1961 in British television

List of years in British television       (table)
… 1951 .  1952 .  1953 .  1954  . 1955  . 1956  . 1957 … 1958 1959 1960 -1961- 1962 1963 1964 … 1965 .  1966 .  1967 .  1968  . 1969  . 1970  . 1971 …

This is a list of British television related events from 1961.

Events

• 7 January – The Avengers premieres on ITV.
• 6 March – Coronation Street begins airing on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 19:30. Previously, it had been transmitted on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 19:00. (see scheduling of Coronation Street)
• 29 April – Westward Television, the first ITV franchise for South West England, goes on air.
• 1 September – Border Television, the ITV franchise for the English-Scottish Border and Isle of Man, goes on air.
• 30 September – Grampian Television, the ITV franchise for North East Scotland, goes on air.
• 2 October – Points of View, the long running BBC television programme featuring the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and purportedly witty observations on the television of recent weeks, begins airing. It contues to the present day.
• October – Songs of Praise debuts on BBC.

Debuts

BBC

• 24 September – Stranger on the Shore (1961)
• 2 October – Points of View (1961–present)
• October – Songs of Praise (1961–present)
• 12 November – Sir Francis Drake (1961–1962)
• 15 December – Comedy Playhouse (1961–1974)

ITV

• 7 January – The Avengers (1961–1969)
• 28 January – Supercar (1961–1962)
• 11 March – The Arthur Askey Show (1961)
• 1 April – Thank Your Lucky Stars (1961–1966)
• 9 September –
  • Ghost Squad (1961–1964)
  • The Jo Stafford Show (1961)
• Unknown – Two of a Kind (1961–1968)

Television shows

1940s

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

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)
• The Good Old Days (1953–1983)
• Panorama (1953–present)
• Picture Book (1955–1965)
• Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
• Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)
• This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1980)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)
• Face to Face (1959–1962)
• Noggin the Nog (1959–1965)

1960s

• Sykes and A... (1960–1965)
• Coronation Street (1960–present)

Ending this year

• All Your Own (1952)
• Hancock's Half Hour (1956)
• The Army Game (1957)
• Danger Man (1960–1961, 1964–1968)
• The Jo Stafford Show (1961)

Births

• 1 January –
  • Fiona Phillips, journalist, broadcaster and television presenter
  • Mark Wingett, British actor
• 12 January – Simon Russell Beale, British actor
• 20 February – Imogen Stubbs, British actress
• 10 April – Nicky Campbell, radio and television presenter
• 14 April – Robert Carlyle, Scottish actor
• 18 April – Jane Leeves, English actress
• 20 April – Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor
• 30 April – Paul Usher, actor
• 2 May – Phil Vickery, British celebrity chef
• 8 May – Janet McTeer, British actress
• 14 May – Tim Roth, English actor
• 30 May – Harry Enfield, English comedian
• 25 June – Ricky Gervais, English comedian
• 27 June – Meera Syal, British comedian and writer
• 17 July – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio panelist, and singer
• 7 August – Brian Conley, comedian, television presenter, singer and actor
• 18 August – Huw Edwards, journalist and news presenter
• 27 August – Mark Curry, television presenter
• 6 October – Linda Barker, interior designer and television presenter
• 7 October – Simon McCoy, BBC newsreader
• 9 November – Jill Dando, television newsreader (died 1999)
• 28 November – Martin Clunes, actor
• 11 December – Marco Pierre White, British chef and restaurateur
• 12 December – Sarah Sutton, British actress
• 19 December – Matthew Waterhouse, British actor
• 23 December – Carol Smillie, television presenter
• Unknown – Kazia Pelka, actress