1978 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1978.

Events

January

• 2 January – The first episode of the science fiction series Blake's 7 is broadcast on BBC1.
• 4 January – The first edition of the arts series The South Bank Show is broadcast, presented by Melvyn Bragg and replaces Aquarius .
• 8 January – All Creatures Great and Small debuts on BBC1.
• 20 January – The first of ITV's occasional An Audience With programmes is aired. The first presenter is Jasper Carrott.
• 21 January
  • The sci-fi TV series Logan's Run is shown on ITV.
  • The ITV variety and sketch series The Les Dawson Show is first broadcast.
• 27 January – In an interview for Granada Television's World in Action , Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher remarks, "people are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a different culture". ^[1] Critics regard the comment as a veiled reference to people of colour, thus pandering to xenophobia and reactionary sentiment. However, she receives 10,000 letters thanking her for raising the subject and the Conservatives gain a lead against Labour in the opinion polls. ^[2]

February

• 6 February – The BBC broadcasts the inaugural World Darts Championship run by the British Darts Organisation with evening highlights until 10 February.
• 8 February –The first episode of the influential Comprehensive school series Grange Hill is broadcast on BBC1. The Phil Redmond devised teenage drama would become one of the longest-running programmes on British television, lasting until 2008. ^{[3] [4]}
• 13 February – Anna Ford becomes the first female newscaster on News at Ten. ^[5]
• 21 February – The supernatural drama series Armchair Thriller makes its debut on ITV. The series consisted of stand-alone serials of which the most popular, Quiet as a Nun, featured the infamous "Nun with No Face" scene.
• 22 February – The Police appear in an advert for Wrigley's chewing gum.
• 24 February – The BBC airs Going Straight . The sitcom is a direct spin-off from Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher, newly released from the real-life Slade Prison where Porridge had been set. The programme runs for one series.

March

• 5 March - Elvis Presley's Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite finally makes its British television premiere on BBC1.
• 7 March – Dennis Potter's groundbreaking drama serial Pennies From Heaven is broadcast on BBC1, starring Bob Hoskins.

April

• 3 April – ITV begins showing the courtroom drama series Rumpole of the Bailey , having originally debuted as a one-off drama on the BBC's Play for Today in 1975.
• 6 April – The four-part drama series Law & Order begins on BBC2. Each of the four stories within the series is told from a different perspective, including that of the Detective, the Villain, the Brief and the Prisoner. The series proves to be highly controversial upon its release due to its depiction of a corrupt British law enforcement and legal system. ^[6]
• 17 April – The BBC begins broadcasting the World Snooker Championship with daily highlights until the final on 29 April. Previously, they only had highlights of the final on Grandstand with largely further coverage last year.

May

• 24 May – The iconic skateboarding duck item first airs on BBC1's Nationwide .
• 26 May – The Incredible Hulk , starring Bill Bixby as David Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk makes its UK television debut on ITV.
• 28–29 May – The network television premiere of Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 blockbuster crime film The Godfather , starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and airing as a two-part presentation over two consecutive nights on BBC1. ^{[7] [8]}

June

• 3 June – The long-running US children's series Sesame Street begins airing on both ATV and Border.
• 16 June – ITV broadcasts the documentary The Making of Star Wars .

July

• 1 July – BBC1 begins showing the US superhero television series Wonder Woman , starring Lynda Carter .
• 3 July – The debut of The Kenny Everett Video Show featuring the comedian and DJ Kenny Everett in a series of sketches on ITV.
• 13 July – The original series of Top Gear begins airing on BBC2 having started as a locally produced programme at BBC Pebble Mill the previous year.
• 29 July – ITV airs the first episode of the Yorkshire Television produced game show 3-2-1 , presented by Ted Rogers, featuring the character "Dusty Bin". The first episode is also notable for the appearance of DJ Janice Long as a contestant.

August

• 30 August - The first edition of Midweek Sports Special is broadcast on ITV.

September

• 4 September – The network television premiere of the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service on ITV, starring George Lazenby. ^[9]
• 5 September
  • The US soap opera Dallas is broadcast for the first time in the UK on BBC1.
  • Thames Television launches a lunchtime Thames News bulletin presented by Robin Houston. A late evening bulletin to follow News at Ten is also planned for the same day, but union problems lead to its launch being postponed until 1980.
• 10 September – Return of the Saint returns with new actor Ian Ogilvy and introducing the Jaguar XJ-S to take over the Volvo P1800 from the Saint 1962 TV series. The first episode is The Judas Game.
• 15 September – The American sitcom Soap is for broadcast on ITV.
• 23 September – Larry Grayson succeeds Bruce Forsyth as presenter of The Generation Game . ^[10]

October

• 17 October – James Burke's history of science series Connections is first broadcast on BBC1.
• 18 October – Morecambe and Wise return to ITV for their long-running comedy sketch show The Morecambe & Wise Show .

November

• 6 November – ITV airs the first episode of Edward & Mrs. Simpson , a seven-part British television series that dramatises the events leading to the 1936 abdication of King Edward VIII who gave up his throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
• 10 November – Debut of Carla Lane's family sitcom Butterflies on BBC2.
• 13 November – The Association of Broadcasting Staffs imposes an overtime ban on its members working in drama, news and current affairs after talks on pay rise stalled. This resulted in blackout of early evening programmes on BBC2, before spreading to other programmes and on BBC1 by 14 December. ^[11]
• 23 November – 15th anniversary of the first episode of the long-running science-fiction series Doctor Who .
• 27 November – The Times reports that News International will sell 16% of its share in London Weekend Television, reducing its shares from 39.7% to 25%. ^[12]
• November – ITV starts broadcasting the ORACLE teletext service. It ends on 31 December 1992.

December

• 15 December – Scottish Television technical staff, who are members of the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians, imposes an overtime ban over the company's use of freelance staff. This forced STV to go off the air at 4 p.m. that day. ^[13]
• 21–22 December – BBC1 and BBC2 are forced off the air due to industrial action at the BBC by the ABS union which starts on Thursday 21 December. The following day the radio unions join their BBC Television counterparts, forcing the BBC to merge their four national radio networks into one national radio station, the BBC All Network Radio Service, from 4pm that afternoon. The strike is settled shortly before 10pm on 22 December with the unions and BBC management reaching an agreement at the British government's industrial disputes arbitration service ACAS. BBC1 resumes broadcast at 3pm on Saturday 23 December with BBC2 resuming at 1pm the same afternoon. Threat of disruption to the BBC's festive television schedules is averted. BBC Radio networks resume normal schedules on the morning of Saturday 23 December. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}
• 25 December
  • BBC1 airs the network television premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1965 family musical film The Sound of Music , starring Julie Andrews. ^[18]
  • The network television premiere of the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever on ITV, starring Sean Connery in his final official appearance as 007. ^[9]
• 26 December – BBC1 screen the network television premiere of William Friedkin's 1971 Oscar winning crime thriller The French Connection , starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider.
• 28 December – ITV airs the final episode of The Sweeney .
• December – A strike forces Yorkshire Television off air throughout the entire Christmas period. The strike commenced on 17 December 1978, with normal service not resumed on Yorkshire Television until 5.45pm on Wednesday 3 January 1979. Many of ITV's Christmas programmes are eventually shown in early 1979 after the dispute has ended, little did anyone know that the seeds for the ITV Strike of 79 were sown. ^[11]

Debuts

BBC1

• 1 January – Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1978)
• 2 January – Blake's 7 (1978–1981)
• 3 January - The Story of Perrine (1978)
• 4 January – A Traveller in Time (1978)
• 8 January – All Creatures Great and Small (1978–1990, 2020–present)
• 21 January – The Les Dawson Show (1978–1989)
• 29 January – Hawkmoor (1978)
• February – Grand Slam (1978)
• 8 February – Grange Hill (1978–2008)
• 24 February – Going Straight (1978)
• 1 March – The Hong Kong Beat (documentary) (1978)
• 7 March – Pennies from Heaven (1978)
• 9 March – Breakaway Girls (1978)
• 4 April – The Standard (1978)
• 10 April – Cheggers Plays Pop (1978–1986)
• 1 May – The Little and Large Show (1978–1991)
• 17 June – Lennie and Jerry (1978–1980)
• 5 September – Dallas (1978–1991)
• 10 September – Sexton Blake and the Demon God (1978)
• 18 September – Tycoon (1978)
• 20 September – Touch and Go (1978)
• 24 September – A Horseman Riding By (1978)
• 30 September – Scotch and Wry (1978–1992)
• 10 October – Space Sentinels (1977)
• 13 October – Rings on Their Fingers (1978–1980)
• 22 October – Huntingtower (1978)
• 25 October – The Hills of Heaven (1978)
• 15 November – The Moon Stallion (1978)
• 3 December – Pinocchio (1978)
• 31 December – The Mill on the Floss (1978–1979)

BBC2

• 15 January - Ski Sunday (1978–present)
• 17 January – In the Looking Glass (1978)
• 22 January – The Mayor of Casterbridge (1978)
• 11 March – Something Else (1978–1982)
• 6 April – Law & Order (1978)
• 17 April – Pickersgill People (1978)
• 30 April – The Devil's Crown (1978)
• 7 May - Grand Prix (1978-1996, 2009–2015)
• 5 June – An Englishman's Castle (1978)
• 19 September – Look and Read : Sky Hunter (1978)
• 20 September – Langrishe, Go Down (1978)
• 24 September – Wuthering Heights (1978)
• 11 October – The Lost Boys (1978)
• 26 October – Gauguin the Savage (1978)
• 30 October – And Now the Good News (1978)
• 31 October – Empire Road (1978)
• 31 October – The Voyage of Charles Darwin (1978)
• 2 November – Accident (1978)
• 10 November – Butterflies (1978–1983, 2000)
• 3 December – BBC Television Shakespeare (1978–1985)

ITV

• 3 January – Glad Day: A Celebration for William Blake (1978) (Musical drama)
• 7 January – Logan's Run (1978)
• 11 January – Cloppa Castle (1978–1979)
• 13 January – Maggie and Her (1978–1979)
• 14 January – The South Bank Show (1978–2010, 2012–present)
• 15 January – Do You Remember? (1978)
• 16 January – Hazell (1978–1979)
• 17 January – Wilde Alliance (1978)
• 21 January – Enemy at the Door (1978–1981)
• 22 January – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978)
• 20 February – Warrior Queen (1978)
• 21 February – Armchair Thriller (1978–1981)
• 1 March – Send in the Girls (1978)
• 3 March – Mixed Blessings (1978–1980)
• 12 March – The Doombolt Chase (1978)
• 3 April – Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–1992)
• 23 April – Come Back, Lucy (1978)
• 29 April – Scorpion Tales (1978)
• 26 May – The Incredible Hulk (1977–1982)
• 5 June – Strangers (1978–1982)
• 13 June
  • Life Begins at Forty (1978–1980)
  • Will Shakespeare (1978)
• 3 July
  • The Famous Five (1978–1979)
  • The Kenny Everett Video Show (1978–1981)
• 8 July
  • The Law Centre (1978)
  • Saturday Banana (1978)
• 9 July – William and Dorothy (1978)
• 13 July – Leave It to Charlie (1978–1980)
• 16 July – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1978)
• 18 July – Spearhead (1978–1981)
• 23 July – Parables (1978)
• 24 July – Out (1978)
• 29 July – 3-2-1 (1978–1988)
• 31 July – A Soft Touch (1978)
• 8 August – The Bass Player and the Blonde (1978)
• 5 September – Disraeli (1978)
• 7 September – Jabberjaw (1976–1978)
• 9 September
  • Saturday Night People (1978–1980)
  • The Bubblies (1978–1984)
• 10 September – Return of the Saint (1978–1979)
• 11 September – Cooper, Just Like That (1978)
• 13 September – Born and Bred (1978)
• 15 September – Soap (1977-1981)
• 18 September – The Sandbaggers (1978–1980)
• 24 September
  • Bless Me, Father (1978–1981)
  • Lillie (1978)
• 7 October – Bruce Forsyth's Big Night (1978, 1980)
• 8 October – The Clifton House Mystery (1978)
• 18 October – The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978–1983)
• 23 October – Bernie (1978–1980)
• 24 October – The Upchat Connection (1978)
• 1 November – The One and Only Phyllis Dixey (1978)
• 6 November - Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978)
• 12 November – The Losers (1978)
• 14 November – Fallen Hero (1978–1979)
• 2 December – By Alan Bennett - Six Plays (1978–1979)

Continuing television shows

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1945–2019, 2021–present)

1930s

• Trooping the Colour (1937–1939, 1945–2019, 2023–present)
• The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1945–2019, 2021–present)
• BBC Cricket (1939, 1945–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984, 2020–present)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008) ^[19]
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• 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. (1965–1999)
• 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)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Reksio (1967–1990)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• The Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996)
• Nationwide (1969–1983)
• Screen Test (1969–1984)

1970s

• The Goodies (1970–1982)
• The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• General Hospital (1972–1979)
• Sykes (1972–1979)
• 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)
• It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981)
• Tiswas (1974–1982)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)
• Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–2015)
• The Cuckoo Waltz (1975–1980)
• Arena (1975–present)
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
• When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981)
• Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976–1982)
• Rentaghost (1976–1984)
• One Man and His Dog (1976–present)
• Robin's Nest (1977–1981)
• You're Only Young Twice (1977–1981)
• The Professionals (1977–1983)

Ending this year

• 20 March – Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• 10 April – 1990 (1977–1978)
• 15 April – Within These Walls (1974–1978)
• 9 May – Rising Damp (1974–1978)
• 24 May – A Bunch of Fives (1977–1978)
• 10 June – The Good Life (1975–1978)
• 21 July – The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958–1978)
• August – This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• 20 September – Z-Cars (1962–1978)
• 20 December – Happy Ever After (1974–1978)
• 25 December – Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973–1978)
• 28 December – The Sweeney (1975–1978)
• 31 December - The Story of Perrine (1978)

Births

• 22 February – Jenny Frost, singer, dancer, television presenter and model
• 23 March — Joanna Page, actress
• 31 March – Daniel Mays, actor
• 28 April — Lauren Laverne, radio and television presenter and singer
• 29 May — Adam Rickitt, actor
• 10 July — Sarah-Jane Mee, journalist and news and sports presenter
• 11 July — Dustin Demri-Burns, actor, comedian and writer
• 24 July — Joanna Taylor, actress and model
• 19 August — Callum Blue, actor
• 8 November — Jane Danson, actress
• 17 November – Tom Ellis, actor

Deaths

• 11 January – Michael Bates, actor (born 1920)
• 21 July – Henry Longhurst, golf commentator (born 1909)
• 5 October – May Warden, actress (born 1891)
• 1 December – David Nixon, magician (born 1919)

See also

• 1978 in British music
• 1978 in British radio
• 1978 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1978

References

1. Interview for Granada TV with journalist Gordon Burns (27 January 1978), TV Interview for Granada World in Action ("rather swamped"), Margaret Thatcher Foundation. Retrieved 6 May 2009. Archived 2009-05-08.
2. John Campbell, Margaret Thatcher: Volume One: The Grocer's Daughter (Jonathan Cape, 2000), p. 400.
3. "GRANGE HILL – A TELEVISION HEAVEN REVIEW". TV Heaven. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
4. Lysons, Jon. "Grange Hill (1978–2008)". BFI Screen Online. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
5. ""1978: Ford makes her ITN debut", BBC On This Day". BBC News. 1978-02-13. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
6. Newman, G.F. Television interview with Mark Lawson. Mark Lawson Talks to... G.F. Newman . United Kingdom: BBC Four. Accessed 3 April 2018
7. "The Godfather – BBC One London – 28 May 1978". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
8. "The Godfather – BBC One London – 29 May 1978". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
9. "James Bond On TV – Movies". MI6 – The Home Of James Bond 007. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
10. "Larry Grayson's Generation Game – BBC One London – 23 September 1978". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
11. Rodger, Gary (2018-12-24). "Almost a silent night". Transdiffusion. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
12. Peter Wainwright "News International to sell 16% of its shares in London Weekend Television", The Times, 27 November 1978; p.15
13. "Blackout on all three channels". The Glasgow Herald . 16 December 1978. p. 1.
14. Walmsley, Andy (May 30, 2011). "Random radio jottings: BBC All Network Service".
15. Borgwick, Boggenstrovia Van (December 27, 2013). "Boggenstrovia's Bit: The Christmas that Nearly wasn't – The BBC Strike of December 1978 and Christmas Television of that year (2015 Update)".
16. "You can't touch me, I'm part of the union - Politics - Transdiffusion Broadcasting System". www.transdiffusion.org.
17. "TV Cream". tv.cream.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
18. "The Sound of Music – BBC One London – 25 December 1978". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
19. "What the Papers Say in pictures". The Guardian. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2022.

External links

• List of 1978 British television series at IMDb