1974 in British television

List of years in British television (table)
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This is a list of British television related events from 1974.

Events[]

January[]

• 5 January
  • Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands (on ATV), but is not shown on most ITV stations until September 1981 (and never in the Channel Islands).
  • Due to the ongoing 1973 oil crisis, the government orders both the BBC and ITV television services to closedown early each night at 10.30pm to save electricity. The early closedowns will later alternate each day between the BBC and ITV. The early closedowns are ended on Friday 8 February.
• 7 January – A two-minute mid-afternoon regional news summary is broadcast on BBC1 for the first time. It is transmitted immediately before the start of the afternoon's children's programmes.
• 30 January – BBC2 shows the first early morning Open University programming, airing between 6.40am and 7.30am.^[1]

February[]

• 12 February – BBC2 first airs the children's television series Bagpuss, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms in stop motion animation.
• 22 February – BBC2 airs the drama Girl as part of its Second City Firsts anthology series.^[2] The drama, which tells the story of an affair between two army officers, is the first on British television to feature a gay kiss between two women.^[3]
• February – The fifth of the five experimental community cable television channels - Wellingborough Cablevision - begins broadcasting.

March[]

• No events.

April[]

• 6 April – The 19th Eurovision Song Contest is held at the Dome in Brighton, produced and transmitted by the BBC. Katie Boyle hosts the event for the fourth time. Sweden wins the contest with the song "Waterloo", performed by ABBA, who become the first group to win the contest. They go on to achieve huge international success.
• April – The Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting is established to discuss the United Kingdom broadcasting industry, including new technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority and programme standards.

May[]

• No events.

June[]

• 8 June – Jon Pertwee makes his final regular appearance as the Third Doctor in the concluding moments of Part Six of the Doctor Who serial Planet of the Spiders. Tom Baker briefly appears as the Fourth Doctor at the conclusion of this serial.

July[]

• No events.

August[]

• 5 August – For the first time on a pre-school children's programme, the show Inigo Pipkin covers the death of the main character, Inigo, as the actor who played him (George Woodbridge) has died. The show is renamed Pipkins.

September[]

• 23 September –
  • The BBC teletext service Ceefax goes live with 30 pages of information.
  • BBC Schools starts broadcasting programmes in colour.

October[]

• 16 October – The Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm makes its debut on BBC Wales.^[4]

November[]

• No events.

December[]

• 5 December – "Party Political Broadcast", the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, is broadcast on BBC2.
• 28 December – Tom Baker makes his first full appearance as the Fourth Doctor in the Doctor Who serial Robot.

Unknown[]

• ITV begins developing the ORACLE teletext service. Dates for its launch are unclear, but it becomes popular around 1980.

Debuts[]

BBC1[]

• 3 January – It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981)
• 7 January – Tom's Midnight Garden (1974)
• 18 January – Heidi (1974)
• 20 January – John Halifax, Gentleman (1974)
• 28 January – Carrie's War (1974)
• 20 February – (1974)
• 15 March – Fall of Eagles (1974)
• 3 April – Shoulder to Shoulder (1974)
• 4 April – Seven Little Australians (1973)
• 9 April – The Electric Company (1971–1977)
• 10 April – The Prince of Denmark (1974)
• 17 April – No Strings (1974)
• 9 May – Happy Ever After (1974–1978)
• 20 May – Dial M for Murder (1974)
• 24 May – (1974–1975)
• 9 July – Wodehouse Playhouse (1974–1978)
• 24 August - Kojak (1973-1978)
• 5 September – Porridge (1974–1977)
• 16 September – South Riding (1974)
• 7 October – (1974)
• 21 October – Roobarb (1974 BBC, 2005–2013 Channel 5)
• 20 October – (1974)
• 23 October – (1974–1975)
• 13 November – The Chinese Puzzle (1974)
• 22 November – (1974–1976)
• 1 December –
  • David Copperfield (1974)
  • The Gathering Storm (1974)
• 4 December – Francis Durbridge Presents: Melissa (1974)
• 20 December – Churchill's People (1974–1975)
• 31 December – Mr. Men (1974–1978; 1983-1988 reruns with Little Miss)

BBC2[]

• 19 January – The Pallisers (1974)
• 12 February – Bagpuss (1974)
• 18 February - The Waltons (1972-1981)
• 3 March – Bedtime Stories (1974)
• 5 March – (1974)
• 13 March – BBC2 Playhouse (1974–1982)
• 21 April – (1974)
• 22 April – (1974)
• 14 July – (1974)
• 17 August – (1974)
• 18 September – (1974)
• 24 September - Look and Read: Cloud Burst (1974)
• 3 November – Notorious Woman (1974)
• 9 November – (1974)
• 17 November – (1974–1976)
• 30 November – (1974)
• 1 December – A Day with Dana (1974–1975)
• 19 December – (1974–1978)
• 28 December – (1974–1975)

ITV[]

• 3 January - Columbo (1968, 1971-1978)
• 4 January – Within These Walls (1974–1978)
• 5 January – Tiswas (1974–1982)
• 7 January – Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003, 2008)
• 16 January – (1974)
• 25 February – (1974)
• 3 March – Not On Your Nellie (1974–1975)
• 5 March – Napoleon and Love (1974)
• 10 March – (1974)
• 16 March – Who Killed Lamb? (1974)
• 24 March – (1974)
• 5 April –
  • (1974)
  • The Zoo Gang (1974)
• 9 April – A Little Bit of Wisdom (1974–1976)
• 13 April – The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club (1974–1977)
• 21 April –
  • (1974)
  • Doctor at Sea (1974)
• 22 April – My Name Is Harry Worth (1974)
• 1 May – ...And Mother Makes Five (1974–1976)
• 3 May – My Old Man (1974–1975)
• 13 May – Skiboy (1974)
• 24 May – (1974)
• 28 May – (1974–1975)
• 1 June – Thick as Thieves (1974)
• 2 June – (1974)
• 29 June – Moody and Pegg (1974–1975)
• 8 July –The Squirrels (1974–1977)
• 9 July – The Capone Investment (1974)
• 10 July –
  • Julie on Sesame Street (1973)
  • (1974–1975)
• 15 July – (1974)
• 16 July – Village Hall (1974–1975)
• 24 July – (1974–1975)
• 27 July –
  • Don't Drink the Water (1974–1975)
  • (1974)
  • Vicky the Viking (1974–1975)
• 28 July – Antony and Cleopatra (1974)
• 15 August – (1974)
• 2 September – Rising Damp (1974–1978)
• 13 September – (1974–1983)
• 15 September –
  • The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs (1974)
  • (1974)
• 20 September – (1974)
• 23 September – (1974)
• 24 September – (1974)
• 26 September – Father Brown (1974)
• 29 September – (1974–1975)
• 30 September – Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (1974–1978)
• 2 October – Going a Bundle (1974–1976)
• 4 October – No, Honestly (1974–1975)
• 5 November –
  • (1974)
  • (1974–1977)
• 6 November – Rogue's Rock (1974)
• 13 November – Follow That Dog (1974)
• 31 December – (1974)

Continuing television shows[]

1920s[]

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present)

1930s[]

• The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019)
• BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s[]

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s[]

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984, 2020–present)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)^[5]
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s[]

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• Z-Cars (1962–1978)
• Animal Magic (1962–1983)
• 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. (1964–1999)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)
• The Golden Shot (1967–1975)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Dad's Army (1968–1977)^[6]
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989)
• Nationwide (1969–1983)
• Screen Test (1969–1984)

1970s[]

• The Goodies (1970–1982)
• Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975, 2010–2012)
• The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• Love Thy Neighbour (1972–1976)
• Thunderbirds (1972–1980, 1984-1987)
• Clapperboard (1972–1982)
• Crown Court (1972–1984)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Are You Being Served? (1972–1985)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1997)
• Emmerdale (1972–present)
• Newsround (1972–present)
• Weekend World (1972–1988)
• Pipkins (1973–1981)
• We Are the Champions (1973–1987)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
• That's Life! (1973–1994)

Ending this year[]

• Unknown – Crystal Tipps and Alistair (1971–1974)
• 1 February – The Protectors (1972–1974)
• 1 April – Colditz (1972–1974)
• 6 May – Bagpuss (1974)
• 8 May – The World at War (1973–1974)
• 9 May – Special Branch (1969–1974)
• 9 July – Comedy Playhouse (1961–1974)
• 10 October – Clangers (1969–1974, 2015–present)
• 28 October – Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)
• 5 December – Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
• 24 December – Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–1974)
• 26 December – Steptoe and Son (1962–1965, 1970–1974)
• 31 December – Heidi (1974)

Births[]

• 1 January – Clare Calbraith, actress
• 2 January – Karin Giannone, newsreader
• 12 January – Melanie Chisholm, English pop singer (Spice Girls)
• 30 January – Olivia Colman, actress
• 22 February – Chris Moyles, disc jockey
• 21 March – Ursula Holden-Gill, actress (Emmerdale)
• 11 April – Zöe Lucker, English actress
• 17 April – Victoria Beckham, English pop singer (Spice Girls)
• 24 April – David Vitty (Comedy Dave), radio and television host
• 1 May – Tamzin Malleson, actress
• 8 May – Jon Tickle, English television host
• 27 May – Denise Van Outen, actress and television presenter
• 9 July – Dani Behr, singer, actress and television presenter
• 14 July – David Mitchell, comedian and actor
• 31 July – Emilia Fox, English actress
• 21 August – Paul Chowdhry, comedian and actor
• 23 August – Ray Park, Scottish actor
• 17 October – Matthew Macfadyen, English actor
• 4 November – Louise Redknapp, English singer
• 11 December – Ben Shephard, television presenter
• 12 December – Steven Arnold, actor
• 13 December – Sara Cox, English television and radio presenter
• Unknown
  • Mark Dymond, actor
  • Alex Macqueen, actor

Deaths[]

• 22 August – Jacob Bronowski, scientist and presenter (The Ascent of Man)

See also[]

• 1974 in British music
• 1974 in British radio
• 1974 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1974

References[]