1997 in British television

Updated on Dec 18, 2024

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This is a list of British television related events from 1997.

January

1 January – ITV introduces a third weekly episode of Emmerdale.

6 January – Channel 4 closes down for the last time after more than 14 years. From 6 am, the channel broadcasts 24 hours a day.

7 January – Carlton Television presents Monarchy: The Nation Decides, a live studio debate discussing the future of the monarchy in the United Kingdom. The debate quickly descends into a shouting match, while viewers are encouraged to vote on the issue in what is the UK's largest television phone poll. However, Carlton is forced to extend the deadline for calls following complaints from people unable to get through. Of the 2.6million callers who vote, 66% are in favour of retaining a monarch while 34% are against.

14 January – Viewing figures released for 1996 indicate BBC1 and BBC2 as the only terrestrial channels to increase their audience share during the year.

February

3 February –

Trouble launches and Bravo changes its identity.

The Family Channel relaunches as Challenge TV.

5 February – The first Wednesday edition of the National Lottery is aired with the introduction of a second weekly draw.

9 February – The live final of the 1997 Masters is interrupted by snooker's first ever streaker, 22-year-old secretary Lianne Crofts, who invaded the playing area at the beginning of the third frame. After stewards removed her from the arena, Ronnie O'Sullivan amused the crowd by comically wiping the brow of veteran referee John Street, who was refereeing his final match of his career.

28 February – The BBC sells its transmitters and transmission services to Castle Transmission Services for £244 million, to help fund its plans for the digital age.

March

8 March – ITV begins showing the UK television rights to Formula One, after 18 years of coverage shown on the BBC.

10 March – Dave Spikey becomes the sixth host of the final series of ITV weekday morning game show Chain Letters on the same year as its 10th anniversary.

14 March – Among the highlights of this year's Comic Relief telethon is Prime Cracker, a short spoof crossover of ITV stablemate crime dramas Prime Suspect and Cracker, starring Helen Mirren and Robbie Coltrane as their respective characters.

22 March – First screening of the BBC television science documentary The Language Master, in which language teacher Michel Thomas taught French to sixth form students for five days at a further education college in London . As a result of the interest generated by this documentary, UK publisher Hodder and Stoughton commissioned Thomas to produce commercial versions of his courses.

25 March – ITV's Network First strand presents a groundbreaking documentary about Edinburgh's Royal Blind School, a boarding school for visually impaired students.

30 March –

Channel 5, the UK's fifth and last analogue terrestrial channel, launches at 6.00 pm. The first faces seen are the Spice Girls, who perform "1-2-3-4-5", a rewritten version of the Manfred Mann song "5-4-3-2-1". The opening night's highlights include the launch of a new daily soap, Family Affairs, and The Jack Docherty Show, a weeknight chat show based on the format of US shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman.

ITV airs the comedy pilot Cold Feet. It returns for a full series in 1998 and runs for five years.

31 March –

BBC One airs a made-for-television version of Michael Flatley's musical Lord of the Dance. The programme is shown on the same evening that Channel 4 airs the relaunched version of Riverdance featuring Colin Dunne and Jean Butler.

Children's television series Teletubbies premieres on BBC2.

April

1 April – At 4:40 am, Channel 5 begins a rerun of the Australian soap Prisoner: Cell Block H. This is the series' first networked screening in the UK as, during its earlier run on ITV, scheduling of the programme had varied from region to region.

5 April – The 1997 Grand National is delayed after a suspected IRA bomb threat. The race is run on Monday 7 April at 5:00 pm. It is the last of 50 Nationals (including the void race of 1993) to be commentated on by Peter O'Sullevan.

6 April – Channel 5 airs the British television premiere of Mrs. Doubtfire.

8 April – BBC journalist Martin Bell announces that he is to stand as a candidate against Neil Hamilton in the Tatton constituency on an anti-corruption platform.

25 April – The final edition of Chain Letters is aired after 10 years of broadcast.

27 April – The BBC confirms comedy duo Hale and Pace have signed a £1million two-year deal that will see them move from ITV.

May

1 May – UK General Election night: for the first time, the brothers David Dimbleby and Jonathan Dimbleby anchor rival results programmes on BBC 1 and ITV respectively. The same arrangement will occur for the general elections in 2001 and 2005.

3 May – Katrina and the Waves win the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Shine a Light", the first time the UK has won the competition since 1981.

13 May – Jeremy Paxman speaks to Michael Howard on Newsnight, and the interview becomes the programme's most notorious. Howard, who had been Home Secretary until thirteen days earlier, had held a meeting with Derek Lewis, head of the Prison Service, about the possible dismissal of the governor of Parkhurst Prison, John Marriott. Howard, having given evasive answers, was asked by Paxman the same question – "Did you threaten to overrule him [Lewis]?" – a total of twelve times in succession (14 if the first two inquiries worded somewhat differently and some time before the succession of 12 are included). Howard did not give a direct answer, instead repeatedly saying that he "did not overrule him", and ignoring the "threaten" part of the question. Howard finally answered Paxman's question on his final edition of Newsnight in 2014, saying "No Jeremy, I didn't. But feel free to ask another eleven times."

21 May – Serena Martin wins the 1997 series of Junior MasterChef.

23 May – Channel 4 quiz show Countdown celebrates its 2000th edition.

24–26 May – Channel 4 dedicate the late May Bank Holiday weekend to Sitcoms. Featuring Classic episodes, 1970s Spin-off films, and documentaries about the genre's appeal.

31 May – Channel 5 airs its first international football coverage, a match between England and Poland. The channel experiments with a new presenting format which attempts to recreate the atmosphere of a bar, with presenters providing coverage against the backdrop of chatter from an invited audience. The format draws criticism, with The Independent's Glenn Moore describing it as a "shambles" However, the coverage gives the channel its largest audience so far, with a viewership of five million.

June

8 June – Faye Dempsey wins the eighth series of Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Olivia Newton-John.

10 June – BBC2 airs the television documentary Homeground: An Exile's Return, telling the story of Martin McGartland, a former British agent who infiltrated the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

19 June – Media agencies reject Granada Group chairman Gerry Robinson's call for the formation of a single ITV company, expressing concerns it would be extremely damaging to advertisers.

25 June – The Independent Television Commission (ITC) award the sole DTT broadcast licence to British Digital Broadcasting.

July

3 July – Peter Snow presents Newsnight for the last time, though he will continue to make occasional appearances as a political analyst until 2005.

4 July – The Battersby family, a "family from hell", make their debut in Coronation Street.

5 July – ITV screens the comedy pilot The Grimleys. A full series begins in 1999 and airs for three series until 2001.

25 July – Channel 5 announce plans to run an advertising campaign on ITV in order to attract more viewers.

26 July – Midlands Today presenter Alan Towers announces live on air that he is leaving the programme after 25 years in broadcast journalism, describing BBC bosses as "pygmies in grey suits wearing blindfolds".

August

3 August – Julie Friend wins the 1997 series of MasterChef.

26 August – It is reported that former Grandstand presenter Helen Rollason has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo emergency surgery.

31 August –

Sky 2 and Granada Talk TV both cease broadcasting.

BBC1 continues to air through the whole night in the UK for the first time (apart from general elections), simulcasting with BBC World News to bring news updates of Diana, Princess of Wales's car accident. In the days following her death, regular programming is abandoned in order to allow for coverage of events. ITV's unbroken news coverage of the tragedy lasts until well into the evening; the first scheduled program being aired on that channel is Coronation Street.

September

1 September –

National Geographic Channel is launched.

Channel 5's The Jack Docherty Show returns after the summer break with a relaunch, which includes new music and titles. The Friday edition is also dropped at Docherty's suggestion, ending the original five-nights-a-week format.

5 September – The former ITV game show Name That Tune returns for a new series on Channel 5, where it is presented by Jools Holland.

6 September – The live broadcast of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales is watched by 2.5 billion viewers worldwide. The ceremony's footage goes down in the Guinness World Records as the biggest TV audience for a live broadcast. In the UK, 32.10 million viewers watch the broadcast. It is the UK's second most-watched broadcast of all time, behind 1966's World Cup final.

16 September – The BBC announces a radical shake-up of news and current affairs programming that will see radio and television news services produced by the same production teams.

22–25 September – BBC 1 soap EastEnders airs a series of episodes from Ireland which attract criticism from viewers and the Irish embassy because of their negative and stereotypical portrayal of Irish people. The BBC later issues an apology for any offence the episodes caused.

October

3 October –

The 'Virtual Globe' ident is seen for the final time on BBC One after six years in use. The BBC logo changes from parallelogram to square.

Due to public demand, a version of Lou Reed's 1972 song Perfect Day recorded by various artists is released as a single after featuring in a popular BBC promotional film. The song ultimately spends three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.

4 October – BBC One adopts new "hot air balloon" globe identifications to coincide with the introduction of the network's new corporate logo. See BBC One 'Balloon' idents.

16 October – Emmerdale celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

19 October – Debut of Lynda La Plante's police procedural Trial & Retribution, a series that makes frequent use of the split-screen format.

27 October – UK Living changes its name to Living TV, to distance itself from the forthcoming UKTV network.

30 October – BBC One airs Clive Anderson's infamous interview with the Bee Gees which ends with them storming out of the studio. Anderson repeatedly jokes about their life and career throughout the interview, but they decide to leave after he refers to them as "tossers".

31 October – Queen Elizabeth II opens a £5.5 million interactive visitors' centre, the BBC Experience at Broadcasting House. The venture proved to be loss-making for the Corporation and was closed in 2001.

November

1 November – The UKTV network is launched in the UK. Existing channel UK Gold is joined by UK Horizons, UK Arena and UK Style.

2 November – Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed film Pulp Fiction makes its British television debut on BBC Two.

4 November – BBC News Online is launched.

8 November – BBC One closes down for the last time after 65 years, making BBC Two England's last terrestrial channel to still close down at night. From the next day, BBC News 24 broadcasts on BBC1 through the night.

9 November – BBC News 24 is launched, the BBC's first new UK channel since BBC Two in 1964.

21 November – For the first time, the BBC's Children in Need has its own website, which is launched at 4.00pm ahead of the evening's telethon.

26 November – British television premiere of Trainspotting on Channel 4.

December

1 December –

The original four Sky Box Office channels launch.

Konnie Huq presents her first episode of the UK children's programme Blue Peter. She will go on to be the longest running female presenter and third longest overall in the show's history, presenting for ten years before leaving in January 2008.

9 December – CNBC Europe announces its intention to merge with the Dow Jones news channel in Europe, European Business News.

20 December – The ITC award the three pay-TV digital multiplex licences to British Digital Broadcasting.

24 December –

Christmas Eve highlights on BBC One include Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.

Christmas Eve highlights on Channel 5 include Tim Vine's Christmas Present, an Andy Williams Show-style programme of festive music and guests.

25 December – Christmas Day highlights on BBC One include British television premieres of The Flintstones and The Mask.

26 December – Channel 4 broadcasts the British television premiere of Nell.

31 December – BBC One airs Cold Enough for Snow, the sequel to Jack Rosenthal's 1996 comedy Eskimo Day.

December – The first series of Robot Wars in the UK is filmed from December of this year to January of the following year.

BBC1/One

20 February – Chalk (1997)

31 March – Teletubbies (1997–2001, 2015–present)

7 April – 50/50 (1997–2005)

10 May – Jonathan Creek (1997–2004, 2009–2010)

BBC2/Two

31 March – Teletubbies (1997–2001, 2015–present)

19 September – Ground Force (1997–2005)

3 November – I'm Alan Partridge (1997–2002)

December – Robot Wars (1997–2004, 2016–present)

BBC News 24

Unknown – HARDtalk (1997–Present)

ITV

23 March – Midsomer Murders (1997–present)

6 April – Where the Heart Is (1997–2006)

12 August – Cadfael The Rose Rent (1997 Season 3 Episode 1)

19 August – Cadfael Saint Peter's Fair (1997)

26 August – Cadfael The Raven in the Foregate (1997)

5 September – Kipper the Dog (1997–2000)

8 September – Noah's Ark (1997–1998)

19 October – Trial & Retribution (1997–2009)

Channel 4

29 January – Brass Eye (1997–2001)

17 February – Under The Moon (1997–1998)

S4C

Unknown – * Y Clwb Rygbi (1997–present).

Channel 5

30 March

Family Affairs (1997–2005)

The Jack Docherty Show (1997–1999)

Live And Dangerous (1997–1999)

31 March

100% (1997–2001)

Whittle (1997–1998)

3 April

Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment (1997–2000)

5 April

Night Fever (1997–2002)

5 September

Name That Tune (1997–1998)

Disney Channel UK

1 September – Studio Disney UK (1997–2005)

Sky One

14 October – Dream Team (1997–2007)

Cartoon Network

14 July – Johnny Bravo (1997–2004)

15 July

Cow and Chicken (1997–1999)

I Am Weasel (1997–2000)

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

Captain Pugwash (1957–1975 BBC, 1997–2002 ITV)

Sale of the Century (1972–1990 ITV, 1997–1998 Challenge)

Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002)

Blockbusters (1983–1993 ITV, 1994–1995 Sky1, 1997 BBC, 2000–2001 Sky1, 2012–present Challenge)

1940s

Come Dancing (1949–1998)

1950s

Panorama (1953–present)

Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)

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)

World in Action (1963–1998)

Top of the Pops (1964–2006)

Match of the Day (1964–present)

Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999)

Call My Bluff (1965–2005)

The Money Programme (1966–2010)

1970s

Emmerdale (1972–present)

Newsround (1972–present)

Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)

Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003)

Arena (1975–present)

One Man and His Dog (1976–present)

Grange Hill (1978–2008)

Antiques Roadshow (1979–present)

Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

Children in Need (1980–present)

Timewatch (1982–present)

Countdown (1982–present)

Brookside (1982–2003)

Right to Reply (1982–2001)

The Bill (1984–2010)

Channel 4 Racing (1984–2016)

Thomas & Friends (1984–present)

EastEnders (1985–present)

The Cook Report (1985–1998)

Crosswits (1985–1998)

Telly Addicts (1985–1998)

Comic Relief (1985–present)

The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)

Casualty (1986–present)

ChuckleVision (1987–2009)

London's Burning (1988–2002)

On the Record (1988–2002)

Fifteen to One (1988–2003, 2013–present)

This Morning (1988–present)

Birds of a Feather (1989–1998, 2014–present)

The Simpsons (1989–present)

1990s

One Foot In The Grave (1990–2000)

Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998)

Stars in Their Eyes (1990–2006)

Doug (1991–1994, 1996–1999)

2point4 Children (1991–1999)

Big Break (1991–2002)

Noel's House Party (1991–1999)

Rugrats (1991–2004)

GamesMaster (1992–1998)

Heartbeat (1992–2010)

Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998)

The Big Breakfast (1992–2002)

999 (1992–2003)

Mr. Motivator exercise routines (1993–2000)

Breakfast with Frost (1993–2005)

Wycliffe (1994–1998)

Animal Hospital (1994–2004)

Time Team (1994–2013)

The National Lottery Draws (1994–2017)

Father Ted (1995–1998)

Hollyoaks (1995–present)

Is It Legal? (1995–1998)

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)

The Demon Headmaster (1996–1998)

Muppets Tonight (1996–1998)

Wake Up in the Wild Room (1996–1998)

Kenan and Kel (1996–2000)

Ballykissangel (1996–2001)

Dexter's Laboratory (1996–2003)

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)

Hey Arnold! (1996–2004)

Arthur (1996–present)

Ending this year

Closedowns on BBC One (1932–1997)

The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957–1997)

Sportsnight (1965–1997)

Celebrity Squares (1975–1979, 1993–1997, 2014–present)

Give Us a Clue (1979–1997)

Chain Letters (1987–1997)

You Bet! (1988–1997)

Playdays (1988–1997)

Harry Enfield's Television Programme (1990–1997)

The Brittas Empire (1991–1997)

Soldier Soldier (1991–1997)

Come Outside (1993–1997)

Talking Telephone Numbers (1994–1997)

Pie in the Sky (1994–1997)

Aaahh!! Real Monsters (1994–1997)

Oh, Doctor Beeching! (1995–1997)

This Life (1996–1997)

All Rise for Julian Clary (1996–1997)

The Big Big Talent Show (1996–1997)

Power Rangers Zeo (1996–1997)

Births

25 August – Holly Gibbs, actress

References

1997 in British television Wikipedia

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