 December The network television premiere of Steven Spielberg's 1982 science-fiction blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on BBC1, starring Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and Henry Thomas.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/89bd72b6705c4d9c8279e57c4d0e81ac ET – BBC One London – 25 December 1990 BBC Genome BBC 16 October 2016 5 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181105063411/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/89bd72b6705c4d9c8279e57c4d0e81ac dead ITV shows the network television premiere of the 1987 action comedy sequel Beverly Hills Cop II, starring Eddie Murphy. Channel 4 airs The Coronation Street Birthday Lecture, a talk delivered by Labour politician Roy Hattersley in which he discusses aspects of the soap in front of an invited audience which includes some Coronation Street cast members. The programme also includes some classic clips from the series.The Coronation Street Birthday Lecture at the British Film InstituteHelp request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert – if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. October 2023 26 December Boxing Day highlights on ITV include the network television premieres of the 1987 romantic drama film Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey and the 1985 children's fantasy film Return to Oz. BBC1 shows the network television premiere of the 1986 supernatural horror film Poltergeist II: The Other Side, starring JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelsonhttps://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7a2a5e8d51664bb687caa9e91cb8f167 Poltergeist II – BBC One London – 26 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 September 2018 22 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211850/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7a2a5e8d51664bb687caa9e91cb8f167 dead as well as Toto – Live in Paris, a rare live performance from Toto.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abb99ab3b7264ff08b9d8e4f09f689ba Toto – Live In Paris – BBC One London – 26 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 22 September 2018 22 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211848/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abb99ab3b7264ff08b9d8e4f09f689ba dead ITV airs a TV adaptation of R. D. Blackmore's historical romance Lorna Doone. The film, produced by Thames is noted for its choice of filming location, footage having been shot near Glasgow rather than in the novel's Exmoor setting. 27 December BBC1 airs the first part of the Australian film Bushfire Moon.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f65565627caa46529e3b3d3daa0f68dd Bushfire Moon – BBC One London – 28 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 7 November 2018 7 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181107230006/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f65565627caa46529e3b3d3daa0f68dd dead The second part is shown the following day. The network television premiere of Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy adventure The Dark Crystal on BBC2.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c3a4fea1e0e840cf8aa0a1831863d62d The Dark Crystal – BBC Two England – 27 December 1990 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 5 November 2018 5 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181105063818/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c3a4fea1e0e840cf8aa0a1831863d62d dead The network television premiere of My Left Foot, Jim Sheridan's 1989 biopic of the writer Christy Brown on ITV, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. 31 December – New Year's Eve highlights on BBC1 include the network television premiere of the 1987 romantic comedy Roxanne, a modern retelling of Edmond Rostand's 1897 verse play Cyrano de Bergerac, starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah.http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/49cec5dc57314fb5a3fc3d61527ccb86 FILM Roxanne – BBC One London – 31 December 1990 BBC Genome BBC 29 January 2017 5 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180705005315/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/49cec5dc57314fb5a3fc3d61527ccb86 dead Debuts BBC1 3 January – Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (1987–1996) Mick and Mac (1990) 4 January – Alfonso Bonzo (1990) One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000) 6 January – Waterfront Beat (1990–1991) 8 January – The Further Adventures of SuperTed (1989) 15 February Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie (1990–1994) Dizzy Heights (1990–1993) 26 March – Turnabout (1990–1996) 6 April – Round the Twist (1990, 1992, 2000–2001) 21 April – The 8:15 from Manchester (1990–1991) 26 May – Takeover Bid (1990–1991) 29 May – Chain (1990) 28 June – Waiting for God (1990–1994) 2 July – MasterChef (1990–2001, 2005–present) 4 September – On the Up (1990–1992) 14 September – Bump (1990–1994) 22 September – Babar (1989–1991) 3 October Canned Carrott (1990–1992) The Trials of Life (1990) 4 October – Uncle Jack (1990–1993) 11 October – Your Cheatin' Heart (1990) 28 October – The Green Man (1990) 29 October – Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995) 12 November – Pingu (1986–2000, 2004–2006) 13 November – Forget Me Not Farm (1990–1991) 18 November The Silver Chair (1990) House of Cards (1990) 23 December – The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (1990–1994) BBC2 10 January – Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990) 13 February – Quantum Leap (1989–1993) 21 March – Never Come Back (1990) 6 April – United (1990) 20 May – The March (1990)https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/10/24/1438888/-Prophetic-Film-The-March-1990 Prophetic Film: "The March," 1990 21 October 2018 19 September – Portrait of a Marriage (1990) 26 September – Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) 27 September – Rab C. Nesbitt (1990–2014) 28 September – Have I Got News for You (1990–present) 3 October – The Mary Whitehouse Experience (1990–1992) 7 October – Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio (1972–1973) 13 October – The Littl' Bits (1980) 23 October – Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017) 24 October – Blood Rights (1990) 8 November – Harry Enfield's Television Programme (1990–1998) 14 November – Die Kinder (1990) 22 November – Nicholas Craig Masterclass (1990–1992) ITV 1 January – Mr. Bean (1990–1995) 5 January – Stolen (1990) 6 January Jekyll & Hyde (1990) Baywatch (1989–2001) 7 January – Rescue (1990) 8 January – Nellie the Elephant (1990–1991) 10 January – Wowser (1989) 13 January – Yellowthread Street (1990) 20 January – Kappatoo (1990–1992) 21 January – Tarrant on TV (1990–2006) 27 January – Haggard (1990–1992) 7 February El C.I.D. (1990–1992) No Job for a Lady (1990–1992) 21 February – Spatz (1990–1992) 6 March – Chancer (1990–1991) 22 March – TECX (1990) 25 March – Not with a Bang (1990) 26 March – What-a-Mess (1979–1980, 1990) 5 April – Video View (1990–1992) 14 April – You've Been Framed! (1990–2022) 20 April – The Chief (1990–1995) 22 April Jeeves and Wooster (1990–1993) Perfect Scoundrels (1990–1992) 23 April – Families (1990–1993) 1 May – The Upper Hand (1990–1996) 2 May – Up the Garden Path (1990–1993) 12 May – Wayne Dobson – A Kind of Magic (1990–1992) 19 May – Cannon and Ball's Casino (1990) 30 May – Missing Persons (1990) 1 June – The $64,000 Question (1990–1993) 3 June – Shoot to Kill (1990) 15 June – Art Attack (1990–2007) 9 July – ITV News Anglia (1990–present) 21 July – Stars in Their Eyes (1990–2006, 2015) 24 July – Made in Heaven (1990) 25 July – Cluedo (1990–1993) 1 September – The New Adventures of Black Beauty (1990–1993) 3 September – Rosie and Jim (1990–2000) 6 September – Emlyn's Moon (1990) 7 September – The Piglet Files (1990–1992) 21 September – Paddington Bear (1989–1990) 24 September – Cannon and Balls Playhouse (1990) 25 September – The Dreamstone (1990–1995) 26 September – How 2 (1990–2006) 9 October – She-Wolf of London (1990–1991) 26 October – Coasting (1990) 14 November – Medics (1990–1995) 22 November – Sea Dragon (1990) 25 November – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them (1990) 26 December – Lorna Doone (1990) 28 December – Father Dowling Mysteries (1987–1991) 29 December – The Widowmaker (1990) Channel 4 2 January – Gophers! (1990) 9 January – The Secret Cabaret (1990–1992) 2 February – The Great Moghuls (1990) 14 February – Boom! (1990–1991) 15 February – The Crystal Maze (1990–1995, 2016–2020) 19 February – Cutting Edge (1990–2017) 27 February – Nightingales (1990–1993) 27 March – Oh, Mr. Toad (1990) 5 May – Bright Sparks (1989) 10 May – My Two Dads (1987–1990) 25 May – Vic Reeves Big Night Out (1990–1991) 4 June – Don't Quote Me (1990) 12 June – Set of Six (1990) 27 June – The Gravy Train (1990) 14 July – Elly & Jools (1990) 29 July – A TV Dante (1990) 9 August – Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998) 10 August – The Word (1990–1995) 7 October – Bobobobs (1988–1989) 8 October – Centrepoint (1990) 24 December – A Grand Day Out (1989) Unknown Nocturne (1990) Hero Hungry (1990) M.A.S.K. (1985–1986) S4C 17 September – Heno (1990–2003, 2012–present) Sky One 2 September – The Simpsons (1989–present) (Repeated on BBC1 & BBC2 from 1996–2004 and Channel 4 & E4 from 2004–present) 3 September – Love at First Sight (1990–1992) 8 September – Unsolved Mysteries (1987–2002, 2008–2010, 2020) 3 October – Alien Nation (1989–1990) Channels New channels DateChannel 25 March The Movie Channel 26 March Galaxy 27 March The Sports Channel 28 March Now 29 March The Power Station 10 April TV Asia 28 June The Computer Channel Defunct channels DateChannel 29 November The Computer Channel 1 December Now 2 December Galaxy Rebranded channels DateOld NameNew Name 11 February Sky Movies Sky Movies Plus 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 19 January – Home to Roost (1985–1990) 6 February – Greenclaws (1989–1990) 27 January – Bob's Full House (1984–1990) 16 February – Colin's Sandwich (1988–1990) 12 March – Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002) 16 March – Campion (1989–1990) 25 March – Don't Wait Up (1983–1990) 9 April – The Labours of Erica (1989–1990) 2 June – Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990) 22 June – South of the Border (1988–1990) 6 July – Connections (1985–1990) 28 July – The Trap Door (1986–1990) 14 August – Made in Heaven (1990) 15 August – TECX (1990) 19 August – A Kind of Living (1988–1990) 22 August – Fraggle Rock (1984–1990) 19 September – The Best of Magic (1989–1990) 1 October – Penny Crayon (1989–1990) 7 November – Blood Rights (1990) 25 November Juke Box Jury (1959–1967, 1979, 1989–1990) Howards' Way (1985–1990) 27 November – The Paradise Club (1989–1990) 7 December – Coasting (1990) 9 December – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them (1990) 11 December – Huxley Pig (1989–1990) 13 December – The Brollys (1990) 15 December – The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow (1988–1990) 19 December – Die Kinder (1990) 24 December – All Creatures Great and Small (1978–1990, 2020–present) Unknown – Coconuts (1990) Reksio (1967–1990) Births 1 March – Harry Eden, actor 16 May – Thomas Brodie-Sangster, actor 18 June – Jacob Anderson, actor 24 June – Rosie Jones, comedian 29 July – Joey Essex, reality TV personality 17 October – Scarlett Moffatt, TV presenter Deaths Date Name Age Cinematic Credibility8 JanuaryTerry-Thomas78actor14 JanuaryGordon Jackson66actor (Upstairs, Downstairs, The Professionals)23 JanuaryDerek Royle61actor8 AprilDoreen Sloane56actress (Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Brookside)2 MayDavid Rappaport38actor (Time Bandits, The Wizard)21 MayMax Wall82comedian and actor15 JuneRaymond Huntley86actor (Upstairs, Downstairs)30 JuneLynne Carol76actress (Coronation Street)14 JulyPhilip Leacock72television director16 JulySidney Torch82theme tune composer2 AugustEdwin Richfield68actor17 AugustGraham Williams45television producer7 SeptemberA. J. P. Taylor84historian and television presenter12 SeptemberAthene Seyler101actress4 OctoberAlyn Ainsworth66musical director (Fifty Years of Music, Lena Zavaroni and Music)Jill Bennett58actressAvis Bunnage673 NovemberValerie French62actress14 NovemberMalcolm Muggeridge87journalist, author and media personality15 NovemberJill Day59actress (The Jill Day Show)19 DecemberBasil Henson72actor See also 1990 in British music 1990 in British radio 1990 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1990 References External links List of 1990 British television series at IMDb 1990