This is a list of events related to

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

in 1936.

Events

*2 November – The first regular high-definition (then defined as at least 200 lines)

BBC Television Service BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...

, based at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

in London, officially begins broadcasting (after test transmissions began in August). The service alternates on a weekly basis between

Baird Baird may refer to: Places United States * Baird, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Baird, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Baird, Texas, a city * Baird, Washington, a community * Baird Mountains, Alaska * Baird Inlet, Alaska ...

's 240-line mechanical system and the Marconi-

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

405-line The 405-line monochrome analogue television broadcasting system was the first fully electronic television system to be used in regular broadcasting. The number of television lines influences the image resolution, or quality of the picture. It was ...

all-electronic system. Programmes are broadcast daily, Monday to Saturday from 3pm to 4pm and 9pm to 10pm. Leslie Mitchell is the first announcer to be heard on the new service. *By this year there are approximately 2,000 televisions worldwide.

Debuts

*26 August - '' Radiolympia'' (1936) *Unknown (probably November) – ''

Picture Page ''Picture Page'' is a British television non-fiction programme, broadcast by the BBC Television Service (now known as BBC One) from 1936 to 1939, and again after the service's hiatus during the Second World War from 1946 until 1952. It was the f ...

'' (1936–1939, 1946–1952) *Unknown - ''

Theatre Parade ''Theatre Parade'' was a British television programme, one of the world's very first regular series, broadcast by the BBC Television Service from its inception during 1936 until 1938. The programme presented excerpts from popular London theatre ...

'' (1936–1938)

Continuing television shows

1920s

*''BBC Wimbledon'' (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024) * The Public Morning (1900-1914) (1918-Present

Births

* 7 January –

Ian La Frenais Ian La Frenais (born 7 January 1937) is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including ''The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'', ''Porridg ...

, comedy scriptwriter * 9 February – Clive Swift, actor (died 2019) * 6 March – Jean Boht, actress * 3 April – Tony Garnett, producer (died 2020) * 7 April – Peter Eckersley, producer (died 1981) * 16 April – Derrick Sherwin, producer (died 2018) * 9 May **

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...

, actor (died 2019) ** Glenda Jackson, actress and politician * 17 June – Ken Loach, film director * 30 June – Don Taylor, director (died 2003) * 8 July –

Tony Warren Anthony McVay Simpson (8 July 1936 – 1 March 2016) publishing under pen name Tony Warren, was an English television screenwriter and actor, best known for creating the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He created other television dramas a ...

, scriptwriter (died 2016) * 9 July – Richard Wilson, Scottish actor * 27 September – Gordon Honeycombe, news presenter (died 2015) * 9 October – Brian Blessed, actor * 10 October – Judith Chalmers, television presenter * 22 November – John Bird, satirical actor (died 2022) * 22 December – James Burke, science populariser

Events

Debuts

Continuing television shows

1920s

Births

See also