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Overview of the events of 1979 in British television
This is a list of
British television
related events from 1979.
Events
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January
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- 2 January
- 3 January ? The children's series
The Book Tower
makes its debut on ITV, featuring dramatizations of books as well as interviews with authors.
- 3 January ? ITV programming resumes in the Yorkshire Television region at 5.45pm, with the station off air for the previous 17 days due to industrial action.
- 6 January ? The US police series
CHiPs
makes its debut on ITV.
- 16 January ? David Attenborough's innovative nature documentary
Life on Earth
debuts on BBC2.
- 18 January ? The long-running game show
Blankety Blank
makes its debut on BBC1, presented by
Terry Wogan
.
- 28 January ?
Thomas & Sarah
, a spin-off of
Upstairs, Downstairs
, makes its debut on ITV. It runs for only one series.
February
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March
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April
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- 3?4 May ? BBC1 and ITV air coverage of the 1979 General Election which is won by the Conservatives and sees
Margaret Thatcher
become the first female Prime Minister of the UK.
[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, but expresses a preference for a fourth channel to be an independent entity.
[2]
Both parties also pledge to launch a separate Welsh language television service for Wales.
[3]
- 21 May ?
John Craven's Newsround
goes on its Summer break as it has done since its launch in 1972. When it returns on 10 September, it will run all year round.
June
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- 9 June ? Debut of the long-running entertainment series
The Paul Daniels Magic Show
on BBC1 which goes on to attract an audience of 15 million viewers.
- June ? BBC2 launches the world's first computer-generated ident, the
'Computer Generated 2'
.
July
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August
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- 6 August
- Technicians at Thames go on strike following a long-running dispute.
[4]
- Debut of the
motorcross
game show
Kick Start
on BBC1.
- A Picture of
Tom Keating
is rebroadcast with a new sequence covering Keating's trial in February.
- 10 August ? The whole of the ITV network, except Channel Television,
is affected by a technicians strike
for eleven weeks.
- 25 August ? BBC1 show the 1966
Batman
movie. This is the first UK wide broadcast after previously being shown on only a select few ITV regions.
- 27 August ?
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
is murdered by a
Provisional Irish Republican Army
bomb. His death sets a record audience for a news bulletin as 26 million viewers watch the coverage on BBC1. Strike action at ITN has led to the record viewing figures.
September
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- 2 September ? Subtitling of programmes on Ceefax begins.
- 3 September ?
Battle of the Planets
, the US adaptation of the popular Japanese science-fiction animated series
Gatchaman
, makes its debut on BBC1. It is shown until 1985.
- 7 September ? BBC1 begin showing the US children's series
The Red Hand Gang
.
- 10 September ? The first episode of
John le Carre
's
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
airs on BBC2 with
Alec Guinness
as
George Smiley
.
- 25 September ?
Robin Day
presents the first edition of the long-running political debate programme
Question Time
on BBC1 with the panellists
Michael Foot
,
Edna O'Brien
,
Teddy Taylor
and
Derek Worlock
. It continues to air into the 2020s.
- 27 September ? Debut of the short-lived sitcom
Bloomers
on BBC2, starring
Richard Beckinsale
in his final TV appearance.
- 30 September ? BBC1 launch the massively popular sitcom
To the Manor Born
, starring
Penelope Keith
and
Peter Bowles
. The final episode of the series, shown on 11 November, is watched by 23.95 million viewers, the all-time highest figure for a recorded programme in the UK.
[5]
- September ? Home Secretary
Willie Whitelaw
outlines plans for a fourth channel.
[6]
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
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November
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- 16 November ? The Japanese martial arts fantasy series
Monkey
makes its debut on BBC2 with dubbed English dialogue.
December
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Unknown
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Debuts
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BBC1
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BBC2
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BBC Scotland
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Television shows
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Changes of network affiliation
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Returning this year after a break of one year or longer
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Continuing television shows
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1920s
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- BBC Wimbledon
(1927?1939, 1946?2019, 2021?present)
1930s
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- The Boat Race
(1938?1939, 1946?2019, 2021?present)
- BBC Cricket
(1939, 1946?1999, 2020?2024)
1940s
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1950s
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1960s
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1970s
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Ending this year
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Births
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- 8 January ?
Tomasz Schafernaker
, Polish-born weather presenter
- 23 January ?
Dawn O'Porter
, Scottish fashion designer and journalist
- 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
- 20 May ?
Rick Edwards
, television presenter
- 27 May ?
Jeff Brazier
, television presenter and reality show contestant
- 12 June ?
Jodie Prenger
, actress and singer
- 27 July ?
Julia Haworth
, actress
- 9 November ?
Caroline Flack
, television presenter and actress (died 2020)
- 19 November ?
Katherine Kelly
, actress
- 29 November ?
Simon Amstell
, comedian and television presenter
- Unknown
Deaths
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See also
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References
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External links
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