This is a list of events that took place in 2021 relating to television in the United Kingdom.

Events January Date Event1BBC One airs Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve to see in 2021, as well as the fireworks display from London. This year's display includes a light show created by 300 drones that pays tribute to NHS staff and notable figures of 2020. Overnight figures indicate the display is watched by 10.75 million viewers.BBC One airs "Revolution of the Daleks", the New Year's Day special of Doctor Who. The episode sees John Barrowman return as Captain Jack Harkness, as well as the departure of Graham and Ryan, played by Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole. Following its broadcast, comedian John Bishop is revealed as the character Dan, who will be The Doctor's companion in the next series.BBC Two airs the annual Vienna New Year's Concert. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic there is no live audience for the 2021 concert, but the concert is able to go ahead as the orchestra have been Coronavirus tested on a daily basis.3The Mirror reports that Jodie Whittaker will leave her role as the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of the next series of Doctor Who. In response the BBC says it would comment on the matter.4In a televised address, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a third lockdown for England, with rules similar to those in both March 2020 and November 2020. It is viewed by over 24 million people on TV.5The BBC announces that programming for schools will air on BBC Two and CBBC, as well as online, during the latest lockdown, starting from Monday 11 January.6Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announces that Richard Sharp, former chair of the Royal Academy of Arts, is the government's preferred choice for the next Chairman of the BBC.Sky Cinema Disney ceases broadcasting making it the last Disney related channel to close and now all of Disney's content are available exclusively on Disney+.7ITV announces that filming for Series 15 of Britain's Got Talent has been suspended because of the Coronavirus pandemic.Visitors to Gwrych Castle, near Abergele, used for filming I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, will be able to see some of the sets used for the series when the castle reopens, it has been confirmed.8Graham Norton, who presents the Eurovision Song Contest, has said the 2021 contest, scheduled for May, will definitely go ahead as planned.14Richard Sharp, the BBC's incoming chairman, says that the licence fee is the "least worst" way of funding the BBC.Maya Jama is announced as the new presenter of Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star, replacing Stacey Dooley.15Filming on Emmerdale is paused because of a Coronavirus outbreak on set.18Steven Knight, creator of the BBC television series Peaky Blinders, confirms the upcoming sixth series will be the last. The following day he announces that a film will follow the final series.20A National Audit Office report concludes the BBC faces "significant" uncertainty over its financial future due to changes in viewing habits.21The UK government confirms plans to shelve the decriminalisation of the TV licence for the time being, but says it will "remain under active consideration".22Ahead of a full rollout on all media platforms, the UK government's "Can you look them in the eyes?" public health campaign is launched on television, with ads on ITV and Channel 4; the ads are designed to encourage people to adhere to Coronavirus restrictions.23Sky announces plans for a TV drama about the Coronavirus pandemic that will feature the stories of real people during the pandemic, including healthcare workers and those working in care homes, and is scheduled to air in 2022. But plans for This Sceptred Isle, which will star Kenneth Branagh as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, draw widespread criticism from those who feel it is too early to make such a drama, particularly when the pandemic is ongoing and Johnson's handling of it has been criticised by media and politicians.25Sky UK announces an increase in the number of original films and television series in an attempt to compete with streaming platforms such as Netflix.Filming on Emmerdale resumes, but filming of Coronation Street is paused for two weeks to allow writers to amend storylines so they can fit in with current Coronavirus restrictions.28GB News hires Sun journalist Dan Wootton to present a daily show on the forthcoming channel.ITV postpones the next series of Britain's Got Talent until 2022 amid concerns over safety during the Coronavirus outbreak.

February Date Event2Channel 4's on demand streaming service, All 4, has claimed a record number of viewers for the five-part Russell T Davies series It's a Sin, which it says has been viewed 6.5 million times since its release on 22 January.3Organisers of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for May, have ruled out a full event without social distancing because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.Comedian Rufus Hound withdraws from Dancing on Ice after testing positive for Coronavirus. He is replaced by presenter Matt Richardson.4Ofcom revokes China Global Television Network's licence to broadcast in the UK after it emerges that the company running the news channel does not have day-to-day control over it, something that is against Ofcom rules.5Police in Northern Ireland have warned a Panorama team of a threat from a criminal following the broadcast of an edition of the programme on 1 February that alleged an individual's influence on world boxing.Channel 4 begins showing England's cricket tour to India. This is the first time that an overseas tour has been seen in full on free-to-air television and is the first test cricket broadcast on free-to-air television, and Channel 4, since 2005.News UK hires Gordon Smart, a former presenter with Radio X to present and produce a daily TV programme provisionally titled News to Me.6John Humphrys announces he will step down as presenter of Mastermind at the end of the current series in March.7Democratic Unionist Party MP Gregory Campbell is accused of "race-baiting" after describing the number of black people on an edition of Songs of Praise as "the BBC at its BLM (Black Lives Matter) worst". Campbell made the remarks in a post on social media during 31 January edition of the programme that was covering the Gospel Singer of the Year competition.8Doctors returns to transmission following its extended Christmas break.9It is reported that Coronation Street actors Elle Mulvaney and Tanisha Gorey have confirmed filming on the soap has resumed.https://www.list.co.uk/article/123538-coronation-street-resumes-filming/#:~:text='Coronation%20Street'%20has%20resumed%20filming,up%20and%20running%20once%20again .12The character Tracy Beaker (played by Dani Harmer) returns to television in My Mum Tracy Beaker, a three-part CBBC series showing her as an adult with a young daughter. The show breaks CBBC records, gaining 883,000 viewers, half of those were young adults returning and the half being children aged 4 and up.13Joss Stone wins the second series of The Masked Singer. Overnight viewing figures indicate the programme was watched by 8.6 million viewers.15Channel 4 announces that Anne Robinson is to be the first female host of Countdown; she will take up the role when current presenter Nick Hewer steps down later in the year.ITV announces that production of Dancing on Ice is being suspended for a week, due to the large number of celebrities withdrawing from the competition either due to injury or Coronavirus. The show planned for 21 February is replaced with a compilation special.18Commercial television stations in the UK air a short film featuring celebrities urging people from ethnic communities to get vaccinated. Those appearing in the film include Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Romesh Ranganathan.19James Newman is chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, giving him a second chance to take part in the contest after the 2020 contest was cancelled due to Coronavirus.Radio presenter Roman Kemp is to front a documentary for BBC Three about suicide among young males.22In a televised address, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveils a four-step plan for ending coronavirus restrictions in England by 21 June.Jason Donovan confirms he has been forced to pull out of Dancing on Ice due to ongoing back pain.23Disney+ adds their new hub, Star, featuring more adult-aimed content from 20th Century Studios, ABC Signature and Hulu. The hub also features the launch of Star original programming.26ITV confirms plans to curtail Series 13 of Dancing on Ice by a week due to the number of participants who have dropped out due to injury, bringing the final forward from 21 to 14 March.Talent agent and author Melanie Blake announces her plans to launch a new British soap opera, Falcon Bay. The soap would be based on her book, Ruthless Women. She confirms that Stephanie Beacham would star in the soap if she secures the rights to the production.27BBC One covers England's Six Nations match against Wales in which the latter win 40–24. Following the game, sports reporter Sonja McLaughlan receives abuse on social media, something that is subsequently condemned by the BBC.

March