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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 ...
related events from 1958.


Events


January

*14 January – TWW, the first
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
franchise for
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
and the West of England, goes on the air.


February

*13 February – A by-election is covered on UK television for the first time when Granada broadcasts coverage of the
1958 Rochdale by-election The Rochdale by-election of 13 February 1958 was a by-election for the constituency of Rochdale, in Lancashire, England, in the House of Commons. It was called following the death on 16 December 1957 of the sitting Conservative Member of Parliame ...
; broadcast presenter Ludovic Kennedy takes second place for the Liberals, considerably increasing their share of the vote. *17 February –
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
designates
St. Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, ...
as the patron saint of television. Thereafter, placing her icon on a television set is said to improve reception. *18 February – Footage of the annual Shrove Tuesday
Atherstone Ball Game The Atherstone Ball Game is a "medieval football" game played annually on Shrove Tuesday in the English town of Atherstone, Warwickshire. The game honours a match played between Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1199, when teams used a bag of go ...
is shown on television for the first time.


March

*31 March – Debut of the BBC's serial '' Starr and Company'', set in an engineering firm. The programme is aired for nine months.


April

*14 April — The newly magnetic videotape machine
Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus (VERA) was an early analog recording videotape format developed from 1952 by the BBC under project manager Dr Peter Axon. History In order to record high frequencies, a tape must move rapidly with respect to ...
or VERA for short, is given a live demonstration on air in ''
Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
'' where
Richard Dimbleby Frederick Richard Dimbleby (25 May 1913 – 22 December 1965) was an English journalist and broadcaster, who became the BBC's first war correspondent, and then its leading TV news commentator. As host of the long-running current affairs ...
seated by a clock, talks for a couple of minutes about the new method of vision recording with an instant playback. The tape is then wound back and replayed. The picture is slightly watery, but reasonably watchable, and instant playback is something completely new.


May

*5 May – First experimental transmissions of a 625-line television service.


June

*No events.


July

*No events.


August

*30 August –
Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
, the ITV franchise for the
South of England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes Gr ...
, goes on the air.


September

*No events.


October

*11 October – The long running Saturday afternoon sports programme ''
Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...
'' debuts on 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 ...
. It airs until 2007. *16 October – ''
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...
'', the world's longest-running children's TV programme, debuts on the BBC Television Service. It continues to air into the 2020s. *28 October – The
State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes place ...
is broadcast on television for the first time.


November

*30 November – During the live broadcast of the '' Armchair Theatre'' play ''
Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...
'' on the ITV network, actor Gareth Jones has a fatal heart attack between two of his scenes while in make-up.


December

*No events.


Debuts


BBC Television Service/BBC TV

* 1 January – '' Big Guns '' (1958) * 4 January – ''
Saturday Playhouse ''Saturday Playhouse'' was a 60-minute UK anthology television series produced by and airing on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) from 4 January 1958 until 1 April 1961. There were sixty-eight episodes, among them adaptations of the pla ...
'' (1958–1961) * 24 January – ''
Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'' (1958) * February – ''
Your Life in Their Hands ''Your Life in Their Hands'' is a long-running BBC TV documentary series on the subject of surgery, examining surgical practice from the point of view of both surgeons and patients. Its first run was produced by Bill Duncalf and Mary Adams, co ...
'' (1958–1964; 1979–1987; 1991) * 2 February – ''
Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...
'' (1958–1965) * 7 February – ''Run To Earth'' (1958) * 9 February – ''
The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' ( rus, links=no, Ревизор, Revizor, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the pla ...
'' (1958) * 12 February – ''
More Than Robbery ''More Than Robbery'' is a British thriller television series which originally aired on the BBC in 1958.Baskin p.30 Main cast * Terence Morgan as Durbin * Helen Cherry as Norma Tredford * Owen Holder as Morley * David Horne as Dr. Nesbitt ...
'' (1958) * March – '' Starr and Company'' (1958) * 7 March – ''
The Diary of Samuel Pepys ''The Diary of Samuel Pepys'' is a British historical television series which was originally broadcast on the BBC in 1958. Based on the diaries of the naval administrator Samuel Pepys, it portrays life at the court of Charles II during the 166 ...
'' (1958) * 22 March – ''Captain Moonlight - Man of Mystery'' (1958) * 26 March – ''Sammy'' (1958) * 11 April – ''
The Common Room ''The Common Room'' is an interactive TV show on ITV Play. ''The Common Room'' main presenters were Tim Dixon and Emma Lee. Zö Christien also presented occasionally. Format ''The Common Room'' launched on ITV Play on Monday 31 July 2006. ''The ...
'' (1958–1959) * 22 April – '' Railway Roundabout'' (1958–1962) * 7 May – ''
White Heather Club ''The White Heather Club'' was a BBC TV Scottish variety show that ran on and off from 7 May 1958 to 11 April 1968 History It was an early evening BBC television programme. It started at 6.20, and Jimmy Shand composed a melody "The Six Twenty ...
'' (1958–1968) * 13 May – '' The Dangerous Game'' (1958) * 17 May – '' Duty Bound'' (1958) * 1 June – '' The Adventures of Ben Gunn'' (1958) * 14 June – '' The Black and White Minstrel Show'' (1958–1978) * 24 June – ''
The Firm of Girdlestone ''The Firm of Girdlestone'' is a novel by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was first published in 1890 by Chatto and Windus in London, England. In 1915 a silent film adaptation ''The Firm of Girdlestone'' was made. A 1958 BBC television ...
'' (1958) * 5 July – '' Fair Game'' (1958) * 20 July – ''Queen's Champion'' (1958) * 16 August – ''
Charlesworth at Large ''Charlesworth at Large'' is a British crime television series which originally aired on the BBC in 1958.Noble p.216 Wensley Pithey revived his role as Detective Superintendent Charlesworth of Scotland Yard which he had played in two previous ser ...
'' (1958) * 6 September – '' Jennings at School'' (1958) * 12 September – '' Champion Road'' (1958) * 14 September – ''
Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the lives ...
'' (1958) * 29 September – '' Leave It to Todhunter '' (1958) * 11 October – ''
Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...
'' (1958–2007) * 14 October – ''Yesterday's Enemy'' (1958) * 16 October – ''
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...
'' (1958–present) * 4 November – '' The Mad O'Haras'' (1958) * 7 November – ''
Our Mutual Friend ''Our Mutual Friend'', written in 1864–1865, is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining savage satire with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. Hillis Miller, quo ...
'' (1958–1959) * 10 November – ''
Solo for Canary ''Solo for Canary'' is a British thriller television series which originally aired on the BBC in 1958.Baskin p.34 Selected cast * Andrew Osborn as Supt. Maddern * Lana Morris as Ruth Maddern * David Davies as Chief Supt. Drew * John Stone as ...
'' (1958) * 11 November – '' Charlie Drake'' (1958–1960) * 4 December – '' Private Investigator'' (1958–1959) * 22 December – ''
Quatermass and the Pit ''Quatermass and the Pit'' is a British television science-fiction serial transmitted live by BBC Television in December 1958 and January 1959. It was the third and last of the BBC's ''Quatermass'' serials, although the chief character, Profe ...
'' (1958–1959)


ITV

* 5 January – ''
Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...
'' (1958–1959) * 14 January – ''
Gwlad y Gan Gwlad ( in Welsh) is a centre-right Welsh nationalist and pro-independence political party. Its current leader is Gwyn Wigley Evans. Background In late 2017, a preliminary meeting held by Royston Jones in Aberystwyth over the formation of a ne ...
'' (1958–1964) * 4 February – '' East End, West End'' (1958) * 21 February – ''
Sword of Freedom ''Sword of Freedom'' was a 1958 drama adventure series for a family audience. Like several of its predecessors (most notably ''The Adventures of Robin Hood''), it was produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and fitted into the same sw ...
'' (1958–1961) * 18 March – ''
Hotel Imperial The Hotel Imperial, also known as The Imperial, is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria. It is located on the Vienna Ring Road (''Ringstraße'') at Kärntner Ring 16, in the Innere Stadt district. Description The Hotel Imperial's façade ...
'' (1958–1960) * 23 March – '' The Killing Stones '' (1958) * 30 March – ''
Time Out for Peggy ''Time Out for Peggy'' was a British television series which aired 1958-1959. A sitcom set in a boarding house, the series starred Billie Whitelaw. It was produced by ABC Weekend TV and aired on ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Te ...
'' (1958) * 5 April – ''
African Patrol ''African Patrol'' is a 39-episode syndicated adventure television series created, directed and produced by George Breakston in conjunction with Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne. It was filmed on location in Kenya for a period of 15 months b ...
'' (1958–1959) * 15 April – ''Lucky Dip'' (1958–1959) * 26 April – '' The Truth About Melandrinos'' (1958) * 30 June – '' My Wife and I'' (1958) * 6 July – '' Dial 999'' (1958–1959) * 13 September ** ''
Dotto ''Dotto'' was a 1958 American television game show that was a combination of a general knowledge quiz and the children's game connect the dots. Jack Narz served as the program's host, with Colgate-Palmolive as its presenting sponsor. ''Dotto'' ...
'' (1958–1960) ** '' Oh Boy!'' (1958–1959) ** '' Mary Britten, M.D.'' (1958) * 14 September – '' The Invisible Man'' (1958–1959) * 15 September – '' Make Me Laugh'' (1958) * 19 September – '' The Larkins'' (1958–1960; 1963–1964) * 20 September – '' The Adventures of William Tell'' (1958–1959) * 26 September – '' Educating Archie '' (1958–1959) * 6 October – ''
Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
'' (1958–1959) * 12 October – '' After Hours'' (1958–1959) * 6 December – '' All Aboard'' (1958–1959) *Unknown **''
Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
'' (1958–1961, 1962–1966) **''
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
'' (1958–1963) **''
Dick and the Duchess Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * Dicks (album), ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * Dick (film), ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * Dick (song), "Dick" (song), a 2019 song ...
'' (1958–1959) **'' Martin Kane, Private Eye'' (1958–1959) **'' Sea Hunt'' (1958–1961) **''
The Verdict Is Yours ''The Verdict Is Yours'' was an Americans, American court show#Dramatized court show, courtroom drama that aired on CBS Daytime from September 2, 1957, to September 28, 1962, and in prime time, primetime from July 3 to September 25, 1958. Overvie ...
'' (1958–1959; 1962–1963)


Continuing 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 ''Andy Pandy'' is a British children's television series that first appeared on BBC Television in summer 1950. Originally live, a series of 26 filmed programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series of 13 episodes was made. A revival of the s ...
'' (1950–1970, 2002–2005) *''
All Your Own ''All Your Own'' is a BBC children's television programme broadcast from 1952 until 1961. The show provided the first television appearances for Jimmy Page, John Williams and the King Brothers. Commissioned by Freda Lingstrom and produced by Cli ...
'' (1952–1961) *'' Watch with Mother'' (1952–1975) *''
Rag, Tag and Bobtail ''Rag, Tag and Bobtail'' is a BBC children's television programme that ran from 1953 to 1965 as the Thursday programme in the weekly cycle of ''Watch With Mother''. The scripts were written by Louise Cochrane, and the series was produced by Freda ...
'' (1953–1965) *'' The Good Old Days'' (1953–1983) *''
Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
'' (1953–present) *'' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1955–1960) *'' Picture Book'' (1955–1965) *'' Sunday Night at the London Palladium'' (1955–1967, 1973–1974) *''
Take Your Pick! ''Take Your Pick!'' is a United Kingdom game show originally broadcast by Radio Luxembourg (English), Radio Luxembourg starting in 1952. The show was transferred to television in 1955 with the launch of ITV Network, ITV, where it continued unt ...
'' (1955–1968, 1992–1998) *'' Double Your Money'' (1955–1968) *''
Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...
'' (1955–1976) *'' Crackerjack'' (1955–1984, 2020–present) *''
Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Galton and Simpson, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James, Sidney James; the r ...
'' (1956–1961) *'' Opportunity Knocks'' (1956–1978, 1987–1990) *'' This Week'' (1956–1978, 1986–1992) *'' Armchair Theatre'' (1956–1974) *'' What the Papers Say'' (1956–2008) *'' The Army Game'' (1957–1961) *''
The Sky at Night ''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter date ...
'' (1957–present) *'' The Woody Woodpecker Show'' (1957–1997)


Ending this year

* ''The
Flower Pot Men ''Flower Pot Men'' is a British programme for young children produced by BBC Television. It was first transmitted in 1952, and repeated regularly for more than twenty years. A reboot of the show called ''Bill and Ben'' was produced in 2001. ...
'' (1952–1958, 2001–2002) * '' The Woodentops'' (1955–1958) * '' Educated Evans'' (1957–1958) * '' Living It Up'' (1957–1958) * '' Six-Five Special'' (1957–1958)


Births

* 10 January – Caroline Langrishe, actress * 24 January –
Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...
, British musician * 29 January – Linda Smith, comedian (died
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
) * 11 February –
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, British broadcast executive * 20 February – James Wilby, British actor * 3 March –
Miranda Richardson Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958) is an English actress. She made her film debut playing Ruth Ellis in '' Dance with a Stranger'' (1985) and went on to receive Academy Award nominations for ''Damage'' (1992) and ''Tom & Viv'' (1994). ...
, English actress * 7 March – Rik Mayall, comedian and actor (died
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
) * 13 March – Linda Robson, actress * 14 March –
Francine Stock Francine Stock is a British radio and television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator ...
, radio and television presenter and author * 21 March –
Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy Fi ...
, English actor * 14 April – Peter Capaldi, Scottish actor and director * 3 May – Sandi Toksvig, Danish-born comedian, author, and radio presenter * 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, Welsh comedian and actor * 18 May – Toyah Willcox, actress and singer * 22 May –
Denise Welch Jacqueline Denise Welch (born 22 May 1958) is an English actress, television personality, writer and broadcaster. Her roles include Natalie Barnes in ''Coronation Street'' (1997–2000), Steph Haydock in '' Waterloo Road'' (2006–2010), and ...
, actress and television presenter * 6 July – Jennifer Saunders, comedienne and actress * 24 July – Joe McGann, actor * 31 July – Sue Jenkins, actress * 29 August – Lenny Henry, British entertainer * 30 August –
Muriel Gray Muriel Janet Gray FRSE (born 30 August 1958) is a Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist. She came to public notice as an interviewer on Channel 4's alternative pop-show ''The Tube'', and then appeared as a regular presenter on BBC radio ...
, Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist * 13 September – Bobby Davro, actor and comedian * 18 September –
Linda Lusardi Linda Frances Elide Lusardi (born 18 September 1958) is an English actress, television presenter and former glamour model. Career Modelling Lusardi was born in Wood Green, London to Lilian (née Glassman, b. 1933) and Nello Lusardi (1930–2017 ...
, British model, actress, and television presenter * 21 September **
Simon Mayo Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022. Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...
, British radio presenter ** Penny Smith, television presenter * 25 October –
Simon Gipps-Kent Simon Gipps-Kent (born Simon Trevor Kent; 25 October 1958 – 16 September 1987) was a prolificAlistair D. McGown & Mark J. Dochert''The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama – An Encyclopedia'' British Film Institute, 2003, p. 97. 20 ...
, actor (died
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
) * 31 October – Debbie McGee, television, radio and stage performer * 6 December – Nick Park, English filmmaker and animator


Deaths

*30 November – Gareth Jones, actor


See also

*
1958 in British music This is a summary of 1958 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. Events * 24 January – Paul McCartney makes his first appearance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool with The Quarrymen. *5 February – Michae ...
*
1958 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1958 in the United Kingdom. Incumbents * Monarch – Elizabeth II * Prime Minister – Harold Macmillan (Conservative) *Parliament – 41st Events * 6 January – Chancellor of the Exchequer Peter Thorneycroft together wi ...
*
List of British films of 1958 A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1958 (see 1958 in film): 1958 See also * 1958 in British music * 1958 in British television * 1958 in the United Kingdom References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:British Films Of 19 ...


References

{{Years in TV by country, 1958