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1957 in British television
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1957 British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1957.
Events
January
9 January – The 1956 BBC Sportsview Personality of the Year takes place and is won by cricketer Jim Laker. It is the only time to date the event has not taken place in the year itself.
February
16 February – The "Toddlers' Truce" (an arrangement whereby there were no television broadcasts between 6pm and 7pm, to allow parents to put their children to bed) is abolished – it has been a major stumbling block to the success of ITV. The BBC immediately fills the slot on Saturdays with Six-Five Special which pioneers the presentation of rock and roll on television.
18 February - First edition of Tonight on BBC TV presented by Cliff Michelmore being broadcast live on weekday evenings and shown on the former "Toddlers' Truce" slot.
19 February – ITV begins showing medical soap opera Emergency Ward 10 made by ATV; it will run continuously two evenings a week until 1967.
20 February – The US live action comic book series Adventures of Superman debuts on ITV, starring George Reeves as Superman.
March
3 March – The United Kingdom enters the Eurovision Song Contest (staged this year in Frankfurt) for the first time, with "All" performed by Patricia Bredin. The United Kingdom finishes in third place.
April
1 April – British current affairs programme Panorama broadcasts the famous Spaghetti tree hoax report.https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/1/newsid_2819000/2819261.stm BBC fools the nation BBC On This Day 16 May 2009 1957-04-01
20 April – Debut of the US comedy series The Phil Silvers Show on the BBC.
21 April – Historical documentary series Men, Women and Clothes begins airing. It is the first BBC programme filmed in colour, although it can only be transmitted in black and white.
24 April – The Sky at Night appears for the first time, presented by Patrick Moore. It continues to air with Moore as presenter until his death in December 2012.
June
2 June – BBC Television broadcasts the final of the 1957 European Amateur Boxing Championships live from Prague. For the first time, the BBC broadcasts an event held in a Communist state, which is also relayed to the rest of the Eurovision network in other Western European countries....And Iron Curtain gives way to TV show https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19570603-1.2.45 11 December 2024 The Straits Times 3 June 1957
August
31 August – Central Scotland's ITV franchise Scottish Television goes on air, the first 7-day-a-week ITV franchise to do so, broadcasting through Black Hill transmitting station. It launches at 5:30 pm with This is Scotland, an hour-long variety broadcast live from its Theatre Royal, Glasgow, studios, introduced by James Robertson Justice.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LzQ1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1383%2C89737 Gala start to ITV in Scotland. “Programmes of Infinite Variety” Promised The Glasgow Herald 2 September 1957 9 2024-07-28
September
September – The first broadcasts of regional news bulletins take place.
18 September – The sports programme Scotsport begins airing on Scottish Television, although the programme is originally called Sports Desk. Scotsport's debut STV July 2007 http://www.stv.tv/content/tv/footage_library/Decades/1950s.html 6 July 2007 30 September 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930182205/http://www.stv.tv/content/tv/footage_library/Decades/1950s.html dead By the time it ends in 2008 it is recognised as the world's longest running television sports magazine.
24 September – The ITV Schools and BBC Schools services, broadcasting programmes for schools and colleges, both go on air.
30 September – Regional television news bulletins for the north of England begin from Piccadilly's studio N in Manchester.CHAPTER FOUR – BBC MANCHESTER – A HISTORY http://downloads.bbci.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/our_work/dame_janet_smith_review/hall/chapter_4.pdf BBC Trust 31 May 2016 26 PDF
December
3 December – Face to Face debuts on the BBC Television Service.
24 December – BBC Television shows the 1946 Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart.
25 December – The Royal Christmas Message is first televised with Queen Elizabeth II on camera for the first time.
Undated
Fry's Turkish Delight chocolate bar begins to be promoted with the slogan "Full of Eastern Promise".Berry Steve Norman Phil A History of Sweets in 50 Wrappers 2014 The Friday Project London 9780007575480 99
Debuts
BBC Television Service/BBC TV
2 January – Potts and the Phantom Piper (1957)
3 January – Our Miss Pemberton (1957–1958)
13 January – The Adventures of Peter Simple (1957)
17 January – My Pal Bob (1957–1958)
8 February – Kenilworth (1957)
16 February – Six-Five Special (1957–1958)
18 February – Tonight (1957–1965)
22 February – On Safari (1957–1965)
3 March – The Railway Children (1957)
12 March – Uncertain Honours (1957)
28 March – The Wharf Road Mob (1957)
9 April – Portraits of Power (1957–1958)
17 April – Lenny the Lion Show (1957–1960)
20 April – The Phil Silvers Show (1955–1959)
24 April – The Sky at Night (1957–present)
25 April – Alma Cogan Show (1957; 1962)
30 April – Sara Crewe (1957)
6 May – Drake's Progress (1957–1958)
12 May – The Kilt Is My Delight (1957–1963)
19 May – The Machine Breakers (1957)
29 May –Precious Bane (1957)
2 June – From Me to You (1957)
13 June – Sheep's Clothing (1957)
16 June – Huntingtower (1957)
22 July – Scott Free (1957)
27 July – Escape (1957)
28 July – A Tale of Two Cities (1957)
8 August – The Orange Orchard (1957)
4 September – Mister Charlesworth (1957)
2 October – Educated Evans (1957–1958)
12 October – Thunder in the West (1957)
16 October – The Royalty (1957–1958)
18 October – Nicholas Nickelby (1957)
25 October – Be Soon (1957)
13 November – A Time of Day (1957)
24 November – The Silver Sword (1957)
7 December
Angel Pavement (1957–1958)
Caxton's Tales (1957–1958)
15 December – The Trial of Mary Lafarge (1957)
31 December – Onion Boys
Unknown
Captain Pugwash (BBC 1957–1966; 1974–1975, ITV 1997–2002)
Pinky and Perky (1957–1968)
ITV
2 January
The Adventures of Long John Silver (1954–1955)
The Arthur Haynes Show (1957–1966)
5 January – The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957)
7 January – Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1965)
9 January – The Carroll Levis Show (1957–1960)
17 January – A Date with Don (1957–1958)
24 January – Wyatt Earp (1955–1961)
26 January – The Man Who Was Two (1957)
11 February – Yes, It's the Cathode-Ray Tube Show! (1957)
15 February – The Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
18 February – Outlook on... (1957)
19 February –
Make Way for Tomorrow (1957)
The Adventures of Long John Silver (1954–1955)
Emergency-Ward 10 (1957–1967)
20 February –
The Adventures of Superman (1953–1958)
Youth Wants to Know (1957–1958)
21 February – Answers Please! (1957–1958)
9 March – The Gentle Killers (1957)
14 March – Jim's Inn (1957–1963)
19 March –
Bury the Hatchet (1957)
Roving Report (1957–1964)
25 March –
Captain David Grief (1956–1957)
Destination–Downing Street (1957)
Cooper or Life with Tommy (1957)
26 March – Soldiers of Fortune (1956–1957)
4 April – The Adventures of Superman (1953–1958)
5 April –
Cross Talk (1957)
Together Again (1957)
12 April – Living It Up (1957–1958)
20 April – Electrode 93 (1957)
22 April – Walt Disney Presents (1957–1965)
25 April – Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957)
27 April – The Joe Loss Show (1957)
20 May – The Gay Cavalier (1957)
15 June
Hour of Mystery (1957)
Motive for Murder (1957)
Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! (1957)
17 June –
Criss Cross Quiz (1957–1967)
Shadow Squad (1957–1959)
18 June – Tell the Truth (1957-196?)
19 June – The Army Game (1957–1961)
12 July – The Gay Cavalier (1957)
3 August – The Schirmer Inheritance (1957)
5 August – Highland Fling (1957)
7 August – Dead Giveaway (1957)
9 August – The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957–1958)
14 September – Five Names for Johnny (1957)
16 September – Murder Bag (1957–1958)
17 September – Chelsea at Nine (1957–1960)
18 September – Out of Step (1957)
22 September – O.S.S. (1957–1958)
12 October – White Hunter (1957–1959)
13 November – The Adventures of Twizzle (1957–1959)
21 December – Web (1957)
Unknown
Mark Saber (1955–1960)
The Adventures of a Jungle Boy (1957)
STV
18 September – Scotsport (1957–2008)
Continuing television shows
1920s
BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)
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)
All Your Own (1952–1961)
Watch with Mother (1952–1975)
Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
Panorama (1953–present)
The Woodentops (1955–1958)
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)
Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
ITV Wimbledon (1956–1968)
Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline
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
Ending this year
The Appleyards (1952–1957)
The Grove Family (1954–1957)
The Adventures of Aggie (1956–1957)
The Tony Hancock Show (1956–1957)
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957)
Births
17 January – Keith Chegwin, presenter (d. 2017)
24 January – Ade Edmondson, comic actor
27 February – Timothy Spall, actor
22 March – Michael Mosley, Indian-born science presenter (d. 2024)
5 May – Richard E. Grant, actor
11 May – Mike Nesbitt, broadcast journalist and politician
4 June – Sue Hodge, actress
10 June – Stevie Spring, media executive and businesswoman
4 July – Jenny Seagrove, actress
9 July – Paul Merton, comic actor and game show participant
12 July – Christopher Quinten, actor
17 July – Fern Britton, presenter
23 July
Jo Brand, comedian
Quentin Willson, presenter (d. 2025)
12 August – Amanda Redman, actress
24 August – Stephen Fry, comic actor, presenter and author
8 September – Dave Myers, presenter (d. 2024)
12 September – Rachel Ward, actress
11 October – Dawn French, comic actress
24 October – Sarah Greene, presenter
26 October – Julie Dawn Cole, actress
17 November – Debbie Thrower, presenter
30 November – Colin Mochrie, comedian
23 December – Trisha Goddard, presenter
26 December – Dermot Murnaghan, journalist and presenter (d. 2026)
Deaths
7 August – Oliver Hardy, part of Laurel and Hardy, aged 65
See also
1957 in British music
1957 in the United Kingdom
List of British films of 1957
References
External links
List of 1957 British television series at IMDb
1957