1956 in British television

List of years in British television (table)
1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966
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This is a list of British television related events from 1956.

Events[]

January[]

• No events.

February[]

• 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.

March[]

• 28 March – Television transmissions begin from the new Crystal Palace site in south London

April[]

• 28 April – John Ford's western film Stagecoach (1939), starring John Wayne, debuts on BBC tv. The film is shown again on 24 December as part of BBC tv's Christmas line-up.

May[]

• 3 May – Granada Television begins broadcasting, extending ITV's coverage to Northern England, but only starts broadcasting across Yorkshire (part of Granada's region until 1968) 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.

June[]

• No events.

July[]

• 6 July – Hancock's Half Hour debuts on the BBC Television.
• 8 July – The anthology drama series Armchair Theatre, produced by ABC Television for the ITV network, begins its run (until 1974).^[1]

August[]

• No events.

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 wouldn’t premiere in the United States until 9 days later on 24 September 1956.

October[]

• No events.

November[]

• No events.

December[]

• 25 December – Christmas Day highlights include the British TV debut of The Lone Ranger on BBC tv.

Unknown[]

• Trade test colour films are broadcast on BBC Television for the first time

Debuts[]

BBC Television Service/BBC TV[]

• 12 January – (1956)
• 21 January – Tales from Soho (1956)
• 21 February – (1956)
• 24 February – Jane Eyre (1956)
• 10 March – (1956)
• 29 March – Billy Cotton Band Show (1956–1968)
• 5 April – (1956)
• 15 April – (1956)
• 21 April – (1956)
• 7 May – (1956)
• 4 July – Abigail and Roger (1956)
• 6 July – Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
• 21 August – (1956)
• 25 August – (1956)
• 28 September – (1956)
• 4 October – Whack-O! (1956–1960, 1971–1972)
• 6 October – (1956)
• 20 October – (1956)
• 28 October –
  • (1956)
  • (1956)
• 10 November – (1956)
• 1 December – The Crime of the Century (1956)
• 28 December – Vanity Fair (1956–1957)
• Unknown - Eurovision Song Contest (1956–2019)

ITV[]

• 6 January – This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• 16 February – Alfred Marks Time (1956–1961)
• 20 February – The Count of Monte Cristo (1956)
• 2 March – (1956)
• 27 April – The Tony Hancock Show (1956–1957)
• 10 May – Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
• 2 May – A Show Called Fred (1956)
• 11 May – My Sister and I (1956)
• 9 June – Those Kids (1956)
• 20 June – Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• 8 July – Armchair Theatre (1956–1980)
• 20 July – My Husband and I (1956)
• 31 July – (1956)
• 15 September – The Strange World of Planet X (1956)
• 15 September – The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957)
• 16 September – The Buccaneers (1956–1957)
• 17 September – The Adventures of Aggie (1956–1957)
• 17 September – Sailor of Fortune (1956–1958)
• 17 September – Son of Fred (1956)
• 18 September – (1956)
• 20 September – Over to William (1956)
• 21 September – Assignment Foreign Legion (1956)
• 3 November – (1956)
• 5 November – What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• 1 December – The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956–1957)
• 15 December – (1956)
• 24 December – Boyd Q.C. (1956–1964)
• 31 December – Cool for Cats (1956–1961)

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[]

• 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 (1952–1973)
• The Appleyards (1952–1957)
• All Your Own (1952–1961)
• Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• The Grove Family (1954–1957)
• Zoo Quest (1954–1963)
• 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 (1955–1984, 2020–present)

Ending this year[]

• Fabian of the Yard (1954–1956)

Births[]

• 6 January – Angus Deayton, actor and television presenter
• 9 January – Imelda Staunton, actress
• 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, actress
• 13 May – Richard Madeley, television presenter
• 28 May – Julie Peasgood, actress, author and television presenter
• 1 June – Louise Plowright, actress (died 2016)^[2]
• 10 October – Amanda Burton, actress
• 30 October – Juliet Stevenson, actress
• 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[]