1962 in British television

Events

January

• 2 January – Z-Cars premieres on BBC TV, noted as a realistic portrayal of the police.

  February

• No events.

  March

• No events.

  April

• 17 April – Brothers in Law premieres on BBC TV.

  May

• No events.

  June

• 14 June – BBC television broadcasts the first episode of the sitcom Steptoe and Son, written by Galton and Simpson.

  July

• 1 July – Police 5 premieres on ITV.
• 11 July – Live television broadcast from the USA to Britain for the first time, via the Telstar satellite and Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station.
• 23 July – First live public transatlantic television broadcast, via satellite Telstar.

  August

• No events.

  September

• 1 September – Channel Television, the ITV franchise for the Channel Islands, goes on air.
• 14 September – Wales West and North Television goes on air to the North and West Wales region, extending ITV to the whole of the UK.
• 21 September – First broadcast of the long-running television quiz programme University Challenge, made by Granada Television with Bamber Gascoigne as quizmaster.
• 22 September – Anglia Television launches Match of the Week, which shows highlights of matches from around East Anglia. Shortly after, Tyne Tees Television in the North East of England began broadcasting local matches soon after under the title Shoot.

  October

• 4 October – The Saint premieres on ITV with Roger Moore in the title role.
• 17 October – Veteran Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne becomes the first person to introduce The Beatles on television as the band makes its small screen debut on local news programme People and Places''.

  November

• 24 November – The first episode of influential satire show That Was The Week That Was is broadcast on BBC Television.

  December

• No events.

  Unknown

• Cigarette adverts are banned from children's programmes in the UK. Actors in these adverts now have to be over 21, and connection to social success is no longer allowed. The tobacco companies also start a policy of not advertising before 9pm.

  Debuts

BBC Television Service/BBC TV

• 2 January –
• *Z-Cars
• *Compact
• 8 January – Crying Down the Lane
• 22 January – Studio 4
• 2 February – Corrigan Blake
• 19 February – Barbara in Black
• 10 March – The Six Proud Walkers
• 8 April – Stranger in the City
• 13 April – Animal Magic
• 14 April – Mr. Pastry's Progress
• 17 April – Brothers in Law
• 30 April – Suspense
• 16 May – Boss Cat
• 21 May – The Franchise Affair
• 26 May – William
• 27 May – The Master of Ballantrae
• 9 June – The Big Pull
• 14 June – Steptoe and Son
• 28 June – The Andromeda Breakthrough
• 8 July – The Dark Island
• 17 July – Hugh and I
• 21 July – Outbreak of Murder
• 7 August – Silent Evidence
• 16 August – Dr. Finlay's Casebook
• 16 August – Katy
• 12 September – Dial RIX
• 17 September – Wales Today
• 3 October – Zero One
• 6 October – The Last Man Out
• 14 October – The River Flows East
• 14 October – Raise Your Glasses
• 8 November – The Monsters
• 12 November – Top of the Form
• 24 November – That Was The Week That Was

  ITV

• 27 February – Sara and Hoppity
• 4 June – Richard the Lionheart
• 30 June – Out of This World
• 1 July – Police 5
• 19 September – Bulldog Breed
• 21 September – University Challenge
• 29 September – Man of the World
• 29 September – The Sword in the Web
• 4 October – The Saint
• 11 October – It's a Living
• 26 October – Francie and Josie
• 28 October – Fireball XL5
• 17 November – City Beneath the Sea
• 20 December – It Happened Like This

  Continuing television shows

1920s

• BBC Wimbledon

  1930s

• BBC Cricket

  1940s

• Watch with Mother
• Come Dancing

  1950s

• Andy Pandy
• Rag, Tag and Bobtail
• The Good Old Days
• Panorama
• Picture Book
• Sunday Night at the London Palladium
• Take Your Pick
• Double Your Money
• Dixon of Dock Green
• Crackerjack
• Opportunity Knocks
• This Week
• Armchair Theatre
• What the Papers Say
• The Sky at Night
• Blue Peter
• Grandstand
• Noggin the Nog

  1960s

• Sykes and A...
• The Flintstones
• Coronation Street
• Points of View
• Songs of Praise
• Ghost Squad
• The Avengers

  Ending this year

• Railway Roundabout
• Face to Face
• Sir Francis Drake
• Supercar
• Top Cat
• Winning Widows

  Births

• 25 January – Emma Freud, English broadcaster and cultural commentator
• 7 February – Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
• 13 February – Hugh Dennis, British actor, comedian and writer
• 21 February – Vanessa Feltz, British television presenter
• 17 March – Clare Grogan, Scottish actress and singer
• 1 April – Phillip Schofield, British TV presenter
• 23 April – John Hannah, Scottish actor
• 17 May
• *Craig Ferguson, Scottish actor and television presenter
• *Alan Johnston, journalist
• 6 June – Sarah Parkinson, producer and writer of radio and television programmes
• 15 June – Chris Morris, satirist and actor
• 19 June – Lisa Aziz, journalist and newsreader
• 25 June – Phill Jupitus, comedian and broadcaster
• 29 June – Amanda Donohoe, English actress
• 4 July – Neil Morrissey, English actor
• 24 July – Cleo Rocos, British actress
• 20 August – Sophie Aldred, British actress and television presenter
• 5 September – Peter Wingfield, Welsh actor
• 8 September – Daljit Dhaliwal, British newsreader and television presenter
• 15 September – Steve Punt, British actor, comedian and writer
• 17 September – Michael French, actor
• 21 September – Nick Knowles, television presenter
• 24 September
• *Jack Dee, British comedian
• *Ally McCoist, Scottish footballer and TV pundit and A Question of Sport team captain
• 5 October – Caron Keating, British TV presenter
• 20 October – Boothby Graffoe, English comedian, singer, songwriter and playwright
• 25 October – Nick Hancock, British actor and television presenter
• 26 October – Cary Elwes, British actor
• 12 November – Mariella Frostrup, British journalist and television presenter
• 26 November – Louise Harrison, actress and producer
• 3 December – Sarah Jarvis, General Practitioner and media personality
• 6 December – Colin Salmon, British actor
• 28 December – Kaye Adams, Scottish television presenter
• Unknown
• *Carrie Gracie, journalist and newsreader
• *Kazia Pelka, actress
• *Matthew Amroliwala, newsreader
• *Jack Docherty, Scottish comedian
• *Mat Fraser, actor, musician and performing artist