1984 in British television

List of years in British television       (table)
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This is a list of British television related events from 1984.

Events

• 4 January – Patricia Phoenix leaves Coronation Street for the second and final time as Elsie Tanner goes to live with old flame Bill Gregory in Portugal.
• 14 February – An estimated 24 million viewers watched Torvill and Dean win Gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics skating to Bolero by Ravel.
• 16 March – Peter Davison's last serial as the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who, 'The Caves of Androzani', finished; Colin Baker became the Sixth Doctor in the same episode.
• 15 April - Comedian Tommy Cooper dies from a heart attack on live television at the age of 62.
• 7 June – BBC 1 airs the first edition of Crimewatch. The first case to be featured on the show is the murder of Colette Aram, which had occurred the previous year. After years of investigation, a man was finally charged with the murder in 2009, and sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2010 after pleading guilty.
• 23 June - ITV broadcasts the rock concert New Brighton Rock recorded at the event staged in the seaside resort of New Brighton, Merseyside over two days on 21 and 22 May.
• 28 July- The 1984 Summer Olympics began in Los Angeles
• 27 August – Technicians at Thames Television walk out on strike over the use of new cameras and editing equipment along with overtime payments for transmission staff. The strike lasts for two weeks but the station is off the air for just one day over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Management and administration staff take over their roles, broadcasting a skeleton service.
• 1 September – The Children's Channel launched in the UK (1984–1998, 2012–present)
• 4 September – The Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series is first broadcast on ITV, 22 years before moving to Channel 5. The children's programme, narrated by former Beatle Ringo Starr and later Michael Angelis since 1991, is about the day-to-day life of old-fashion trains in The Island of Sodor in southern England.
• 23 September – British single TV drama play Threads premiered on BBC.
• 8 October – The Australian soap Prisoner: Cell Block H makes its British television debut when Thames Television becomes the first ITV region to begin airing the programme in a late night slot. It is followed by most other ITV regions in 1987.
• 15 October – Channel 4's output increases by 25%. The weekday schedules now begin at 2.30pm instead of 5:00pm, while weekends airtime starts at 1:00pm rather than 2:00pm.
• 23 October - BBC News newsreader Michael Buerk gives powerful commentary of the famine in Ethiopia which has already claimed thousands of lives and reportedly has the potential to kill as many as 7million people.

Debuts

BBC 1

• 19 January – The Living Planet (1984)
• 7 June – Crimewatch (1984–present)
• 1 September – Bob's Full House (1984–1990)

BBC 2

• 31 January – Alas Smith and Jones (1984–1998)
• 23 September – Threads (1984)

ITV

• 7 January – Child's Play (1984–1988)
• 9 January – The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
• 13 February – Duty Free (1984–1986)
• 26 February – Spitting Image (1984–1996)
• 7 March – Fresh Fields (1984–1986)
• 24 March – The Price Is Right (1984–2007)
• 10 April – How Dare You (1984–1987)
• 24 April – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1988, 1991–1994)
• 28 April – Robin of Sherwood (1984–1986)
• 6 May – Surprise, Surprise (1984–2001)
• August – Our Backyard (1984–1987)
• 1 September – Bottle Boys (1984–1985)
• 1 September – The Saturday Starship (1984–1985)
• 4 September – Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (ITV 1984–2006, Channel 5 2006–present)
• 8 October - Prisoner Cell Block H Yorkshire Region only (1984–1998)
• 13 October – Wide Awake Club (1984–1992)
• 16 October – The Bill (1984–2010)
• Unknown – James the Cat (ITV 1984–1992, Five 1998–2003)

Television shows

1940s

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

• Panorama (1953–present)
• 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)
• 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)
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005)
• World of Sport (1965–1985)
• Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)
• The Money Programme (1966–present)
• The Big Match (1968–2002)

1970s

• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)
• The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
• Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)
• Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)
• Emmerdale (1972–present).
• Newsround (1972–present).
• Weekend World (1972–1988)
• We Are the Champions (1973–1987)
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010).
• That's Life! (1973–1994)
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003).
• Arena (1975–present).
• Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)
• 3-2-1 (1978–1988)
• Grange Hill (1978–2008).
• Terry and June (1979–1987)
• The Book Tower (1979–1989)
• Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002)
• Antiques Roadshow (1979–present).
• Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

• Juliet Bravo (1980–1985)
• Cockleshell Bay (1980–1986)
• Finders Keepers (1981–1985, 1991–1996, 2006)
• Freetime (1981–1985)
• Game for a Laugh (1981–1985)
• Tenko (1981–1985)
• That's My Boy (1981–1986)
• Razzamatazz (1981–1987)
• Bergerac (1981–1991)
• On Safari (1982–1985)
• 'Allo 'Allo! (1982–1992)
• Wogan (1982–1992)
• Saturday Superstore (1982–1987)
• The Tube (1982–1987)
• Brookside (1982–2003)
• Let's Pretend (TV series) (1982–1988)
• No. 73 (1982–1988)
• Timewatch (1982–present)
• Right to Reply (1982–2001)
• Up the Elephant and Round the Castle (1983–1985)
• Bananaman (1983–1986)
• Just Good Friends (1983–1986)
• Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983–1986)
• Breakfast Time (1983–1989)
• Dramarama (1983–1989)
• Don't Wait Up (1983–1990)
• Good Morning Britain (1983–1992)
• First Tuesday (1983–1993)
• Highway (1983–1993)
• Blockbusters (1983–93, 1994–95, 1997, 2000–01).
• Thomas the Tank Engine (1984–present)
• Trap Door (1984–1986)
• James the Cat (1984–2003)

Ending this year

• 14 January – Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983–1984)
• 17 February – A Fine Romance (1981–1984)
• 29 March – Crown Court (1972–1984)
• 2 April – Alphabet Zoo (1983–1984)
• 14 April – The Saturday Show (1982–1984)
• 11 June – Rentaghost (1976–1984)
• 19 June – The Young Ones (1982–1984)
• 24 July – Terrahawks (1983–1984)
• 24 November – The Gentle Touch (1980–1984)
• 11 December – On Safari (1982–1984)
• 21 December – Crackerjack (1955–1984)
• 22 December – Punchlines (1981–1984)

Births

• 7 March – Rachel Rice, actress and reality show contestant
• 28 March – Nikki Sanderson, actress
• 22 April – Michelle Ryan, actress
• 19 August - Simon Bird, actor
• 11 October – Gemma Merna, actress
• 27 October – Kelly Osbourne, singer
• 16 November – Gemma Atkinson, actress and model

Deaths

• 31 March – Jack Howarth, 88, actor, Albert Tatlock in Coronation Street (1960–1984)
• 15 April – Tommy Cooper, 63, comedian and magician
• 4 May – Diana Dors, 52, actress
• 27 May – Reginald Bosanquet, 51, journalist and newsreader, presented News at Ten during the 1970s
• 28 May – Eric Morecambe, 58, comedian, Morecambe and Wise
• 27 August – Bernard Youens, 69, actor, Stan Ogden in Coronation Street (1964–1984)
• 6 October – Leonard Rossiter, 57, actor, Rising Damp, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
• 10 October – Alan Lake, 43, actor