This is a list of British television related events from 1949.
Events April 23 April - The first FA Amateur Cup Final staged at Wembley is also the first to be televised. The whole match is shown on the BBC, Bromley beating Romford 1-0.
July July – BBC Television revives the regular televised weather forecast."A history of TV weather forecasts " , BBC website, 16 January 2009 July 11–14 – The first film made specifically for British television, A Dinner Date With Death, is shot at Marylebone Studios in London, featuring Roy Plomley. It is broadcast in 1950.
September 29 September – The BBC Television Service first broadcasts Come Dancing, a TV ballroom dancing competition show.
October 26 October – How Do You View?, the second comedy series on British television, a sitcom starring Terry-Thomas, is first broadcast, live.
December 17 December – The Sutton Coldfield television transmitter is opened in the Midlands, making it the first part of the UK outside London to receive the BBC Television Service. 31 December – BBC television ends the day with a brief live broadcast of 20 sleeping babies in St Thomas' Hospital, London.
Debuts 25 January – The Time Machine (1949) 10 June – Triple Bill (1949) (trio of plays: Witness For the Prosecution; The Call To Arms; and Box For One) 29 September – Come Dancing (1949–1998) 26 October – How Do You View? (1949–1953) 27 November – By Candlelight (1949) 25 December – Miranda (1949)
Continuing television shows 1920s BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present)
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)
Births 13 March – David Neilson, actor 30 March – Sue Cook, broadcaster and author 11 April – David Stafford, writer and broadcaster (died 2023) 29 April – Anita Dobson, actress 2 May – Alan Titchmarsh, gardener and television presenter 13 May – Zoë Wanamaker, American-born actress 21 May – Andrew Neil, Scottish journalist and broadcaster 22 May – Cheryl Campbell, film, television and stage actor 16 August – John McArdle, actor 25 August – Ross Davidson, actor (died 2006) 2 September – Moira Stuart, broadcast presenter 10 September – Freddy Marks, actor, singer and musician (died 2021) 19 September – Twiggy, model and television presenter 23 September – Floella Benjamin, Trinidad-born children's TV presenter and actress 6 October – Sarah Cullen, television and radio journalist (died 2012) 19 October – George Fenton, theme music composer (died 2026) 20 October – Jane Tucker, actress, singer and musician 7 November – Su Pollard, actress and singer 12 December – Bill Nighy, actor 13 December – Robert Lindsay, actor
Deaths 10 June – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, Director General of the BBC, aged 57
See also 1949 in British music 1949 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1949
References
External links List of 1949 British television series at IMDb