The following is a list of British television related events from the year 2006.
Events
January Date Event1 JanuaryBBC One airs The Queen by Rolf, a documentary following artist Rolf Harris as he paints a portrait of the Queen.2 JanuaryBBC One airs the network premieres of Piglet's Big Movie and the Steven Spielberg smash-hit Catch Me If You Can.3 JanuaryChannel 4 quiz show Countdown celebrates its 4000th edition.6 JanuaryITV debuts Soapstar Superstar, a singing talent contest in which soap actors compete to become series champion.7 JanuaryITV's Saturday morning children's show MoM is relaunched under the new title of Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown.9 JanuaryDebut of the offbeat police drama Life on Mars on BBC One and ITV's pilot programme of Dancing on Ice.14 JanuaryCoronation Street actor Richard Fleeshman wins the first series of ITV's Soapstar Superstar.Debut of ITV's Dancing on Ice.15 JanuaryThe BBC announces details of Just the Two of Us, a singing contest following the Strictly Come Dancing format that will air in February and March. Vernon Kay and Tess Daly will present the series which will pair celebrities with professional singers, who will then compete to become series champion.16 JanuaryTo coincide with the introduction of a new identity across ITV plc stations, UTV replaces its 2003 idents with a brand new set.UTV Today: 2006–07 Scenery Idents: About These Idents . Retrieved 1 April 2008. The new idents featured newly recorded films shot across Northern Ireland, again in the form of panoramas. The landscape films used in these idents are updated in July 2007 and October 2008.25 JanuaryITV1 airs the network television premiere of the 2003 film Johnny English starring Rowan Atkinson and Natalie Imbruglia. The film previously aired on Sky Movies in 2004.27 JanuaryChantelle Houghton, a model from Essex, wins the fourth series of Celebrity Big Brother after entering the series as a "fake" celebrity. In order to remain as a contestant she was required to convince the other participants that she was a famous singer.29 JanuaryDebut of ITV's Inspector Morse spin-off Lewis.
February Date Event8 FebruaryChannel 4 confirms that its pay-per-view movie channel FilmFour will go Free-to-air from July, when it will launch on Freeview.10 FebruaryThe events of the 2006 Winter Olympics start broadcasting on the BBC.14 FebruaryCoronation Street bosses defend their decision to film a storyline involving a car breaking down on Saddleworth Moor, scene of the 1960s Moors murders, saying the plot has nothing to do with the events that occurred there.15 FebruaryBBC One debuts Davina, a chat show presented by Davina McCall. Guests on the first edition include Charlotte Church, Tess Daly and Vernon Kay. The show proves to be a disaster, with The Guardians Gareth Maclean noting that McCall "found herself floundering and foundering, struggling through [interviews], and exposing herself in a way from which even the hardiest flasher would recoil", while Jonathan Ross blames a poor guest line up. The 8 March edition gives BBC One its worst ever peak time ratings of 2.75 million. By the time the show ends on 12 April ratings have fallen to below 2.5 million. It is axed shortly afterwards.19 FebruaryChannel 4 airs the penultimate and final episode of Gene Simmons' Rock School where the band Hoax UK (formerly No Comment) opened for Judas Priest at Long Beach Arena. Members included the late Lil' Chris, Ellie Chapman, Samanie Warren-Close, Sammi Reeve, Lindsey Rose, Jess Reid and others.23 FebruaryJust the Two of Us debuts on BBC One.26 FebruaryThe events of the 2006 Winter Olympics end broadcasting on the BBC.28 FebruaryL!VE TV is moved to the adult section of Sky's EPG, and is rebranded as "Babeworld" two days later. This is because the channel has moved to broadcasting an increasingly adult themed content.
March Date Event2 MarchCharlie Brooker's ...wipe series debuts on BBC Four, starting with the first episode of Screenwipe which is still a rival to ITV's Harry Hill's TV Burp.4 MarchBBC Two shows the network television premiere of Anita and Me, a coming of age drama based on the book of the same name by Meera Syal.Actress Gaynor Faye and professional skating partner Daniel Whiston win the first series of Dancing on ice.Tony Blair becomes the first serving prime minister to be interviewed by Michael Parkinson on his chat show. Blair volunteers the information that he believes he will be judged by God for the Iraq War.5 MarchSiân Reeves and Russell Watson win the first series of Just the Two of Us.11 MarchDick & Dom in da Bungalow comes to an end after four years on CBBC.ITV launches a CITV channel, which broadcasts during the downtime hours of ITV4, replacing the ITV News Channel.18 MarchChristopher Napier, performing as George Formby, wins the fourth and final junior series of Stars in Their Eyes. The programme continues with a number of special editions during 2006, before a final celebrity special on 23 December.19 MarchAmerican period sitcom television series Everybody Hates Chris debuts on Five.23 MarchCoronation Street bosses dismiss as untrue media reports that the child actress who plays Amy Barlow is being replaced because her parents felt her storylines were "too harrowing", and her workload too heavy.24 MarchITV announces plans to air World of Chat, a show on ITV2 featuring the best from chat shows around the world.25–26 MarchUKTV Gold presents its Mitchells Weekend to coincide with the return of Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) to EastEnders. The weekend includes The Mitchells – The Full Story, a documentary about the soap family presented by actress Kim Medcalf.
April Date Event3 AprilGraham Norton will present How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, a TV talent search for an actress to play Maria in a stage production of The Sound of Music, it is announced.7 April12.6 million viewers watch long-running Coronation Street character Mike Baldwin die in the arms of his long-time rival, Ken Barlow. Baldwin, played by Johnny Briggs, had been in the show for 30 years.13 AprilBBC daytime soap opera Doctors air the first same-sex marriage on British television when characters Greg Robinson (Ben Jones) and Rico Da Silva (Felix D'Alviella) get married.17 AprilPeter Bayless wins the 2006 series of MasterChef Goes Large.19 AprilITV launches ITV Play, a new 24/7 participation TV channel, on Freeview in the United Kingdom. It will launch on other platforms later in the year.21 AprilThe Queen celebrates her 80th birthday at Windsor. The Prince of Wales makes a televised address in tribute.Denis Norden announces his retirement from his two ongoing ITV shows It'll Be Alright on the Night and spin-off show Denis Norden's Laughter File, after 30 years with ITV.ITV secures the terrestrial television screening rights to Casino Royale, the new James Bond film that will be released in November. The film receives its terrestrial television premiere on 19 September 2009.24 AprilCartoon Network Too and Nick Jr. 2 are launched in the UK.25 AprilThe BBC announces that Grandstand, its flagship sports TV programme, will be phased out within the next year after nearly 50 years on air.
May Date Event5 MayThe BBC's local election coverage goes off air shortly before 3:00 am, due to a power failure at their Millbank studios. For the next hour coverage relocates to The Counting House pub, with results being read out using handwritten pieces of paper.6 MayITV1 broadcasts the network premiere of Peter Pan.8 MayGuy Goma, a graduate from the Congo who went to the BBC to attend a job interview, appears on BBC News 24 in place of an IT expert after a mix-up. Guy Kewney had been scheduled to comment on the subject of Apple Computer's court case with The Beatles' record label, Apple Corps, but a producer collected the wrong man from the wrong reception at Television Centre.The Price Is Right returns to ITV1 after a five year absence with Joe Pasquale as host.10 MayFormer supermarket cashier Michelle Dewberry wins the second series of The Apprentice and a £100,000 a year job working for Sir Alan Sugar.14 MayProducers of Coronation Street confirm that Debra Stephenson, who plays Frankie Baldwin, will be leaving the soap at the end of the year.15 MayBBC High Definition Television Trial commences.The University of Manchester wins the 2005–06 series of University Challenge, beating Trinity Hall, Cambridge 160–150.18 MayChannel 4 airs the first ever Big Brother episode to be shot in 16:9 widescreen.20 MayJust minutes before the live Eurovision Song Contest final begins, BBC One's live National Lottery draw is invaded by Fathers 4 Justice protestors. The show is temporarily taken off air, leaving just a programme logo and announcer Alan Dedicoat's voice until the problems are resolved.Finland's Lordi win the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest (staged in Athens) with "Hard Rock Hallelujah".ITV airs The Princes' Trust 30th Birthday Concert Live which is a four-hour fundraiser telethon that includes an outdoor concert, royal interviews and studio-based sketches.22 MayBSkyB launch High-definition television in the UK under the brand Sky HD.26 MayUTV changes its registered company name from 'Ulster Television plc' to 'UTV plc', the company's belief being that the existing name no longer reflected the full scope of the company's business. 27 MayThe BBC's first scheduled HDTV broadcast on BBC HD.The first ever Soccer Aid football match takes place at Old Trafford and is broadcast live on ITV1. England defeat the Rest of the World 2–1 and £2 million is raised for UNICEF, the event's charity partner.28 MayIt is announced that the traditional live Saturday morning kids' programmes are to be axed after 38 years on either channels, ending on 1 July. This is because children have more choice to digital multi channels and ITV will rival Saturday Kitchen with Saturday Cooks!.30 MayScottish and Grampian are rebranded as STV Central and STV North respectively.
June Date Event4 JuneCoronation Street confirms that Richard Fleeshman, who plays Craig Harris, will be leaving the soap to follow a singing career.5 JuneActress Lucy Benjamin wins The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, a celebrity version of the ITV music talent contest.6 JuneITV announces that Central News South's existence as a news region will end after 17 years when the eastern half of the region (the area served by the Oxford transmitter) merges its operations with Meridian West's output, forming a new news region named ITV Thames Valley.9 June–9 JulyLive coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Germany is aired by the BBC and ITV.15 JuneThe BBC announces that Billie Piper will leave her role as Rose Tyler on Doctor Who at the end of the second series the following month. 19 JuneBBC One Controller Peter Fincham announces that They Think It's All Over will not be recommissioned for a new series, ending a run of eleven years on air.20 JuneThe BBC announces that Top of the Pops will be axed, the final show airing on 30 July.18.46 million watch England vs Sweden in the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Germany, the highest rated programme of the year.24 JuneJames Martin presents his first edition of Saturday Kitchen, taking over from Antony Worrall Thompson who has moved to ITV with rival show Saturday Cooks!.26 June–9 JulyLive coverage of the Wimbledon 2006 is aired by the BBC with the first Wimbledon season to be shot in 16:9 widescreen.
July