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This is a list of British television related events from 1998.

Contents 1 Events 2 Debuts 2.1 BBC One 2.2 BBC Two 2.3 ITV 2.4 Channel 4 2.5 Channel 5 2.6 Nickelodeon UK 2.7 Cartoon Network 3 Television shows 3.1 Returning this year after a break of one year or longer 3.2 1950s 3.3 1960s 3.4 1970s 3.5 1980s 3.6 1990s 4 Ending this year 5 Deaths 6 References

Events

• 21 January – The former Conservative MP Rupert Allason loses a libel action against BBC Worldwide and Hat Trick Productions over comments made in a 1996 book based on the satirical television programme Have I Got News for You. A paragraph in Have I Got 1997 for You, had noted "...given Mr Allason's fondness for pursuing libel actions, there are also excellent legal reasons for not referring to him as a conniving little shit".^[1]
• February – CNBC Europe merges with European Business News, upon which the channel is known officially as "CNBC Europe - A Service of NBC and Dow Jones".
• 20 February – Robot Wars in the UK having originally appearing in the latter half of 1997 re-appears on BBC Two.
• 29 March – BBC America launches in the United States.
• 31 March – CMT UK ceases broadcasting.
• 3 April – The Children's Channel ceases broadcasting in the UK after fourteen years.
• 6 April – Cable and Wireless viewers see the Nordic version of The Children's Channel and ceases broadcasting half a year later.
• 16 April – CITV is scheduled to air the tenth episode of ReBoot's third season. However, the episode is not aired and Timmy Towers is aired instead of ReBoot. ReBoot hasn't aired since.
• 9 May – The 43rd Eurovision Song Contest is held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. The contest is presented by Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson and won by Israel's Dana International singing "Diva".
• 18 May – The British Academy Television Awards are awarded in the separate ceremony to the British Academy Film Awards for the first time.
• 31 May – Sky Scottish closes after 18 months on air.
• 26 June – Launch of the music channel Kiss TV.
• 29 July – British Digital Broadcasting rebrand as ONdigital.
• 10 September – Sky Movies Screen 1, Sky Movies Screen 2 and Sky Movies Gold are Change to Sky Premier, Sky Moviemax and Sky Cinema.
• 23 September – BBC Choice, the UK's first digital-only TV station, launches. BBC Parliament also launches on the same day.
• 1 October – Digital satellite television launches in the UK, operated by Sky Digital. This sees the start of UK channels transmitting in 16:9 widescreen.
• 1 October – Sky Sports News is launched.
• 19 October – Richard Bacon becomes the first ever Blue Peter presenter to have his contract terminated in mid-run after the tabloid newspaper News of the World publishes a report of him taking cocaine.^[2] After his dismissal the Head of BBC children's programmes, Lorraine Heggessey, goes on air to explain the situation to CBBC viewers.^[2]
• 1 November – Launch of FilmFour. The opening night is simulcast on Channel 4.
• 15 November – Digital terrestrial television launches in the UK, operated by ONdigital which became ITV Digital almost 3 years later.
• 7 December – Launch of the UK's second digital-only TV station ITV2.
• 11 December – BBC governors reject a request to give Scotland its own Six O'Clock News bulletin. Instead an extra £20m will be spent on new jobs and programming in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.^[3]
• 14 December – After a world-record-breaking 75 consecutive victories, Ian Lygo makes his final appearance on the Channel 5 game show 100%, after being forced to retire by the show's producers.
• Unknown - The Simpsons 200th episode airs on Sky1.

Debuts

BBC One

• 20 July – Heartburn Hotel (1998–2000)
• 6 September – Tweenies (1998–2003)
• 14 September – The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006–present)
• September – Bob the Builder (1998–present)
• 12 November – Dinnerladies (1998–2000)

BBC Two

• 15 January – Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998–2000)
• 15 February – This Morning with Richard Not Judy (1998–1999)

ITV

• 24 January – Ice Warriors (1998)
• 6 March – Airline (1998–2006)
• April – Diggit (1998–2003)
• 16 May – Don't Try This at Home sequels to take over from You Bet! (1998–2001)
• 29 August – SMTV Live (1998–2003)
• 4 September – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (1998–present)
• 15 November – Cold Feet (1998–2003)
• 23 June - Cadfael The Holy Thief (1998 Season 4 Episode 1)
• 23 December - Cadfael The Potter's Field (1998)
• 28 December - Cadfael The Pilgrim of Hate (1998, Season 4 Episode 3, last)
• Unknown - Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1998–1999)

Channel 4

• 12 April – Scrapheap Challenge (1998–present)
• 3 July – So Graham Norton (1998–2002)
• 30 September – The 11 O'Clock Show (1998–2000)
• 25 October – T4 (1998–2012)
• 30 October – Streetmate (1998–present)

Channel 5

• 2 January - PB Bear and Friends (1998)
• 28 April – Open House with Gloria Hunniford (1998–2003)

Nickelodeon UK

• 23 February – Renford Rejects (1998–2001)

Cartoon Network

• 18 November – The Powerpuff Girls (1998–2005) (Repeated on Channel 5 from 2000–2001)

Television shows

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

• James the Cat (1984–1992 ITV, 1998–2003 Channel 5)

1950s

• Panorama (1953–present)
• What the Papers Say (1956–2008)
• Captain Pugwash (1957–1975, 1997–2002)
• The Sky at Night (1957–present)
• Blue Peter (1958–present)
• Grandstand (1958–2007)

1960s

• Coronation Street (1960–present).
• Songs of Praise (1961–present).
• Top of the Pops (1964–2006).
• Match of the Day (1964–present).
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964–1999, 2008–2010, 2012–present).
• Call My Bluff (1965–2005).
• The Money Programme (1966–present).

1970s

• Emmerdale (1972–present).
• Newsround (1972–present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010).
• Wish You Were Here...? (1974–2003).
• Arena (1975–present).
• Grange Hill (1978–2008).
• Blankety Blank (1979–1990, 1997–2002).
• Antiques Roadshow (1979–present).
• Question Time (1979–present)

1980s

• Children in Need (1980–present)
• Timewatch (1982–present)
• Brookside (1982–2003)
• Countdown (1982–present)
• Right to Reply (1982–2001)
• The Bill (1984–2010)
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984–present)
• EastEnders (1985–present).
• Comic Relief (1985–present).
• Casualty (1986–present).
• ChuckleVision (1987–present).
• London's Burning (1988–2002)
• On the Record (1988–2002)
• Fifteen to One (1988–2003)
• This Morning (1988–present).
• The Simpsons (1989–present)

1990s

• Stars in Their Eyes (1990–2006)
• Doug (1991–1994, 1996–1999)
• Rugrats (1991–2004)
• 2point4 children (1991–1999)
• Big Break (1991–2002)
• Noel's House Party (1991–1999)
• The Big Breakfast (1992–2002)
• 999 (1992–2003)
• Heartbeat (1992–2010)
• Breakfast with Frost (1993–2005)
• Wipeout (1994-2002)
• Animal Hospital (1994–2004)
• Time Team (1994–present)
• Hollyoaks (1995–present)
• Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)
• Kenan and Kel (1996–2000)
• Ballykissangel (1996–2001)
• Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)
• Dexter's Laboratory (1996–2003)
• Hey Arnold! (1996–2004)
• Arthur (1996–present)
• Y Clwb Rygbi, Wales (1997–present)
• Dream Team (1997–2007)
• The Jack Docherty Show (1997–1999)
• Family Affairs (1997–2005)
• 100% (1997–2001)
• Teletubbies (1997–2002)
• Robot Wars (1994, 1997–2004)
• Midsomer Murders (1997–present)
• Cow and Chicken (1997–1999)
• I Am Weasel (1997–2000)
• Johnny Bravo (1997–2004)
• King of the Hill (1997–2010)
• South Park (1997–present)

Ending this year

• Come Dancing (1949–1998)
• Take Your Pick (1955–1968, 1992–1998)
• World in Action (1963–1998)
• Alas Smith and Jones (1982–1998)
• The Cook Report (1985–1998)
• Crosswits (1985–1998)
• Telly Addicts (1985–1998)
• The Chart Show (1986–1998, 2008–2009)
• Birds of a Feather (1989–1998)
• The Riddlers (1989–1998)
• Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998)
• Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998)
• Gamesmaster (1992–1998)
• Run the Risk (1993–1998)
• Saturday Disney (1993–1998)
• Tots TV (1993–1998)
• Wycliffe (1994–1998)
• Father Ted (1995–1998)
• Is It Legal? (1995–1998)
• The Demon Headmaster (1996–1998)
• Muppets Tonight (1996–1998)
• Wake Up in the Wild Room (1996–1998)
• Whittle (1997–1998)
• Noah's Ark (1997–1998)
• Power Rangers In Space (1997–1998)
• Ice Warriors (1998)

Deaths

• 2 January – Frank Muir, 77, comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur
• 28 February – Dermot Morgan, 45, star of Father Ted.
• 2 May – Kevin Lloyd, 49, actor, The Bill
• 25 August – Barbara Mandell, 78, television journalist and UK's first female newsreader^[4]
• 17 October – Joan Hickson, 92, actress, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.
• 13 December – Sir Lew Grade, 91, showbusiness impresario and television company executive.

References