1956 in British television

1956 in British television
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 for the BBC.
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 from Winter Hill transmitting station, but starts broadcasting across Yorkshire (part of Granada's region until 1968) only 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 Weekend TV for the ITV network, begins its run (until 1974).
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 premieres in the United States on 24 September.
October
31 October – On popular BBC television talk show Free Speech, an especially bitter debate on the Suez Crisis takes place, with leftist historian A. J. P. Taylor and Labour journalist and future party leader Michael Foot calling their fellow-panellist, Conservative MP Robert Boothby, a "criminal" for supporting the war.
November
3 November – The Emley Moor transmitting station enters service, broadcasting ITV programmes to Yorkshire from its original lattice tower.
8 November – The BBC airs a drama, Man From the Sun, concerning racial prejudice in the UK.
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
8 January – Space School (1956)
12 January – Strictly T-T (1956)
21 January – Tales from Soho (1956)
31 January – The Frontiers of Science (1956–1960; 1968–1969)
5 February – The White Falcon (1956)
21 February – Nathaniel Titlark (1956)
24 February – Jane Eyre (1956)
8 March – Men in Battle (1956–1957)
10 March – My Friend Charles (1956)
29 March – Billy Cotton Band Show (1956–1968)
5 April – Double Cross (1956)
6 April – Diving To Adventure (1956)
10 April – Picture Parade (1956–1962)
15 April – Rex Milligan (1956)
21 April – Opportunity Murder (1956)
7 May – The Adventures of the Big Man (1956)
24 May – Eurovision Song Contest (1956–present)
4 July – Abigail and Roger (1956)
6 July – Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)
21 August – The Black Tulip (1956)
25 August – Bill Radford: Reporter (1956)
28 September – David Copperfield (1956)
4 October – Whack-O! (1956–1960, 1971–1972)
6 October – Potts in Parovia (1956)
20 October – The Other Man (1956)
28 October
Kidnapped (1956)
The Recording Angells (1956)
10 November – Evans Abode (1956)
13 November – The Watch Tower (1956)
1 December –
The Norman Wisdom Show (1956)
The Crime of the Century (1956)
25 December – The Lone Ranger (1949–1957)
28 December – Vanity Fair (1956–1957)
Unknown – Champion the Wonder Horse (1956–1957)
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 – I'm Not Bothered (1956)
27 April – The Tony Hancock Show (1956–1957)
2 May – A Show Called Fred (1956)
7 May – The Monday Club (1956-1958)
8 May – Zoo Time (1956-1968)
9 May – Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
10 May – Spot the Tune (1956-1962)
11 May – My Sister and I (1956)
19 May – The 64,000 Question (1956-1958)
8 June – Palais Party (1956-1959)
9 June – Those Kids (1956)
13 June – Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
8 July – Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)
20 July – My Husband and I (1956)
31 July – The Crimson Ramblers (1956)
14 August – Two for the Money (1956-1957)
15 September
The Adventures of Aggie (1956-1957)
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-1957)
The Buccaneers (1956-1957)
Wyatt Earp (1955-1961)
The Strange World of Planet X (1956)
17 September –
Sailor of Fortune (1955-1956)
Son of Fred (1956)
18 September – Do You Trust Your Wife? (1956-1957)
20 September – Over to William (1956)
21 September – Assignment Foreign Legion (1956)
2 October – My Wife's Sister (1956-1957)
3 November – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1956)
5 November – What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
1 December – The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956–1957)
15 December – The Trollenberg Terror (1956)
24 December – Boyd Q.C. (1956–1964)
31 December – Cool for Cats (1956–1961)
Unknown –
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956-1967)
Highway Patrol (1956–1960)
The Bob Cummings Show (1955-1959)
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 (1952–1975)
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
25 January – Bill Turnbull, television presenter (died 2022)
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, American-born actress
13 May – Richard Madeley, television presenter
28 May – Julie Peasgood, actress, author and television presenter
1 June – Louise Plowright, actress (died 2016)
10 October – Amanda Burton, actress
30 October – Juliet Stevenson, actress
16 November – Lorraine Heggessey, television executive
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
External links
List of 1956 British television series at IMDb