1959 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1959.

Events

January

1 January – The first broadcast of the Vienna New Year's Concert from Austria airs on BBC Television.
15 January – Tyne Tees Television, the ITV franchise for North East England, goes on air.

February

1 February – The first interracial kiss on television occurs during a live performance of the play Hot Summer Night, broadcast in the ABC Armchair Theatre strand. The kiss is between Andrée Melly and Lloyd Reckord.

June

1 June – Juke Box Jury premieres on the BBC Television Service.

September

25 September – 5th series of Hancock's Half Hour begins broadcast, all made as telerecordings. It includes, on 16 October, the classic parody episode "Twelve Angry Men". Anthony Hancock decides that he no longer wishes to work with Sid James.

October

8–9 October – The BBC and, for the first time, ITV broadcast live coverage of the results of the 1959 United Kingdom general election. The BBC keeps the overnight coverage but does not retain its broadcast from the following day.
27 October – Anglia Television, the ITV franchise for Eastern England, goes on air.
31 October – Ulster Television, the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland, goes on air.

Undated

Memorable but notoriously unsuccessful advertisements for Strand cigarettes run on ITV.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

7 January – The Nightwatchman's Stories
14 January – The Cabin in the Clearing
17 January – The Honey Siege
23 January – The Third Man
30 January – The Last Chronicle of Barset
4 February – Face to Face
9 February – The Scarf
28 February – Garry Halliday
21 March – Whicker's World
25 March – Morning in the Streets
3 April – Love and Mr Lewisham
4 April – Charlesworth
4 April – Drumbeat
5 April – Great Expectations
8 April – The Two Charleys
14 April – The Offshore Island
22 April – A Soho Story
1 May – Frankly Howerd
15 May – Hilda Lessways
1 June
* Juke Box Jury
* The Widow of Bath
3 June – On the Bright Side
12 June – The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull
26 June – The Eustace Diamonds
5 July – The Golden Spur
13 July – The Naked Lady
25 July – The Ken Dodd Show
10 August – Campion
23 August – The Moonstone
26 August – Call Me Sam
28 August – The History of Mr. Polly
3 September – Spycatcher
11 September – Noggin the Nog
21 September – A Mask for Alexis
28 September – The Artful Dodger
11 October – Redgauntlet
15 October – Who, Me?
16 October – Bleak House
2 November – The Men from Room 13
3 November – Ask For King Billy
7 November – Three Golden Nobles
11 December – Para Handy - Master Mariner
Unknown – ''World Theatre''

ITV

11 January – Torchy the Battery Boy
8 April – Crime Sheet
1 June – Don't Tell Father
14 June – Sunday's Child
2 July – Skyport
6 July – Something in the City
13 July – Nick of the River
10 August – Gert and Daisy
1 September – The Secret of Carrick House
12 September – The Man Who Finally Died
13 September – Interpol Calling
14 September – Probation Officer
16 September – No Hiding Place
17 September – The Four Just Men
23 September – Tell It to the Marines
13 October – Knight Errant Limited
31 October – Epilogue to Capricorn
9 December – 77 Sunset Strip
12 December – The Voodoo Factor
24 December
*Rawhide
*Tales from Dickens
26 December – International Detective
28 December – Ivor the Engine
Unknown
*Maverick
*Glencannon
*The Flying Doctor
*''Foo Foo''

Continuing television shows

1920s

''BBC Wimbledon''

1930s

1940s

The Ed Sullivan Show
''Come Dancing''

1950s

Ending this year

The Adventures of Twizzle The Adventures of William Tell The Invisible Man Ivanhoe Oh Boy! Our Mutual Friend

''Quatermass and the Pit''

Births

30 January – Alex Hyde-White, actor
15 February – Adam Boulton, television journalist
20 March – Steve McFadden, actor
22 March – Stephen Lambert, media executive
1 April – Joanna Kanska, actress
15 April – Emma Thompson, actress and screenwriter
24 April – Paula Yates, television presenter
3 May – Ben Elton, comedian, scriptwriter and novelist
8 May – Kevin McCloud, designer, author and television host
16 May – Tracy Hyde, actress and model
22 May – Jon Sopel, television presenter and BBC correspondent
27 May – Gerard Kelly, Scottish actor
29 May – Adrian Paul, actor
11 June – Hugh Laurie, actor, comedian and writer
29 June – Richard Vranch, comedian, actor and television panel show participant
8 July – Pauline Quirke, actress
31 July – Andrew Marr, Scottish-born journalist
3 September – Dick Strawbridge, Burma-born colonel and factual television presenter
10 September – Helen Pearson, actress
17 September – Charles Lawson, actor
7 October – Simon Cowell, music producer and television talent show judge
11 October – David Morgan, Canada-born broadcast journalist working in Northern Ireland
20 October – Niamh Cusack, Irish-born actress
2 November – Peter Mullan, actor
9 November – Tony Slattery, actor and comedian
11 November – David Easter, actor
13 November – Caroline Goodall, actress
14 November – Paul McGann, British actor
24 November – Lucy Meacock, journalist and newsreader
30 November – Lorraine Kelly, Scottish presenter and journalist
2 December – Gwyneth Strong, British actress
3 December – Eamonn Holmes, Northern Ireland-born journalist and television personality
11 December – Nigel Pivaro, actor and journalist
30 December – Tracey Ullman, English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author