1949 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1949.

January

 * No events.

February

 * No events.

March

 * No 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.

May

 * No events.

June

 * No events.

July

 * July – BBC Television revives the regular televised weather forecast.
 * 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.

August

 * No events.

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 first comedy series on British television, starring Terry-Thomas, is first broadcast.

November

 * No events.

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)

1920s

 * BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)

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)
 * 20 October – Jane Tucker, actress, singer and musician
 * 12 December – Bill Nighy, actor
 * 13 December – Robert Lindsay, actor

Deaths

 * 10 June – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, Director General of the BBC, aged 57