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 1938.

Events

January

*No events.

February

*21 February – The

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 ...

broadcasts the first ever piece of

television science-fiction Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imagin ...

, a 35-minute adaptation of a segment of the play '' R.U.R.'' by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek.

March

*12 March – First news bulletin carried by the BBC Television Service, in sound only. Previously, the service had aired British Movietone News cinema newsreels.

April

*1 April – The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is first televised on the BBC Television Service. *19 April – The first televised international football (soccer) match, England v Scotland, shown on the BBC Television Service. *30 April – The FA Cup Final is televised for the first time on the BBC Television Service.

May

*31 May – The first quiz show, ''

Spelling Bee A spelling bee is a competition in which contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. To compete, contestants must memorize the spellings of words as written in dictionaries, and recite ...

'', is televised on the BBC Television Service.

June

*24 June **

Test Match Cricket Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...

is broadcast for the first time on the BBC Television Service, with coverage of the second test of The Ashes series between England and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, live from

Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

. ** John Logie Baird gives the world's first public demonstration of a colour television broadcast. The 120-line image is projected at the Dominion Theatre, London on a 12 by 9 feet (3.7 by 2.7 m) screen in front of an audience of 3,000.

October

*26 October – The first televised ice hockey match,

Harringay Racers Harringay Racers refers to multiple British ice hockey teams based in Harringay, London, United Kingdom. Harringay Racers The first team to use the Harringay Racers moniker was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhou ...

vs.

Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...

Redskins, is shown by the BBC.

November

*Due to freak atmospheric conditions, a BBC TV broadcast from London is received in New York City.

December

*By the end of the year 9,315 television sets have been sold in England.

Debuts

*11 February – '' R.U.R'' (1938) *19 February – ''Clive of India'' (1938) *1 April – The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019) *8 May – ''Checkmate'' (1938) *11 May – '' The Emperor Jones'' (1938) *31 May – '' The Constant Nymph'' (1938) *10 August – '' Telecrime'' (1938–1939, 1946) *31 May – ''

'' (1938) *July – '' Ann and Harold'' (1938) *2 July – ''On the Spot'' (1938) *5 July – ''White Secrets'' (1939) *12 July – ''The Case of the Frightened Lady'' (1938) *30 October – ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (1938) *31 October – ''

Smoky Cell ''Smoky Cell'' is a thriller play by the British writer Edgar Wallace first staged in 1930. In America a group of detectives hunt down a notorious racketeer. It ran for 103 performances at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End from 16 December 19 ...

'' (1938) *1 November – ''The Last Voyage of Captain Grant'' (1938) *7 November – ''The Breadwinner'' (1938) *10 November – ''Villa For Sale'' (1938) *11 November – ''The White Chateau'' (1938) *23 November – ''

Love from a Stranger Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love ...

'' (1938)

Continuing television shows

1920s

*''BBC Wimbledon'' (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)

1930s

*'' Picture Page'' (1936–1939, 1946–1952) *'' The Disorderly Room'' (1937–1939) *'' For the Children'' (1937–1939, 1946–1952)

Ending this year

* '' Ann and Harold'' (1938)

Births

* 14 March – Eleanor Bron, actress and author * 6 April – Paul Daniels, magician and television performer (d. 2016) * 20 April – Peter Snow, radio and television presenter * 28 April – Fred Dibnah, steeplejack and television personality (d. 2004) * 7 June – Ian St John, Scottish footballer and TV pundit (d. 2021) * 20 July – Diana Rigg, actress (d. 2020) * 22 July – Terence Stamp, actor * 28 July – Ian McCaskill, weatherman (d. 2016) * 3 August – Terry Wogan, Irish broadcaster (d. 2016) * 31 August – Martin Bell, war correspondent, independent politician and UNICEF ambassador * 12 September **

Michael Leader Michael Leader (12 September 1938 – 22 August 2016) was an English actor known for his roles in the British television programmes, notably the soap opera '' EastEnders'', and for a minor part in the 1977 film '' Star Wars''. Life Leader was ...

, actor (d. 2016) ** Patrick Mower, actor * 22 October – Derek Jacobi, actor * 28 October – David Dimbleby, political broadcaster

Notes

{{Years in TV by country, 1938