Events

• 13 January – ITV
  ITV
  ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
  
   soap Crossroads is relaunched under the stewardship of producer Yvon Grace, and with a decidedly camp feel. However, Grace is criticised by fans for her ambivilence towards unresoled storylines from the 2001–2002 run.
• 15 January – Launch of Ftn
  Ftn
  Ftn was a television channel from Virgin Media Television transmitting free-to-air on Freeview and Virgin Media, and as a subscription channel on Sky Digital. The channel was broadcast between 18:00 and 06:00 daily...
  
   and UK Bright Ideas.
• 3 February – UK screening of the Martin Bashir
  Martin Bashir
  Martin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
  
   documentary Living with Michael Jackson
  Living with Michael Jackson
  Living with Michael Jackson is a Granada Television documentary, in which British journalist Martin Bashir interviewed Michael Jackson over a span of eight months, from May 2002 to January 2003...
  
  on ITV1
  ITV1
  ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
  
  . The revelations of Jackson's controversial personal life in the programme is one of the many factors that leads to his trial
  People v. Jackson
  People vs. Jackson was a 2005 trial involving recording artist Michael Jackson. The accuser was a boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crimes...
  
   for child molestation.
• 9 February – After a long delay, BBC Choice
  BBC Choice
  BBC Choice was a BBC TV station which launched on 23 September 1998 and closed on 9 February 2003. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, and was the first new channel from the BBC since BBC Two launched in 1964...
  
   is replaced by BBC Three
  BBC Three
  BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
  
  . The opening night is simulcast
  Simulcast
  Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
  
   on BBC Two
  BBC Two
  BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
  
  .
• 9 February-10 February – ITV
  ITV
  ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
  
   screens the controversial two-part drama The Second Coming, set around the return to Earth of Jesus Christ in modern-day Manchester
  Manchester
  Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
  
  .
• 12 February – In the weeks leading up to the Iraq War, the BBC screens a series of programmes examining the case for and against war. The centrepiece of this is Iraq Day: The Case For and Against War, a 90-minute programme on BBC One
  BBC One
  BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
  
   on 12 February. Presented by Peter Snow
  Peter Snow
  Peter Snow, CBE is a British television and radio presenter. He is the grandson of First World War general Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, and cousin of Jon Snow, the main presenter of Channel 4 News, nephew of schoolmaster and bishop George D'Oyly Snow, and the brother-in-law of historian-writer Margaret...
  
  . the programme analyses the possible implications of a war in the Middle East and attempts to gauge public opinion on the subject with a viewers poll.
• 22 February – After an absence of many years After Dark returns to British television.
• 24 February – 19.43 million watch Coronation Street
  Coronation Street
  Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
  
   in the UK as Richard Hillman
  Richard Hillman
  Richard Charles Hillman was a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron. Hillman is now rated as one of the best soap villains of all time.-Development:...
  
   confesses to the murder of Maxine Peacock, the highest rated show of the year. http://www.barb.co.uk/25years/top10.php?section=events&callyear=2003
• 20 March – As the 2003 invasion of Iraq
  2003 invasion of Iraq
  The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
  
   begins many broadcasters abandon regular programming in order to provide up to date coverage of unfolding events.
• 22 March – ITN journalist Terry Lloyd
  Terry Lloyd
  Terence Ellis Lloyd was a British television journalist well-known for his reporting from the Middle East. He was killed by U.S. troops while covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq for ITN...
  
   is killed while covering the events of the Iraq War after he and his team of two cameramen and an interpreter are caught in crossfire
  Crossfire
  A crossfire is a military term for the siting of weapons so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I....
  
   during fighting near the Shatt Al Basra Bridge in Basra
  Basra
  Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
  
  , between U.S.
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
   and Iraqi forces
  Iraqi Republican Guard
  The Iraqi Republican Guard was a branch of the Iraqi military during the presidency of Saddam Hussein. It later became the Republican Guard Corps, and then the Republican Guard Forces Command with its expansion into two corps....
  
  . His body and that of his Lebanese
  Lebanon
  Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
  
   interpreter, Hussein Osman, are recovered and it is later discovered they were both shot by United States forces.
• 31 March - Carlton Cinema
  Carlton Cinema
  Carlton Cinema was a British digital film television channel, provided by Carlton Television. It launched in November 1998 on the ONdigital platform, and closed down in March 2003, being the last ever Carlton-branded television network. Its sister channels are Carlton Select, Carlton World, Carlton...
  
  , a movie channel is axed by Carlton.
• 7 April – Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court lasting seven weeks the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
  
   contestant Charles Ingram
  Charles Ingram
  Charles Ingram is a former British Army major who made headlines worldwide after he was accused of cheating in the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001. He was convicted of deception, although he maintains that he did not cheat...
  
  , his wife Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock are convicted by a majority verdict of "procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception". The Ingrams are each given 18-month prison sentences suspended
  Suspended sentence
  A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
  
   for two years, each fined £15,000, and each ordered to pay £10,000 towards prosecution costs. Within two months of the verdict and sentence, the trial judge orders the Ingrams to pay additional defence costs orders, Charles £40,000 and Diana £25,000.
• 12 May – Former cricketer Phil Tufnell
  Phil Tufnell
  Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell is a former English cricketer turned television personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, "Tuffers" as he was known played 42 Tests and 20 One Day International matches for England, as well as playing for Middlesex from 1986 to 2002...
  
   wins the second series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!
  I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (UK)
  I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a British reality television show, first screened in 2002, in which celebrities live in jungle conditions with few creature comforts. The show is filmed in Australia and broadcast on ITV in the UK and on TV3 in Ireland. The show is one of the largest in the...
  
  .
• 30 May – ITV1
  ITV1
  ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
  
   broadcasts the final episode of Crossroads after the series was axed due to declining ratings. The finale sees hotel boss Angel Sampson (played by Jane Asher
  Jane Asher
  Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
  
  ) waking up to find she is a supermarket checkout girl and that her tenure as boss of the Crossroads Hotel was all a dream.
• 11 June – The shopping channel Price-drop.tv is launched.
• 28 June – The game show
  Game show
  A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
  
   Judgement Day premieres on ITV
  ITV
  ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
  
  , hosted by Brian Conley
  Brian Conley
  Brian Conley is an English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor. At the peak of his television career, he was the highest-paid male television personality in the UK. Outside of television, he is best known for his frequent portrayals of Buttons in pantomime versions of...
  
  . It is cancelled after two episodes due to very low ratings, the second quickest cancellation in UK TV history; the first was Heil Honey I'm Home!
  Heil Honey I'm Home!
  Heil Honey I'm Home! is a controversial British television sitcom, produced in 1990, which was cancelled after one episode aired.-Synopsis:...
  
   in 1990, cancelled after one episode.
• 20 July - The BBC
  BBC
  The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
  
   confirms that Dr David Kelly, found dead from suspected suicide two days ago, was the main source for a controversial report that sparked a deep rift with the government.
• 25 September – The Daily Telegraph newspaper is first to announce the return of popular sci-fi drama series Doctor Who
  Doctor Who
  Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
  
   after a 14 year break.
• 29 September – EastEnders
  EastEnders
  EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
  
  brings Dirty Den back from the supposed dead after fourteen years.
• 5 October – Coronation Street
  Coronation Street
  Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
  
  shows its first gay kiss.
• 5 October – Psychological
  Psychology
  Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
  
   illusionist Derren Brown
  Derren Brown
  Derren Victor Brown is a British illusionist, mentalist, painter, writer and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat...
  
   controversially plays Russian roulette
  Russian roulette
  Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
  
   live on Channel 4
  Channel 4
  Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
  
  , though with a slight delay allegedly in case the stunt went wrong. The stunt is later revealed to have been a hoax.
• 23 October – Longtime broadcaster on the BBC
  BBC
  The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
  
   and ITN, and latterly news anchor on Sky News
  Sky News
  Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
  
  , Bob Friend
  Bob Friend (newscaster)
  Bob Friend, MBE was one of the original news anchors for the Sky News channel from its launch in 1989 until his retirement in late 2003....
  
   retires.
• 30 October – ITV screens a special live episode
  Live episodes of The Bill
  The Bill has aired two live episodes in its history, the first being in 2003 to commemorate its 20th anniversary of the pilot episode "Woodentop" and the second in 2005 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ITV1.-Live Episode :...
  
   of The Bill
  The Bill
  The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
  
   to mark the show's 20th year.
• 4 November – Channel Four airs the final episode of Brookside
  Brookside
  Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
  
  , ending a run of 21 years.
• 11 November – BBC current affairs series Panorama
  Panorama (TV series)
  Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
  
  , launched in 1953, becomes the first UK television show to reach its 50th anniversary on air.
• 23 November – 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of Doctor Who
  Doctor Who
  Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
  
  
• 27 November – The BBC
  BBC
  The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
  
   unveils a revamped version of its news channel
  BBC News 24
  BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
  
   in an attempt to make it appear more dynamic to viewers. Changes include a new studio set and redesigned branding and graphics.
• 28 November – Some of the BBC's radio and television services, including BBC Radio 4
  BBC Radio 4
  BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
  
  , BBC Radio Five Live
  BBC Radio Five Live
  BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
  
   and BBC News 24
  BBC News 24
  BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
  
  , are blacked out by a power cut and a fire alert.
• 8 December – BBC News 24 is relaunched with a new set and titles, as well as a new Breaking News sting. Networked news on BBC One and Two remains with the same titles though the set was redesigned in a similar style to that of the new News 24. The relaunch had been scheduled for the previous Monday (1 December), but was delayed due to a power failure the week before which had disrupted work on the new set.
• 25 December – Sleepless in Peckham
  Sleepless in Peckham
  "Sleepless in Peckham" is an episode of BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the final episode of the entire series.-Synopsis:...
  
  , the final episode of Only Fools and Horses
  Only Fools and Horses
  Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
  
  is aired on BBC One
  BBC One
  BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
  
  .
• Unknown – Tabloid television station L!VE TV
  L!VE TV
  L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
  
   is relaunched on Sky Digital
  Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
  Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
  
  .

BBC

ITV1

Channel 4

Five

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

Change of network affiliation

1950s

• Andy Pandy
  Andy Pandy
  Andy Pandy is a British children's television series that premiered on BBC TV in June or July 1950. The original series of programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series was made. A third series was made in 2002...
  
  (1950–1970, 2002–2005)
• Panorama
  Panorama (TV series)
  Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
  
  (1953–present)
• What the Papers Say
  What the Papers Say
  What The Papers Say is a BBC radio programme that originally ran for many years on British television.Its first incarnation was the second longest-running programme on British television after Panorama...
  
  (1956–2008)
• The Sky at Night
  The Sky at Night
  The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
  
  (1957–present)
• Blue Peter
  Blue Peter
  Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
  
  (1958–present)
• Grandstand
  Grandstand (BBC)
  Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
  
  (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street
  Coronation Street
  Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
  
  (1960–present).
• Songs of Praise
  Songs of Praise
  Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
  
  (1961–present).
• Top of the Pops
  Top of the Pops
  Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
  
  (1964–2006).
• Match of the Day
  Match of the Day
  Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
  
  (1964–present).
• The Money Programme
  The Money Programme
  The Money Programme is a finance and business affairs television programme on BBC2.It was first broadcast on 5 April 1966 and presented by "commentators" William Davis, Erskine Childers and Joe Roeber. At this time David Attenborough was the controller of BBC2...
  
  (1966–present).

1970s

• Emmerdale
  Emmerdale
  Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
  
  (1972–present).
• Newsround
  Newsround
  Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
  
  (1972–present).
• Last of the Summer Wine
  Last of the Summer Wine
  Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
  
  (1973–2010).
• Arena
  Arena (TV series)
  Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. It has run since 1 October 1975, and over five hundred episodes have been made. Arena covers all manner of subjects, from profiles of notable people such as Bob Dylan to the Ford Cortina car...
  
  (1975–present).
• Top Gear
  Top Gear (current format)
  Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
  
  (1977–2001, 2002–present).
• Grange Hill
  Grange Hill
  Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
  
  (1978–2008).
• Antiques Roadshow
  Antiques Roadshow
  Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
  
  (1979–present).
• Question Time
  Question Time (TV series)
  Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
  
  (1979–present)

1980s

• Timewatch
  Timewatch
  Timewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
  
  (1982–present)
• The Bill
  The Bill
  The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
  
  (1984–2010)
• EastEnders
  EastEnders
  EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
  
  (1985–present).
• Comic Relief (1986–present).
• Casualty
  Casualty (TV series)
  Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
  
  (1986–present).
• ChuckleVision
  ChuckleVision
  ChuckleVision is a popular British television series shown mainly on CBBC. New episodes are always first aired on BBC One, and occasionally episodes are shown on BBC Two. The first episode was shown on 26 September 1987. It follows the adventures of the Chuckle Brothers & the Patton Brothers, who...
  
  (1987–present).
• This Morning
  This Morning (TV series)
  This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
  
  (1988–present).

1990s

• Heartbeat (1992–2010)
• Breakfast with Frost
  Breakfast with Frost
  Breakfast with Frost was a talk show hosted by Sir David Frost on the BBC on Sunday mornings. The news presenter was Moira Stuart. The show ran for more than 12 years and exactly 500 editions between 3 January 1993 and 29 May 2005...
  
  (1993–2005)
• Time Team
  Time Team
  Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
  
  , UK (1994–present)
• Y Clwb Rygbi
  Y Clwb Rygbi
  Y Clwb Rygbi is a rugby union television programme shown on Welsh language channel S4C. Produced by BBC Cymru Wales, the show is amongst the most popular programmes shown on S4C.-Format:...
  
  , Wales (1997–present)
• Dream Team
  Dream Team (TV series)
  Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
  
  (1997–2007)
• Family Affairs
  Family Affairs
  Family Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
  
  (1997–2005)
• Midsomer Murders
  Midsomer Murders
  Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
  
  (1997–present)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
  
  (1998–present).
• Bob The Builder
  Bob the Builder
  Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
  
  (1998–present).
• Holby City
  Holby City
  Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
  
  (1999–present)

2000s

• Doctors (2000–present)
• Big Brother
  Big Brother (UK)
  Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
  
  (2000–present)
• The Weakest Link
  The Weakest Link
  The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
  
  (2000–2012)
• Pop Idol
  Pop Idol
  Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
  
  (2001–2004)
• Real Crime
  Real Crime
  Real Crime is a British documentary television series produced by ITV Studios for the ITV network. Each episode examines a notorious crime and includes interviews with relatives of the victims. It has been broadcast since 2001 and is currently in its tenth series...
  
  (2001–present)
• Dick and Dom in da Bungalow
  Dick and Dom in da Bungalow
  Dick and Dom in da Bungalow was a CBBC children's entertainment television series presented by the duo Dick and Dom...
  
  (2002–2006)
• Harry Hill's TV Burp
  Harry Hill's TV Burp
  Harry Hill's TV Burp is a British television comedy programme produced by Avalon Television for ITV and hosted by comedian Harry Hill. The show presents a satirical look at the week's television, including extracts from TV shows with added sketches, observational voice-overs, and guest appearances...
  
  (2002–present)
• I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (2002–present)
• Spooks
  Spooks
  Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
  
  (2002–present)
• Top Gear (2002–present)
• Angelina Ballerina
  Angelina Ballerina
  Angelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse, created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, who is featured in a popular series of children's books...
  
  (2002–2005)

Deaths

• 9 January – Peter Tinniswood
  Peter Tinniswood
  Peter Tinniswood was an English radio and TV comedy scriptwriter, and author of a series of popular cricketing novels...
  
  , 66, radio and TV comedy scriptwriter, and author
• 12 January – Maurice Gibb
  Maurice Gibb
  Maurice Ernest Gibb, CBE was a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born on the Isle of Man, the twin brother of Robin Gibb, and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers...
  
  , 53, actor/songwriter of the Bee Gees
  Bee Gees
  The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
  
  .
• 13 March - Elisabeth Croft
  Elisabeth Croft
  Elisabeth Croft was an English actress. Her best known role was playing postmistress Miss Edith Tatum in the ITV soap opera Crossroads between 1966 and 1983.-Early and personal life:...
  
  , actor play Edith Tatum in ATV soap Crossroads (soap opera).
• 22 March – Terry Lloyd
  Terry Lloyd
  Terence Ellis Lloyd was a British television journalist well-known for his reporting from the Middle East. He was killed by U.S. troops while covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq for ITN...
  
  , 50, news reporter, killed during Iraq War skirmish.
• 19 June – Laura Sadler
  Laura Sadler
  Laura Ruth Sadler was an English actress best known for her role as nurse Sandy Harper in the BBC One hospital drama series Holby City.-TV career:...
  
  , 22 Sandy Harper in Holby City
  Holby City
  Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
  
  after falling from a balcony.
• 24 August – Kent Walton
  Kent Walton
  Kent Walton , born Kenneth Walton Beckett, was a British television sports commentator and presenter.Despite a transatlantic accent which led many to believe he was Canadian, he was born in Cairo, Egypt, the son of the finance minister in the colonial government...
  
  , 86, television sports commentator and presenter
• 4 October – James Forlong
  James Forlong
  James George Roche Forlong was a Major General of the Indian Army who trained as an engineer. He joined the Indian Army in 1843 later filling various posts including that of Secretary and Chief Engineer to the government of Oudh...
  
  , 44, dismissed Sky News journalist accused of faking Iraq War report, commits suicide.
• 29 December – Bob Monkhouse
  Bob Monkhouse
  Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE was an English entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host...
  
  , 75, Comedian & Entertainer.