1951 in British television

This is a list of British television related events from 1951.

January – June

 * No events.

July

 * 16 July – What's My Line? debuts on the BBC Television Service. It will be one of the top-rated programmes for the rest of the decade and make a star of its host, Eamonn Andrews, who takes over from Gilbert Harding from the second episode.

August – September

 * No events.

October

 * 12 October – The Holme Moss transmitter is opened in Northern England, making the BBC Television Service available to the region for the first time.

November – December

 * No events.

Unknown

 * The BBC broadcasts horse racing for the first time when it televises races from Ascot.

Debuts

 * 6 February – The Railway Children (1951)
 * 20 May – The Black Arrow (1951)
 * 17 June – Five Children and It (1951)
 * 16 July – What's My Line? (1951–1963, 1973-1974, 1984-1990)
 * 29 July – The Final Test (1951)
 * 12 August – Albert (1951)
 * 2 September – Treasure on Pelican (1951)
 * 25 September – Puck of Pook's Hill (1951)
 * 20 October
 * Sherlock Holmes (1951)
 * Stranger from Space (1951-1952)
 * 6 November – Sara Crewe (1951)
 * Unknown
 * The Charlie Chester Show (1951, 1955)
 * The Inch Man (1951-1952)

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)
 * Come Dancing (1949–1998)
 * How Do You View? (1949–1953)

1950s

 * Andy Pandy (1950–1970, 2002–2005)

Ending this year

 * 23 January – Little Women (1950–1951)
 * 24 November – Sherlock Holmes (1951)

Births

 * 7 January – Helen Worth, born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth, actress
 * 21 January – Rosemary Shrager, chef and presenter
 * 6 February – Kevin Whately, actor
 * 15 February – Jane Seymour, born Joyce Frankenberg, actress
 * 18 March – Paul Barber, actor
 * 13 April – Peter Davison, actor
 * 20 April – Louise Jameson, actress
 * 11 May – Kay Mellor, born Kay Daniel, scriptwriter and actress (died 2022)
 * 13 May – Selina Scott, journalist, newsreader and television presenter
 * 4 June – David Yip, actor
 * 28 June – Lalla Ward, actress
 * 4 September – David Renwick, scriptwriter
 * 10 September – Sally Grace, satirist, actress and voice actress
 * 30 September – John Lloyd, producer
 * 6 November – Nigel Havers, actor
 * 15 November – Billy McColl, actor (died 2014)
 * 24 November – Margaret Mountford, lawyer, businesswoman and television personality
 * 20 December – Peter May, novelist and television dramatist