2012 in British television
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This is a list of events that took place in 2012 related to British television.
Events
January
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pam St Clement makes her final appearance in EastEnders as Pat Butcher, the character having been killed off in a cancer storyline. |
| BBC One airs Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall, a programme featuring highlights of a concert given by Adele on 21 September 2011 as part of the singer's Adele Live tour. | |
| ITV screens the terrestrial television premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film is watched by 3.5 million viewers, but beaten in the ratings by "A Scandal in Belgravia", the opening episode of BBC One's second series of Sherlock, and EastEnders. | |
| 2 | 1960s-set Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour makes its debut on ITV for the first time, initially as a pilot episode before becoming a full series from April 2013. |
| 7 | BBC One airs the first episode of Casualty filmed at its purpose-built studios in Roath Lock, Cardiff, the series having been previously filmed in Bristol. The episode, "Duty of Care", is also the first to be broadcast in HD. |
| 9 | Nick Hewer takes over as presenter of Countdown as the game show returns for a new series. |
| 16 | Jane McDonald returns to the panel of Loose Women after an 18-month break. |
| 18 | A call by BBC Two's Stargazing Live for amateur astronomers to locate possible exoplanets, planets orbiting stars outside the Solar System, leads to the discovery of a new Neptune-sized exoplanet by two viewers, one in Peterborough. The planet is named Threapleton Holmes B in their honour. |
| Producers of Coronation Street defend a storyline in which the character Faye Butler is slapped for misbehaving by her adoptive mother's boyfriend after the episode (aired on 16 January) attracts a number of complaints from viewers to ITV and Ofcom. | |
| 20 | Press TV, an English language news channel owned by the Iranian Government, is forced off air in the United Kingdom after Ofcom revokes its broadcasting licence for breaching the terms of the Communications Act. |
| 21 | Under new guidelines to come into force from 30 April clinics which charge for pregnancy services including abortions will be able to advertise on radio and television after the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice ruled there was no justification for barring such clinics from advertising their services. |
| 27 | Actress and television presenter Denise Welch wins the ninth series of Celebrity Big Brother. |
February
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 | Letitia Dean is to return to EastEnders. |
| 8 – 22 | Analogue is switched off in the Hannington area |
| 11 | The live televised France versus Ireland match in the 2012 Six Nations Championship is abandoned minutes prior to kick-off, prompting boos to ring out among disgruntled spectators inside a packed Stade de France. It is the first time such an event has happened since 1985. |
| 13 | ITV screens the first ever British advert aimed specifically at dogs. The 60-second commercial for the Bakers dog food brand features high-pitched sounds that cannot be heard by humans, and is a send up of the 1969 film The Italian Job. |
| 20 | Media regulator Ofcom states that remarks made on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff on 6 December last year in relation to the murder of Liam Aitchison were "clearly capable of causing offence", but that the issue has been "resolved". |
| The ITN produced 5 News bulletins are relaunched, with newscasters Matt Barbet and Emma Crosby retaining their presenting roles. | |
| 21 | The BBC defends its coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral on the BBC News Channel following a number of complaints from viewers about its duration. The four-hour service was aired on Saturday 18 February following the singer's death the previous weekend. |
| Singer Adele apologises for making a middle finger gesture after her Brit Awards acceptance speech is cut short due to broadcasting time constraints. ITV in turn issues an apology to the singer the following day. | |
| 24 | At the conference of St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson defends a recent storyline involving the rape of Carla Connor by her business partner, but admits mistakes were made in developing the plot. |
February–March
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 29 February – 14 March | Analogue is switched off in the Midhurst area. |
March
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | BBC News journalist Natalia Antelava is deported from Uzbekistan without official reason. |
| 5 | ITV and STV sign a deal which (if approved by Ofcom) could see more networked programmes appearing on television in Scotland. The agreement would end a three-year hiatus which has seen many major ITV programmes absent from schedules in Scotland. |
| The BBC broadcast their first Sports bulletins from the new BBC Sport Centre at MediaCityUK in Salford. | |
| 7 – 21 | Analogue is switched off in the Rowridge and Whitehawk Hill areas. |
| 9 | BBC newsreader Simon McCoy is caught apparently sleeping at the newsdesk as the daily BBC News Channel programming begins at 8:30am, although he later denied he was asleep. |
| 12 | BBC Two airs a programme in its This World strand concerning the Chinese television programme Interviews Before Execution in which death row inmates are interviewed by a reporter shortly before they are executed. Chinese authorities cancel the show following international interest generated by the documentary. |
| Bryan Kirkwood resigns as Executive Producer of the BBC's EastEnders. | |
| 14 | Man vs. Wild presenter Bear Grylls has reportedly been sacked by the Discovery Channel because of "a continuing contractual dispute". |
| 15 | Shelina Permalloo wins the 2012 series of MasterChef. |
| 18 | Channel 4 confirms it has secured a four-year deal to broadcast horse racing from 2013, including coverage of the Grand National, the Derby and Royal Ascot which have previously been aired by the BBC. |
| 19 | BBC Director-General Mark Thompson tells staff at the broadcaster that he will step down from his position later in the year. |
| The University of Manchester wins the 2011–12 series of University Challenge, beating Pembroke College, Cambridge 180–135. | |
| 21 | Former soap actress Jenna-Louise Coleman is named as the new Doctor Who sidekick, replacing current assistant Karen Gillan whose character Amy Pond will leave during the 2012 series. |
| 23 | The BBC's new television facility at dock10, MediaCityUK is officially opened by the Queen. |
| 24 | Harry Hill steps down as presenter of Harry Hill's TV Burp on ITV after 10 or 11 years. |
| 25 | Matthew Wolfenden and dance partner Nina Ulanova win the seventh series of Dancing on Ice. |
| With the approaching centenary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic ITV begins airing Julian Fellowes' four-part £11million retelling of the disaster. | |
| 26 | The BBC's Panorama alleges that a company owned by News Corporation recruited a pay-TV "pirate" to hack a rival's secret codes then post the details online. |
| 27 | The BBC announces plans to axe 140 news posts in 2013 as part of cost-cutting measures. |
| 31 | Former broadcast journalist Mike Nesbitt is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. |
| Anne Robinson presents the final edition of The Weakest Link on BBC One to concentrate on Watchdog. |
April
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 | James Murdoch resigns as Chairman of BSkyB in the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal. |
| Munich-based media regulator BLM announces it is removing Press TV from the SES Astra satellite as they do not have a licence to broadcast in Europe. | |
| 4 – 18 | Analogue is switched off in London. |
| 5 | Sky News admits illegally hacking emails belonging to members of the public on two separate occasions. |
| 6 | The EastEnders Omnibus edition is moved to a late night Friday/early Saturday morning slot from Sunday afternoons. |
| 7 | The 158th University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge is stopped mid-race due to a swimmer in the water. Cambridge go on to win when a clash of oars at the restart leaves Oxford with a broken paddle. |
| 10 | BBC Breakfast makes its first broadcast from the BBC's new media complex at Salford Quays in Manchester, having moved there from London. |
| 12 | BSkyB signs a deal with MGM for exclusive rights to air the James Bond films in the United Kingdom, beginning from October to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the film franchise. The agreement means the end of ITV's unbroken run as sole holder of the screen rights which began in 1975. |
| 14 | The Grand National is shown on the BBC for the last time following a consecutive run of 52 years. |
| 18 | In a rare move, television cameras are allowed into the High Court in Edinburgh to film the sentencing of David Gilroy for the murder of Suzanne Pilley. |
| The ETP-1 test card makes one final appearance on Channel 4 to announce the loss of analogue television services in the London region. The card is shown from the Crystal Palace transmitter only, and is the last thing broadcast by analogue Channel 4 before the signal is switched off. | |
| 19 | Sky News airs a televised debate between the main three candidates in the 2012 London mayoral election. |
| 20 | Tetley announce a deal to sponsor family movies on Channel 5. |
| 23 | Ofcom launches an investigation into the hacking of private email accounts by Sky News. The announcement comes on the same day that the news channel's boss John Ryley appears before the Leveson Inquiry where he says the company broke the law by hacking emails. |
| 24 | Northern Ireland's Social Democratic and Labour Party urges the British government to support calls for Irish broadcaster RTÉ to reverse its decision to close its London office, which is scheduled to shut following 2012 Summer Olympics. |
| 25 | The ITV HD channel is beset by a glitch when ITV accidentally cuts away from footage of extra time play during a Champions League match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to show news presenter Mark Austin doing up his jacket as he waits to present the delayed News at Ten. It is the broadcaster's third glitch during live football in recent months. |
| 30 | The BBC defends its decision to pre-record the Sunday evening results edition of The Voice after receiving 30 complaints because the show had been billed as a live broadcast. The BBC says the programme is too expensive to record live on Sundays and airing it on Saturday evening would mean it clashed with Britain's Got Talent.[citation needed] |
May
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 | Cardinal Seán Brady, the Catholic primate of all-Ireland says he will not resign his post as the BBC's This World programme reveals he had details of those being abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, but did not pass the information on to police or parents of the victims. |
| 10 | The Channel 5 daytime show The Wright Stuff is being investigated by Ofcom over a survey on 26 April edition of the programme that asked viewers what the most offensive word is to describe someone with learning difficulties. |
| Prince Charles presents the lunchtime weather forecast during a visit to the BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow. | |
| 12 | Ashleigh and Pudsey, a dancing dog trick act, win the sixth series of Britain's Got Talent. |
| 14 | The eighth instalment of the Up Series, 56 Up debuts on ITV. |
| Blockbusters returns to Challenge TV for the first time since the death of original host Bob Holness on 6 January. DJ Simon Mayo is chosen as the new host for the revival. | |
| 16 | The BBC Trust confirms children's programmes will no longer air on BBC One and BBC Two following the completion of the digital switchover. Instead they will move to the dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels. |
| 19 | Absent Friends, a fourth series episode of comedy Dad's Army, is repeated on BBC Two for the first time since its original broadcast in 1970. Before this, the episode was left out of repeat runs because of the controversial appearance of the IRA. |
| 26 | Sweden's Loreen wins the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest with "Euphoria". |
| 29 | The UK Government confirms that television viewers in Northern Ireland will be able to watch RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4 on Freeview following the digital switchover. |
May–June
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 30 May – 13 June | Analogue is switched off in the Hastings, Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells areas. |
June
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 – 5 | The BBC airs footage of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Events include the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June and the Diamond Jubilee Concert on 4 June. |
| 2 | Leanne Mitchell wins the first series of The Voice. |
| 3 | Ricky Martin, a former professional wrestler, wins the eighth series of The Apprentice along with a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, who will become his partner in a new business venture. |
| 6 | The BBC has received over 2,000 complaints from viewers about its Jubilee coverage. The broadcaster is also criticised by other media for its Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant coverage, which is branded as "inane" and "tedious". |
| 8 | Start of Euro 2012, hosted by Poland and Ukraine. |
| 12 | Ranvir Singh and Matt Barbet are announced as the new presenters of the Daybreak news hour from 6 to 7am. |
| 13 | BSkyB signs a £3bn three-year deal to screen Premier League football from 2013 to 2016. BT Vision also secures the rights to show 38 games per season over the same period. |
| 13 – 27 | Analogue is switched off in the Bluebell Hill and Dover areas thus completing the switchover for the Meridian area. |
| 14 | The Daily Record reports that BSkyB has threatened to cancel their contract to air games from the Scottish Premier League if Rangers are relegated from the division. |
| 19 | BBC Director General Mark Thompson tells the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that the corporation has "lessons to learn" from its coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee after it received several thousand viewer complaints and heavy media criticism. |
| 24 | 20.34 million watch the quarter-final match of Euro 2012 between England and Italy on BBC One, the highest number since the equivalent quarter final of Euro 2004. It briefly receives British television's highest audience for any programme for eight years until being overtaken the following month. |
July
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The BBC unveil their title sequence and marketing campaign for their coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics. |
| Ukraine hosts the final match of Euro 2012, which sees Spain beat Italy 4–0. | |
| 3 | Global Radio announce plans to branch into television with the launch of two non-stop music channels; Heart TV and Capital TV, which will go on air from September. |
| 4 | Broadcaster George Entwistle is named as the next Director-General of the BBC beginning in autumn 2012. |
| Launch of the IPTV television service YouView. | |
| 17 | Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado is sacked from the programme after being jailed for 12 weeks for benefit fraud. |
| 19 | Former England footballer Lee Dixon is leaving the BBC's Match of the Day after eight years, it is reported. Sources such as Digital Spy report he will join ITV to provide football coverage in place of Gareth Southgate, who is leaving the channel to become the Football Association's technical director. ITV confirms the following day that Dixon will be part of its football presenter lineup, providing coverage of the Tuesday night Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, and England's campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. |
| Alibi HD is launched by UKTV. | |
| 23 | The Olympic torch features in a special live section of EastEnders when actor Perry Fenwick, in character as Billy Mitchell carries it through the fictional Walford as part of the 2012 Olympic torch relay. |
| 27 | The events of the 2012 Summer Olympics begin airing with the opening ceremony in London. At its peak the event is watched by 26.9 million viewers, and with an average of 24.24 million it is the highest rating for anything on British television since 1997. |
August
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 | The BBC commissions a one-off drama to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. The film, An Adventure in Space and Time will tell the story of the team behind Doctor Who's creation and will air on BBC Two in 2013. |
| 12 | The 2012 Summer Olympics end with the closing ceremony receiving even more viewers than the opening ceremony, an average of 24.46 million. It becomes one of the most watched events in British television history. |
| The BBC's Gabby Logan is forced to apologise after mistakenly telling viewers of the previous evening's edition of BBC One's Olympics Tonight that the mother and sister of British boxing gold medallist Luke Campbell were dead. She had confused him with another boxer whose relatives were deceased. | |
| 13 | Luke Anderson wins Big Brother 13. |
| 14 | Outgoing BBC Director-General Mark Thompson is appointed CEO of The New York Times, taking up his role in November. |
| 19 | It is reported that Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's department has made a formal complaint to the BBC over claims of anti-Government bias, as Duncan Smith himself attacks the Corporation in a Mail on Sunday article for what he perceives to be its negative stance towards the coalition. Economics editor Stephanie Flanders is singled out for particular criticism, with the Minister accusing her of "peeing all over British industry". |
| 28 | UTV Media, which owns the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland and the UK-based sports-orientated radio station Talksport, reports a summer of mixed fortunes in terms of advertising revenue. Coverage of UEFA Euro 2012 proved lucrative for Talksport, but television advertising was hit by the 2012 Summer Olympics. |
| 29 | The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics is watched by a peak audience of 11.2 million viewers, with an overall average of 8 million. |
| The BBC has received 185 complaints about its new sitcom, Citizen Khan since the first episode aired two days earlier; with many claiming the series, about a Pakistani businessman stereotypes British Muslims. |
September
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Doctor Who returns for its seventh series with the surprise appearance of Jenna-Louise Coleman in the first episode, Asylum of the Daleks, four months before she is scheduled to make her debut. |
| 3 | ITV's breakfast stand Daybreak is relaunched with Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly as its main presenters. Overnight figures the following day show it was watched by 600,000 viewers, viewer than the one million who tuned in to watch its debut in 2010. |
| 4 | Maria Miller is appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replacing Jeremy Hunt. |
| A£30m Scottish Government campaign to raise cancer awareness will include the first ads in the UK to show real pictures of women's breasts that have been affected by cancer. | |
| 5 | The updated version of the US soap opera Dallas makes its British television debut on Channel 5. |
| Coronation Street is moved from its Thursday slot to its original Wednesday slot. | |
| 7 | Comedian Julian Clary wins the tenth series of Celebrity Big Brother. |
| 9 | The 2012 Summer Paralympics end with the closing ceremony. |
| 10 | Consumer documentary Food Unwrapped makes its debut on Channel 4. |
| 12 – 26 | Analogue is switched off in the Tyne Tees region thus completing the switchover for England and making it the 3rd Digital nation in the UK. |
| 17 | George Entwistle takes up his role of Director-General of the BBC. |
| 20 | The BBC shelves the final episode of its police drama Good Cop following the deaths of two police officers in Manchester. |
| Following an investigation in the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal, the media regulator Ofcom concludes that BSkyB is a "fit and proper" company to hold a broadcasting licence | |
| 21 | Emma Kennedy wins the 2012 series of Celebrity MasterChef. |
| 28 | The BBC confirms that the final episode of Good Cop will air on 13 October. |
October
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Letitia Herod wins Cycle 8 of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model. |
| 2 | BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid apologises to viewers after a microphone which had been accidentally left on picked up business reporter Steph McGovern swearing shortly after she had finished presenting the programme's business news. |
| 3 | ITV airs a documentary, Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile in which several women allege to have been sexually abused by the late broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile as teenagers. The following day the Metropolitan Police Service says it will assess the allegations. |
| 4 | BBC Four pulls two planned repeats of Top of the Pops from its schedule following recent allegations made against Jimmy Savile. The shows, which featured Savile as presenter, are part of the channel's weekly rerun of archive editions, which have been airing since last year. |
| 5 | Sky News presenter Kay Burley is criticised for insensitivity after she broke the news of the probable death of April Jones, a missing five-year-old girl live on air to volunteers who had been assisting in the search for her, and were unaware that the case had become a murder inquiry. |
| Samira Ahmed takes over from Raymond Snoddy as presenter of the BBC's Newswatch. | |
| 10 – 24 | The last of the UK analogue signals are switched off in Northern Ireland, completing the digital switchover. |
| 12 | BBC Director-General George Entwistle asks BBC Scotland Director Ken MacQuarrie to speak to Newsnight journalists to establish why a planned documentary concerning ellegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile was shelved before it was due to air in December 2011. |
| Channel 4 has announced that T4 would end after 14 years on air. | |
| 16 | The BBC appoints the heads of two separate inquiries into sexual abuse allegations that have engulfed Jimmy Savile. Former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith will review the culture and practices of the BBC during the time Savile worked there, while Nick Pollard, a former Sky News executive will look at why a Newsnight investigation into Savile's activities was dropped shortly before transmission. |
| John Whaite wins the third series of The Great British Bake Off. | |
| Emmerdale celebrates 40 years on air. A live episode is aired to mark the occasion on 17 October, which is watched by 9.2 million viewers. The episode culminates in the surprise death of the character Carl King (played by Tom Lister). | |
| 17 | ITV's This Morning launches an investigation amid fears it was the victim of a hoax over a story about a celebrity sperm bank on the previous day's edition of the show. The following day ITV apologises to viewers who were misled by the item. |
| 22 | The BBC schedules a special edition of Panorama as it attempts to limit the damage done by allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile during his years with the broadcaster. |
| Peter Rippon, the Newsnight editor responsible for dropping an investigation into allegations against Jimmy Savile steps aside from his role with immediate effect. | |
| Jeff Ford, one of the few executives to stay with Channel 5 following its 2010 acquisition by Richard Desmond, is to step down from the role on 1 December, it is confirmed. | |
| 23 | After 32 years, Pages from Ceefax is shown for the last time during downtime on BBC Two. To mark the occasion the last broadcast is introduced by the symbol the channel was using 32 years earlier, older music is played and a final special image is shown thanking viewers for watching. The Plain English Campaign gives the service a lifetime achievement award for its "clarity" and use of "everyday words". |
| Northern Ireland becomes the final part of the United Kingdom to complete the switchover from analogue to digital television when the analogue signal is switched off at 11.30pm. | |
| 26 | Writing in The Guardian, Pointless co-presenter Richard Osman names what he believes to be four of UK TV's worst ever gameshows–24 Hour Quiz, Red or Black, Petrolheads and Shafted. |
| 29 | ITV releases a new version of its ITV Player service, enabling it to charge for some online content. The traditional 30-day catch-up service remains free, but viewers can watch the same programmes without adverts for a small payment. |
November
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 | The BBC confirms it will air no further episodes of Top of the Pops featuring Jimmy Savile. |
| 6 | Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is suspended from the party after her decision to appear on the reality television series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. |
| 9 | ITV faces an investigation by the media regulator Ofcom after This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield handed Prime Minister David Cameron an internet-generated list of suspects in a child abuse case involving a care home during a live interview on the previous day's edition of the programme, and asked him to comment. |
| The BBC issues an apology after a key witness in a Newsnight report aired on 2 November wrongly identified a senior politician as a paedophile. | |
| Have I Got News for You marks the tenth anniversary of its first guest presenter following the departure of Angus Deayton. | |
| 10 | George Entwistle steps down as BBC Director-General following the Newsnight child abuse broadcast controversy. His reign of 54 days is the shortest in the corporation's history. |
| 11 | Tim Davie, BBC head of audio and music becomes Acting Director-General following George Entwistle's resignation. |
| 12 | Helen Boaden, the BBC's Director of News, and her deputy Steve Mitchell relinquish their roles in the wake of the Newsnight crisis. Fran Unsworth, head of newsgathering, and Ceri Thomas, the editor of Radio 4's Today are named acting director and deputy director of News respectively. |
| 13 | Ben Frow, the current Director of Content at Irish commercial broadcaster TV3, is hired by Channel 5 to replace Jeff Ford as Director of Programmes, and will take up the position in February 2013. |
| 19 | ITV airs the 8000th episode of Coronation Street. |
| 22 | The BBC appoints Tony Hall as its new Director-General. He is expected to start in the role in early March 2013. |
| 23 | Tom Barlow-Kay wins the 2012 series of Junior MasterChef. |
| 30 | At the age of 90, Baroness Trumpington becomes the oldest guest panelist to appear on Have I Got News for You. |
December
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Welsh language HD channel S4C Clirlun closes, with Channel 4 HD taking over its transmission capacity the following day. |
| Actress Charlie Brooks wins the twelfth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. | |
| 3 | Sky News, Challenge TV and Pick TV are launched on Freesat. |
| The BBC announce plans for a screen adaptation of The Casual Vacancy, the first novel for adults by J. K. Rowling. A script for a three-part series is subsequently written by Sarah Phelps, with the BBC producing the project with HBO, and filming set to begin in Summer 2014. | |
| The BBC signs a new four-year contract to air the National Lottery Draw, but will no longer screen the Wednesday and Friday night draws from January 2013. From then, programmes for the Saturday evening draw will be moved to a new purpose-built studio at Pinewood, while results updates will be given on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. | |
| 4 | The BBC announces a revamp of its Red Button service to make it compatible with internet-connected televisions. |
| 5 | As part of his Autumn Statement Chancellor George Osborne confirms a TV tax credit of 25% for high end UK TV productions, to be implemented from April 2013. |
| 9 | James Arthur wins the ninth series of The X Factor. |
| 12 | Actor and comedian Angus Deayton will join the cast of BBC school drama, Waterloo Road from 2013, it is confirmed. |
| 13 | Anton Piotrowski and Keri Moss are both named winners of the fifth series of MasterChef: The Professionals, the first time more than one finalist has won a MasterChef title. |
| 16 | Cyclist Bradley Wiggins is named this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year. |
| 18 | At the High Court of England and Wales the BBC and ITV apologise to Lord McAlpine for "disastrously" and falsely linking him to allegations of child sex abuse. |
| 19 | The Pollard report into practices at the BBC is published, and finds there was a "complete inability" to deal with the Jimmy Savile crisis. Despite being criticised, the BBC Director of News Helen Boaden will return to her post in the wake of the report's publication, but her Deputy, Stephen Mitchell resigns. Peter Rippon is moved aside from his Newsnight post, with the programme having a new senior editorial team. Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live Adrian Van Klaveren also resigns. |
| 20 | Ashleigh Porter-Exley wins the third series of Young Apprentice. |
| 21 | After 27 years, CBBC airs on BBC One for the last time. All of the children's programmes would become exclusive to their dedicated channels, CBBC and CBeebies. |
| 22 | Olympic gymnast Louis Smith and professional dance partner Flavia Cacace win the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. |
| 24 | The Snowman and the Snowdog premieres on Channel 4. |
| 25 | The annual Royal Christmas Message is broadcast in 3D for the first time. |
| EastEnders is the most watched programme of the day with 9.4 million viewers, with Coronation Street second on 8.8 million. Other highlights are The Queen's Speech (8.3 million), Strictly Come Dancing (7.8 million) and The Royle Family (7.7 million). | |
| Michael Angelis narrates his final episode of Thomas & Friends, The Christmas Tree Express on Channel 5. | |
| 26 | Jenni Falconer presents the National Lottery Wednesday Night Draw, which airs on BBC One for the last time. |
| 28 | Matt Johnson presents the National Lottery Friday Night Draw, which airs on BBC One for the final time. |
| 29 | 30 Years of CITV, a documentary made to commemorate the near thirtieth anniversary of Children's ITV, is released. |
| Youth-oriented TV channel T4 was broadcast for the final time after 14 years on air. Original presenters Vernon Kay, Miquita Oliver, Dermot O'Leary and Alexa Chung reunite for the final edition alongside existing presenters Jameela Jamil, Matt Edmondson, Nick Grimshaw, Georgie Okell and Will Best. |
Debuts
BBC
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 4 January | Public Enemies | BBC One |
| 10 January | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | BBC Two |
| 13 January | 4 O'Clock Club | CBBC |
| 15 January | Sunday Politics | BBC One |
| Call the Midwife | ||
| 22 January | Birdsong | |
| 23 January | The Estate | |
| 30 January | Protecting Our Children | |
| 31 January | Prisoners' Wives | |
| 2 February | Inside Men | |
| 6 February | Jedward's Big Adventure | CBBC |
| The Diamond Queen | BBC One | |
| 7 February | Death Unexplained | |
| 8 February | Kevin Bridges: What's the Story? | |
| 20 February | The Tube | BBC Two |
| Watson & Oliver | ||
| 22 February | Winterwatch | |
| 23 February | Pramface | BBC Three |
| 24 February | Melvyn Bragg on Class and Culture | BBC Two |
| 25 February | Pop Life | |
| 27 February | Empire | BBC One |
| The Numtums | CBeebies | |
| 7 March | Venice 24/7 | BBC Four |
| 8 March | The Sarah Millican Television Programme | BBC Two |
| White Heat | ||
| 12 March | Breakaway | BBC One |
| The Lingo Show | CBeebies | |
| 17 March | How God Made the English | BBC Two |
| 19 March | The Sheriffs Are Coming | BBC One |
| 24 March | The Voice UK | |
| 26 March | One Night | |
| World Series of Dating | BBC Three | |
| Secrets and Words | BBC One | |
| 27 March | The Syndicate | |
| 2 April | Our Crime | |
| 10 April | The Matt Lucas Awards | |
| 16 April | The 70s | BBC Two |
| 17 April | Meet the Romans with Mary Beard | |
| 24 April | Britain Unzipped | BBC Three |
| 6 May | Planet Earth Live | BBC One |
| 14 May | Chatsworth | |
| 25 May | The Great British Story: A People's History | BBC Two |
| 28 May | Afghanistan: The Great Game – A Personal View by Rory Stewart | |
| 31 May | Britain's Lost Routes with Griff Rhys Jones | BBC One |
| 14 June | Dead Boss | BBC Three |
| 17 June | True Love | BBC One |
| 26 June | Line of Duty | BBC Two |
| 9 July | Volcano Live | |
| 5 August | Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure | |
| 14 August | Bad Education | BBC Three |
| 24 August | Parade's End | BBC One |
| 26 August | Murder | BBC Two |
| 27 August | Citizen Khan | BBC One |
| 30 August | Good Cop | |
| 25 September | The Paradise | |
| Cuckoo | BBC Three | |
| 26 September | Room at the Top | BBC Four |
| 2 October | Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip – An Emotional History of Britain | BBC Two |
| 4 October | Hunted | BBC One |
| 15 October | Claimed and Shamed | |
| 18 October | Hebburn | BBC Two |
| 24 October | Brazil with Michael Palin | BBC One |
| 18 November | The Secret of Crickley Hall | BBC One |
| 3 December | Inside Claridge's | BBC Two |
| 26 December | The Girl | |
| 30 December | Ripper Street | BBC One |
ITV
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | My Phone Genie | CITV |
| 2 January | Endeavour | ITV |
| 6 January | Eternal Law | |
| 7 January | The Talent Show Story | |
| 10 January | The Exit List | |
| 15 March | Love Life | |
| 25 March | Titanic | |
| 7 April | Keith Lemon's Lemonaid | |
| 14 April | Saturday Cookbook | |
| 17 May | The Exclusives | ITV2 |
| 2 June | You Cannot Be Serious | ITV |
| 10 June | Mark Wright's Hollywood Nights | ITV2 |
| 30 June | Mad Mad World | ITV |
| 2 July | Tipping Point | |
| 5 July | Let's Get Gold | |
| 7 July | Superstar | |
| 2 August | Lemon La Vida Loca | ITV2 |
| 13 August | Ruth Rendell's Thirteen Steps Down | ITV |
| 20 August | Don't Blow the Inheritance | |
| 1 September | Fool Britannia | |
| 3 September | Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs | |
| 3 September | A Mother's Son | |
| 5 September | Mrs Biggs | |
| 9 September | The Scapegoat | |
| 25 September | The Martin Lewis Money Show | |
| 27 September | Homefront | |
| 15 October | Switch | ITV2 |
| 26 November | Britain's Best Bakery | ITV |
| 26 December | That Dog Can Dance |
Channel 4
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 2 January | The Bank Job | Channel 4 |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | ||
| 26 January | Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy | E4 |
| 9 February | MotherTruckers | Channel 4 |
| 15 February | Daddy Daycare | |
| 17 February | The Mad Bad Ad Show | |
| 19 February | Homeland | |
| 1 March | Make Bradford British | |
| Our Man in... | ||
| 14 March | Sri Lanka's Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished | |
| 20 March | Hit the Road Jack | |
| 25 March | Sunday Brunch | |
| 3 April | The Undateables | |
| 24 April | Hidden Talent | |
| 27 April | Very Important People | |
| 3 May | The Hoarder Next Door | |
| 16 May | Secret Eaters | |
| 19 May | Extreme A&E | |
| 21 May | Love Shaft | E4 |
| Gok Cooks Chinese | Channel 4 | |
| 11 June | Secret Removers | |
| 26 June | Gordon Behind Bars | |
| 6 July | The Midnight Beast | E4 |
| 26 July | The Churchills | Channel 4 |
| 30 July | Spoof or Die | |
| 30 August | The Last Leg | |
| 4 September | World Without End | |
| 10 September | Food Unwrapped | |
| 15 September | Comedy World Cup | |
| 7 November | Secret State | |
| 12 November | 1001 Things You Should Know | |
| Full English | ||
| 3 December | The Fear |
Channel 5
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 6 January | World's Toughest Trucker | Channel 5 |
| 9 January | When Paddy Met Sally | |
| 12 June | Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story |
Other channels
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Treasure Island | Sky 1 |
| 2 January | Obese: A Year to Save My Life | Sky 1 |
| 6 January | Stella | |
| 16 January | Gadget Geeks | |
| 29 January | Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew | |
| 27 February | Cleverdicks | Sky Atlantic |
| 9 March | The F1 Show | Sky Sports F1 |
| F1 Legends | ||
| 11 March | The Love Machine | Sky Living |
| 18 March | Don't Stop Me Now | Sky 1 |
| 2 April | Morgan Spurlock's New Britannia | Sky Atlantic |
| 16 April | Dara Ó Briain: School of Hard Sums | Dave |
| 13 May | Starlings | Sky 1 |
| 22 May | Hit & Miss | Sky Atlantic |
| 26 May | Kingdom of Plants 3D | Sky 3D |
| 4 June | Doc McStuffins | Disney Junior |
| 25 June | Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life | Sky Atlantic |
| 6 July | Parents | Sky 1 |
| 8 July | Sinbad | |
| 26 August | A Touch of Cloth | |
| 6 September | The British | Sky Atlantic |
| 10 September | Ronna and Beverley | |
| 14 September | Moone Boy | Sky 1 |
Olympics
See main article, 2012 Summer Olympics
Channels
New channels
| Date | Channel |
|---|---|
| 13 February | MTV HD |
| 9 March | Sky Sports F1 |
| Sky Sports F1 HD | |
| 26 March | More4 +2 |
| 16 April | Trace Sports |
| 23 April | MTV Live |
| 3 May | Sony Movie Channel |
| Sony Movie Channel +1 | |
| 30 May | BuzMuzik |
| 3 July | Alibi HD |
| Heat | |
| 4 July | 4seven |
| 25 July | BBC Olympics 1–24 |
| BBC Olympics 1–24 HD | |
| British Eurosport HD | |
| 30 August | C4 Para 1–3 |
| C4 Para 1–3 HD | |
| 3 September | British Eurosport 2 HD |
| 4 September | TCM HD |
| 20 September | Sky Atlantic +1 |
| 2 October | Nick Jr. +1 |
| 5 October | Sky Movies 007 HD |
| 12 October | Heart TV |
| Capital TV |
Defunct channels
| Date | Channel |
|---|---|
| 5 January | NME TV |
| 14 February | Diva TV |
| 21 February | Sky Living Loves |
| 11 March | Current TV |
| 16 April | Channel M |
| 3 May | Movies4Men 2 |
| Movies4Men 2 +1 | |
| 26 June | More4 +2 |
| 3 July | Bio. HD |
| Q | |
| 13 August | BBC Olympics 1–24 |
| BBC Olympics 1–24 HD | |
| 10 September | C4 Para 1–3 |
| C4 Para 1–3 HD | |
| 2 October | Nicktoons Replay |
| 1 December | Clirlun |
| 31 December | Renault TV |
Rebranded channels
| Date | Old Name | New Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 March | Sky Sports HD 1 | Sky Sports 1 HD |
| Sky Sports HD 2 | Sky Sports 2 HD | |
| Sky Sports HD 3 | Sky Sports 3 HD | |
| Sky Sports HD 4 | Sky Sports 4 HD | |
| 23 April | MTVNHD | MTV Live HD |
| 1 July | Sky Movies Showcase | Sky Movies Summer |
| Sky Movies Showcase HD | Sky Movies Summer HD | |
| 26 August | Sky Movies Summer | Sky Movies Showcase |
| Sky Movies Summer HD | Sky Movies Showcase HD | |
| 2 October | Nickelodeon Replay | Nickelodeon +1 |
| 5 October | Sky Movies Showcase | Sky Movies 007 |
| Sky Movies Showcase HD | Sky Movies 007 HD | |
| 5 November | Sky Movies 007 | Sky Movies Showcase |
| Sky Movies 007 HD | Sky Movies Showcase HD |
Television shows
Changes of network affiliation
Returning this year after a break of one year or longer
| Programme | Date(s) of original removal | Original channel(s) | Date of return | New channel(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room 101 | 9 February 2007 | BBC Two | 20 January 2012 | BBC One |
| Blockbusters | 4 June 1993 30 September 1994 28 August 1997 23 March 2001 | ITV Sky1 BBC Two Sky1 | 14 May 2012 | Challenge |
| All Star Mr & Mrs | 2 July 1999 4 April 2010 | ITV | 5 September 2012 | N/A (Same channel as original) |
| Pocoyo | 6 May 2007 | La 2 | 10 September 2012 | Nick Jr. |
| Red Dwarf | 5 April 1999 12 April 2009 | BBC Two Dave | 4 October 2012 | Dave |
| Surprise Surprise | 26 December 2001 | ITV | 21 October 2012 | N/A (Same channel as original) |
Continuing television shows
1920s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| BBC Wimbledon | 1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present |
1930s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Trooping the Colour | 1937–1939, 1946–2019, 2023–present |
| The Boat Race | 1938–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present |
1950s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Panorama | 1953–present |
| The Sky at Night | 1957–present |
| Blue Peter | 1958–present |
1960s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Coronation Street | 1960–present |
| Points of View | 1961–present |
| Songs of Praise | |
| University Challenge | 1962–1987, 1994–present |
| Doctor Who | 1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present |
| Top of the Pops | 1964–present |
| Match of the Day |
1970s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Question of Sport | 1970–present |
| Upstairs, Downstairs | 1971–1975, 2010–2012 |
| Emmerdale | 1972–present |
| Mastermind | |
| Newsround | |
| Arena | 1975–present |
| One Man and His Dog | 1976–present |
| Top Gear | 1977–present |
| Ski Sunday | 1978–present |
| Antiques Roadshow | 1979–present |
| Question Time |
1980s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Family Fortunes | 1980–1985, 1987–2002, 2006–present |
| Children in Need | 1980–present |
| Timewatch | 1982–present |
| Channel 4 Racing | 1984–2016 |
| Thomas and Friends | 1984–present |
| EastEnders | 1985–present |
| Comic Relief | |
| Casualty | 1986–present |
| This Morning | 1988–present |
| Countryfile | |
| Red Dwarf | 1988–1999, 2009, 2012–present |
| The Simpsons | 1989–present |
1990s
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Have I Got News for You | 1990–present |
| MasterChef | 1990–2001, 2005–present |
| BBC World News | 1991–present |
| Absolutely Fabulous | 1992–1996, 2001–2004, 2011–2012 |
| Junior MasterChef | 1994–1999, 2010–2014 |
| Room 101 | 1994–2007, 2012–2018 |
| Time Team | 1994–2013 |
| The National Lottery Draws | 1994–2017 |
| Top of the Pops 2 | 1994–2017 |
| Hollyoaks | 1995–present |
| Never Mind the Buzzcocks | 1996–2015 |
| Silent Witness | 1996–present |
| Midsomer Murders | 1997–present |
| Teletubbies | 1997–2012 |
| Y Clwb Rygbi, Wales | 1997–present |
| Bob the Builder | 1998–present |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | |
| British Soap Awards | 1999–2019, 2022–present |
| Holby City | 1999–2022 |
2000s
2010s
Ending this year
Television debuts
Deaths
| Date | Name | Age | Broadcast credibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Bryan Daly | 91 | Theme tune composer (Postman Pat, Gran, Bertha the Machine) |
| 3 January | Jenny Tomasin | 73 | Actress (Upstairs, Downstairs, Emmerdale) |
| 4 January | Kerry McGregor | 37 | Singer-songwriter and actress |
| 6 January | Bob Holness | 83 | Game show host (Take a Letter, Blockbusters, Raise the Roof, Call My Bluff) |
| 10 January | Lila Kaye | 82 | Actress |
| 22 January | Sarah Cullen | 62 | Television and radio journalist (ITN News) |
| 26 January | Ian Abercrombie | 77 | Actor (Seinfeld, Army of Darkness, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Wizards of Waverly Place) |
| Colin Tarrant | 59 | Actor (The Bill) aka Andrew Monroe | |
| 12 February | David Kelly | 82 | Actor (Me Mammy, The Italian Job, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fawlty Towers) |
| 15 February | James Whitaker | 71 | Journalist, specialising in the British royal family |
| 22 February | Frank Carson | 85 | Comedian |
| 1 March | Gemma McCluskie | 29 | Actress (EastEnders) |
| 5 March | Philip Madoc | 77 | Actor (Dad's Army, Doctor Who, The Life and Times of David Lloyd George) |
| 3 May | Charlotte Mitchell | 85 | Actress (The Adventures of Black Beauty, ...And Mother Makes Five) |
| 17 May | Colin McIntyre | Founding editor of the BBC's Ceefax teletext service | |
| 5 June | Caroline John | 71 | Actress (Doctor Who) |
| 17 June | Brian Hibbard | 65 | Actor, singer (Coronation Street, Emmerdale) |
| 4 July | Eric Sykes | 89 | Comedian (Sykes) |
| 20 July | Sir Alastair Burnet | 84 | Journalist and broadcaster (News at Ten) |
| Simon Ward | 70 | Actor and Stage. | |
| 21 July | Angharad Rees | 68 | Actress (Poldark). |
| 26 July | Mary Tamm | 62 | Actress (Doctor Who). |
| 27 July | Geoffrey Hughes | 68 | Actor (Coronation Street, Keeping Up Appearances, The Royle Family, Heartbeat) aka Eddie Yeats |
| 11 August | Sid Waddell | 72 | Sports commentator and television personality |
| 31 August | Max Bygraves | 89 | Comedian, singer, actor and variety performer (Crackerjack, Family Fortunes) |
| 6 September | Terry Nutkins | 66 | British TV presenter and naturalist |
| 22 September | Mike Baker | 55 | BBC journalist |
| 27 September | Herbert Lom | 95 | Actor (The Pink Panther, Spartacus, Gambit, The Ladykillers) |
| 22 October | Mike Morris | 66 | British TV presenter and journalist |
| 6 November | Clive Dunn | 92 | Actor and entertainer (Dad's Army) |
| 9 November | Bill Tarmey | 71 | Actor (Coronation Street) aka Jack Duckworth |
| 9 December | Patrick Moore | 89 | Astronomer and broadcaster (The Sky at Night) |
| 14 December | Kenneth Kendall | 88 | BBC's first in-vision newsreader |
| 21 December | Daphne Oxenford | 93 | Radio presenter and actress (Listen with Mother, Coronation Street) |
| 26 December | Gerry Anderson | 83 | Producer, writer and director (Supercar, Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90, Space: 1999) |
| 29 December | Tony Greig | 66 | Former England Cricket Captain and sports commentator |
See also
External links
- at IMDb