1958 in British television

Events

14 January – TWW, the first ITV franchise for South Wales and West of England, goes on the air.

17 February – Pope Pius XII designates St. Clare of Assisi the patron saint of television. Thereafter, placing her icon on a television set was said to improve reception.

5 May – First experimental transmissions of a 625-line television service.

30 August – Southern Television, the ITV franchise for South Central and South East England, goes on the air.

11 October – The long running Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand debuts on the BBC Television Service. It aired until 2007.

16 October – Blue Peter, the world's longest-running children's TV programme, debuts on the BBC Television Service. It continues to air to the present day.

28 October – The State Opening of Parliament is broadcast on television for the first time.

30 November – During the live broadcast of the Armchair Theatre play Underground on the ITV network, actor Gareth Jones has a fatal heart attack between two of his scenes while in make-up.

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

7 May – White Heather Club (1958–1968)

14 June – The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958–1978)

11 October – Grandstand (1958–2007)

16 October – Blue Peter (1958–present)

22 December – Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)

ITV

8 January – Ivanhoe (1958–1959)

13 September – Oh Boy! (1958–1959)

14 September – The Invisible Man (1958–1959)

19 September – The Larkins (1958–1964)

20 September – The Adventures of William Tell (1958–1959)

Unknown

Gwlad y Gan (1958–1964)

Torchy the Battery Boy (1958–1959)

1940s

Watch with Mother (1946–1973)

Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)

All Your Own (1952–1961)

Rag, Tag and Bobtail (1953–1965)

The Good Old Days (1953–1983)

Panorama (1953–present)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)

Picture Book (1955–1965)

Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1967, 1973–1974)

Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)

Double Your Money (1955–1968)

Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)

Crackerjack (1955–1984)

Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961)

Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)

This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)

Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)

What the Papers Say (1956–2008)

The Army Game (1957–1961)

The Sky at Night (1957–present)

The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957–1997)

Ending this year

The Flower Pot Men (1952–1958, 2001–2002)

The Woodentops (1955–1958)

Living It Up (1957–1958)

Six-Five Special (1957–1958)

Births

10 January – Caroline Langrishe, actress

24 January – Jools Holland, British musician

29 January – Linda Smith, comedian (died 2006)

11 February – Michael Jackson, British broadcast executive

20 February – James Wilby, British actor

3 March – Miranda Richardson, English actress

7 March – Rik Mayall, comedian and actor (died 2014)

14 March – Francine Stock, radio and television presenter and author

21 March – Gary Oldman, English actor

14 April – Peter Capaldi, Scottish actor and director

3 May – Sandi Toksvig, Danish-born comedian, author, and radio presenter

17 May – Paul Whitehouse, Welsh comedian and actor

18 May – Toyah Willcox, actress and singer

22 May – Denise Welch, actress and television presenter

June – Karen Drury, actress

6 July – Jennifer Saunders, British comedian

24 July – Joe McGann, actor

31 July – Sue Jenkins, actress

29 August – Lenny Henry, British entertainer

13 September – Bobby Davro, actor and comedian

18 September – Linda Lusardi, British model, actress, and television presenter

21 September

Simon Mayo, British radio presenter

Penny Smith, television presenter

25 October – Simon Gipps-Kent, actor (died 1987)

31 October – Debbie McGee, television, radio and stage performer

6 December – Nick Park, English filmmaker and animator

Deaths

30 November – Gareth Jones, actor