Events in Film & TV
Britain's First-Ever TV Ad
1955-09-22 Commercial television begins in the UK with the launch of ITV, soon airs the 1st advert on UK TV, for Gibbs SR toothpaste
- 1955-09-22 On BBC radio Grace Archer is killed in a barn fire on Brookfield Farm - the BBC denies this was to spoil the launch of rival network ITV
- 1960-12-09 1st broadcast of "Coronation Street" on British ITV
- 1984-02-28 British satirical puppet show "Spitting Image" premieres on ITV
- 1988-04-04 Last broadcast of British soap opera "Crossroads" on ITV
Television Debut
1993-09-27 British crime series "Cracker" created by Jimmy McGovern starring Robbie Coltrane debuts on ITV in the UK
- 1998-09-04 1st ever "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" hosted by Chris Tarrant debuts on ITV in Britain
- 2002-10-27 The British ITV Network airs a regional service for the last time in England and Wales, LWT loses its identity completely
Television Premiere
2013-03-04 British TV drama "Broadchurch" created by Chris Chibnall, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman premieres on ITV
- 2019-05-16 UK talk show "The Jeremy Kyle Show" axed by ITV after a guest dies
Film & TV History
2021-03-09 UK TV host Piers Morgan leaves ITV's "Good Morning" after 41,000 complaints made about him saying he did not believe Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's statement about her mental health
Birthdays in Film & TV
- 1918-07-15 Lord Buxton of Alsa, CEO (ITV)
- 1923-10-10 Murray Walker, English motorsport commentator and journalist (Formula 1: BBC 1976-96, ITV 1997-2001), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2021)
- 1930-02-19 Gerald Sinstadt, English sports broadcaster and columnist (BBC Radio, ITV Grenada, BBC One; The Sentinel), born in Folkestone, England (d. 2021)
- 1931-05-21 Desmond Wilcox, English broadcaster (BBC, ITV), born in Welwyn Garden City, England (d. 2000)
- 1938-06-07 Ian St John, Scottish soccer forward (21 caps; Motherwell; Liverpool 425 games), manager (Motherwell, Portsmouth) and broadcaster (ITV: Saint and Greavsie), born in Motherwell, Scotland (d. 2021)
- 1944-09-13 Carol Barnes, British television news journalist (ITN; ITV), born in Norwich, England (d. 2008)
- 1959-06-01 Martin Brundle, British auto racer (World Sportscar C'ship 1988; 24 Hours of Le Mans 1990) and F1 television commentator (ITV, BBC), born in King's Lynn, England
- 1967-05-04 Kate Garraway, English TV presenter (ITV Breakfast), born in Abingdon-on-Thames, Berkshire
- 1979-02-02 Christine Bleakley, Northern Irish broadcaster and presenter (BBC, ITV, UKTV), born in Newtownards, Northern Ireland
Deaths in Film & TV
- 2000-09-06 Desmond Wilcox, English broadcaster (BBC, ITV), dies at 69
- 2008-03-08 Carol Barnes, British television news journalist (ITN; ITV), dies a few days after suffering a stroke at 63
- 2019-10-01 Peter Sissons, British newsreader (BBC, ITV, Question Time), dies at 77
- 2021-03-01 Ian St John, Scottish soccer forward (21 caps; Motherwell; Liverpool 425 games), manager (Motherwell, Portsmouth) and broadcaster (ITV: Saint and Greavsie), dies from cancer at 82
- 2021-03-13 Murray Walker, English motorsport commentator and journalist (Formula 1: BBC 1976-96, ITV 1997-2001), dies at 97
- 2021-11-10 Gerald Sinstadt, English sports broadcaster and columnist (BBC Radio, ITV Grenada, BBC One; The Sentinel), dies at 91