1988 In British Television
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This is a list of British television related events from 1988.


Events


January

*1 January – **New Year's Day highlights on BBC1 include the first network television showing of
Roger Donaldson Roger Lindsey Donaldson (born 15 November 1945) is an Australian-born New Zealand film director, producer and writer whose films include the 1981 relationship drama '' Smash Palace'', and a run of titles shot in the United States, including t ...
's historical drama, '' The Bounty''. **BBC2 airs a five-hour ''
Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 198 ...
'' special to welcome 1988. The special, aired from 9:35pm on New Year's Eve to 2:55am on New Year's Day, takes a look back through the archives in what is the programme's final outing. It will be three decades later in 2018 before a new edition of the programme is broadcast. **
Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, (born 8 March 1943) is an English television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive of Channel 4 (1 ...
takes on the role of Chief Executive of
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
. **From this day, each programme on ITV is no longer preceded by the identifier of the regional company that had produced the show. *4 January –
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
moves the repeat episode of '' Neighbours'' to a 5:35pm evening slot, the decision to do this having been made by controller
Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, (born 8 March 1943) is an English television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive of Channel 4 (1 ...
on the advice of his daughter. *5 January – Actor Rowan Atkinson launches the new
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
charity appeal. *6 January – All ITV regions network ''
Emmerdale Farm ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...
'' in the Wednesday and Thursday 6:30pm slot. *8 January – Launch of ''
LWT News ''LWT News'' was a regional news service provided by London Weekend Television, serving the Greater London area in various formats between January 1982 and 3 January 1993. History On Friday 1 January 1982, LWT began extending its broadcasting ...
'', a news service from
London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
providing at least eight bulletins each weekend for the ITV London region, and created as a response to IBA concerns about the lack of a proper news service in London at weekends. *9 January – ITV airs the British television premiere of the 1984 film ''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'', starring
Helen Slater Helen Rachel Slater (born December 15, 1963) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She played the title character in the 1984 film ''Supergirl'', and returned to the 2015 TV series of the same title, this time as Supergirl's adoptive mot ...
. *11 January – **The popular US cartoon series ''
The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...
'' (based on the hit 1984 ''
Ghostbusters ''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, thr ...
'' movie) makes its UK debut on Children's ITV. **The first episode of the game show ''
Fifteen to One ''Fifteen to One'' is a British general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4. It originally ran from 11 January 1988 to 19 December 2003 and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's original run ...
'' airs on Channel 4. The show's first winner is Gareth McMullan, a teacher from Northern Ireland. *14 January – Talks between
TV-am TV-am was a TV company that broadcast the ITV franchise for breakfast television in the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 until 31 December 1992. The station was the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchis ...
's management and the ACTT union begin aimed at resolving the ongoing strike. ** 25 January – TVS launches ''Late Night Late'' and gradually extends its broadcast hours over the next few months. *25–29 January –
TV-am TV-am was a TV company that broadcast the ITV franchise for breakfast television in the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 until 31 December 1992. The station was the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchis ...
airs a week of live broadcasts from Sydney to celebrate
Australia's bicentenary The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. History The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships ...
, and featuring
Anne Diamond Anne Margaret Diamond (born 8 September 1954) is a British journalist and broadcaster. She presently hosts the weekend breakfast show on GB News with Stephen Dixon as her co-presenter. She hosted '' Good Morning Britain'' for TV-am and ''Good ...
and Mike Morris. *30 January – British television premiere of the James Bond film ''
Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by G ...
'' on ITV.


February

*1 February – **TV-am celebrates its fifth birthday, with Anne Diamond joined by
Richard Keys Richard Keys (born 23 April 1957) is an English sports presenter who has worked for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Talksport, Al Jazeera, Fox Sports, ESPN Star Sports , BeIN Sports; and has presented many top-level football matches. Career ...
,
Gyles Brandreth Gyles Daubeney Brandreth (born 8 March 1948) is an English broadcaster, writer and former politician. He has worked as a television presenter, theatre producer, journalist, author and publisher. He was a presenter for TV-am's '' Good Morning ...
,
Su Pollard Susan Georgina Pollard (born 7 November 1949) is an English actress and singer. Her career has spanned over 45 years; she is most famous for her role in the sitcom '' Hi-de-Hi!''. She also appeared in ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' and '' Oh, Doctor Bee ...
and
Jimmy Greaves James Peter Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Greaves is regarded as one of England’s best ever players. He is England's fifth-highest international goalscorer ...
. It is the first time TV-am has been able to get its daily output down to an hour of pre-recorded material since the beginning of the strike. However, the station continues to air imports of old US shows for several months. **The deadline on which the ACTT must accept TV-am's "Ten Point Plan" aimed at resolving the strike. However, the plan is rejected by a ballot and the union refuses to resume negotiations. *5 February – The inaugural
Red Nose Day Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
sees
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
air its first ''A Night of Comic Relief'' fundraiser on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. *9 February – MPs vote in favour of allowing television camera into the House of Commons. *10 February – Debut on BBC1 of '' Moondial'', a six part series adapted from the novel by
Helen Cresswell Helen Cresswell (11 July 1934 – 26 September 2005) was an English television scriptwriter and author of more than 100 children's books, best known for comedy and supernatural fiction. Her most popular book series, '' Lizzie Dripping'' and '' T ...
. The series is repeated by BBC1 in 1990. *13 February – ** Scottish and Granada begin 24-hour broadcasting. ** Central, which had been keeping its transmitters on air since last April by filling its closedown period with its ''Jobfinder'' service, launches a full overnight schedule. ''Jobfinder'' also launches on both Granada and Scottish and all three companies broadcast ''Jobfinder'' for one hour beginning at 4am. *13–28 February – The 1988 Winter Olympics are held in Calgary,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
and broadcast to television audiences around the world. In the UK, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
provides around five hours of live and recorded coverage each day. *15 February – **An early morning 60-minute news programme – '' ITN Early Morning News'' – is launched but is only available in areas which have 24-hour broadcasting. The first 30 minutes of the programme includes a full broadcast of ITN's international news bulletin ''
ITN World News ''ITN World News'' was a newscast shown during the late 1980s and most of the 1990s. It was either shown on cable or satellite television, or shown internationally. The newscast was broadcast from London, England, and was produced by Independen ...
''. The new bulletin is supplemented by the launch of additional, brief news summaries which are broadcast at various points through the night. **The
Craig Charles Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is an English actor, comedian, television and radio presenter. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera ''Coronation ...
starring cult science fiction comedy series '' Red Dwarf'' makes its debut on BBC2. *16 February – TV-am Managing Director Bruce Gyngell sacks the station's locked out staff, and calls a meeting of its remaining employees the following morning to announce that the ACTT will never again organise itself at TV-am's studios. His decision fails to resolve the crisis, however, as picketing continues and the quality of its output remains unchanged. *20 February – **Debut of the stunt-based ITV game show ''
You Bet! ''You Bet!'' is a British game show that aired on ITV between 20 February 1988 and 12 April 1997, initially hosted by Bruce Forsyth from 1988 to 1990, then by Matthew Kelly from 1991 to 1995 and finally by Darren Day from 1996 to 1997. Forma ...
'' presented by
Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series '' Sunday Nig ...
. **'' London's Burning'' makes its debut as a regular series on ITV, having been developed from
Jack Rosenthal Jack Morris Rosenthal (8 September 1931 – 29 May 2004) was an English playwright. He wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations. ...
's original 1986 film. *February – Channel 4 starts broadcasting into the early hours, closing down between 2am and 3am. Previously Channel 4 had closed down at just after midnight.


March

*3 March – BBC1 airs '' Around the World with Willy Fog'' with former CBBC and Broom Cupboard presenter
Andy Crane Howard Andrew Crane (born 24 February 1964) is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting Children's BBC between 1987 and 1990 and for his current work as a presenter on the Greatest Hits Radio network. Career Crane ...
singing the theme tune. A special event called "National Willy Fog Day" which Crane invented will also appear on 28 April to air the final episode and celebrate the final airing. *7 March – ITV's lunchtime news programme returns to the 1pm timeslot. *18 March – The final US edition of ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' airs in the United States. *19 March – Two off-duty British soldiers are killed after stumbling into an IRA funeral procession in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
. Footage of the incident is captured by journalists and widely broadcast. *21 March – Anglia's silver statue of a knight on horseback ident is consigned to history, having been used as Anglia's ident since the station went on air 29 years earlier. It is replaced by a new identity a quasi-heraldic stylised 'A' made of triangles, designed by Robinson
Lambie-Nairn Superunion is a global brand and design consultancy, headquartered in London. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP. Superunion was formed after five agencies merged in January 2018, and employs 500 people across 16 offices.
at a cost of £500,000. ''
About Anglia ''About Anglia'' was a regional news magazine programme produced by Anglia Television in the east of England, broadcast for over thirty years from 2 June 1960 to 6 July 1990. History One of the first regional programmes of its kind in the ITV, ...
'' is also given a new look to co-inside with the ident change. *22 March –
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
tells the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
that journalists have a "bounden duty" to assist the police investigation into the corporals killings by handing over their footage. Many have refused to do so fearing it could place them in danger. *23 March – Film of the corporals killings is seized from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and ITN under the Prevention of Terrorism and Emergency Provisions Acts. *25 March – BBC2 shows '' Two of Us'', a
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
-themed television film. It was produced as part of the
BBC Schools BBC Schools, also known as BBC for Schools and Colleges, is the educational programming strand set up by the BBC in 1957, broadcasting a range of educational programmes for children aged 5–16. From launch until June 1983, programming was based o ...
''
Scene Scene (from Greek σκηνή ''skēnḗ'') may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Scene (subculture), a youth subculture from the early 2000s characterized by a distinct music and style. Groups and performers * The Scene who reco ...
'' programme, and intended for young adults. It confronted the
Thatcherite Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character and general style of manag ...
government's attempt to ban gay sex education in schools via the controversial (and since repealed)
section 28 Section 28 or Clause 28While going through Parliament, the amendment was constantly relabelled with a variety of clause numbers as other amendments were added to or deleted from the Bill, but by the final version of the Bill, which received R ...
legislation. Given this backdrop, the BBC opted not to show it during the day and it was screened late at night on this day, even though it was originally created for a school audience. In 1990 the play was finally shown during the day, when it was broadcast in a lunchtime slot. * March – '' No. 73'' is broadcast for the final time. It had been known as ''7T3'' since January.


April

*1 April – British television premiere of the
Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...
animated film ''
The Flight of Dragons ''The Flight of Dragons'' is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel '' The Dragon a ...
'' on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. * 3 April – ''
Motormouth ''Motormouth'' is a Saturday morning children's television series that was produced by TVS and broadcast across the ITV network for four series, running between 3 September 1988 and 4 April 1992. Each series generally ran from the autumn of ...
'' launches as ITV's new Saturday morning children's programme. *4 April – The original series of '' Crossroads'' airs for the last time on ITV. It returns in 2001 before being axed again in 2003. *6 April – ITV's chart show ''
The Roxy Roxy, Roxey, and Roxie may refer to: People * Roxy (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name Places in the United States * Roxie, Mississippi, a town * Roxie, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Music * Roxy ...
'' airs for the last time. *7 April – The Irish market has purchased the Welsh children's stop motion animated programme ''
Fireman Sam ''Fireman Sam'' ( Welsh: ') is a Welsh animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd ...
'' for television broadcasting in Ireland. The series would premiere on RTÉ1 with only the first series and will return to air a number of times on
RTÉ2 RTÉ2 is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish free-to-air television channel operated by public service broadcaster RTÉ. It was launched in 1978 as the Republic of Ireland's second television channel. History In the 1970s, the Iri ...
(of what was known as Network 2 at the time) in 2000, although viewers in Ireland with access to British television were able to see earlier transmissions including all four series and the Christmas Special with their original premiere dates. *10 April –
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
premieres ''
East of the Moon {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = East of the Moon , image = , caption = , sire = Private Account , grandsire = Damascus , dam = Miesque , damsire = Nureyev , sex = Filly , foaled = March 25, 1991 , country = United States , colour ...
'' a new television series for children based on fairy tales written by former Monty Python member
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...
and features his stories brought to life with live action and animation and songs written and performed by
Neil Innes Neil James Innes (; 9 December 1944 – 29 December 2019) was an English writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the pioneering comedy rock group Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the M ...
. *15 April –
The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...
perform their controversial hit '' Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six'' – a song expressing support for those convicted over the Guildford and
Birmingham pub bombings The Birmingham pub bombings were carried out on 21 November 1974, when bombs exploded in two public houses in Birmingham, England, killing 21 people and injuring 182 others. The Provisional Irish Republican Army never officially admitted respo ...
– on the
Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
show ''Friday Night Live''. The song is cut short, however, by a
commercial break A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
. *19 April –
Liz Forgan Dame Elizabeth Anne Lucy Forgan, DBE (born 31 August 1944) is an English journalist, and radio and television executive. Early life Forgan was educated at Benenden School, Kent, and St Hugh's College, Oxford, then an all-female college. She ini ...
becomes Channel 4's first official Director of Programmes. * 23 April-10 September – Two Saturday morning magazine shown are shown on Saturday morning this summer. '' On the Waterfront'' is aired for the first part of the summer with '' UP2U'' taking over in mid-July. The same two programmes are also shown the following summer. *28 April – **BBC1 airs the concluding episode of '' Around the World with Willy Fog''. ** ITV broadcasts "
Death on the Rock "Death on the Rock" was a British television documentary, part of Thames Television's current affairs series '' This Week''. It was broadcast in 1988. The programme examined the deaths of three Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members in ...
", a hugely controversial episode of
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...
's '' This Week'' current affairs strand, investigating Operation Flavius, which resulted in the SAS killing three members of the
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
in
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
on 6 March. *30 April – Canadian singer
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
wins the
1988 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following Johnny Logan's win at the with the song " Hold Me Now". Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (E ...
for Switzerland with the French language song "
Ne partez pas sans moi "Ne partez pas sans moi" (; "Don't Leave Without Me") is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song was written by Atilla Şereftuğ and Nella Martinetti. It is best known as the Swiss winning entry at the Eurovision Song Contes ...
" ("Don't Leave Without Me").


May

*9 May – The youth strand
DEF II DEF II was a programming strand on BBC2, which aired at 6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 May 1988 to 23 May 1994, to serve the teenage market. It was produced by Janet Street-Porter, and followed on from her influential youth TV show ''Netw ...
is launched on BBC2. *19 May –
Anita Dobson Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Si ...
makes her last appearance in '' EastEnders'', when her character,
Angie Watts Angie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the series until 1988, when Dobson decided to leave, and the character was written out. Angie is well known for her ...
departs for a new life in Spain. *23 May – Three gay rights activists invade the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
studios during a ''
Six O'Clock "Six O'Clock" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album '' Ringo''. It was written by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and the latter's wife, Linda, who also participated in the recording of the song. It ...
'' bulletin of the
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
to protest about the introduction of
Section 28 Section 28 or Clause 28While going through Parliament, the amendment was constantly relabelled with a variety of clause numbers as other amendments were added to or deleted from the Bill, but by the final version of the Bill, which received R ...
, a law preventing schools from teaching their students about homosexuality. Protesters can be heard chanting as Sue Lawley continues to read the news, prompting the presenter to comment "we have been rather invaded by some people who we hope to be removing very shortly". *27 May – Almost all of the production areas at
BBC Television Centre Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for TV production, opera ...
are shut down after the discovery of asbestos fibres in the soundproof ceiling of TC5 during routine maintenance. Asbestos is also found in the coating of trusses supporting the studio grids. As a consequence production teams are required to move from Television Centre to other BBC studios, such as Bristol and Birmingham. Work to remove the asbestos takes several months. *29–30 May – ITV stages the first
Telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...
, a 27-hour nationwide fundraising effort involving participation and input from all of the regional broadcasters around the country. Its aim is to raise money for disability charities across the United Kingdom. *30 May – **
Yorkshire Television ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
resumes 24-hour broadcasting. **TV-am does not go on air, with its airtime instead taken up by coverage of ITV's '' Telethon '88''. The ACTT had asked its members to boycott the programme on this date, and fearful of sparking a nationwide dispute, TV-am's acting Managing Director, Adrian Moore, allows ITV to use the early morning airtime. *31 May – **Debut of ''People'', a thirteen part series on BBC1 featuring human interest stories and presented by
Derek Jameson Derek Jameson (29 November 1929 – 12 September 2012) was a British tabloid journalist and broadcaster. He began his career in the media in 1944 as a messenger at Reuters and worked his way up to become the editor of several British tabloid ...
. He is joined by
Jeni Barnett Jeni Barnett (born 24 March 1949 in London) is an English actress and TV presenter who grew up in Borehamwood. Acting career As an actress Barnett appeared on several TV shows, including ''Revolting Women'' (BBC2, 1981) and ''Doctors'', and has a ...
, Lucy Pilkington and
Chris Serle Christopher Richard Serle (born 13 July 1943 in Bristol, England) is a former BBC TV presenter, reporter and actor. Biography Serle was educated at Clifton College and Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied modern languages. He appeared a ...
. **Debut of Charles Wood's screenplay ''
Tumbledown ''Tumbledown'' is a 1988 BBC Television drama film set during the Falklands War. Directed by Richard Eyre, it stars Colin Firth, Paul Rhys, and David Calder. Synopsis The film centres on the experiences of Robert Lawrence MC (played by Col ...
'' about the experiences of
Scots Guard The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...
Robert Lawrence, who was left paralysed after being shot in the head by a sniper at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown during the Falklands War. The film is shown again on 9 October.


June

*1 June – Live horse racing is shown for the final time on ITV when it simulcasts Channel 4's coverage of the
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
. The sport was not to return to ITV screens until 2017. *5 June – Channel 4 airs the
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...
documentary ''Waldheim: A Commission of Inquiry'', a programme investigating the history of the alleged Nazi conspirator
Kurt Waldheim Kurt Josef Waldheim (; 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. Waldheim was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 and president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. While he was running for t ...
. *8 June **Television presenter
Russell Harty Frederic Russell Harty (5 September 1934 – 8 June 1988) was an English television presenter of arts programmes and chat shows. Early life Harty was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, the son of greengrocer Fred Harty, who ran a fruit-and-veget ...
dies aged 53. **Media mogul
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
announces to the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
his intention to launch a four-channel service on the soon to be launched Astra satellite. *11 June – The
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was a popular-music concert staged on 11 June 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London, and broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. Marking the forthcoming 70th birthday (18 July 1988) of the ...
concert is staged at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
, London, and broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. In the UK it was broadcast on BBC 2. *13 June – Presenter Frank Bough leaves the BBC after a '' News of the World'' exposé of his private life. *20 June – TVS and Channel commence 24-hour broadcasting. *21 June – BBC 1 airs ''Crystal Clear'', a film based on the award-winning play of the same name that deals with the subject of sight loss.


July

*1 July – Australian series ''
The Flying Doctors ''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. ...
'' makes its British television debut on BBC 1. Initially aired on Fridays at 8:10pm, from 20 August, it is moved to a Saturday early evening slot. *7 July – ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' reports that TVS have bought US production company
MTM Enterprises MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for CBS. The name for the producti ...
for £190m. *15 July –
London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
airs the final edition of its Friday evening programme ''
The Six O'Clock Show ''The Six O'Clock Show'' was a regional television magazine show broadcast in the Greater London area and produced by London Weekend Television between 1982 and 1988. The Friday evening programme was launched on Friday 8 January 1982 and prese ...
''. It is replaced by ''Friday Now!'', a smaller scale current affairs programme from October. *17 July – After 1,576 episodes, ''Farming'' is broadcast on BBC1 for the final time. It is replaced the following week by ''
Countryfile ''Countryfile'' is a British television programme which airs weekly on BBC One and reports on rural, agricultural, and environmental issues in the United Kingdom. The programme is currently presented by John Craven, Adam Henson, Matt Baker ...
'' whose brief was to look at issues reflecting all aspects of the countryside rather than just focussing on farming. *19 July – ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
'' broadcasts the first episode of its fourth season and switches to a year-round serial format. *26 July –
Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. ...
makes her final appearance as ''EastEnders'' matriarch
Lou Beale Lou Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Wing. Her first appearance is in the first episode, which was broadcast on 19 February 1985, and her last is in episode 362, first shown on 26 July 1988, ...
, dispensing words of wisdom and advice to her family before retiring to her bedroom to slip away. Her final words in the soap are: "That's you lot sorted. I can go now." The character has died by the following episode, and at her funeral, her on-screen son
Pete Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...
(played by Peter Dean) proposes a toast to that "bloody old bag". Wing herself died, aged 98, in 2013. *July – Stephen Barden is appointed TV-am's new Managing Editor. With the station facing criticism from the IBA over the quality of its output, he acts quickly to improve matters. Repeats of imported US programmes finally come to an end, while new programming is launches, and programmes such as ''Frost on Sunday'' (off air since the strike began) are restored.


August

*3 August – ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Br ...
'' is moved from Tuesdays to Wednesdays which means the soap can now be seen on Mondays and Wednesdays. *4 August – The band
All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does not receive a screen credit ...
perform their single " Martha's Harbour" on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''. The group, ready to do a mimed (as was BBC policy at the time) performance of their hit, are not played the backing track through their monitors, and so sit motionless while the television and studio audience hear the song. Due to this error on the part of the BBC, the band are invited back the following week and insist on playing the song live. *5 August – The eight part New Zealand thriller ''Steel Riders'' debuts on BBC1. *10 August – Debut of ''
Crimewatch File ''Crimewatch File'' was a British television programme which reconstructed the investigation of a single case that had previously been covered by '' Crimewatch'' which viewers had previously helped to solve. History Broadcast on BBC One, it was ...
'', a BBC1 documentary series in which detectives tell the inside stories of some of the UK's major criminal investigations during which police appealed to viewers of the BBC's ''
Crimewatch ''Crimewatch'' (formerly ''Crimewatch UK'') is a British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in solving the case. The programme was o ...
'' for help. *19 August – Following concerns about the quality of TV-am's programming, an emergency meeting of the IBA considers whether to review the station's franchise in early 1989. However, it is ultimately decided not to proceed with the review since the next franchise round is approaching, and the IBA feels the success of both organisations is mutually exclusive. *22 August – HTV begins 24-hour broadcasting. *31 August – **ITV airs a version of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is se ...
'' starring Jeremy Brett and
Edward Hardwicke Edward Cedric Hardwicke (7 August 1932 – 16 May 2011) was an English actor, who had a distinguished career on the stage and on-screen. He was best known for playing Captain Pat Grant in ''Colditz'' (1972-73), and Dr. Watson in Granada Te ...
.


September

*1 September – To celebrate
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's FM "switch on day", BBC1's ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' is simulcast with Radio 1 for the first time, allowing listeners to hear the programme in stereo. This edition is presented by Steve Wright and
Mark Goodier Mark Goodier (born 9 June 1961) is a British radio disc jockey best known for his time on BBC Radio 1 between 1987 and 2002. He had two spells presenting the station's Top 40 singles chart, from 1990 to 1992 and from 1995 until 2002. He also h ...
. ''Top of the Pops'' is then simulcast weekly with Radio 1 until August 1991. *2 September – TSW,
Grampian Grampian ( gd, Roinn a' Mhonaidh) was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. The region t ...
and
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
begin 24-hour broadcasting. *5 September – BBC1 airs ''Bros Special'', a 30-minute programme showing exclusive footage of pop band Bros in concert and on their UK tour. The programme is repeated on 29 December. *6 September – ITV premieres a new animated series on
Children's ITV CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive and acquisitions, every day from 6 am to 9 pm which ...
''
Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off from '' Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the ...
'' (a sequel to the popular children's animated TV series '' Danger Mouse'') featuring the voice of
David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom '' Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector ...
. *7 September – Repeat showing of Paul Hamann's death row documentary ''
Fourteen Days in May ''Fourteen Days in May'' is a documentary film directed by Paul Hamann and originally shown on television by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1987. The programme recounts the final days before the execution of Edward Earl Johnson, an ...
'', telling the story of the final days of
Edward Earl Johnson Edward Earl Johnson (June 22, 1960 – May 20, 1987) was a man convicted in 1979 at the age of 18 and subsequently executed by the U.S. state of Mississippi for the murder of a policeman, J.T. Trest, and the sexual assault of a 69-year-old woma ...
as he awaits execution on Mississippi's death row. The film is followed on 14 September by ''The Journey'', in which lawyer Clive Stafford Smith returns to Mississippi in an attempt to posthumously clear Johnson of the crimes to which he always professed his innocence. *8 September – Channel 4 drops plans to invite
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
leader
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. ...
to appear on an edition of its late night discussion programme '' After Dark'' following objections from other contributors. *9 September – ''
Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'' returns to BBC1 for a third series, moving from its previous Saturday evening slot to Friday evenings. *12 September – Debut of '' Stoppit and Tidyup'', a 13-part series narrated by
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 week ...
, and partly funded by the '' Tidy Britain Group'' charity. *13 September – A brand new children's cartoon series ''PC Pinkerton'' gets its debut on BBC1. The series was produced by Trevor Bond who has also worked on the original ''
Mr. Men ''Mr. Men'' is a British series of children's books by English author Roger Hargreaves which began publication in August 1971. From 1981, an accompanying series of Little Miss books by the same author (but with female characters) was published. ...
'' series and ''
Bananaman Bananaman is a fictional character appearing in British comic books. Bananaman is a parody of traditional superheroes, being portrayed as a schoolboy who is transformed into a muscled, caped adult man when he eats a banana. The character origin ...
'' with veteran animation producer Terry Ward and featured the voice of
Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC sitcom '' Dad's Army'', and is the last surviving major cast member of the series following t ...
best known for the playing the role of
Private Pike Private Frank Pike is a fictional Home Guard private and junior bank clerk, first portrayed by actor Ian Lavender in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. He was appointed as the platoon's information officer by Captain Mainwaring in The Man ...
in the hit sitcom ''
Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...
''. *14 September – Debut of the eight-part Australian series '' The True Story of Spit MacPhee'' on BBC1. The series concludes on 2 November. *17 September–2 October – The
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
are held in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
and broadcast to television audiences around the world. BBC Television provides live coverage, as does ITV, in conjunction with
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
. This was to be the final time that ITV broadcast the
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
, and Channel 4's only broadcast of the Olympics. ITV shows daytime coverage while Channel 4 airs the overnight and breakfast coverage. *18 September – Debut of the BBC political discussion programme '' On the Record'', presented by
Jonathan Dimbleby Jonathan Dimbleby (born 31 July 1944) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David Dimbleby. ...
. *20 September – Death, at the age of 54, of actor
Roy Kinnear Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British character actor. He was known for his roles in films such as The Beatles' ''Help!'' (1965), Clapper in '' How I Won the War'' (1967) and Planchet in ''The Three Musketeer ...
, who the previous day had fallen from a horse during the making of ''
The Return of the Musketeers ''The Return of the Musketeers'' is a 1989 film adaptation loosely based on the novel ''Twenty Years After'' (1845) by Alexandre Dumas. It is the third Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, following 1973's ''The Three Musketeers'' and 1 ...
'' in Toledo,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. He sustained a broken pelvis and internal bleeding, and was taken to hospital in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, where he died from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
, brought on by his injuries. *30 September – Television presenters Mike Smith and
Sarah Greene Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series '' Saturday Superstore'' and ''Going Live!''. E ...
are seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Gloucestershire.


October

*3 October – **The magazine programme '' This Morning'' makes its debut. It is presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan until 2001. **
Ulster Television UTV (formerly Ulster Television, branded on air as ITV1) is the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, ITV subsidiary and the former on-air name of the free-to-air public broadcast television channel serving the area. It is run by ITV plc an ...
in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
is the last in the ITV network to begin 24-hour transmission. **''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' makes its British television debut on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
. *5 October – ITV begins airing the Australian soap '' Richmond Hill'' in a 2:00pm slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the first time the channel has networked an Australian soap. However, some regions (including Central and Granada) opt out of networking the series when it is cancelled by Australia's Channel Ten in 1989. *6 October –
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
,
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
, Tyne Tees and
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
air the final episode of ''
The Sullivans ''The Sullivans'' is an Australian period drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran on the Nine Network from 15 November 1976 until 10 March 1983. The series tells the story of a fictional average middle-cla ...
'', becoming the first ITV regions to complete the series. *7 October – Launch of LWT's current affairs programme ''Friday Now!''. * 11 October – ITV airs the first episode of the two-part mini-series, ''
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
'', starring
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
,
Lewis Collins Lewis Collins (27 May 1946 – 27 November 2013)"Happy Birthday Richard Hastilow, 65", ''The Times'', 26 May 2010 was an English actor, best known for his career-defining role playing 'Bodie' in the late 1970s – early 1980s British television ...
and
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne ...
. * 14 October – '' Play School'' is broadcast for the final time. The last new edition had been show in March. * 17 October – **'' Playbus'', the replacement programme for ''Play School'', is broadcast for the first time. ** First showing of sitcom '' Wyatt's Watchdogs'' on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. *19 October –
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national s ...
Douglas Hurd Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, (born 8 March 1930) is a British Conservative Party politician who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995. A career diplomat and political secretary to P ...
issues a notice under clause 13(4) of the BBC Licence and Agreement to the BBC and under section 29(3) of the Broadcasting Act 1981 to the
Independent Broadcasting Authority The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television ( ITV and Channel 4 and limited satellite television regulation – cable television was the responsibility of the Cable Author ...
prohibiting the broadcast of direct statements by representatives or supporters of 11 Irish political and military organisations. The ban lasts until 1994, and denies the UK news media the right to broadcast the voices, though not the words, of all Irish republican and Loyalist paramilitaries. The restrictions – targeted primarily at
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
– means that actors are used to speak the words of any representative interviewed for radio and television. *20 October – Debut of children's 13 episode stop motion animated series ''
Charlie Chalk ''Charlie Chalk'' is a British stop motion animation series produced in 1987 in the United Kingdom by Woodland Animations, who also produced the children's television programmes ''Postman Pat'', '' Gran'', and ''Bertha''. Reception to the show ...
'' produced by
Woodland Animations Ivor Sydney Wood (4 May 1932 – 13 October 2004) was a prolific Anglo-French' animator, director, producer and writer. He was known for his work on children's television series. Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his famil ...
the company behind ''
Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop-motion animated television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman who works for Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendal ...
'' on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
featuring the voices of
Barbara Leigh-Hunt Barbara Leigh-Hunt (born 14 December 1935) is a British actress. Her numerous theatre credits include Broadway productions of '' Hamlet'' (1958) and '' Sherlock Holmes'' Justice (1973) (1974), and she won the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Suppor ...
, Michael Williams and John Wells. The last three episodes will air the next year. *23 October – Final broadcast of Channel 4's groundbreaking youth music and current affairs programme ''
Network 7 ''Network 7'' was a short-lived but influential youth music and current affairs programme screened on Channel 4 over two series in 1987 and 1988. The series was created by Jane Hewland and Janet Street-Porter, who was also editor of the first s ...
''. *25 October – As the 25th anniversary of the
assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...
approaches ITV airs the two-part documentary ''
The Men Who Killed Kennedy ''The Men Who Killed Kennedy'' is a video documentary series by British television network ITV that depicts the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Originally broadcast in 1988 in two parts (with a subsequent ...
'', a film which explores discrepancies and inconsistencies in the US Government's official version of events. *30 October – **Following the signing of a new four-year deal to show exclusive live coverage of top flight English football, ITV begins showing a live game every Sunday afternoon. **'' First Born'', a three-part adaptation of
Maureen Duffy Maureen Patricia Duffy (born 21 October 1933) is an English poet, playwright, novelist and non-fiction author. Long an activist covering such issues as gay rights and animal rights, she campaigns especially on behalf of authors. She has receive ...
's novel ''Gor Saga'', debuts on BBC1.


November

*1 November – Having decided to step down from her presenting role on TV-am, Anne Diamond makes her final regular appearance on the station. *2 November – **In the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
, an amendment introduced by the
opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Com ...
Labour Party condemning the government's decision over the broadcasting ban as "incompatible with a free society" is rejected, despite some Conservative MPs voting with Labour. **'' Evacuation'', an episode of ITV's ''The Bill'' features one of the series early prominent events – an explosion at
Sun Hill police station ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...
. *7 November – A government
white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...
on broadcasting, ''Broadcasting in the '90s: Competition, Choice and Quality'', includes provisions for a fifth UK television channel after management consultants Booz Allen recommend it as an option, claiming the extra channel would reduce the current ITV monopoly and also reduce advertising costs. *8 November – BBC1 airs Episode 523 of ''Neighbours'', featuring the wedding of
Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to: * Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician * Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player * Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...
and
Charlene Mitchell Charlene Alexander Mitchell (June 8, 1930 – December 14, 2022) was an American international socialist, feminist, labor and civil rights activist. In 1968, she became the first Black woman candidate for President of the United States. In the ...
(played by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue), which is watched by 20 million viewers. *13 November–18 December – '' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', one of
C.S. Lewis CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to: Job titles * Chief Secretary (Hong Kong) * Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces * Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
's ''Chronicles of Narnia'', is aired as a six-part TV serial by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, featuring actors including
Ronald Pickup Ronald Alfred Pickup (7 June 1940 – 24 February 2021) was an English actor. He was active in television, film, and theatre, beginning with a 1964 appearance in ''Doctor Who''. Theatre critic Michael Billington described him as "a terrific sta ...
,
Barbara Kellerman Barbara Rose Kellerman (originally spelt Kellermann; born 30 December 1949) is an English actress, known for her film and television roles. She trained at Rose Bruford College. Kellerman was born in Manchester, Lancashire. Her Jewish fath ...
and
Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...
. *15 November – Premiere of an educational documentary series called '' Secret Life of Machines'' on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
. It is hosted by inventor and roboteer Rex Garrod and engineer, cartoonist, artist and writer
Tim Hunkin Tim Hunkin (born Timothy Mark Trelawney Hunkin, 27 December 1950 in London) is an English engineer, cartoonist, writer, and artist living in Suffolk, England. He is best known for creating the Channel Four television series ''The Secret Life of ...
who is also the creator of the series. *21 November – The Welsh children's favourite ''
Fireman Sam ''Fireman Sam'' ( Welsh: ') is a Welsh animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd ...
'' is played in Singapore for the first time with the series being shown on MediaCorp Channel 5. *23 November – The BBC
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
series '' Doctor Who'' celebrates its 25th anniversary and begins the three-part serial '' Silver Nemesis''. *24 November – Frank Ruse, a left-wing Labour councillor for Liverpool City Council accompanies Liverpool's Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra to London for an appearance on '' Blue Peter''. He is given a Blue Peter badge, but later receives a BBC headed letter requesting its return. The letter (later discovered to be a forgery) claims the programme had been approached by the office of Labour leader
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader of ...
expressing concern that a councillor with hard-left views had been given a ''Blue Peter'' badge. Upon receiving the returned badge, the BBC writes back to Ruse stating that it had not sent the letter. The incident prompts Ruse to start an enquiry to find out who sent the hoax letter.


December

*1 December – ITV's ORACLE Teletext service launches ''
Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Av ...
'', a teletext based soap opera. It is written by Robert Burns and runs until ORACLE loses its franchise at the end of 1992. *3 December – Comedian Steve Tandy wins '' New Faces of '88''. *10 December – **First showing of '' An Audience with Victoria Wood'' on ITV. **Channel 4 airs the marathon charity rock concert
Human Rights Now! Human Rights Now! was a worldwide tour of twenty benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place over six weeks in 1988. Held not to raise funds but to increase awareness of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on it ...
. *11 December – Launch date of the
Astra Satellite Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES (Société Européenne des Satellites), launched in December 1988. During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite original ...
. The satellite will provide television coverage to
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
and is revolutionary as one of the first medium-powered satellites, allowing reception with smaller dishes than has previously been possible. *13 December – Central airs the final episode of '' Sons and Daughters'' making it the first ITV region to complete the series. *22 December – Singer Neneh Cherry performs her single "
Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, '' Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in ...
" on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' while seven months pregnant, something that goes on to cause a furore in the media. *24 December – Christmas Eve highlights on BBC1 include the British television premieres of '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' with
Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
, and '' Jagged Edge'' with
Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...
and
Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...
. *25 December – **The final edition of ''
It's a Knockout ''It's a Knockout!'' is a British game show first broadcast in 1966. It was adapted from the French show '' Intervilles'', and was part of the international '' Jeux sans frontières'' franchise. History The series was broadcast on BBC1 from 7 ...
'' to air on BBC1 is another celebrity special, ''It's a Charity Knockout From Walt Disney World'', featuring teams of celebrities from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. The series returns to S4C in 1991. **" Ding Dong Merrily", the '' London's Burning'' Christmas special, and the only episode of the series to have a title, is broadcast by ITV as part of its Christmas Day line up. **Christmas Day highlights on BBC1 include the British television premieres of the blockbuster sci-fi comedy ''
Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
, starring Michael J Fox'' and the western adventure '' Silverado'', starring Kevin Kline and
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
. **ITV's Christmas Day movie highlight is the television premiere of the epic 1980 Star Wars sequel ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...
'', starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and
Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...
. *26 December – BBC1 airs ''
CivvyStreet "CivvyStreet" (sometimes written as "Civvy Street") is a spin-off episode of the British television soap opera ''EastEnders'', broadcast on BBC1 on 26 December 1988. The episode is a flashback to World War II and is set at Christmas 1942. The epis ...
'', a spin-off episode of '' EastEnders'' set during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Later the same evening BBC1 airs ''Bruce and Ronnie'', a Christmas special presented by
Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series '' Sunday Nig ...
and
Ronnie Corbett Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
, who first appeared together at the 1988 Royal Variety Performance. *26–30 December – As part of a Christmas special,
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
soap ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Br ...
'' airs five episodes over five consecutive days. *28 December – BBC1 airs the first part of the Australian film ''
Bushfire Moon ''Bushfire Moon'' is a 1987 Australian drama film about a young boy, Ned, who thinks a swagman is Santa Claus. It was released in the United States as “The Christmas Visitor” on the Disney Channel and as “Miracle Down Under” on VHS. Cast ...
''. The second part is shown on 30 December. *29 December – British television debut of the smash hit comedy horror movie ''
Gremlins ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice ...
'' on ITV. *30 December – Channel 4 airs "The Cotton Collection", an evening of archive classics BBC programmes, including episodes of '' Frost Over England'' and ''
Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...
''. *31 December – New Year's Eve highlights on BBC1 include a special edition of ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' celebrating the programme's 25th anniversary, and the network television premiere of '' Perry Mason in the Case of the Sinister Spirit''.


Undated

*Autumn – The BBC takes its first tentative steps into later closedowns – previously weekday programmes ended no later than 12:15am and weekend broadcasting at 1:30am. * Swindon cable's TV channel is relaunched as Swindon's Local Channel. This sees the return to the service of local news, sport and one-off documentaries.


Debuts


BBC1

* 1 January – ''
Way Upstream ''Way Upstream'' is a play by Alan Ayckbourn. It was first performed, under Ayckbourn's direction, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK, "in the round" at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, on 2 October 1981. Although realistic in style, with a setting ...
'' (1987) * 3 January – ''
First of the Summer Wine ''First of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that aired on BBC1. The pilot originally aired on 3 January 1988, and the first series of episodes followed on 4 September 1988. The show ran for two series of six episodes ea ...
'' (1988–1989) * 11 January – '' Star Wars: Droids'' (1985–1986) * 13 January – '' White Peak Farm'' (1988) * 16 January – ''
Kissyfur ''Kissyfur'' is an American animated children's television series which aired on NBC. It was produced by Jean Chalopin and Andy Heyward and created by Phil Mendez for DIC Animation City. The series was based on a half-hour NBC special called ' ...
'' (1986–1990) * 19 January – ''
The Play on One ''The Play on One'' (''Play on One'' in the final series) is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC Nations and Regions in its studios outside London, and transmitted on BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air pub ...
'' (1988–1991) * 10 February – '' Moondial'' (1988) * 24 February – ''
Gruey ''Gruey'' is a 1988 BBC TV children's comedy about the misadventures and escapades of Stephen 'Gruey' Grucock, a mischievous schoolboy in the '' Jennings'' and '' Just William'' mould. In 1989 another series was produced and aired, titled ''Gru ...
'' (1988–1989) * 5 April – ''
Degrassi Junior High ''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC ...
'' (1987–1989) * 8 April – '' Thin Air'' (1988) * 19 April – ''
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
'' (1988, 1998, 2020) * 3 May – '' 4 Square'' (1988–1991) * 17 May – '' The Lowdown'' (1988–1998) * 30 May – ''
Tumbledown ''Tumbledown'' is a 1988 BBC Television drama film set during the Falklands War. Directed by Richard Eyre, it stars Colin Firth, Paul Rhys, and David Calder. Synopsis The film centres on the experiences of Robert Lawrence MC (played by Col ...
'' (1988) * 8 June – '' The Movie Game'' (1988–1995) * 1 July – ''
The Flying Doctors ''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. ...
'' (1986–1993) * 24 July – ''
Countryfile ''Countryfile'' is a British television programme which airs weekly on BBC One and reports on rural, agricultural, and environmental issues in the United Kingdom. The programme is currently presented by John Craven, Adam Henson, Matt Baker ...
'' (1988–present) * 5 August – '' Steel Riders'' (1987) * 3 September – **''
Noel's Saturday Roadshow ''The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow'' is a BBC television light entertainment show which was broadcast on Saturday evenings from 3 September 1988 to 15 December 1990. It was presented by Noel Edmonds, his first major TV project since the demi ...
'' (1988–1990) **'' Eggs 'n' Baker'' (1988–1993) * 4 September – ''
Double First The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
'' (1988) * 5 September – '' No Frills'' (1988) * 12 September – **'' Stoppit and Tidyup'' (1988) **''
Defenders of the Earth ''Defenders of the Earth'' is an American animated television series produced in 1986, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake's assistan ...
'' (1986) * 13 September – '' PC Pinkerton'' (1988) * 14 September – '' The True Story of Spit MacPhee'' (1988) * 15 September – '' The Snorks'' (1984–1989) * 18 September – '' On the Record'' (1988–2002) * 25 September – '' The Franchise Affair'' (1988) * 17 October – **'' Wyatt's Watchdogs'' (1988) **''
Playdays ''Playdays'' (known as ''Playbus'' until December 1989) is a British pre-school television programme which ran from 1988 to 1997 on CBBC. The show was the successor to '' Play School'' and, like its predecessor, was designed as an educational p ...
'' (1988–1997) * 20 October – **''
Charlie Chalk ''Charlie Chalk'' is a British stop motion animation series produced in 1987 in the United Kingdom by Woodland Animations, who also produced the children's television programmes ''Postman Pat'', '' Gran'', and ''Bertha''. Reception to the show ...
'' (1988–1989) **'' The River'' (1988) * 24 October – '' Streets Apart'' (1988–1989) * 25 October – '' South of the Border'' (1988–1990) * 29 October – '' Hearts of Gold'' (1988–1996) * 30 October – '' First Born'' (1988) * 10 November – '' Thompson'' (1988) * 13 November – '' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' (1988) * 4 December – ''
The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle to growth ...
'' (1988) * 5 December – ''
Supersense ''Supersense'' is a six-part nature documentary television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One, BBC1 in 1988. The series producer was John Downer (filmmaker), John Downer and th ...
'' (1988) * 7 December – ''
The Watch House The Watch House is a 1977 fiction book by Robert Westall Robert Atkinson Westall (7 October 1929 – 15 April 1993) was an English author and teacher known for fiction aimed at children and young people. Some of the latter cover complex, ...
'' (1988) * 21 December – '' Barney'' (1988–1989) * 23 December – ''Billy's Christmas Angels'' (1988) * 29 December – '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–1993)


BBC2

* 4 January – ''
Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...
'' (1988) * 6 January – ''
Campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...
'' (1988) * 12 January – ''
Geordie Racer ''Geordie Racer'' is an educational BBC ''Look and Read'' production, which was first aired on BBC2 from 12 January to 22 March 1988. The story was set in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the surrounding area, and featured pigeon racers and runners c ...
'' (1988) * 15 February – '' Red Dwarf'' (1988–1999, 2012–present) * 25 March – '' Two of Us'' (1987) * 13 April – ''
Sophia and Constance ''Sophia and Constance'' is a British drama television series that originally aired on the BBC in six episodes from 13 April to 18 May 1988. It was an adaptation of the 1908 novel ''The Old Wives' Tale'' by Arnold Bennett, which follows the lives o ...
'' (1988) * 9 May – ''
DEF II DEF II was a programming strand on BBC2, which aired at 6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 May 1988 to 23 May 1994, to serve the teenage market. It was produced by Janet Street-Porter, and followed on from her influential youth TV show ''Netw ...
'' (1988–1994) * 23 September – '' A Gentleman's Club'' (1988) * 3 October – '' Rapido'' (1988–1992) * 12 October – '' Blind Justice'' (1988) * 13 October – ''
Alexei Sayle's Stuff ''Alexei Sayle's Stuff'' is a British television comedy sketch show which ran on BBC2 for a total of 18 episodes over 3 series from 1988 to 1991. Cast Alexei Sayle's Stuff stars stand-up comedian Alexei Sayle, with a recurring cast including A ...
'' (1988–1991) * 18 October – ''
Colin's Sandwich ''Colin's Sandwich'' is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1988 and 1990. It starred Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail administrator who aspired to be a horror writer. The show was written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan and ra ...
'' (1988–1990) * 15 November – ''
The Train Now Departing ''The Train Now Departing: Twenty Years After the End of Steam'' is a 1988 BBC Two documentary series about railways that was broadcast 20 years after the end of steam on British Railways. It was written and narrated by Anthony Smith. A book to ac ...
'' (1988) * 16 November – '' Christabel'' (1988)


ITV

* 3 January – ''
The Contract A contract is a legally binding agreement between at least two parties. Contract may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Contract'' (1971 film), an Israeli comedy film * ''The Contract'' (1972 film) or ''Caliber 9'', an Italian crime ...
'' (1988) * 4 January – '' After Henry'' (1988–1992) * 6 January – '' Hannay'' (1988–1989) * 10 January – ''Closing Ranks'' (1988) * 11 January – ''
The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...
'' (1986–1991) * 17 January – ''
Wish Me Luck ''Wish Me Luck'' is a British television drama about the exploits of British women undercover agents during the Second World War. The series was made by London Weekend Television for the ITV network between 17 January 1988 and 25 February 199 ...
'' (1988–1990) * 18 January – ''
Hard Cases "Hard Cases" is the fourth episode of the second season of the HBO original series ''The Wire''. The episode was written by Joy Lusco from a story by David Simon & Joy Lusco and was directed by Elodie Keene. It originally aired on June 22, 2003. ...
'' (1988–1989) * 19 January – '' That's Love'' (1988–1992) * 24 January – '' Small World'' (1988) * 27 January – **'' Singles'' (1988–1991) **'' The Management'' (1988) * 15 February – '' ITV News at 5:30'' (1988–2012) * 17 February – '' The Fear'' (1988) * 19 February – '' A Kind of Living'' (1988–1990) * 20 February – **''
You Bet! ''You Bet!'' is a British game show that aired on ITV between 20 February 1988 and 12 April 1997, initially hosted by Bruce Forsyth from 1988 to 1990, then by Matthew Kelly from 1991 to 1995 and finally by Darren Day from 1996 to 1997. Forma ...
'' (1988–1997) **'' London's Burning'' (1988–2002) * 22 February – **''
Andy Capp ''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels. The s ...
'' (1988) **'' News at Twelve'' (1988) * 29 February – '' Bookie '' (1988) * 13 March – '' Mr Majeika'' (1988–1990) * 14 March - ''South'' (1988) * 21 March – '' Lucky Ladders'' (1988–1993) * 29 March – '' Codename: Kyril'' (1988) * 10 April – '' Gentlemen and Players'' (1988–1989) * 11 April – '' City Tails'' (1988) * 17 April – ''
All Clued Up ''All Clued Up'' was a British game show based on the American version entitled ''The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime''. It aired on ITV from 16 April 1988 to 30 August 1991 and was hosted by David Hamilton. Format Like the American shows, tw ...
'' (1988–1991) * 1 May – ''
Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
'' (1988) * 15 May – '' Les Girls'' (1988) * 18 May – ''
Chatterbox Chatterbox also styled as CHATTERbOX was a project of the Crucified's Jeff Bellew. The project has hosted many session musicians, including Stavesacre and the Crucified's Mark Salomon, and Argyle Park and Circle of Dust's Scott Albert. Bellew ha ...
'' (1988) * 4 June – ''
The One Game ''The One Game'' is a four-part 1988 British television drama serial, produced by Central Independent Television and broadcast on ITV from 4 June to 25 June 1988. Set and filmed in Birmingham, it starred Patrick Malahide, Stephen Dillane (cr ...
'' (1988) * 9 June – **'' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997) **'' Tumbledown Farm'' (1988–1989) * 6 July – '' Kellyvision'' (1988–1989) * 19 July – '' Wheel of Fortune'' (1988–2001) * 26 July – ''I Can Do That'' (1988–1991) * 3 September – **''
The Hit Man and Her ''The Hitman and Her'' is a British television dance music programme hosted by Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan. The programme was produced for Granada Television and ran from September 1988 until December 1992 on ITV's Night Network. The ...
'' (1988–1992) **''
Motormouth ''Motormouth'' is a Saturday morning children's television series that was produced by TVS and broadcast across the ITV network for four series, running between 3 September 1988 and 4 April 1992. Each series generally ran from the autumn of ...
'' (1988–1992) **''
Square Deal The Square Deal was Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program, which reflected his three major goals: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. These three demands are often referred to as the "three Cs" ...
'' (1988–1989) * 5 September – **''
Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories ''Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories'' is a children's television show hosted by Mother Goose, who tells her three goslings the stories behind well-known nursery rhymes. Production The show featured child actors and elaborate puppets created by ...
'' (1988–1990) **'' Tube Mice'' (1988) * 6 September – ''
Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off from '' Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the ...
'' (1988–1993) * 7 September – **'' The Joe Longthorne Show'' (1988–1991) **'' Toksvig'' (1988) *23 September - ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'' (1987-1990) * 2 October – **'' Piece of Cake'' (1988) **''
Hale and Pace Hale and Pace were an English comedy double-act that performed in clubs and on radio and television in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s. The duo was made up of Gareth Hale and Norman Pace, with the ''Hale and Pace'' television sho ...
'' (1988–1998) * 3 October – **''
Game, Set and Match ''Game, Set and Match'' is a 1988 television serial directed by Ken Grieve and Patrick Lau and written by John Howlett. It is based on the books ''Berlin Game'' (1983), '' Mexico Set'' (1984), and '' London Match'' (1985) by Len Deighton. The t ...
'' (1988) **'' This Morning'' (1988—present) * 5 October – '' Richmond Hill'' (1988–1989) * 11 October – **''
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
'' (1988) **'' The Return of Shelley'' (1988–1992) * 14 October - '' A Taste for Death'' (1988) * 9 November – **'' The Ratties'' (1988) **''
Palace Hill ''Your Mother Wouldn't Like It'' was a children's sketch show broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV between 1985 and 1988. A unique aspect of the show was that the performing cast were almost entirely children. The show was produced by ITV Central ...
'' (1988–1991) * 26 November – '' The Snow Spider'' (1988) * 27 November – ''
The Beiderbecke Connection ''The Beiderbecke Connection'' is a four-part British television serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1988. It is the third and final part of '' The Beiderbecke Trilogy'' and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Tre ...
'' (1988) * 1 December – ''
Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Av ...
'' on ORACLE (1988–1992) * 3 December – '' How to Be Cool'' (1988)


Channel 4

*6 January – ''
Little Prince Cedie ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'', also known as , is a Japanese anime series produced by Nippon Animation in 1988 and was broadcast on the ''World Masterpiece Theater''. It is an animation staple that showcased each year an animated version of a diff ...
'' (1988) * 11 January – ''
Fifteen to One ''Fifteen to One'' is a British general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4. It originally ran from 11 January 1988 to 19 December 2003 and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's original run ...
'' (1988–2003, 2013–2019) * 28 February – '' Helping Henry'' (1988) * 9 March – ''
Chelmsford 123 ''Chelmsford 123'' is a British television situation comedy produced for Channel 4 by Hat Trick Productions. Chelmsford ran for two series, of six and seven episodes respectively, in 1988 and 1990. The series was set in the British town of Che ...
'' (1988–1990) * 10 April – ''
East of the Moon {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = East of the Moon , image = , caption = , sire = Private Account , grandsire = Damascus , dam = Miesque , damsire = Nureyev , sex = Filly , foaled = March 25, 1991 , country = United States , colour ...
'' (1988) * 24 May – '' Echoes'' (1988) * 12 June – '' The StoryTeller'' (1987) * 19 June – ''
A Very British Coup ''A Very British Coup'' is a 1982 novel by British politician Chris Mullin. The novel has twice been adapted for television; as '' A Very British Coup'' in 1988 and as '' Secret State'' in 2012. Plot Harry Perkins is the left-wing Leader of th ...
'' (1988) * 3 August – ''
Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fi ...
'' (1988) * 23 September – ''
Whose Line Is It Anyway? ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' is a short-form improvisational comedy show originating as a British radio programme, before moving to British television in 1988. Following the conclusion of the British run in 1999, ABC began airing an American ...
'' (1988–1999) * 3 October – ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' (1986–2011) * 31 October – ''
This is David Lander ''This is David Lander'' is a TV show that parodies Roger Cook style doorstepping investigative journalism shows, starring Stephen Fry as David Lander and written by Tony Sarchet. It began as the BBC Radio 4 show '' Delve Special'', which bec ...
'' (1988–1990) * 15 November – ''
The Secret Life of Machines ''The Secret Life of Machines'' is an educational television series presented by Tim Hunkin and Rex Garrod, in which the two explain the inner workings and history of common household and office machinery. According to Hunkin, the show's creat ...
'' (1988–1993) * 30 December – ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
'' (1988)


Returning after a break of a year or longer

*'' Shelley'' (1979–1984; 1988–1992) (as '' The Return of Shelley'')


Television shows


Changes of network affiliation


Continuing television shows


1920s

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


1930s

*
The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...
(1938–1939, 1946–2019) *''BBC Cricket'' (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)


1940s

*''
Come Dancing ''Come Dancing'' is a British ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off on the BBC from 1949 to 1998. Unlike its follow-up show, ''Strictly Come Dancing'', contestants were not celebrities. The show was created by Eric Morley, the ...
'' (1949–1998)


1950s

*'' Panorama'' (1953–present) *'' Opportunity Knocks'' (1956–1978, 1987–1990) *'' This Week'' (1956–1978, 1986–1992) *''
What the Papers Say ''What The Papers Say'' is a British radio and television series. It consists of quotations from headlines and comment pages in the previous week's newspapers, read in a variety of voices and accents by actors. The quotes are linked by a scri ...
'' (1956–2008) *''
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) *'' Blue Peter'' (1958–present) *'' Grandstand'' (1958–2007)


1960s

*'' Coronation Street'' (1960–present) *'' Songs of Praise'' (1961–present) *'' Doctor Who'' (1963–1989, 2005–present) *''
World in Action ''World in Action'' was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television for ITV from 7 January 1963 until 7 December 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its product ...
'' (1963–1998) *''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' (1964–2006) *''
Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary ...
'' (1964–present) *'' Mr. and Mrs.'' (1964–1999, 2008–2010, 2012–present) *'' Jackanory'' (1965–1996, 2006–present) *''
Sportsnight ''Sportsnight'' was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997. Sportsview ''Sportsnight'' was a successor to ''Sportsview'' which started on 8 April 1954. ''Sportsview'' was devised by Paul Fox, later Controller ...
'' (1965–1997) *''
Call My Bluff ''Call My Bluff'' is a British panel game show based on the short-lived US version of the same name. It was originally hosted by Robin Ray and later, most notably, by Robert Robinson. Its most prominent panellist was Frank Muir. Format The g ...
'' (1965–2005) *''
The Money Programme ''The Money Programme'' is a finance and business affairs television programme on BBC Two which ran between April 1966 and November 2010. It was first broadcast on 5 April 1966 and presented by "commentators" (financial journalists) William Davis ...
'' (1966–2010) *''
The Big Match ''The Big Match'' was a British football television programme, screened on ITV between 1968 and 1992. ''The Big Match'' originally launched on London Weekend Television (LWT) – the ITV regional station that served London and the Home Countie ...
'' (1968–2002)


1970s

*''
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
'' (1972–1992, 1994–1997) *''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...
'' (1972–present) *'' Newsround'' (1972–present) *''
Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of '' Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes f ...
'' (1973–2010) *''
That's Life! ''That's Life!'' was a satirical TV consumer affairs programme on the BBC, at its height regularly reaching audiences of fifteen to twenty million, and receiving 10–15,000 letters a week. The series broadcast on BBC1 for twenty-one years, ...
'' (1973–1994) *'' Wish You Were Here...?'' (1974–2003) *''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'' (1975–present) *''
Jim'll Fix It ''Jim'll Fix It'' is a British television series broadcast by the BBC between May 1975 and July 1994 and was devised and presented by Jimmy Savile and produced by Roger Ordish. The show encouraged children to write in a letter to Savile with ...
'' (1975–1994) *''
One Man and His Dog ''One Man and His Dog'' is a BBC television series in the United Kingdom featuring sheepdog trials, originally presented by Phil Drabble, with commentary by Eric Halsall and, later, by Ray Ollerenshaw. It was first aired on 17 February 1976 an ...
'' (1976–present) *''
Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running progra ...
'' (1978–2008) *''
The Book Tower ''The Book Tower'' is a British television series for children, produced by Yorkshire Television, that ran for 11 series from 3 January 1979 to 16 May 1989. Initially presented by ''Doctor Who'' star Tom Baker (1979–81), each episode explo ...
'' (1979–1989) *''
Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...
'' (1979–1990, 1997–2002) *'' The Paul Daniels Magic Show'' (1979–1994) *''
Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...
'' (1979–present) *''
Question Time A question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (including the prime minister), which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be ca ...
'' (1979–present)


1980s

*'' Children in Need'' (1980–present) *'' Bergerac'' (1981–1991) *''
'Allo 'Allo! ''Allo 'Allo!'' is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a Fre ...
'' (1982–1992) *''
Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992, presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcas ...
'' (1981–1992) *''
Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Br ...
'' (1982–2003) *''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' (1982–present) *''
Timewatch ''Timewatch'' is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29 September 1982 and is produced by the BBC. The ''Timewatch'' brandname is used as a ...
'' (1982–present) *''
Right to Reply ''Right to Reply'' (sometimes called ''R2R'') is a British television series shown on Channel 4 from 1982 until 2001, which allowed viewers to voice their complaints or concerns about TV programmes. It featured reports, usually presented by a v ...
'' (1982–2001) *'' Breakfast Time'' (1983–1989) *''
Dramarama Dramarama is an American, New Jersey–based alternative rock/power pop band, who later moved to Los Angeles. The band was formed in New Jersey in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. The band formally reunited in 2003 following an appearance on VH1's ...
'' (1983–1989) *'' Don't Wait Up'' (1983–1990) *''
Aspel & Company Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', ''Give Us a Clue'', ''This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and ''Antiques Roa ...
'' (1984–1993) *'' Good Morning Britain'' (1983–1992, 2014–present) *'' First Tuesday'' (1983–1993) *''
Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...
'' (1983–1993) *'' Blockbusters'' (1983–93, 1994–95, 1997, 2000–01, 2012–present) *''
Ever Decreasing Circles ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' is a British sitcom which ran on BBC1 between 1984 and 1989, consisting of four series and one feature-length special. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and it reunited them with Richard Briers, who ha ...
'' (1984–1989) *'' Wide Awake Club'' (1984–1992) *'' Bob's Full House'' (1984–1990) *''
Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
'' (1984–1996) *''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
'' (1984–2010) *'' Channel 4 Racing'' (1984–2016) *'' Three Up, Two Down'' (1985–1989) *''
Home to Roost ''Home to Roost'' is a British sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television between 19 April 1985 and 19 January 1990. Written by Eric Chappell, it stars John Thaw as Henry Willows and Reece Dinsdale as his teenaged son Matthew. The premise is th ...
'' (1985–1990) *''
Howards' Way ''Howards' Way'' is a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted on BBC1 between 1 September 1985 and 25 November 1990. The series deals with the personal and professional lives of the wealthy yachting and business comm ...
'' (1985–1990) *'' Busman's Holiday'' (1985–1993) *'' EastEnders'' (1985–present) *''
The Cook Report ''The Cook Report'' was a British ITV current affairs television programme presented by Roger Cook which was broadcast from 22 July 1987 to 24 August 1999. The series featured the journalist investigating corruption, criminals, government so ...
'' (1985–1998) *'' Crosswits'' (1985–1998) *''
Screen Two ''Screen Two'' was a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March ...
'' (1985–1998) *'' Telly Addicts'' (1985–1998) *''
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
'' (1985–present) *'' Bread'' (1986–1991) *''
Brush Strokes ''Brush Strokes'' is a British television sitcom, broadcast on BBC television from 1986 to 1991. Written by Esmonde and Larbey and set in south London, it depicted the (mostly) amorous adventures of a wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl H ...
'' (1986–1991) *''
Naked Video ''Naked Video'' is a BBC Scotland sketch show that was aired on BBC2 from 12 May 1986 to 18 November 1991. The show was created by Colin Gilbert who had previously created '' A Kick Up the Eighties'' and ''Naked Radio'' (the latter being a radi ...
'' (1986–1991) *''
Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...
'' (1986–1992, 1995) *'' ScreenPlay'' (1986–1993) *'' Every Second Counts'' (1986–1993) *'' Lovejoy'' (1986–1994) *''
Beadle's About ''Beadle's About'' is a British television programme hosted by Jeremy Beadle, where members of the public became victims of practical jokes behind hidden cameras. It was produced by LWT for ITV, and ran on Saturday nights from 22 November 1986 ...
'' (1986–1996) *''
The Chart Show ''The Chart Show'' (also known as ''The ITV Chart Show'' between 1989 and 1998) was a popular weekly syndicated music video programme which ran in the United Kingdom from April 1986 until August 1998, with revivals in 2003 and 2008–2009. ''T ...
'' (1986–1998, 2008–2009) *''
Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'' (1986–present) *''
Allsorts Liquorice allsorts are assorted liquorice confectionery sold as a mixture. Made of liquorice, sugar, coconut, aniseed jelly, fruit flavourings, and gelatine, they were first produced in Sheffield, England, by Geo. Bassett & Co Ltd. Allsorts ...
'' (1987–1995) *'' The Bretts'' (1987–1989) *''
Going Live! ''Going Live!'' was a British children's television series that aired on BBC1 from 26 September 1987 to 17 April 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Annabel Giles, Phillip ...
'' (1987–1993) *'' Watching'' (1987–1993) *''
The Time, The Place ''The Time, The Place'' was a British audience participation talk show that was produced by a number of different ITV companies, and broadcast live on ITV from 1987 to 1998. ''TTTP'' was presented by Mike Scott from 1987 to 1993 and by John ...
'' (1987–1996) *'' Going for Gold'' (1987–1996, 2008–2009) *''
Chain Letters A chain letter is a message that attempts to convince the recipient to make a number of copies and pass them on to a certain number of recipients. The "chain" is an exponentially growing pyramid (a tree graph) that cannot be sustained indefinite ...
'' (1987–1997) *''
ChuckleVision ''ChuckleVision'' is a British children's comedy television series created by Martin Hughes and the Chuckle Brothers for the BBC. It starred Barry and Paul Elliott as the Chuckle Brothers and occasionally their older brothers, Jimmy, and Brian ...
'' (1987–2009) *'' Playbox'' (1987–1992)


Ending this year

* 2 January – **'' No. 73'' (1982–1988) **''
Weekend World ''Weekend World'' is a British television political series, made by London Weekend Television (LWT) and broadcast from 1972 to 1988. Created by John Birt, not long after he had joined LWT, the series was broadcast on the ITV network at midday ...
'' (1972–1988) **''
Let's Pretend ''Let's Pretend'', created and directed by Nila Mack, was a CBS radio series for children. Prior to being renamed ''Let's Pretend'', the program had a variety of titles and formats. In its most famous form, ''Let's Pretend'', the Peabody Award ...
'' (1982–1988) **''
Bad Boyes ''Bad Boyes'' is a 1987 British children's comedy-drama television series produced by the BBC and which was aired on BBC1's afternoon Children's BBC slot for two series in 1987 and 1988. It was written by Jim Eldridge and starred Steven Kember a ...
'' (1987–1988) * 13 January – ''
Your Mother Wouldn't Like It ''Your Mother Wouldn't Like It'' was a children's sketch show broadcast on ITV between 1985 and 1988. A unique aspect of the show was that the performing cast were almost entirely children. The show was produced by Central Television at their ...
'' (1985–1988) * 28 January – ''
Yes Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes fr ...
'' (1980–1988) * 30 January – ''
Hi-De-Hi ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote ''Dad's Army'' and ...
'' (1980–1988) * 9 February – ''Running Loose'' (1986–1988) * 11 March – '' Play School'' (1964–1988) * 16 March – '' Moondial'' (1988) * 18 March – ** ''
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's toy line ''Masters of the Universe''. The show, often referred to as simply ''He-Man'', was one of the most popular anim ...
'' (1983–1988) **''
Rockliffe's Babies ''Rockliffe'' is a British television police procedural drama series, produced by the BBC, which ran for three series between 9 January 1987 and 14 December 1988. ''Rockliffe'' was devised by Richard O'Keeffe, and produced by Leonard Lewis. The ...
'' (1987–1988) * 4 April – '' Crossroads'' (1964–1988, 2001–2003) * 6 April – ''
The Roxy Roxy, Roxey, and Roxie may refer to: People * Roxy (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name Places in the United States * Roxie, Mississippi, a town * Roxie, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Music * Roxy ...
'' (1987–1988) * 17 April – ''
Hot Metal ''Hot Metal'' (1986–88) is a British sitcom produced by London Weekend Television about the newspaper industry. Written by David Renwick and Andrew Marshall, it is very much a continuation in style from their previous sitcom '' Whoops Apoc ...
'' (1986–1988) * 28 April – '' Around the World with Willy Fog'' (1983) * 30 April - ''The Loud House'' (1979-1988) * 13 May – '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (1979–1988) * 22 May – ''East of the Moon'' (1988) * 30 May – '' All in Good Faith'' (1985–1988) * 12 June – ''
Weekend World ''Weekend World'' is a British television political series, made by London Weekend Television (LWT) and broadcast from 1972 to 1988. Created by John Birt, not long after he had joined LWT, the series was broadcast on the ITV network at midday ...
'' (1972–1988) * 23 August – ''
Inspector Gadget ''Inspector Gadget'' is a media franchise that began in 1983 with the DIC Entertainment animated television series '' Inspector Gadget''. Since the original series, there have been many spin-offs based on the show, including additional animated ...
'' (1984–1988) * 26 August – '' Child's Play'' (1984–1988) * 28 August – ''
Get Fresh ''Get Fresh'' is a children's television programme that originally aired from 1986 to 1988 in the United Kingdom. Format A Saturday-morning kids' TV show, broadcast on the Children's ITV network, the show featured Gareth Jones (aka Gaz Top), ...
'' (1986–1988) * 10 October – '' Sorry!'' (1981–1982, 1985–1988) * 23 October – ''
Network 7 ''Network 7'' was a short-lived but influential youth music and current affairs programme screened on Channel 4 over two series in 1987 and 1988. The series was created by Jane Hewland and Janet Street-Porter, who was also editor of the first s ...
'' (1987–1988) * 27 October – ''
Beat the Teacher ''Beat the Teacher'' is a British children's game show that aired on BBC1 from 24 September 1984 to 27 October 1988. It was first hosted by Howard Stableford in 1984, then hosted by Paul Jones from 1985 to 1986 and finally Bruno Brookes from ...
'' (1984–1988) * 29 November – '' Tickle on the Tum'' (1984–1988) * 1 December – ''
Button Moon ''Button Moon'' is a British children's television programme broadcast in the United Kingdom in the 1980s on the ITV network. Thames Television produced each episode, which lasted ten minutes and featured the adventures of Mr. Spoon who, in eac ...
'' (1980–1988) * 3 December – ''
New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: 197 ...
'' (1973–1978, 1986–1988) * 5 December – '' Stoppit and Tidyup'' (1988) * 6 December – ''PC Pinkerton'' (1988) * 17 December – '' How to Be Cool'' (1988) * 22 December – '' The Ratties'' (1988) * 24 December – ''
3-2-1 ''3–2–1'' was a British game show that was made by Yorkshire Television for ITV. It ran for ten years, from 29 July 1978 to 24 December 1988, with Ted Rogers as the host. It was based on a Spanish gameshow called '' Un, dos, tres... res ...
'' (1978–1988) * 27 December – ''
Executive Stress ''Executive Stress'' is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1986 to 1988. Produced by Thames Television, it first aired on 20 October 1986. After three series, the last episode aired on 27 December 1988. Written by George Layton, ''Executi ...
'' (1986–1988) * 31 December – ''
Little Prince Cedie ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'', also known as , is a Japanese anime series produced by Nippon Animation in 1988 and was broadcast on the ''World Masterpiece Theater''. It is an animation staple that showcased each year an animated version of a diff ...
'' (1988)


Births

* 14 January – Jack P. Shepherd, actor * 22 March –
Gaz Beadle Gary Beadle (born 22 March 1988) is an English reality television personality from Prudhoe, Northumberland known primarily for appearing in the MTV reality series ''Geordie Shore'' from 2011 to 2017. In 2015, he appeared in the second series ...
, TV personality * 28 March –
Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...
, actress * 5 July –
Joe Lycett Joe Harry Lycett, also known by the self-given moniker Mummy, is an English comedian, painter and television presenter. Known for his sardonically camp style, whimsical public stunts and elaborate set designs, Lycett has been described as one ...
, comedian * 25 October –
Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), known professionally as Rylan, is an English broadcaster and model. He finished in fifth place on the ninth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2012, and the following year, he won the eleventh series of ...
, born Ross Clark, TV personality * 2 December –
Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the ''Harry Potter'' film series and Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal thriller television series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life and ...
, actor


Deaths


See also

*
1988 in British music This is a summary of 1988 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. Summary The growing popularity of house music was evident in the charts by the start of 1988, with many songs of this genre becoming big h ...
* 1988 in British radio *
1988 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1988 in the United Kingdom. The year saw the merger in March of the SDP and the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats. There were also two notable disasters this year: the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion and the bombing o ...
*
List of British films of 1988 A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1988 (see 1988 in film): 1988 See also *1988 in British music *1988 in British radio *1988 in British television *1988 in the United Kingdom References External links

* {{DEFAULTS ...


References

{{Years in TV by country, 1988