1954 in British television
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This is a list of British television related events from 1954.
Events[]
January[]
- 11 January – The first weather forecast with an in-vision presenter is televised in the United Kingdom; its first presenter is George Cowling.[1]
February[]
- No events.
March[]
- No events.
April[]
- 9 April – The Grove Family, generally considered the first British TV soap opera, debuts on the BBC Television Service.[2][3]
May[]
- No events.
June[]
- No events.
July[]
- 5 July – First actual news bulletin, News and Newsreel, aired on the BBC Television Service, replacing Television Newsreel.[4]
- 30 July – The Television Act 1954 is given Royal Assent. It authorises the setting up of the infrastructure for British commercial television.
August[]
- No events.
September[]
- No events.
October[]
- 7 October – BBC Television covers a party political conference for the first time when it broadcasts from the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool.
November[]
- No events.
December[]
- 12 December – The BBC Television Service screens its famous, and controversial, adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
- 30 December – The first BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony is presented from London's Savoy Hotel. It airs annually from now on.
- The British Academy Television Awards, the most prestigious awards in the British television industry, are first awarded.
Debuts[]
BBC Television Service[]
- 4 January – The Cabin in the Clearing (1954)
- 16 January – (1954)
- 19 January – (1954–1955)
- 27 January – (1954)
- 6 February – (1954)
- 30 March – (1954)
- 31 March – Gravelhanger (1954)
- 9 April – The Grove Family (1954–1957)
- 21 April – Running Wild (1954)
- 11 May – (1954)
- 12 May – (1954)
- 12 May – (1954–1955)
- 7 June – (1954–1957)
- 15 June – (1954)
- 10 July – Happy Holidays (1954)
- 13 July – Dear Dotty (1954)
- 14 July – (1954)
- 3 August – (1954)
- 16 August – (1954–1955)
- 25 August – Crime on Our Hands (1954)
- 1 October – And So to Bentley (1954)
- 13 November – Fabian of the Yard (1954–1956)
- 21 December – Zoo Quest (1954–1963)
- 24 December – Carols From Kings (1953-present)
Independent productions[]
- The Halls of Ivy (produced by ITC Entertainment)
- (produced by Danziger Productions)
Continuing television shows[]
1920s[]
- BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)
1930s[]
- The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019)
- BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)
1940s[]
- Muffin the Mule (1946–1955, 2005–2006)
- Come Dancing (1949–1998)
1950s[]
- Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
- Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002)
- Watch with Mother (1952–1973)
- The Appleyards (1952–1957)
- All Your Own (1952–1961)
- Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
- The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
- Panorama (1953–present)
Ending this year[]
- Television Newsreel (1948–1954)
Births[]
- 6 January – John Sparkes, comedian
- 20 February – Anthony Head, actor
- 16 March – Jimmy Nail, actor and singer
- 17 March – Lesley-Anne Down, actress
- 9 May – Nicholas Crane, geographer and TV presenter
- 21 June – Anne Kirkbride, actress (Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street) (died 2015)
- 16 July – Nicholas Frankau, actor
- 26 August – Steve Wright, broadcaster
- 27 August – Andrew Marshall, scriptwriter
- 8 September – Anne Diamond, journalist and television presenter
- 24 September
- Helen Lederer, comedian and actress
- Martin Sixsmith, journalist, author and radio and television presenter
- 3 October – Jeff Randall, journalist and television presenter
- 14 October – Carole Malone, journalist and presenter[5]
- 19 October – Ken Stott, actor
- 24 November – Susan Gilmore, actress (Avril Rolfe in Howards' Way)
- 1 December – Alan Dedicoat, newsreader and the National Lottery's "Voice of the Balls"
- 5 December – Hanif Kureishi, novelist and screenwriter
- 22 December – Hugh Quarshie, actor
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "First BBC television weatherman George Cowling dies". BBC News. 26 December 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
- ^ "The Sunday Post: Soap on the Box". BBC Genome Blog. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "The Grove Family: A House of Your Own". 2 April 1954. p. 44. Retrieved 27 January 2019 – via BBC Genome.
- ^ "BBC launches daily TV news". BBC On This Day. 1954-07-05. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- ^ "Carole Malone". British Film Institute. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
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