1987 in British television

Updated on Dec 18, 2024

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This is a list of British television related events from 1987.

January

16 January – The Zircon affair becomes public knowledge when The Guardian reports that the government ordered the BBC to shelve a documentary in the Secret Society series about the Zircon satellite. Two days later documentary maker Duncan Campbell is subject to an injunction preventing him from discussing or writing about the programme's content, but subsequently writes an article about the episode for the New Statesman.

29 January – Alasdair Milne is sacked by the newly appointed Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors, Marmaduke Hussey. He is replaced by a senior BBC accountant, Michael Checkland.

February

5 February – Princess Anne appears on sports quiz A Question of Sport, a matter of weeks after team captain Emlyn Hughes famously mistook a picture of her on a horse for jockey John Reid. The episode gains a record audience of 19 million viewers.

21 February – An apparently inebriated Oliver Reed appears on the ITV chat show Aspel & Company, where he stumbles and lurches around the set.

24 February – The sitcom Hardwicke House makes its debut on ITV. The series is badly received by critics and viewers and is cancelled after just two episodes (the second broadcast the following evening). The remaining five episodes of the series have never been transmitted.

26 February – Michael Checkland succeeds Alasdair Milne as Director-General of the BBC.

March

9 March – Debut of Central Television's Intimate Contact, a drama dealing with the issue of AIDS.

April

25 April – The Australian soap opera Prisoner: Cell Block H makes its debut on Central Television in the Midlands. This is believed by many viewers to be the series debut on British television, but in fact it had been running in the Yorkshire region since 1984. Central were the first region to conclude the series, however, in December 1991.

26 April – Channel 4's The Tube airs for the last time after five series.

May

1 May – Launch of the late night discussion programme After Dark, airing on Channel 4.

10 May – ITV airs Escape from Sobibor, a made-for-television film telling the story of the mass escape from the Sobibór extermination camp during World War II, the most successful uprising by Jewish prisoners of German extermination camps.

22 May–20 June – Television coverage of the first Rugby World Cup from Australia and New Zealand.

June

9 June – Debut of the Tyne Tees produced chart show The Roxy, presented by David Jensen and Kevin Sharkey. The programme is intended as a stablemate for the Independent radio hit parade The Network Chart Show, following a similar format to the BBC's Top of the Pops, but its Newcastle-upon-Tyne location impinges on its ability to secure live performances. The show also suffers from poor ratings because it does not have a regular slot on the ITV network, and is cancelled in April 1988.

11–12 June – Coverage of the results of the 1987 General Election is broadcast both on BBC1 and ITV.

19 June – Debut of The Grand Knockout Tournament, an It's a Knockout special featuring members of the British Royal Family alongside sporting and other celebrities. Also known as It's a Royal Knockout, the event attracts much media derision and is deemed to have been a failure, although it raised £1 million for charity.

July

5 July – Watching, Jim Hitchmough's comedy about a mismatched couple, and starring Paul Bown and Emma Wray, debuts on ITV.

13 July – The Thames Television region begins 24-hour broadcasting.

August

20 August – In the wake of the previous day's Hungerford massacre in which 16 people were shot dead by gun enthusiast Michael Ryan, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 pull several forthcoming films and programmes containing violence from their schedules. Among them are the 1966 western Nevada Smith, an episode of The Professionals and the 1982 post-apocalyptic film Battletruck. A showing of First Blood is also cancelled.

September

7 September – Sylvester McCoy becomes the seventh actor to play the Doctor in BBC One's long-running Doctor Who, making his first full appearance in the role in the serial "Time and the Rani". McCoy also makes his sole cameo debut as the Sixth Doctor following Colin Baker's refusal to reprise the role for the serial (in part due to his abrupt removal from the show).

14 September – After 30 years on ITV, the schools service ITV Schools moves to Channel 4, allowing ITV to concentrate on building a fully commercial daytime schedule. Consequently Channel 4's weekday programming begins at 9.30am (12noon when Schools programmes are not being shown).

21 September – As part of Channel 4’s expanded weekday broadcast hours, the first edition of a weekday business and financial news programme Business Daily is broadcast.

30 September – BBC2 debuts Malcolm McKay's screenplay The Interrogation of John, a film concerning the police questioning of a potential murder suspect. Starring Dennis Quilley, Bill Paterson and Michael Fitzgerald, it later forms the first of a three-part series titled A Wanted Man, which further develops the story and airs in 1989.

October

15 October – During a weather forecast, BBC meteorologist Michael Fish reports "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way; well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't, but having said that, actually, the weather will become very windy, but most of the strong winds, incidentally, will be down over Spain and across into France.". Hours later, Britain is hit by the worst storm for 284 years. Fish later drew criticism for the comments, but has since claimed that they referred to Florida, USA, and were linked to a news story immediately preceding the weather bulletin, but had been so widely repeated out of context that the British public remains convinced that he was referring to the approaching storm.

16 October – As a result of the Great Storm of 1987, electrical power to TV-am's studios is lost and an emergency programme has to be transmitted from facilities at Thames Television's Euston Road centre using reports from TV-am's own crews and those of ITN, TSW and TVS. The BBC's Breakfast Time, which would usually come from Lime Grove and was able to broadcast as the studios were without power, as was most of BBC Television Centre at Wood Lane. The early part of the programme was broadcast from the continuity suite at TV Centre usually used for Children's BBC presentation as this area had generator support, before a larger studio was able to be brought into use.

November

4–18 November – Damon and Debbie becomes the first 'soap bubble'. It was a miniseries which took two characters from Brookside into new locations and their own story.

11 November – BBC1 airs Paul Hamann's documentary Fourteen Days in May, a film that recounts the final days before the execution of Edward Earl Johnson, an American prisoner convicted of rape and murder and imprisoned in the Mississippi State Penitentiary.

17 November – Fireman Sam, a children's television series about a fireman voiced by John Alderton, debuts on BBC1.

23 November – The TV-am strike begins after members of the technicians' union the ACTT walk out in a dispute over the station's ‘Caring Christmas Campaign’. What is meant to be a 24-hour stoppage continues for several months when staff are locked out by Managing Director Bruce Gyngell. TV-am is unable to broadcast Good Morning Britain, the regular format is replaced with shows such as Flipper, Batman and Happy Days. By December a skeleton service that sees non-technical staff operating cameras and Gyngell himself directing proceedings, begin to allow Good Morning Britain to start broadcasting again. The strikers are eventually sacked and replaced with non union staff. Viewing figures remain high throughout the disruption, which continues well into 1988, although normal programming gradually resumes. Other ITV stations later follow Gyngell's example.

28 November – Ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley wins New Faces of '87, coming just ahead of comedian Joe Pasquale, who is second.

December

December – Thamesside TV, an unlicensed TV station set up by Thameside Radio, goes on air in the same city. There were only two known broadcasts in December 1987.

25 December – ITV enjoys a record-breaking audience when more than 26 million viewers tune in for the Christmas Day episode of Coronation Street, in which Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) makes her last appearance in the show after 23 years.

31 December – In an unusual move for a pre-recorded television series, the Chimes of Big Ben are integrated into an episode of EastEnders on BBC1. Character Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) brought a television into the bar of the Queen Vic, 'watched' the chimes in their entirety, and the episode resumed.

Unknown – Network 21, an unlicensed television station in London, broadcasts for around 30 minutes on Friday evenings.

BBC1

9 January – Rockliffe's Babies (1987–1988)

15 September – Bad Boyes (1987–1988)

26 September –

ChuckleVision (1987–2009)

Going Live! (1987–1993)

12 October – Going for Gold (BBC 1987–1996, Channel 5 2008–2009)

17 November – Fireman Sam (BBC 1987–1994 2005–2008, Channel 5 2005–present & CITV 2008–2012)

BBC2

7 January – Filthy, Rich & Catflap (1987)

9 March – French and Saunders (1987–2007)

ITV

5 January – The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1987)

6 January – Inspector Morse (1987–2000)

7 January – Allsorts (1987–1995)

9 March – Intimate Contact (1987)

1 May – Matlock (1987–1997)

9 June – The Roxy (1987–1988)

5 July – Watching (1987–1993)

2 August – The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987–2002)

31 August – Playbox (1987–1992)

7 September –

Knightmare (1987–1994)

The Time, The Place (1987–1998)

Chain Letters (1987–1997)

13 September – The New Statesman (1987–1994)

18 October – The Charmer (1987)

Channel 4

1 May – After Dark (1987–1997, BBC 2003)

3 May – Network 7 (1987–1988)

21 September – Business Daily (1987–1992)

4 November – Damon and Debbie (1987)

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

Watch with Mother (1946–1973) (1987, 1989, 1993 VHS Only)

Opportunity Knocks (1956–1978 ITV, 1987–1990 BBC)

Family Fortunes (1980–1985, 1987–2002)

1940s

Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

Panorama (1953–present)

This Week (1956–1978, 1986–1992)

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, 2012–present)

Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)

Sportsnight (1965–1997)

Call My Bluff (1965–2005)

The Money Programme (1966–2010)

The Big Match (1968–2002)

1970s

Rainbow (1972–1992, 1994–1995)

Emmerdale (1972–present)

Newsround (1972–present)

Weekend World (1972–1988)

Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)

New Faces (1973–1978, 1986–1988)

That's Life! (1973–1994)

Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)

Arena (1975–present)

Jim'll Fix It (1975–1994)

One Man and His Dog (1976–present)

3-2-1 (1978–1988)

Grange Hill (1978–2008)

The Book Tower (1979–1989)

Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002)

The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1979–1994)

Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)

Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

Children in Need (1980–present)

Bergerac (1981–1991)

Sorry! (1981–1988)

'Allo 'Allo! (1982–1992)

Wogan (1982–1992)

Brookside (1982–2003)

Countdown (1982–present)

Let's Pretend (TV series) (1982–1988)

No. 73 (1982–1988)

Timewatch (1982–present)

Right to Reply (1982–2001)

Breakfast Time (1983–1989)

Dramarama (1983–1989)

Don't Wait Up (1983–1990)

Good Morning Britain (1983–1992, 2014–present)

First Tuesday (1983–1993)

Highway (1983–1993)

Blockbusters (1983–93, 1994–95, 1997, 2000–01, 2012)

Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989)

Bob's Full House (1984–1990)

Wide Awake Club (1984–1992)

Aspel & Company (1984–1993)

Spitting Image (1984–1996)

The Bill (1984–2010)

Channel 4 Racing (1984–2016)

All in Good Faith (1985–1988)

Your Mother Wouldn't Like It (1985–1988)

Three Up, Two Down (1985–1989)

Home to Roost (1985–1990)

Howards' Way (1985–1990)

Busman's Holiday (1985–1993)

EastEnders (1985–present)

The Cook Report (1985–1998)

Crosswits (1985–1998)

Telly Addicts (1985–1998)

Comic Relief (1985–present)

Executive Stress (1986–1988)

Get Fresh (1986–1988)

Hot Metal (1986–1988)

Bread (1986–1991)

Brush Strokes (1986–1991)

Naked Video (1986–1991)

Boon (1986–1992, 1995)

Every Second Counts (1986–1993)

Lovejoy (1986–1994)

Beadle's About (1986–1996)

The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)

Casualty (1986–present)

Sport on Friday (1987–1997)

Ending this year

Unknown

The Jetsons (1962–1963, 1985–1987)

Our Backyard (1984–1987)

No Limits (1985–1987)

2 January – Razzamatazz (1981–1987)

9 February – The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1987)

8 April – Jossy's Giants (1986–1987)

18 April – Saturday Superstore (1982–1987)

26 April – The Tube (1982–1987)

5 June – Drummonds (1985–1987)

6 June – C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985–1987)

15 July – How Dare You (1984–1987)

13 August – We Are the Champions (1973–1987)

31 August – Terry and June (1979–1987)

20 November – Play Your Cards Right (1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002–2003)

22 November – The Charmer (1987)

1 December – The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971–1987)

15 December – Victoria Wood As Seen On TV (1985–1987)

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

31 December – University Challenge (1962–1987 ITV, 1994–present BBC)

Births

20 January – Mark Wright, TV personality

29 March – Stephanie Parker, Welsh actress (died 2009)

1 May – Matt Di Angelo, actor

3 June – Michelle Keegan, actress

5 June – Charlie Clements, actor

14 August – James Buckley, actor

3 September – Chris Fountain, actor

22 September – Tom Felton, actor

28 November – Karen Gillan, actress

28 December – Hannah Tointon, actress

References

1987 in British television Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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