2008 in British television

List of years in British television (table)
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This is a list of events taking place in 2008 related to British television.

Events

Date	Event
2 January	ITV announces that it will move its Sunday episodes of Emmerdale and Coronation Street. From the week beginning 12 January Coronation Street will have an additional Friday episode while Emmerdale will air for an hour on Tuesdays.
11 January	ITV News at 10.30 is shown for the last time. News at Ten then replaces it from Mondays to Thursdays and ITV Late News on Fridays.
14 January	News at Ten returns to ITV with Sir Trevor McDonald again at helm having retired in 2005.
22 January	BBC Three has its identity relaunched, showcasing new shows such as Lily Allen and Friends.
23 January	Konnie Huq presents her last episode of Blue Peter after over ten years, having become the longest-running female presenter and third longest-running overall in the shows' 50 year history.
31 January	A unique episode of the soap opera EastEnders is broadcast, consisting of just one character (Dot Branning) with a single monologue in the form of a taped message to her husband. This 'one-hander' is a first in UK soap history.
31 January	All the UKTV network channels such as UKTV Gold switch to widescreen.
6 February	BBC announces that children's drama Grange Hill is to be axed after exactly 30 years on air.
8 February	After 22 years Neighbours is shown on BBC One for the last time.
11 February	Australian soap opera Neighbours debuts in its new home on Five.
12 February	The BBC Three "Blobs" are played out for the last time at 4am. A new set of idents debuted the same day, this is the channels first ever rebrand since launching in early 2003.
20 February	It is announced that music video channel The Hits will be replaced by 4Music later in the year.
19 March	BBC Four attracts its highest ever ratings after broadcasting the one-off drama The Curse of Steptoe, with 1.41 million viewers.
21 March	Dirty Sexy Money makes its debut airing in the UK and proves to be a popular hit for Channel 4
24 March (Easter Monday)	BBC Four broadcasts a revived, special two-hour long episode of the 1960s satire The Frost Report.
26 March	American Hit Dramedy, Desperate Housewives finally makes it's Fourth season debut. The show was due to start in the first two weeks of January, but this was shelved due to the WGA Strike.
21 April	BBC News has a major relaunch with BBC News 24 becoming BBC News and BBC World becoming BBC World News. All the news programmes on BBC One and BBC Two have also had new looks including all regional news programmes.
28 April	Five Life is renamed to Fiver.
6 May	Freesat officially launches. ITV HD launches its full service.
22 May	Scotsport airs for the last time on Scottish television. By the time it ended it was recognised as the world's longest running sports television magazine.
29 May	It is announced that What the Papers Say, the second longest running programme on British television after Panorama, is to be axed by the BBC.
3 June	All Virgin Media channels including Bravo (also Bravo 2), Living (also Living2), Challenge, Trouble and Virgin 1 switch to widescreen.
4 June	MTV UK and several other MTV Networks Europe channels are fined £255,000 by Ofcom for "widespread and persistent" breaches of the broadcasting code, including breaking the pre-watershed content ban.
5 June	The Big Brother 9 launch night proves to be not as good as Channel 4 had hoped with the loss of around 1 million viewers who had watched the previous year's launch night
6 June	Sharon Osbourne quits as a judge on the ITV series The X Factor shortly before filming is due to begin on a new series.
7 June - 29 June	Euro 2008 are held in Austria and Switzerland.
10 June	Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole is revealed as Sharon Osbourne's replacement as a judge on The X Factor.
17 June	Comedian Joan Rivers is asked to leave the ITV afternoon talk show Loose Women after swearing live on air. She was removed during the commercial break, and said that she didn't realise the show was going out live and thought her comments would be bleeped.
5 July	The finale of the fourth series of Doctor Who is watched by 9.4 million viewers, this is the first time since the series' revival in 2005 that Doctor Who has the largest audience share in its timeslot.
23 July	Des O'Connor announces that he will step down as presenter of Countdown.
25 July	Carol Vorderman announces that she will quit as host of Countdown, two days after Des O'Connor announced his intention to leave the programme. Vorderman's manager said that she did not think she could go through the process of bonding with another co-presenter.
8 August - 24 August	2008 Summer Olympics are held in China.
15 August	The music video channel The Hits closes and is replaced by 4Music later the same day.
22 August	After seven years with Channel 4, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan present their last edition of Richard & Judy. They move to new subscription channel Watch in the Autumn.
31 August	Sky One, Sky Two and Sky Three rebrands to Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3 respectively.
18 September	BBC One screens its controversial documentary The Undercover Soldier.
19 September	BBC Alba, a Scottish Gaelic language digital television channel, is launched through a partnership between the BBC and MG ALBA.
6 October	Five has its first major rebrand since 2002.
7 October	UKTV launches a new general entertainment channel called Watch and UKTV Gold was relaunched as a comedy channel G.O.L.D. (Go On Laugh Daily) and UKTV Drama was relaunched as a crime drama channel Alibi.
7 October	Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan begin presenting a new show Richard and Judy's New Position on Watch.
18 October	Longest-running children's television programme Blue Peter celebrates its 50th birthday.
30 October	Following his involvement in the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row, Jonathan Ross is suspended for 12 weeks without pay from all BBC shows, including his television programmes such as Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. He also decided not to host the 2008 British Comedy Awards, broadcast on ITV1.
4 November	It is announced that an agreement has been struck for Sky's Basic channels – including Sky1, Sky2, Sky3, Sky News, Sky Sports News, Sky Arts 1, Sky Arts 2, Sky Real Lives and Sky Real Lives 2 - to return to Virgin Media from 13 November 2008 until 12 June 2011. In exchange Sky will be provide continued carriage of Virgin Media Television's channels – Living, Living2, Bravo, Bravo +1, Trouble, Challenge and Virgin1 for the same period.
6 November	The digital switchover continues when the Scottish Borders region's analogue service is switched off. People served by the Selkirk transmitter will be the first substantial area to go fully digital.
13 November	BSkyB basic channels such as Sky1 and Sky News return to Virgin Media TV.
14 November	Children in Need 2008 is broadcast on BBC One, hosted by Terry Wogan, Tess Daly and Fearne Cotton. Raising £20,991,216 by the end of the broadcast.
20 November	Sir Trevor McDonald presents his last News at Ten after only 11 months at helm. Mark Austin takes over as head anchor.
20 November	QI broadcasts its last episode to be originally shown on BBC Two, as part of Children in Need. The series moves to BBC One during Christmas.
21 November	It is announced that Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling and Oxford graduate Rachel Riley will replace Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman as hosts of the next series of Countdown. Riley beat 1,000 applicants to win the role.
12 December	Des O'Connor presents his last Countdown episode after over a year of presenting and Carol Vorderman also presents her last Countdown episode after 26 years of co-presenting.
30 December	Shooting Stars returns with a Christmas special and a clip show, the first new episodes since 2002 and Rab C. Nesbitt returns with a Christmas special, the another new episode since 1999.

Debuts (including scheduled)

BBC One

Date	Programme
1 January	Sense and Sensibility
5 January	Basil's Swap Shop
5 January	The One and Only
8 January	Mistresses
10 January	Fairy Tales
13 January	Lark Rise to Candleford
7 February	Ashes to Ashes
15 March	I'd Do Anything
28 March	The Passion
12 April	The Kids Are All Right
28 April	Out of the Blue
1 May	The Invisibles
30 June	Criminal Justice
5 July	Last Choir Standing
8 July	Bonekickers
10 August	Britain From Above
26 August	Mutual Friends
14 September	Tess of the D'Urbervilles
18 September	The Undercover Soldier
20 September	Merlin
7 October	Sunshine
12 October	Stephen Fry in America
19 October	Ian Fleming: Where Bond Began
13 November	Apparitions
23 November	Wallander
23 November	Survivors
25 December	A Matter of Loaf and Death

BBC Two

Date	Programme
10 January	Never Better
28 February	Empty
10 March	10 Days to War
11 May	Wild China
28 May	Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story
10 July	Lab Rats
30 July	House of Saddam
12 August	Maestro
2 October	Beautiful People
10 October	The American Future: A History
22 November	Einstein and Eddington

BBC Three

Date	Programme
12 February	Lily Allen and Friends
12 February	Phoo Action
8 April	The Wall
22 June	MeeBOX
10 August	Spooks: Code 9
28 August	The Wrong Door

BBC Four

Date	Programme
31 January	The Art of Spain
12 June	The Long Walk to Finchley
2 November	Consuming Passion

ITV

Date	Programme
9 January	Honest
10 January	Moving Wallpaper
10 January	Echo Beach
12 January	Thank God You're Here
14 January	The Palace
28 March	Teenage Kicks
6 April	Headcases
20 April	Beat the Star
8 May	Midnight Man (TV serial)
28 June	Who Dares, Sings!
1 September	The Children
18 September	No Heroics
3 September	Lost in Austen
26 October	Britannia High

Channel 4

Date	Programme
18 January	Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live
1 February	Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
22 February	New Hero of Comedy
1 June	Tony Robinson's Crime and Punishment
1 August	The Kevin Bishop Show
1 August	Tonightly
25 August	Wogan's Perfect Recall
17 September	The Family
12 October	Britain's Got the Pop Factor and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice
19 November	The Devil's Whore
24 November	The Ascent of Money

Five

Date	Programme
13 August	Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure
5 September	The What in the World? Quiz
8 October	Paul Merton in India

E4

Date	Programme
3 January	Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack
1 May	The Inbetweeners
27 October	Dead Set
24 November	Hollyoaks Later

Sky1

Date	Programme
21 January	Ross Kemp in Afghanistan
11 May	Gladiators
11 May	Don't Forget the Lyrics!
31 August	Hairspray: The School Musical

Watch

Date	Programme
7 October	Richard and Judy's New Position

Dave

Date	Programme
27 October	Argumental
30 October	Batteries Not Included

FX

Date	Programme
6 May	The Colbert Report

Returning this year from a break of one year or longer

Programme	Date of original removal	Original channel	Date of return	New channel(s)
Superstars	2005	BBC One	July 2008	Five
Going for Gold	9 July 1996	BBC One	13 October 2008	Five

Changes of network affiliation

Programme	Moved from	Moved to
Torchwood	BBC Three	BBC Two
Neighbours	BBC One	Five
The Weakest Link (Daytime version)	BBC Two	BBC One
FA Cup football and England Internationals	BBC One	ITV & Setanta Sports
Out of the Blue	BBC One	BBC Two
QI	BBC Two	BBC One
Gavin & Stacey	BBC Three	BBC One

Television shows

1950s

Programme	Date
Panorama	(1953–present)
The Sky at Night	(1957–present)
Blue Peter	(1958–present)

1960s

Programme	Date
Coronation Street	(1960–present).
Doctor Who	(1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present)
Jackanory	(1965–1996, 2006–present)
The Frost Report	(1966–1967, 2008)
The Money Programme	(1966–present)

1970s

Programme	Date
Emmerdale	(1972–present).
Newsround	(1972–present)
Last of the Summer Wine	(1973–2010)
Wish You Were Here...?	(1974–present)
Arena	(1975–present)
The Krypton Factor	(1977–1995, Present)
Grange Hill	(1978–2008)
Antiques Roadshow	(1979–present)
Question Time	(1979–present)

1980s

Programme	Date
Postman Pat	(1981, 1991, 1996, 2004–present)
Timewatch	(1982–present)
The Bill	(1984–2010)
EastEnders	(1985–present)
Comic Relief	(1986–present)
Casualty	(1986–present)
ChuckleVision	(1987–present)
This Morning	(1988–present)
Rab C Nesbitt	(1988–1999, present)

1990s

Programme	Date
Have I Got News for You	(1990–present)
Shooting Stars	(1995–2002, present)
Hollyoaks	(1995–present)
Silent Witness	(1996–present)
Jonathan Creek	(1997–2004, Present)
Midsomer Murders	(1997–present)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?	(1998–present)
Bremner, Bird and Fortune	(1999–present)

2000s

Programme	Date
The Weakest Link	(2000–present)
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!	(2002–present)
Harry Hill's TV Burp	(2002–present)
Spooks	(2002–present)
Top Gear	(2002–present)
Comedy Connections	(2003–present)
The Daily Politics	(2003–present)
Peep Show	(2003–present)
The Politics Show	(2003–present)
QI	(2003–present)
The Royal	(2003–present)
This Week	(2003–present)
Doc Martin	(2004–present)
Shameless	(2004–present)
The X Factor	(2004–present)
Love Soup	(2005–2008)
More4 News	(2005—2009)
The Andrew Marr Show	(2005–present)
Hotel Babylon	(2006–2009)
Robin Hood	(2006–2009)
That Mitchell and Webb Look	(2006–present)
Torchwood	(2006–present)
Waterloo Road	(2006–present)
Star Stories	(2006–2008)
The Sarah Jane Adventures	(2007–present)
After You've Gone	(2007–2008)
Gavin & Stacey	(2007–2010)
Would I Lie To You?	(2007–present)
M.I.High	(2007–present)
The Tudors	(2007–2010)
Skins	(2007–present)
Britain's Got Talent	(2007–present)

Ending this year

Date	Programme	Debut
21 March	The Palace	2008
22 May	Scotsport	1957
May	What the Papers Say	1956
5 June	HolbyBlue	2007
8 October	Supernanny	2004
22 August	Richard & Judy	2001
15 September	Grange Hill	1978
25 December	Out of the Blue	2008
25 December	After You've Gone	2007

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Cinematic Credibility
3 January	Natasha Collins	31	Presenter
3 January	Jack Aranson	83	Actor
5 January	Rowan Ayers	85	Television Producer (Late Night Line-Up, Old Grey Whistle Test, Points of View)
17 January	Carole Lynne	89	Actress, widow of Baron Delfont
20 January	Kevin Stoney	86	Actor
26 January	John Ardagh	79	journalist and author
27 January	Diane Chenery-Wickens	48	Television make-up artist
30 January	Jeremy Beadle	59	Presenter (Beadle's About, You've Been Framed)
2 February	Barry Morse	89	Actor (The Fugitive, Space: 1999)
2 February	Edward Wilson	60	Actor (When the Boat Comes In) director of the National Youth Theatre
19 February	David Watkin	82	Cinematographer
19 February	Emily Perry	100	Actress
8 March	Carol Barnes	63	Former ITN newscaster
16 March	John Hewer	86	Actor
19 March	Paul Scofield	86	Actor
20 March	Brian Wilde	80	Actor (Last of the Summer Wine, Porridge)
25 March	Tony Church	77	Actor
2 April	Sir Geoffrey Cox	97	Founder of ITN News at Ten
10 April	Francis Coleman	84	Canadian-born British conductor, television producer and director
11 April	Willoughby Goddard	81	Actor
13 April	Mark Speight	42	Presenter (SMart, Scratchy & Co)
15 April	Hazel Court	82	Actress (The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven)
24 April	Tristram Cary	82	Film and television composer
25 April	Humphrey Lyttelton	86	Jazz musician, broadcaster (Host of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue)
1 May	Bernard Archard	91	Actor
13 May	Jill Adams	77	Actress
14 May	Frith Banbury	96	Stage director and actor
16 May	David Mitton	69	Animation director
17 May	Wilfrid Mellers	94	Composer and author
17 May	John Fitzsimmons	68	Roman Catholic priest and broadcaster
20 May	Iona Banks	87	Actress
20 May	Margot Boyd	94	Actress (Marjorie Antrobus on The Archers)
23 May	Alan Brien	83	Journalist and Critic
24 May	Rob Knox	18	Actor
30 May	Chris Morgan	55	Journalist
30 May	Mike Scott	75	Television Producer, Presenter (The Time, The Place)
4 June	Jonathan Routh	80	Co-star (Candid Camera)
5 June	Angus Calder	66	Historian and Writer
10 June	David Brierly	73	Actor (Voice of K-9 on Doctor Who)
14 June	David Mitton	69	British TV animator/producer (Thomas the Tank Engine)
26 June	Tony Melody	85	Actor
2 July	Elizabeth Spriggs	78	Stage, Television and Film Actress (Sense and Sensibility, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
3 July	Clive Hornby	63	Actor (Emmerdale)
4 July	Charles Wheeler	85	Journalist, longest serving BBC foreign correspondent
7 July	Hugh Mendl	88	Record producer
14 July	Hugh Lloyd	85	Actor (Hancock's Half Hour)
14 July	Bryan Cowgill	81	Executive
27 July	Bob Crampsey	78	Sportscaster
30 July	Peter Coke	95	Actor and Playwright (Paul Temple)
30 July	Jon Miller	87	Television presenter
6 August	Jennifer Hilary	65	Actress
7 August	Simon Gray	71	Playwright
10 August	Terence Rigby	71	Actor
10 August	John Esmonde	71	British scriptwriter (The Good Life)
11 August	Bill Cotton	80	BBC Television executive
19 August	Bob Humphrys	56	Sports presenter (BBC Wales), Brother of John Humphrys
29 August	Geoffrey Perkins	55	Producer
31 August	Ken Campbell	66	Actor
8 September	Celia Gregory	58	Actress
19 September	David Jones	74	Theatre and Film director
20 September	William Fox	97	Actor
1 October	Ian Collier	87	Actor and Singer
4 October	Peter Vansittart	88	Writer
7 October	Peter Copley	93	Actor
8 October	Bob Friend	70	Sky News presenter
11 October	Russ Hamilton	76	Singer
11 October	Don Candlin	59	Film Editor
11 October	Mark Shivas	70	Film and television producer
18 October	Peter Gordeno	69	Actor, Singer and Dancer
20 October	John Ringham	80	Actor
22 October	David Lloyd Meredith	74	Actor
25 October	John Axon	48	Actor
31 October	John Daly	71	Film producer
11 November	Jack Scott	85	BBC Weatherman
16 November	Reg Varney	92	Actor (On the Buses, The Rag Trade)
25 November	Dudley Savage	88	Radio Presenter
28 November	John Hewitt	58	Actor
8 December	Bob Spiers	63	Television director
8 December	Oliver Postgate	83	Animator
13 December	Kathy Staff	80	Actress (Last of the Summer Wine, Crossroads)
18 December	Jack Douglas	81	Actor

Top 10 highest viewed programmes

Rank	Programme	Rating	Channel	Date
1	Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death	16.15m	BBC One	25 December 2008
2	The X Factor Results	14.06m	ITV 1	13 December 2008
3	Britain's Got Talent: Final Result	13.88m	ITV 1	31 May 2008
4	The X Factor	13.77m	ITV 1	13 December 2008
5	Doctor Who	13.10m	BBC One	25 December 2008
6	Coronation Street	13.02m	ITV 1	18 January 2008
7	Strictly Come Dancing	12.97m	BBC One	20 December 2008
8	Dancing on Ice	12.02m	ITV 1	16 March 2008
9	Britain's Got Talent	11.86m	ITV 1	30 May 2008
10	EastEnders	11.73m	BBC One	24 March 2008

Notes

• A Matter of Loath and Death is the highest viewed non-sporting event since an episode of Coronation Street in 2004 had 16.33 million.
• Coronation Street's audience was boosted due to the death of long running and popular character Vera Duckworth.
• The results shows of The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent are counted as separate programmes.