1966 in British television

Events

3 January – Camberwick Green is the first BBC television programme to be shot in colour.

3 March – The BBC announces plans to begin broadcasting television programmes in colour from next year.

5 April – The Money Programme debuts on BBC2. It continued to air until 2010.

23 May – Julie Goodyear makes her Coronation Street debut as Bet Lynch. She did not become a regular character until 1970.

6 June – BBC1 sitcom Till Death Us Do Part begins its first series run.

30 July – England beat West Germany 4-2 to win the 1966 World Cup at Wembley.

Summer – Patrick McGoohan quits the popular spy series Danger Man after filming only two episodes of the fourth season, in order to produce and star in The Prisoner, which begins filming in September.

2 October – The four-part serial Talking to a Stranger, acclaimed as one of the finest British television dramas of the 1960s, begins transmission in the Theatre 625 strand on BBC2.

29 October – Actor William Hartnell makes his last regular appearance as the First Doctor in the concluding moments of Episode 4 of the Doctor Who serial The Tenth Planet. Actor Patrick Troughton briefly appears as the Second Doctor at the conclusion of the serial.

5 November – Actor Patrick Troughton appears in his first full Doctor Who serial The Power of the Daleks as the Second Doctor.

16 November – Cathy Come Home, possibly the best-known play ever to be broadcast on British television, is presented in BBC1's The Wednesday Play anthology strand.

BBC1

3 January – The Trumptonshire Trilogy: Camberwick Green (1966)

5 January – Softly, Softly (1966–1969)

10 March – The Frost Report (1966)

7 May – Quick Before They Catch Us (1966)

17 May – All Gas and Gaiters (1966–1971)

24 May – Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968)

7 August – It's a Knockout (BBC1 1966–1982, Channel 5 1999–2001)

17 November – The Illustrated Weekly Hudd (1966–1967)

BBC2

5 April – The Money Programme (1966–2010)

ITV

22 March – How (1966–1982)

1940s

Watch with Mother (1946–1973)

Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)

The Good Old Days (1953–1983)

Panorama (1953–present)

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)

Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978, 1987–1990)

This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)

Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)

What the Papers Say (1956–2008)

The Sky at Night (1957–present)

Blue Peter (1958–present)

Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

Coronation Street (1960–present)

The Avengers (1961–1969)

Songs of Praise (1961–present)

Hugh and I (1962–1967)

The Saint (1962–1969)

Z-Cars (1962–1978)

Animal Magic (1962–1983)

Doctor Who (1963–1989, 2005–present)

World in Action (1963–1998)

The Wednesday Play (1964–1970)

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, 2012–present)

The Newcomers (1965–1969)

Not Only... But Also (1965–1970)

World of Sport (1965–1985)

Call My Bluff (1965–2005)

Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)

Ending this year

Captain Pugwash (1957–1966, 1974–1975, 1997–2002)

The Flintstones (1960–1966)

Marriage Lines (1961–1966)

Thank Your Lucky Stars (1961–1966)

Ready Steady Go! (1963–1966)

The Likely Lads (1964–1966)

Redcap (1964–1966)

BBC-3 (1965–1966)

The Bed-Sit Girl (1965–1966)

Thunderbirds (1965–1966)

Stingray (1965–1966)

Births

13 January – Shelagh Fogarty, radio and television presenter

26 February – Fay Ripley, actress and recipe author

6 March – Alan Davies, comedian and actor

22 March – Samantha Robson, actress

1 April – Chris Evans, radio disc-jockey

19 June – Samuel West, actor

5 July – Susannah Doyle, actress, playwright and film director

12 July – Tamsin Greig, actress

16 July – Johnny Vaughan, broadcaster and journalist

23 July – Samantha Beckinsale, actress

30 August – Helen Fospero, newsreader and journalist

26 October – Steve Valentine, actor