1977 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1977.

Events

January

• No events.

February

• 15 February – The first Aardman Animations character, Morph, is introduced with the launch of BBC Television children's series Take Hart with Tony Hart.
• 26 February – British television premiere of the James Bond film Thunderball on ITV.

March

• 27 March – Jesus of Nazareth, a British-Italian television miniseries (co-produced by Lew Grade) dramatizing the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus based on the accounts in the four New Testament Gospels debuts on British television, starring Robert Powell as Jesus.
• 28 March – Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees Television launch a nine-week breakfast television experiment. It is credited as being the United Kingdom's first breakfast television programme, six years before the launch of TV-am and the BBC's Breakfast Time. Both programmes run at the same time, with Tyne Tees, Good Morning North, and Yorkshire's Good Morning Calendar. Both programmes finish on Friday 27 May.

April

• 22 April – The original series of motoring programme Top Gear begins as a local magazine format produced by BBC Midlands from its Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, presented by Angela Rippon and Tom Coyne. In 1978 it is offered to BBC2 where it airs until 2001. In 2002 the series is relaunched in a new format.

May

• 7 May – The 22nd Eurovision Song Contest is held in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest is won by Marie Myriam representing France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" ("The Bird and the Child"). The British entry, "Rock Bottom" (written and sung by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran) finishes in second place.

June

• 6–9 June – Television viewers in Britain and around the world watch live coverage of the celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, while the soap opera Coronation Street features an elaborate Jubilee parade in the storyline, having Rovers' Return Inn manageress Annie Walker dress up in elaborate costume as Queen Elizabeth I. Ken Barlow and "Uncle Albert" play Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing respectively.
• 20 June – Anglia Television broadcasts the fake documentary Alternative 3. It enters into the conspiracy theory canon.

July

• 7 July – The first episode of the BBC documentary series Brass Tacks is aired, featuring a debate as to whether Myra Hindley should be considered for parole from the life sentence she received for her role in the Moors murders in 1966.

August

• No events.

September

• 7 September – The Krypton Factor makes its debut on ITV.
• 18 September – The occasional ITV bloopers programme It'll Be Alright on the Night is first aired.
• 19 September – BBC Schools and Colleges changed to use the Dots ident with rotating text until 1978.

October

• 1 October – Ian Trethowan succeeds Charles Curran as Director-General of the BBC.
• 19 October – The first edition of a new weekly magazine programme for Asian women, Gharbar, is broadcast. The programme had only been intended to run for 26 weeks but continued for around 500 weeks, finally ending in April 1987.

November

• 19 November – Southern Television televises the US educational series for children Sesame Street for the first time.
• 20 November – British television premiere of the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.
• 26 November – Southern Television broadcast interruption: Just after 5.10pm in the Southern Television ITV region, a hoaxer hijacks the sound of Independent Television News from the IBA transmitter at Hannington, Hampshire, and broadcasts a message claiming to be a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command. Thousands of viewers ring STV, ITN or the police for an explanation; the identity of the intruder is never confirmed.

December

• 25 December – Both the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show and The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show on BBC 1 attracts an audience of more than 28 million, one of the highest ever in British television history.
• 31 December – Bruce Forsyth steps down as presenter of The Generation Game after six years.

Unknown

• Scum, an entry in BBC1's Play for Today anthology strand, is pulled from transmission due to controversy over its depiction of life in a Young Offenders' Institution (at this time known in the United Kingdom as a borstal). Two years later the director Alan Clarke makes a film version with most of the same cast, and the original play itself is eventually transmitted on Channel Four in 1991.

Debuts

BBC1

• 2 January – Wings (1977–1978)
• 15 February – Take Hart (1977–1983)
• 8 April – Roots (1977)
• 12 April – Citizen Smith (1977–1980)
• 7 July – Brass Tacks (1977–1988)
• 7 September – Secret Army (1977–1979)
• 17 October – Des O'Connor Tonight (1977–2002)

BBC2

• 6 July – Brass Tacks (1977–1988)
• 18 September – 1990 (1977–1978)
• 19 September – The Long Search (1977)
• 7 November – Who Pays the Ferryman? (1977)

ITV

• 10 January – Children of the Stones (1977)
• 11 January – Robin's Nest (1977–1981)
• 27 March – /Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
• 7 May – Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (1976–1977)
• 8 May – King of the Castle (1977)
• 18 May – A Bunch of Fives (1977–1978)
• 24 August – The Paper Lads (1977–1979)
• 6 September – You're Only Young Twice (1977–1981)
• 7 September – The Krypton Factor (1977–1995, 2009–2010)
• 18 September – It'll Be Alright on the Night (1977–present)
• 30 December – The Professionals (1977–1983)

Television shows

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–present)

1930s

• BBC Cricket (1939–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• 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)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• Sportsnight (1965–1997)
• It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)
• The Money Programme (1966–present)
• ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)
• Magpie (1968–1980)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)
• Nationwide (1969–1983)
• Screen Test (1969–1984)

1970s

• The Goodies (1970–1982)
• The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• Clapperboard (1972–1982)
• Crown Court (1972–1984)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• Are You Being Served? (1972–1985)
• Emmerdale (1972–present)
• Newsround (1972–present)
• Weekend World (1972–1988)
• Pipkins (1973–1981)
• We Are the Champions (1973–1987)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
• That's Life! (1973–1994)
• Happy Ever After (1974–1978)
• Rising Damp (1974–1978)
• Within These Walls (1974–1978)
• It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981)
• Tiswas (1974–1982)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)
• The Good Life (1975–1978)
• The Sweeney (1975–1978)
• Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–present)
• The Cuckoo Waltz (1975–1980)
• Arena (1975–present)
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
• When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981)
• Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976–1982)
• Rentaghost (1976–1984)
• One Man and His Dog (1976–present)

Ending this year

• 22 January – Love Thy Neighbour (1972–1977)
• 23 February – The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club (1974–1977)
• 5 March – Porridge (1974–1977)
• 8 June – Survivors (1975–1977)
• 24 August – The Adventures of Rupert Bear (1969–1977)
• 13 November – Dad's Army (1968–1977)
• 17 December – The New Avengers (1976–1977)
• 24 December – The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–1977)

Births

• 1 January – Anna Acton, actress
• 13 January – Orlando Bloom, Actor
• 10 March – Rita Simons, actress, singer and model
• 13 May – Samantha Morton, actress
• 24 May — Jo Joyner, actress
• 30 May – Rachael Stirling, actress
• 31 May – Debbie King, presenter
• 5 June – Emma Crosby, newsreader, presenter and journalist
• 22 August – Sarah Champion, presenter and disc jockey
• 1 September – Lucy Pargeter, actress
• 12 September – James McCartney, singer and songwriter
• 25 September – Georgie Thompson, sports journalist
• 3 October – Shazia Mirza, comedian
• 3 December – Jennifer James, actress
• 23 December – Matt Baker, presenter

Deaths

• 25 February – Patricia Haines, 45, actress
• 29 August – Edward Sinclair, 63, actor (verger Maurice Yeatman in Dad's Army)

See also

• 1977 in British music
• 1977 in British radio
• 1977 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1977