1977 in British television

List of years in British television       (table)
… 1967 .  1968 .  1969 .  1970  . 1971  . 1972  . 1973 … 1974 1975 1976 -1977- 1978 1979 1980 … 1981 .  1982 .  1983 .  1984  . 1985  . 1986  . 1987 …

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

Events

• 27 March – Jesus of Nazareth, an Anglo-Italian television miniseries dramatizing the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus based on the accounts in the four New Testament Gospels debuts on British television. The series stars Robert Powell as Jesus.
• 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).
• 6 June-9 June – Television viewers in Britain and around the world watch live coverage of the celebrations of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, while the soap opera Coronation Street features an elaborate Jubilee parade into the storyline, having Rovers' Return Inn manageress Annie Walker dress up in elaborate costume as Elizabeth I. Ken Barlow and "Uncle Albert" played Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing respectively.
• 28 March - Yorkshire Television launches a six-week breakfast television experiment. It is credited as being the UK's first breakfast television programme, six years before the launch of TV-am. The programme ran concurrently with a similar Tyne Tees programme, Good Morning North, for North East viewers.
• 20 June – Anglia Television broadcasts the fake documentary "Alternative 3". It enters into the conspiracy theory canon.
• 18 September – The occasional ITV bloopers programme It'll be Alright on the Night is first aired.
• 26 November – Just after 5.10pm in the Southern Television ITV region, a pirate hijacks the sound of the ITN News and broadcasts a message claiming to be Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command. Thousands of viewers ring Southern Television, ITN, and even the police for an explanation.
• 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 that time known in the UK 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 in 1991.
• Unknown – Colour television licenses exceed black and white licenses for the first time in the UK.
• Unknown – Ian Trethowan succeeds Charles Curran as Director-General of the BBC.
• Unknown – The original series of Top Gear begins as a local magazine format programme produced by BBC Pebble Mill. In 1978 it is offered to BBC2 where it aired until 2001. In 2002 the series was relaunched in its current format.

Debuts

BBC 1

• 2 January – Wings (1977–1978)
• 17 January – Des O'Connor Tonight (1977–1983)
• 15 February – Take Hart (1977–1983)
• 12 April – Citizen Smith (1977–1980)
• 7 September – Secret Army (1977–1979)

BBC 2

• 18 September – 1990 (1977–1978)

ITV

• 11 January – Robin's Nest (1977–1981)
• 18 May – A Bunch of Fives (1977–1978)
• 6 September – You're Only Young Twice (1977–1981)
• 7 September – The Krypton Factor (1977–1995, 2009–2010)
• 30 December – The Professionals (1977–1983)

Television shows

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)
• Armchair Theatre (1956–1980)
• 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, 2008-2010)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• 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)

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)
• 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, 1993–1996).
• 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)

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 (1970–1977)
• 13 November – Dad's Army (1968–1977)
• 17 December – The New Avengers (1976–1977)
• 24 December – The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–1977)

Births

• 10 March – Rita Simons, actress, singer and model
• 13 May – Samantha Morton, actress
• 30 May – Rachael Stirling, actress
• 31 May – Debbie King, TV presenter
• 5 June – Emma Crosby, newsreader, television presenter and journalist
• 22 August – Sarah Champion, television presenter and disc jockey
• 1 September – Lucy Pargeter, actress
• 24 October – Beth Cordingly, actress
• 3 December – Jennifer James, actress
• 23 December – Matt Baker, television presenter