1974 in British television

Events

5 January – Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands (on ATV), but the show wasn't fully automatically networked through ITV until 1979.

12 February – BBC2 first aired the children's television series Bagpuss, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms in stop motion animation.

6 April – The 19th Eurovision Song Contest is held at the Dome in Brighton, produced and transmitted by the BBC. Katie Boyle hosts the event for the fourth time. Sweden wins the contest with the song "Waterloo", performed by ABBA, who become the first group to win the Contest. They go on to achieve huge international success.

8 June – Jon Pertwee makes his final regular appearance as the Third Doctor in the concluding moments of Part Six of the Doctor Who serial Planet of the Spiders. Tom Baker briefly appears as the Fourth Doctor at the conclusion of this serial.

5 August – For the first time on a pre-school children's programme, the show Inigo Pipkin covers the death of the main character, Inigo, as the actor who played him (George Woodbridge) had died. The show is renamed Pipkins.

23 September – The BBC teletext service Ceefax goes live with 30 pages of information.

16 October – The Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm makes its debut on BBC Wales.

5 December – Party Political Broadcast, the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, is broadcast on BBC2.

28 December – Tom Baker makes his first full appearance as the Fourth Doctor in the Doctor Who serial Robot.

Unknown – ITV begins developing the ORACLE teletext service. Dates for its launch are unclear, but it became popular around 1980.

BBC 1

3 January – It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981)

9 May – Happy Ever After (1974–1978)

5 September – Porridge (1974–1977)

21 October – Roobarb (1974 BBC, 2005–2013 Channel 5)

20 December – Churchill's People (1974–1975)

BBC 2

12 February – Bagpuss (1974)

ITV

4 January – Within These Walls (1974–1978)

5 January – Tiswas (1974–1982)

7 January – Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003, 2008)

3 March – Not On Your Nellie (1974–1975)

5 March – Napoleon and Love (1974)

13 April – The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club (1974–1977)

3 May – My Old Man (1974–1975)

27 July – Don't Drink the Water (1974–1975)

2 September – Rising Damp (1974–1978)

1940s

Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

The Good Old Days (1953–1983)

Panorama (1953–present)

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)

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)

Call My Bluff (1965–2005)

World of Sport (1965–1985)

Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006)

Sportsnight (1965–1997)

It's a Knockout (1966–1982, 1999–2001)

The Money Programme (1966–2010)

The Golden Shot (1967–1975)

ITV Playhouse (1967–1982)

Dad's Army (1968–1977)

Magpie (1968–1980)

The Big Match (1968–2002)

The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989)

Nationwide (1969–1983)

Screen Test (1969–1984)

1970s

The Goodies (1970–1982)

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975, 2010–2012)

The Onedin Line (1971–1980)

The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)

The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)

Love Thy Neighbour (1972–1977)

Clapperboard (1972–1982)

Crown Court (1972–1984)

Pebble Mill at One (1972–1986)

Are You Being Served? (1972–1985)

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)

Ending this year

Unknown – Crystal Tipps and Alistair (1971–1974)

1 February – The Protectors (1972–1974)

1 April – Colditz (1972–1974)

6 May – Bagpuss (1974)

8 May – The World at War (1973–1974)

9 May – Special Branch (1969–1974)

9 July – Comedy Playhouse (1961–1974)

10 October – Clangers (1969–1974, 2015–present)

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

5 December – Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)

24 December – Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–1974)

26 December – Steptoe and Son (1962–1965, 1970–1974)

Births

1 January – Clare Calbraith, actress

2 January – Karin Giannone, newsreader

12 January – Melanie Chisholm, British singer (Spice Girls)

30 January – Olivia Colman, actress

22 February – Chris Moyles, British disc jockey

21 March – Ursula Holden-Gill, British actress (Emmerdale)

17 April – Victoria Beckham, English singer (Spice Girls)

24 April – David Vitty, aka Comedy Dave, British television host

1 May – Tamzin Malleson, actress

8 May – Jon Tickle, English television host

27 May – Denise Van Outen, actress and television presenter

9 July – Dani Behr, singer, actress and television presenter

14 July – David Mitchell, comedian and actor

31 July – Emilia Fox, English actress

21 August – Paul Chowdhry, British comedian and actor

23 August – Ray Park, Scottish actor

17 October – Matthew Macfadyen, English actor

4 November – Louise Redknapp, English singer

11 December – Ben Shephard, television presenter

12 December – Steven Arnold, actor

13 December – Sara Cox, English TV and radio presenter

Unknown – Mark Dymond, actor

Deaths

22 August – Jacob Bronowski, scientist and presenter (The Ascent of Man)