1951 in British television

Events

July

• 16 July – What's My Line? debuts on the BBC Television Service. It will be one of the top-rated programmes for the rest of the decade and make a star of its host, Eamonn Andrews, who takes over from Gilbert Harding from the second episode.

October

• 12 October – The Holme Moss transmitter is opened in Northern England, making the BBC Television Service available to the region for the first time.

Unknown

• The BBC broadcasts horse racing for the first time when it televises races from Ascot.

Debuts

• 6 February – The Railway Children (1951)
• 20 May – The Black Arrow (1951)
• 17 June – Five Children and It (1951)
• 16 July – What's My Line? (1951–1963, 1973-1974, 1984-1990)
• 29 July – The Final Test (1951)
• 12 August – Albert (1951)
• 2 September – Treasure on Pelican (1951)
• 25 September – Puck of Pook's Hill (1951)
• 20 October
  • Sherlock Holmes (1951)
  • Stranger from Space (1951-1952)
• 6 November – Sara Crewe (1951)
• Unknown
  • The Charlie Chester Show (1951, 1955)
  • The Inch Man (1951-1952)

Continuing television shows

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)

1930s

• Picture Page (1936–1939, 1946–1952)
• For the Children (1937–1939, 1946–1952)
• Trooping the Colour (1937–1939, 1946–2019, 2023–present)
• The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present)
• BBC Cricket (1939, 1946–1999, 2020–2024)

1940s

• Kaleidoscope (1946–1953)
• Muffin the Mule (1946–1955, 2005–2006)
• Café Continental (1947–1953)
• Television Newsreel (1948–1954)
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
• Come Dancing (1949–1998)
• How Do You View? (1949–1953)

1950s

• Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)

Ending this year

• 23 January – Little Women (1950–1951)
• 24 November – Sherlock Holmes (1951)

Births

• 7 January – Helen Worth, born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth, actress
• 21 January – Rosemary Shrager, chef and presenter
• 6 February – Kevin Whately, actor
• 15 February – Jane Seymour, born Joyce Frankenberg, actress
• 18 March – Paul Barber, actor
• 13 April – Peter Davison, actor
• 20 April – Louise Jameson, actress
• 11 May – Kay Mellor, born Kay Daniel, scriptwriter and actress (died 2022)
• 13 May – Selina Scott, journalist, newsreader and television presenter
• 4 June – David Yip, actor
• 28 June – Lalla Ward, actress
• 4 September – David Renwick, scriptwriter
• 10 September – Sally Grace, satirist, actress and voice actress
• 30 September – John Lloyd, producer
• 6 November – Nigel Havers, actor
• 15 November – Billy McColl, actor (died 2014)
• 24 November – Margaret Mountford, lawyer, businesswoman and television personality
• 20 December – Peter May, novelist and television dramatist

References

References

1. [https://sport-onthebox.com/2012/03/19/racing-end-of-an-era-as-bbc-loses-racing-coverage-to-channel-4/ End of an era as BBC loses racing coverage to Channel 4]