1970 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1970.

Events

January

• 1 January-5 February – The BBC airs The Six Wives of Henry VIII, a series of six teleplays, each of which focusses on the life of one of King Henry VIII of England's six wives.
• 3 January – Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor in the Doctor Who serial Spearhead from Space. It also marks the first time that the series is broadcast in colour.

February

• No events.

March

• No events.

April

• No events.

May

• No events.

June

• No events.

July

• 8 July – Jack Walker dies off-screen of a heart attack in Coronation Street as a result of the death of actor Arthur Leslie. Jack becomes the first major character to be written out due to the death of an actor.

August

• 19 August – ITV airs what is billed as the 1000th episode of Coronation Street. A souvenir edition of the TV Times was also published for the episode, even though it was, in fact, the 999th.

September

• 14 September – The Nine O'Clock News is first broadcast on BBC1. The programme aired until 13 October 2000 when the station's main evening bulletin was switched to 10:00pm.

October

• No events.

November

• 7 November – Felix Dennis becomes the first person to use the word "cunt" on British television during a live broadcast of The Frost Programme.
• 13 November – The Colour Strike begins when ITV staff refuse to work with colour television equipment following a dispute over pay with their management.
• 23 November – The first edition of Engineering Announcements is broadcast on ITV.

December

• 9 December – 10th anniversary of the first episode of Coronation Street.
• 25 December – Pluto's Christmas Tree is broadcast on BBC1, the first complete Mickey Mouse cartoon to be shown on British television in colour.

Debuts

BBC1

• 3 January – It's Cliff Richard! (1970–1974)
• 5 January –
  • A Question of Sport (1970–present)
  • Andy Pandy (1970)
• 9 February – Doomwatch (1970–1972)
• 20 February – The Banana Splits (1968–1970)
• 24 April – The Culture Vultures (1970)
• 14 September – Nine O'Clock News (1970–2000)
• 17 September –
  • Bachelor Father (1970–1971)
  • Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (1969–1970)
• 19 September – The Pink Panther Show (1969–1980)
• 15 October – Play for Today (1970–1984)
• 17 October – Words and Pictures (1970–2001, 2006–2007)
• 27 October – Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (1969–1970)

BBC2

• 8 November – The Goodies (1970–1982)

ITV

• 2 January – Manhunt (1970)
• 14 April – A Family at War (1970–1972)
• 13 June – Albert and Victoria (1970–1971)
• 15 September – Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1968–1970)
• 16 September – UFO (1970–1971)
• 28 September – Timeslip (1970–1971)
• 27 October – The Lovers (1970–1971)
• 5 November – Queenie's Castle (1970–1972)

Television shows

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• Steptoe and Son (1962–1965, 1970–1974)

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2024)

1930s

• BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s

• Watch with Mother (1946–1973)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present)
• Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• Z-Cars (1962–1978)
• Animal Magic (1962–1983)
• Doctor Who (1963–1989, 2005–present)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006)
• Match of the Day (1964–present)
• Crossroads (1964–1988, 2001–2003)
• Play School (1964–1988)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• All Gas and Gaiters (1966–1971)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–2010)
• Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1967–1971)
• Callan (1967–1972)
• The Golden Shot (1967–1975)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Me Mammy (1968–1971)
• Please Sir! (1968–1972)
• Father, Dear Father (1968–1973)
• Dad's Army (1968–1977)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• On the Buses (1969–1973)
• Clangers (1969–1974, 2015–present)
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
• Nationwide (1969–1983)
• Screen Test (1969–1984)

Ending this year

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• The Wednesday Play (1964–1970)
• Not Only... But Also (1965–1970)
• Not in Front of the Children (1967–1970)
• Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969–1970)
• Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969–1970)
• Department S (TV series) (1969–1970)

Births

• 10 February — Robert Shearman, television and radio scriptwriter
• 14 February — Simon Pegg, comedian, writer and actor
• 7 March –
  • Emma Davies, actress
  • Rachel Weisz, British actress
• 29 March – Ruth England, television presenter and actress
• 5 April – Krishnan Guru-Murthy, journalist and presenter
• 9 April — Tricia Penrose, actress and singer
• 10 May — Sally Phillips, Hong Kong-English actress
• 15 May — Nicola Walker, actress
• 20 May — Louis Theroux, TV personality, author
• 22 May – Naomi Campbell, Model (The Face)
• 18 June — Katie Derham, newsreader and television presenter
• 25 June — Lucy Benjamin, actress
• 7 July – Zoë Tyler, singer and actress
• 10 July — John Simm, actor
• 29 July — Andi Peters, TV presenter and producer
• 31 July — Ben Chaplin, actor
• 4 August — Kate Silverton, journalist, newsreader and television presenter
• 7 August – Melanie Sykes, British television presenter
• 5 September – Johnny Vegas, actor and comedian
• 6 September — Emily Maitlis, journalist and newsreader
• 13 September – Louise Lombard, British actress
• 28 September – Jo Wyatt, actress, voice actress and singer
• 29 September — Emily Lloyd, actress
• 31 October — Craig Kelly, actor
• 12 November — Harvey Spencer Stephens, child-actor
• 22 November — Stel Pavlou, novelist and screenwriter
• 23 November — Zoë Ball, television and radio presenter
• 28 November — Lucy Owen, Welsh television newsreader
• 10 December — Susanna Reid, journalist and television presenter
• 17 December — Craig Doyle, radio and television presenter
• 21 December — Jamie Theakston, radio and television presenter and producer
• 29 December — Aled Jones, singer and television presenter
• Unknown — Jenny Scott, journalist and economist

Deaths

• 30 June – Arthur Leslie, 70, actor (Coronation Street).

See also

• 1970 in British music
• 1970 in British radio
• 1970 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1970