1973 in British television

Overview of the events of 1973 in British television

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This is a list of British television related events from 1973.

Contents

• 
  1 Events
  
  
  
  • 
    1.1 January
    
  
  
  • 
    1.2 February
    
  
  
  • 
    1.3 March
    
  
  
  • 
    1.4 April
    
  
  
  • 
    1.5 May
    
  
  
  • 
    1.6 June
    
  
  
  • 
    1.7 July
    
  
  
  • 
    1.8 August
    
  
  
  • 
    1.9 September
    
  
  
  • 
    1.10 October
    
  
  
  • 
    1.11 November
    
  
  
  • 
    1.12 December
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  2 Debuts
  
  
  
  • 
    2.1 BBC 1
    
  
  
  • 
    2.2 BBC 2
    
  
  
  • 
    2.3 ITV
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  3 Television shows
  
  
  
  • 
    3.1 Returning this year after a break of one year or longer
    
  
  
  • 
    3.2 1920s
    
  
  
  • 
    3.3 1930s
    
  
  
  • 
    3.4 1940s
    
  
  
  • 
    3.5 1950s
    
  
  
  • 
    3.6 1960s
    
  
  
  • 
    3.7 1970s
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  4 Ending this year
  


• 
  5 Births
  


• 
  6 Deaths
  


• 
  7 See also
  


• 
  8 References
  

Events

During 1973, five experimental community cable television stations launch. They include Sheffield Cablevision, The Bristol Channel and Swindon Viewpoint.

January

• 4 January – The UK and world record breaking long-running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show. The first series run starts on 12 November and the programme runs for 37 years until August 2010.


• 6 January – Sesame Street, the long running US children's educational series goes to air on UTV. This is also the first time the series was transmitted on television in Northern Ireland.


• 11 January – The Open University awards its first degrees.^[1]
  

February

• 5 February – Elisabeth Beresford's well known popular children's characters The Wombles have spawned into a stop motion animated television series narrated by Bernard Cribbins and composed by Mike Batt on BBC1.


• 15 February – The first episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em airs on BBC1.

March

• 14 March – Are You Being Served? begins first regular series (pilot aired 8 September 1972).


• 25 March – The pilot episode of Open All Hours airs as part of Ronnie Barker's series Seven of One on BBC1.


• March – Experimental Ceefax teletext transmissions begin.

April

• 1 April – Prisoner and Escort, the pilot episode of Porridge, airs as part of Seven of One.

May

• 5 May–28 July – BBC Television series The Ascent of Man, written and presented by Jacob Bronowski, airs; there is also an accompanying bestselling book.


• Unknown – Sesame Street airs on Westward Television for the very first time. The series originally aired on Sundays until the next year in the summer where it will be shown on Saturdays.

June

• No events

July

• No events

August

• 6 August – James Beck, who stars as Private Walker in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army, dies of a burst pancreas at the age of 44. Although the series continues until 1977, the part of Walker is not recast and the show carries on without him.

September

• No events

October

• 8 October – Pat Phoenix leaves the role of Elsie Tanner on Coronation Street after thirteen years.


• 31 October – Thames Television's landmark 26-part documentary The World at War begins.

November

• 12 November – First series run of Last of the Summer Wine starts on BBC1.


• 23 November – 10th anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who.


• 
  Smash Martians advertising campaign launches on ITV.

December

• No events

Debuts

BBC 1

• 9 January – Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–1974)


• 25 January – Whoops Baghdad (1973)


• 5 February – The Wombles (1973–1975, 1990–1991 BBC, 1996–1997 ITV)


• 15 February – Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973–1978)


• 13 March – Lizzie Dripping (1973–1975)


• 26 May – That's Life! (1973–1994)


• 13 June – We Are the Champions (1973–1995)


• 20 August – Why Don't You? (1973–1995)


• 13 September – Casanova '73 (1973)


• 12 November – Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)

BBC 2

• 25 March – Seven of One (1973)

ITV

• 1 January – Pipkins (1973–1981)


• 12 March – Hickory House (1973–1977)


• 14 April – Thriller (1973–1976)


• 30 April – The Tomorrow People (1973–1979, 1992–1995)


• 29 July – Bowler (1973)


• 15 August – Man About the House (1973–1976)


• 1 September – Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973–1974)


• 29 September – New Faces (1973–1978, 1986–1988)


• 31 October – The World at War (1973–1974)


• 1 November – Beryl's Lot (1973–1977)

Television shows

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

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

1920s

• 
  BBC Wimbledon (1927–2024)

1930s

• 
  BBC Cricket (1939–1999, 2020–2024)

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)^[2]
  


• 
  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)


• 
  Steptoe and Son (1962–1965, 1970–1974)


• 
  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)


• 
  Clangers (1969–1974, 2015–present)


• 
  Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)


• 
  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)


• 
  Colditz (1972–1974)


• 
  The Protectors (1972–1974)


• 
  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)

Ending this year

• 
  Watch with Mother (1946–1973)


• 
  Father, Dear Father (1968–1973)


• 
  Freewheelers (1968–1973)


• 
  Nearest and Dearest (1968–1973)


• 
  The Flaxton Boys (1969–1973)


• 
  On the Buses (1969–1973)


• 
  ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–1973)


• 
  The Fenn Street Gang (1971–1973)


• 
  Now Look Here (1971–1973)


• 
  Follyfoot (1971–1973)


• 
  Arthur of the Britons (1972–1973)


• 
  War and Peace (1972–1973)

Births

• 29 January – Miranda Krestovnikoff, scientific presenter


• 7 February – Kate Thornton, journalist and presenter


• 8 February – Sonia Deol, presenter


• 3 March – Alison King, actress


• 5 April – Jason Done, actor


• 24 April – Gabby Logan, media presenter


• 30 April – Leigh Francis, comedian


• 8 May – Marcus Brigstocke, English comedian, actor and screenwriter


• 19 May – Alice Roberts, biological anthropologist and scientific presenter


• 21 May – Noel Fielding, comedian and actor


• 24 May – Dermot O'Leary, media presenter


• 26 May – Julie Wilson Nimmo, Scottish actress


• 9 June – Iain Lee, comedian and media presenter


• 16 June – Amanda Byram, Irish-born presenter


• 3 July – Emma Cunniffe, actress


• 11 October – Mark Chapman, broadcaster and newsreader


• 21 October – Beverley Turner, media presenter


• 5 November – Danniella Westbrook, actress and television presenter


• 8 December – Kim Medcalf, actress

Deaths

• 31 March – George Woodbridge, 66, Inigo Pipkin in Pipkins
  


• 6 August – James Beck, 44, Private Walker in Dad's Army
  

See also

• 1973 in British music


• 1973 in British radio


• 1973 in the United Kingdom


• List of British films of 1973

References

1. 
   ^ ""1973: First Open University degrees awarded", BBC On This Day". BBC News. 11 January 1973. Retrieved 2009-06-13..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ Mark Duguid "Armchair Theatre (1956–74)", BFI screenonline
   

Years in television: 1973
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