1960 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1960.

Events

January

1 January – Sir Hugh Greene becomes Director-General of the BBC.
January – ATV's variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium, compered by Bruce Forsyth, features Cliff Richard and The Shadows and is watched by more than 20 million people.
31 January – Southern Television's broadcast area expands when it begins broadcasting to Kent and East Sussex. The Independent Television Authority has granted Southern the right to broadcast to South East England.

March

26 March – The Grand National is televised for the first time, by the BBC Television Service.
29 March – The 5th Eurovision Song Contest is held at the Royal Festival Hall in London and broadcast at home by the BBC. France wins the contest with the song "Tom Pillibi", performed by Jacqueline Boyer. The UK is placed second for a second successive year with "Looking High, High, High" sung by Bryan Johnson.

June

1 June – ITV and the BBC both show the Epsom Derby because it is a protected event which cannot be exclusive to either channel. However, the rest of the Epsom events, including The Oaks, are broadcast exclusively on ITV.
2 June – About Anglia launches as a twice-weekly programme accompanying the 10-minute regional evening news bulletin in East Anglia on weekdays. Its success prompts it to be extended to four nights a week the following September and then to every weeknight.
20 June – Nan Winton becomes the first national female newsreader on the BBC Television Service.
29 June – The BBC Television Centre is opened in West London.

July

13 July – The Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting is established to consider the future of broadcasting, cable and "the possibility of television for public showing". Their report, published in 1962, criticises the populism of ITV and recommends that Britain's third national television channel should be awarded to the BBC. BBC Two is launched in April 1964.

September

10 September – ITV broadcasts the first live Football League match to be shown on television and the last for 23 years. The commentators are Peter Lloyd and Billy Wright
11 September – Danger Man premieres on ITV, starring Patrick McGoohan as Secret Agent John Drake.
19 September – BBC Schools starts using the Pie Chart ident.

October

8 October – The BBC Television Service is renamed as BBC TV.

November

28 November – One hour of the final of the amateur All-England Pairs Championship in snooker is shown live on Midland ITV.

December

9 December – The first episode of soap opera Coronation Street, made by Granada Television in Manchester, is aired live on ITV. Intended as a 13-week pilot, it eventually continues past its 10,000th episode in its 60th anniversary year as Britain's longest-running television soap. Characters introduced in the first episode include Ken Barlow, Elsie Tanner and Ena Sharples.

Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

1 January
* The Trouble with Harry
* How Green Was My Valley
3 January
* BBC Sunday-Night Play
* The Secret Garden
21 January – A Life of Bliss
29 January – Sykes and A...
16 February – Soldier, Soldier
26 February – Emma
28 February – The Splendid Spur
1 March – Siwan
4 April – Don't Do It Dempsey
12 April
*The Pen of My Aunt
*Scotland Yard
24 April – The Long Way Home
28 April – An Age of Kings
6 May – The Secret Kingdom
16 May – A Matter of Degree
17 May – Yorky
8 June – The Days of Vengeance
12 June – St. Ives
1 July – The Herries Chronicle
3 July – Tales of the Riverbank
24 July – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
27 July – Golden Girl
8 August – Here Lies Miss Sabry
19 August – The Small House at Allington
16 September - It's a Square World
18 September – Sheep's Clothing
19 September - No Wreath for the General
22 September – Meet the Champ
30 September – Barnaby Rudge
11 October – Here's Harry
16 October – Paul of Tarsus
31 October – Maigret
15 November – The World of Tim Frazer
24 November – Citizen James
25 November – The Charlie Drake Show
26 December – Brian Rix Presents
30 December – Persuasion
Unknown – ''Bonehead''

ITV

17 January – Counter-Attack!
30 January – Man from Interpol
3 February – Somerset Maugham Hour
6 March – Formula for Danger
25 February – Four Feather Falls
28 February
* Inside Story
* Suspense
1 March – Francis Storm Investigates
1 April
* Biggles
* The Roving Reasons
20 April – The Love of Mike
24 April – Target Luna
4 May – Young at Heart
8 May – Bonanza
5 June – Armchair Mystery Theatre
13 June – Deadline Midnight
28 June – Mess Mates
8 July – On Trial
10 September
*Candid Camera
* Police Surgeon
* Theatre 70
11 September
* Danger Man
* Our House
* Pathfinders in Space
* Whiplash
23 September – Bootsie and Snudge
19 October – The Odd Man
22 October – The Strange World of Gurney Slade
1 November – The Old Pull 'n Push
14 November – The Dickie Henderson Show
23 November – The Citadel
9 December – Coronation Street
10 December – The Cheaters
11 December – Pathfinders to Mars
Unknown
*Royal Variety Performance
*''All Our Yesterdays''

Continuing television shows

1920s

''BBC Wimbledon''

1930s

1940s

The Ed Sullivan Show
''Come Dancing''

1950s

Ending this year

The Adventures of Robin Hood Life With The Lyons Campion Foo Foo Highway Patrol Whack-O! The Frontiers of Space The Larkins Ditto Children’s Caravan Hotel Imperial Charlie Drake Glencannon The Voodoo Factor Tell It to the Marines The Four Just Men Interpol Calling Skyport Para Handy - Master Mariner

''Chelsea at Nine''

Births

4 January – Julia St. John, actress
6 January – Nigella Lawson, television cookery presenter and writer
6 February – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist and television presenter
18 February – Carol McGiffin, broadcaster
19 February – Leslie Ash, actress
22 February – Paul Abbott, television writer
March – Dan Patterson, comedy producer
10 March – Anne MacKenzie, Scottish current affairs presenter
16 March – Jenny Eclair, comedian and novelist
11 April – Jeremy Clarkson, English journalist and television show host
13 April – Lindsey Coulson, actress
22 April – Gary Rhodes, restaurateur and celebrity chef
25 April – Robert Peston, journalist and BBC business editor
5 May – Gillian Wright, actress
6 May – Roma Downey, Northern Irish actress and producer
25 May – Anthea Turner, television presenter and media personality
2 June – Shaun Wallace, "The Dark Destroyer" from The Chase
4 June – Bradley Walsh, English comedian, game show presenter and actor
11 July – Caroline Quentin, actress
13 July – Ian Hislop, broadcaster and editor
27 July – Gabrielle Glaister, actress
9 September - Hugh Grant, actor
10 September – Colin Firth, English actor
12 September – Felicity Montagu, actress
17 September – Annabelle Apsion, actress
11 October – Nicola Bryant, actress
29 October – Finola Hughes, actress
15 November – Dawn Airey, media executive
17 November – Jonathan Ross, English television presenter
23 November – Darren Jordon, journalist and news presenter
30 November – Gary Lineker, English footballer and television presenter
17 December – Kay Burley, news presenter
24 December – Carol Vorderman, television presenter
27 December – Maryam d'Abo, actress

Deaths

16 November – Gilbert Harding, broadcasting personality