1. Events
    January  February  March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 

2. Debuts
    BBC1  BBC2  ITV  BBC Scotland 

3. Television shows
    Changes of network affiliation  Returning this year after a break of one year or longer  1920s  1930s  1940s  1950s  1960s  1970s 

4. Ending this year

5. Births

6. Deaths

7. See also

8. References

This is a list of British television related events from 1979.

Events

January

• 2 January – BBC2 broadcasts the first in Michael Wood's groundbreaking history documentary series, In Search of the Dark Ages.
• 28 January – Thomas & Sarah, a spin-off of Upstairs, Downstairs premieres on LWT. It runs for only one series.

February

• 25 February – The first episode of the children's television series Worzel Gummidge begins on ITV.

March

• 16 March – Long-running American children's educational television series Sesame Street is shown for the first time on STV.
• 19 March – Richard Beckinsale, best known for The Lovers, Rising Damp and Porridge, dies of a congenital heart defect at the early age of 31.
• 24 March – Tales of the Unexpected, an Anglia Television series based on the short stories of Roald Dahl, makes its debut on ITV.

April

• No events.

May

• 3–4 May – BBC1 and ITV broadcast coverage of the 1979 General Election. The election is won by the Conservatives and sees Margaret Thatcher become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.^[1] The election sees both the Conservatives and Labour include plans for a fourth channel in their election manifestos. Labour favours an Open Broadcasting Authority community service aimed at minority groups, while the Conservatives plan is for the channel to be given to ITV. However, expresses a preference for a fourth channel to be an independent entity.^[2] Both main parties also pledge to launch a separate Welsh language television service for Wales.^[3]

June

• June – BBC2 launches the world's first computer-generated ident, the BBC Two 'Computer Generated 2'.{{cn|date=January 2019}}

July

• No events.

August

• 6 August – Technicians at Thames Television go on strike following a long-running dispute.^[4]
• 10 August – The whole of the ITV network except the Channel Islands is affected by a technicians' strike for eleven weeks.
• 27 August – Lord Mountbatten was murdered by IRA bombers. His death set a record audience for a news bulletin, as 26 million viewers watched the coverage on BBC1. Strike action at ITN led to the record viewing figures.

September

• 2 September – Subtitling of television programmes on Ceefax begins.
• 25 September – Robin Day presents the first edition of the long-running political debate programme Question Time on BBC1. The programme continues to air to the present day.
• September – Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw outlines plans for a fourth channel.^[5] However, he backs away from establishing a Welsh language channel for Wales, instead favouring a continuation of the status quo whereby Welsh language content is aired by BBC Wales and HTV.^[3]

October

• 24 October – On ITV's first night back on the air after the strike, Quatermass, the fourth and final serial featuring Professor Bernard Quatermass, begins its run on the network.
• 25 October – The final episode of the comedy series Fawlty Towers is broadcast on BBC2.
• 29 October – ITV debuts its comedy drama series Minder starring George Cole and Dennis Waterman.

November

• 11 November – The last episode of the first series of the sitcom To the Manor Born is broadcast on BBC1.^[6] It is watched by 23.95 million viewers, the all-time highest figure for a recorded programme in the UK.^[7]

December

• 18 December – BBC1 airs Gawain and the Green Knight, Stephen Weeks' 1973 film starring Murray Head and Nigel Green, and based on the medieval poem of the same name.^[8]

Debuts

BBC1

• 3 January – The Aphrodite Inheritance (1979)
• 7 January – Telford's Change (1979)
• 18 January – Blankety Blank (1979–1990, BBC1 1997–1999, ITV 2001–2002)
• 18 February – Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)
• 11 May – Two Up, Two Down (1979)
• 9 June – The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1979–1994)
• 13 June – The Omega Factor (1979)
• 16 July – Jigsaw (1979–1984)
• 6 August – Kick Start (1979–1988)
• 4 September – Prince Regent (1979)
• 25 September – Question Time (1979–present)
• 30 September –
  • To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007)
  • Shoestring (1979–1980)
• 4 October – {{flagicon|USA}} The All-New Popeye Show (1978–1983)
• 24 October – Terry and June (1979–1987)
• 9 December – The Old Curiosity Shop (1979–1980)
• 23 December – Shalcken the Painter (1979)
• 24 December – What a Mess (Series 1) (1979–1980)

BBC2

• 16 January – Life on Earth (1979)
• 17 January – Rebecca (1979)
• 28 October – Friday Night, Saturday Morning (1979–1982)
• 16 November – Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)
• 16 November – {{flagicon|JPN}} Monkey (1978–1980)

ITV

• 2 January – Give Us a Clue (1979–1992, ITV 1997, BBC)
• 3 January – The Book Tower (1979–1989)
• 6 January – Dick Turpin (1979–1982)
• 14 January – Thomas & Sarah (1979)
• 2 February – Flambards (1979)
• 25 February – Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981)
• 10 March – {{flagicon|USA}} Mork & Mindy (1978–1982)
• 11 March – Agony (1979–1981)
• 24 March – Tales of the Unexpected (1979–1985, 1987–1988)
• 15 April – End of Part One (1979–1980)
• 10 July – Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982)
• 12 July – Shelley (1979–1992)
• 27 July – Charles Endell Esquire (1979–1980)
• 28 July – The Cannon and Ball Show (1979–1988)
• 29 October –
  • Only When I Laugh (1979–1982)
  • Minder (1979–1994, 2009)
• 1 December – The Allan Stewart Tapes (1979)
• 23 December – Cribb (1979–1981)

BBC Scotland

• 7 October – {{flagicon|SCO}} Can Seo (1979)

Television shows

Changes of network affiliation

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979)

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–present)

1930s

• BBC Cricket (1939–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

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

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Animal Magic (1962–1983)
• Doctor Who (1963–1989, 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, 2008–2010, 2012–present)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• 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)
• Clapperboard (1972–1982)
• Crown Court (1972–1984)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• Are You Being Served? (1972–1985)
• 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)
• 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)
• Blake's 7 (1978–1981)
• Strangers (1978–1982)
• Butterflies (1978–1983, 2000)
• 3-2-1 (1978–1988)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008)

Ending this year

• 5 January – The Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996)
• 11 March – Return of the Saint (1978–1979)
• 7 July – Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–present)
• 25 October – Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)
• 16 November – Sykes (1972–1979)
• 19 December – General Hospital (1972–1979)
• 25 December – George and Mildred (1976–1979)

Births

• 23 January – Dawn O'Porter, Scottish fashion designer and journalist
• 27 January – Rosamund Pike, actress
• 2 February – Christine Bleakley, television presenter
• 13 February – Lucy Brown, actress
• 10 March – Laura Rogers, actress
• 20 March – Freema Agyeman, actress
• 12 April – Paul Nicholls, actor
• 29 April – Jo O'Meara, singer, dancer and actress
• 10 May – Lara Lewington, weather and television presenter
• 27 May – Jeff Brazier, television presenter and reality show contestant
• 12 June – Jodie Prenger, actress and singer
• 27 July – Julia Haworth, actress
• 19 November – Katherine Kelly, actress
• 29 November – Simon Amstell, comedian and television presenter
• Unknown – Leanne Lakey, actress

Deaths

See also

• 1979 in British music
• 1979 in British radio
• 1979 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1979

References

• 北京話
• 北京话
• 北京軍區
• 北京銀泰中心
• 北京银泰中心
• 北京首都国际机场
• 北京，北京，我爱北京
• 北京－西藏高速公路
• 北南首腦相逢
• 北史
• 北周宣帝
• 北周武帝
• 北大
• 北山阳村
• 北島康介
• 北嶽廟
• 北川 景子
• 北平
• 北平市
• 北広島市
• 北斎
• 北斗卫星导航定位系统
• 北斗导航系统
• 北斗導航系統
• 北斗衛星導航定位系統