This page indexes the individual year in British television pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
2020s
2023 in British television – The BBC News channel airs the final edition of The Papers, its nightly review of the following morning's newspaper headlines. From the following day, discussion of newspaper headlines will form part of its news content. BBC World News broadcasts coverage of the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI, The government confirms Channel 4 has been saved from privatisation and Panorama becomes the first ongoing British TV programme to reach and celebrate its 70th anniversary since BBC Wimbledon in 1997 and The Boat Race in 2008.
2021 in British television – All major television networks cover the Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which occurs on 9 April, with the BBC receiving a record number of complaints (109,741) after it clears its schedule to provide rolling news coverage. GB News launches in June, with Nigel Farage joining as one of its presenters. The recording and release of many TV programmes are delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! takes place in Wales for a second year, but is forced off air for a number of days without a clear winner following damage caused by Storm Arwen; Talking Pictures TV launches the TPTV Encore catch-up service. 2021 also sees a two new game shows on BBC Two called Lightning and Unbeatable after the axing of BBC One's Impossible. The recording and release of some TV programmes are expected to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2018 in British television – BBC One airs the first of two editions of the latest version of The Generation Game, which is presented by Mel and Sue along with airing The Queen's Birthday Party, a concert from London's Royal Albert Hall celebrating the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Spring 2018 also sees The National Lottery results being broadcast on ITV for the first time after more than two decades on the BBC, with the results appearing as a 90-second summary as part of an advert break. September 2018 sees The Circle debut on Channel 4. Series 11 of Doctor Who sees Jodie Whittaker star as the Thirteenth Doctor; she becomes the first woman to play the role of The Doctor.
2016 in British television – The BBC announces a deal with Discovery Communications that enables it to broadcast coverage of the Summer and Winter Olympics up to and including the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, The agreement covers television, radio and online coverage, Channel 5, 5* and 5USA get a new look on 11 February as their stencil logos for their channels get their very first airing. 5* is also rebranded as 5Star on the same day, BBC Three closes after thirteen years on air to become an online only channel, Casualty celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special feature-length episode. 2016 also sees the debut of a new 3pm slot game show Tenable on ITV after the axing of two other 3pm slot game shows 1000 Heartbeats and Rebound.
2014 in British television – 50th anniversary of the first edition of Top of the Pops. Although an edition was aired on New Year's Eve 2013, the anniversary itself goes unmarked by the BBC because of the programme's association with the late Jimmy Savile. The first episode of Channel 4's controversial documentary series Benefits Street attracts several hundred viewer complaints. BBC Two celebrates its 50th anniversary along with Match of the Day. ITV axes its breakfast television programme Daybreak after nearly four years on air, replacing it with Good Morning Britain.
2013 in British television – BBC Two launches in high-definition for the first time 2+1⁄2 years after BBC One did, Panorama becomes the first ongoing British TV programme to reach and celebrate its 60th anniversary since BBC Wimbledon in 1987 The Boat Race in 1998 and BBC Cricket in 1999, More4 also launches in HD for the first time, CITV will celebrate its 30th anniversary by airing an Old Skool weekend and Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary by airing a special episode all across both Britain and the globe. Spring 2013 also sees the BBC Television centre's old building close with all the BBC services in London moving to the new one next door known as the Broadcasting House along with the debut of Gogglebox and Peaky Blinders on Channel 4 and BBC Two.
2012 in British television – Spring of this year sees The Weakest Link come to an end with the 1,693rd edition, when Anne Robinson retires from the show to concentrate on Brand newer series of Watchdog, CBeebies celebrates 10 years of being separated from CBBC, Spring 2012 also sees Harry Hill's TV Burp ending on ITV with a huge finale after 10 or 11 years of broadcast, as well as the Teletubbies celebrating their 15th actual anniversary on the BBC. The events of the Olympic Games begin airing with the opening ceremony in London as well as the debut of Tipping Point from July of this year. The Digital Switchover is completed in October as the final analogue transmitters are switched off in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the sentencing phase of the trial of David Gilroy is the first in the United Kingdom to be filmed for broadcast.
2008 in British television – Weekly comparison between overweight and underweight people programme Supersize vs Superskinny appears, Freesat officially launches while ITV HD launches a full service and ITV's News at Ten returns for its third run after being axed again four years previously. The Inbetweeners also debuts on E4 along with the Big Brother zombie miniseries Dead Set. Neighbours moves from BBC One to Channel 5 after Channel 5 secures the broadcasting rights to the Australian soap.
1991 in British television – Regular programming is abandoned in order to bring live coverage of the Gulf War after Allied Forces launch Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. Over the duration of the war there is extended coverage of events in the Persian Gulf. ITV also broadcasts news and discussion programmes about the war throughout the night. Some broadcasting, particularly in the earlier part of the war, comes from CNN. Also this year the ITVfranchise auction results are announced and take effect starting midnight GMT on 1 January 1993.
1987 in British television – ThunderCats, Going for Gold and Fireman Sam all debut on BBC One; The TV-am strike begins after members of the technician's 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. It is replaced with a skeleton service that sees non-technical staff operating cameras and Gyngell himself directing proceedings, as well as imported shows such as Flipper, Batman and Happy Days being used to fill up the station's airtime. Viewing figures remain high throughout the disruption, which continues well into 1988, although normal programming gradually resumes. The strikers are eventually sacked and replaced with non union staff. ITV stations later follow Gyngell's example. The ITV Schools service move to Channel 4 to allow ITV to develop a fully commercial daytime schedule and The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Two Ronnies end as does the original run of University Challenge. Two separate government studies identify spare frequency space on the UHF band, prompting political debate about the viability of a fifth UK terrestrial TV channel.
1986 in British television – BBC One begins a full daytime schedule service for the first time with Australian soap Neighbours making its UK debut as part of the schedule, while Yorkshire becomes the first ITV region to begin broadcasting 24 hours a day. 1986 also sees Neighbours make its British television debut along with Pingu, Casualty and Catchphrase.
1982 in British television – Channel 4, Britain's fourth terrestrial channel, goes on air, along with the first airing of its first and long running teatime game show Countdown and first animated Christmas special The Snowman; S4C, a Welsh-language version is also launched. "The Satellite Channel", the channel which later became Sky One, also goes on air.
1974 in British television – The BBC teletext service Ceefax first goes on air with 30 pages of information, and the Saturday morning children's entertainment series Tiswas is launched by ATV.
1938 in British television – First news bulletin carried by BBC television, in sound only. Previously, the service had aired British Movietone News cinema newsreels.
1928 in British television – John Logie Baird's Television Development Company demonstrates their model A, B, and C 'televisors' to the general public.
