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tvark.bsky.social
TVARK
@tvark.bsky.social
1.6K followers 3 following 2.3K posts
The online TV museum 📺 📼 documenting TV graphics and branding from the UK and around the world. • https://tvark.org
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tvark.bsky.social
19 February

2016 - 3 part series The Man Who Witnessed 219 Executions began streaming on BBC Three online.

2016 - Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury debuts on ITV.

2006 - Gene Simmonds Rock School ends on Channel 4.

2001 - Crime drama In Deep debuts on BBC One
The Man Who Witnessed 219 Executions is a 3 part series of short films which began streaming on BBC Three online on BBC iPlayer from 19 February 2016. All episodes were released on the same day. Told by Larry Fitzgerald (the man once known as the face of executions), The Man Who Witnessed 219 Executions is a chilling portrait of the inner workings of the death penalty in America. Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury was a series broadcast on ITV from 19 February 2016 to 17 February 2017. 2 series totalling 14 programmes were made. Discover Britain's most beautiful walking trails as Julia Bradbury shares handpicked routes suitable for families, featuring spectacular views and easy-to-follow paths. An Oh Matron! and Outdoor co-production for ITV. Gene Simmonds Rock School was broadcast on Channel 4 from 30 September 2005 to 19 February 2006. The final show saw the band (Hoax UK) perform at a Judas Priest concert at Long Beach Arena in California, US. In Deep is a crime drama series broadcast on BBC One from 19 February 2001 to 4 March 2003. 3 series totalling 22 episodes were made. Life as an undercover detective is demanding. One slip-up can result in disaster, something that Liam Ketman and Garth O'Hanlon know only too well. The pressure of leading complicated double lives means that sacrifices must be made for the job and the impact on their personal lives is immense. The cast includes Nick Berry, Stephen Tompkinson, Lisa Maxwell, Karianne Henderson, Buster Reece, Meera Syal, Fiona Allen, Vincenzo Pellegrino, Carli Norris and Kate Williams. A Valentine production for BBC.
February 20, 2026 at 1:26 AM
tvark.bsky.social
19 February

1996 - Jarvis Cocker storms the stage at the BRIT Awards protesting Michael Jackson's act.

1986 - QED did a Round Britain Whizz. The GB coastline in 30 minutes.

1986 - BBC 1 debuts kids show You Should Be So Lucky.

1986 - Channel 4 debuts comedy drama Prospects.
On 19 February 1996, Jarvis Cocker stormed the stage at the BRIT Awards being held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. Cocker mounted the stage in what he would later claim as protest at this portion of the performance. He ran across the stage, lifting his shirt and pointing his (clothed) bottom in Jackson's direction. Jarvis was subsequently questioned by the police on suspicion of causing injury towards three of the children in Jackson's performance, who were now on stage. No criminal proceedings followed. It was later alleged that someone in Jackson's entourage hurt the children. On 19 February 1986, QED showed a programme called Round Britain Whizz on BBC 1. In this show, a 30 minute sped-up flight around the coastline of Britain took place. The flight was done by Squadron Leader Ray Thilthorpe in an RAF Hawk jet. During the programme there were guests reporting from different parts of the coastline. Patrick Moore was at Beachy Head, David Bellamy at The Wash and Clay Jones in Cardigan Bay. The flight actually took several hours in real time. To actually achieve going around Britain's coastline in 30 minutes it would have needed a speed five times faster than Concorde. You Should Be So Lucky is a kids gameshow broadcast on BBC 1 from 19 February 1986 to 11 February 1987. 2 series totalling 12 episodes were made. It was hosted by Colin Bennett in the character of Vince Purity. Colin also created the show. Stage school children compete in a snakes and ladders competition moving up the board by virtue of performances judged by a 'clap-o-meter.' Assisting Colin on the show were Donna Young, Julie Newell, Alex Cowens, Joanna Borman, Mike McNaught and Chrissy Lee. Prospects is a 12 part comedy-drama series shown on Channel 4 from 19 February to 7 May 1986. Prospects followed the comic exploits of two East End 'geezer' characters, Jimmy 'Pincy' Pince and Billy 'Bill' Pearson. The series showcases the pair's trials and tribulations of making a living in London's Isle of Dogs. The cast includes Gary Olsen, Brian Bovell, Peter Lovstrom, Chrissie Cotterill, Ben Howard, Mike Savage, Treva Etienne, Eddie Tagoe, Nigel Davenport, John Benfield, Peter Bayliss, Eve Bland, John Forgeham, Billy Hartman, John Hallam, Tony Haygarth, Bernard Hepton, Hazel O'Connor, Malcolm Tierney, Kate Williams, Ken Jones, Glen Murphy, Ken Campbell and Paul Mari. A Euston Films production in association with Thames Television for Channel 4.
February 20, 2026 at 12:42 AM
tvark.bsky.social
19 February

1971 - BBC 2 debuts Peter Cook's chat show Where Do I Sit?

1971 - Sitcom Coppers End debuts on ITV. Bill Owen stars.

1981 - Sitcom The Incredible Mr Tanner debuts on ITV. Brian Murphy stars.

1991 - Sitcom Fiddler's Three debuts on ITV. Paula Wilcox stars.
Where Do I Sit? is a television chat show that was broadcast live on BBC 2 on 19 & 26 February, and 5 March 1971. Further episodes were printed in the Radio Times but they were cancelled. Peter Cook was given carte blanche to develop any format for the programme that he wanted, and settled on a combination of celebrity interviews, comedy sketches and performing a pop song on each episode, despite being a poor singer. The series was cancelled after 3 shows due to several controversies. If Head of Light Entertainment Bill Cotton had got his way, there wouldn't have been a second episode! Coppers End is a 13 episode sitcom broadcast on ITV from 19 February to 14 May 1971. Coppers End is a police station where the police officers work very hard to avoid work. A crime would involve them filling in forms, making out reports and, heaven forbid, giving evidence in court. The cast includes Bill Owen, Richard Wattis, Josephine Tewson, George Moon, Royce Mills, Kevin Brennan, Jennie Paul, Mark Eden, Dorothea Phillips, Barry Brown, Patrick Durkin, David Healy and Roy Barraclough. An ATV production. The Incredible Mr Tanner is a sitcom which aired on ITV from 19 February to 26 March 1981. Ernest Tanner is a bumbling, accident-prone man who is perhaps the worst escapologist in the world. It was scripted by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer and was a remake of their earlier series Kindly Leave the Kerb. The cast includes Brian Murphy, Roy Kinnear, Tony Melody, Rosie Collins, Joseph O'Conor, Patsy Rowlands, Talfryn Thomas, John Forgeham, Bryan Coleman, Willoughby Goddard, Jesse Birdsall, Lionel Murton and Ray Barron. A Thames Television production. Fiddlers Three is a 14 episode sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 19 February to 12 May 1991. The sitcom is about office politics in an accounts department in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It is a remake of Chappell's earliest sitcom, The Squirrels but excluding the scripts written by other writers. The cast includes Peter Davison, Paula Wilcox, Charles Kay, Peter Blake, Tyler Butterworth and Cindy Marshall-Day. A Yorkshire Television production for ITV.
February 19, 2026 at 11:11 PM
tvark.bsky.social
We remember

Brenda Bruce 7/7/1919 – 19/2/1996
Actress

TV appearances included
Softly Softly
Dr Finlay's Casebook
Mary Britten MD
Honey for Tea
Casualty
The New Statesman
Lovejoy
Jeeves and Wooster
Bergerac
Doctor Who
David Copperfield
Connie
Crown Court
Budgie
Armchair Theatre
Brenda Bruce was born on 7 July 1919 and passed away on 19 February 1996 at the age of 76. She was an actress. Brenda's television shows include Softly Softly, Double Image, Knock on Any Door, Love Story, Armchair Mystery Theatre, Dr Finlay's Casebook, Zero One, Probation Officer, Knight Errant Limited, Mary Britten MD, Douglas Fairbanks Jr Presents, The Vet, The Riff Raff Element, Honey for Tea, Men of the World, Casualty, Shakespeare The Animated Tales, Growing Rich, Goodbye Cruel World, The New Statesman, Lovejoy, Jeeves and Wooster, Bergerac, Hard Cases, The Return of the Antelope, Worlds Beyond, Menace Unseen, London Embassy, Doctor Who, The Secret World of Polly Flint, David Copperfield, Connie, Sharing Time, Love and Marriage, Crown Court, The BBC Television Shakespeare, The Mad Death, The Home Front, Prisoners of Conscience, Do You Remember?, The Devil's Crown, Armchair Thriller, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Murder Most English A Flaxborough Chronicle, Centre Play, Dial M for Murder, Bedtime Stories, 2nd House, Late Night Theatre, Cheri, Owen MD, Country Matters, The Man from Haven, A Family at War, Budgie, Sherlock Holmes, The First Lady, Late Night Horror, The Gamblers, Armchair Theatre and Before the Fringe.
February 19, 2026 at 10:08 PM
tvark.bsky.social
Happy Birthday 🎉🎂🎈🎁

Journalist, broadcast and presenter Michael Buerk is 80 today.
Happy Birthday 🎉🎂🎈🎁 Journalist, broadcast and presenter Michael Buerk was born on 18 February 1946.
February 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM
tvark.bsky.social
We remember

Clare Kelly 25/2/1922 – 18/2/2001
Actress
Worked on TV in
Gideon's Way
Coronation Street
The Cuckoo Waltz
The Bill.

Ned Sherrin 18/2/1931 – 1/10/2007
Broadcaster, author and stage director
Worked on TV in
That Was the Week That Was
BBC 3
Countdown
Tonight
Clare Kelly was born on 25 February 1922 and passed away on 18 February 2001 at the age of 78. She was an actress who worked primarily in television. Kelly's television roles included Gideon's Way, Coronation Street, The Cuckoo Waltz, A Kind of Loving, Rep, The Bill, Where the Heart Is, Picking up the Pieces, Heartbeat, Dalziel and Pascoe, Casualty, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Keeping Up Appearances, The Sharp End, Last of the Summer Wine, Emmerdale, No Excuses, Young at Heart, Funny Man, Bognor, Ladykillers, General Hospital, Softly Softly Task Force, Survivors, Open All Hours, Beryl's Lot, Dixon of Dock Green, Marked Personal, Z Cars, Follyfoot, The Expert, Codename, Wicked Women, The Jazz Age, Vendetta, Armchair Theatre, Pardon the Expression, No Hiding Place, The Sullavan Brothers, Mary Barton, Taxi!, The Saint, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, Maigret, Maupassant, 24-Hour Call, Ghost Squad, The Avengers, Bulldog Breed, Magnolia Street and Emergency-Ward 10. Ned Sherrin was born on 18 February 1931 and passed away on 1 October 2007 at the age of 76. He was a broadcaster, author and stage director. Sherrin worked on television in shows such as Song by Song, World in Ferment, Where Was Spring?, BBC 3, Not So Much a Programme More a Way of Life, That Was the Week That Was, Tonight, Laugh Line, This Is the Henry Hall Show, Contrasts, Ooh La La!, A Song for Everyone, Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years, Making News, Kelly Monteith, Kavanagh QC, Noel's House Party, A Word in your Era, Legends, The Story of Light Entertainment, Never Mind the Full Stops, Comedy Connections, Breakfast, Britain's Finest, University Challenge, The Showbiz Set, Breakfast with Frost, Reputations, Funny Turns, Legends, Countdown, Esther, Funny Women, Best of British, Top Tip Challenge, Auntie The Inside Story of the BBC, What a Performance!, The Jack Docherty Show, Take 7, Omnibus, The Mrs Merton Show, Heroes of Comedy, The Generation Game, Masterchef, Without Walls, Primetime, Showbiz People, Gloria, The South Bank Show, That's Showbusiness, Sunday Sunday, Cluedo, Don't Quote Me, Arena, Up Yer News, Plunder, Telly Addicts, Through the Keyhole, The Pyramid Game, This Week, Wogan, The Last Resort, Harty, Late Night Line-Up, Looks Familiar, Gallery, Hindsight, Treasure Hunt, Loose Ends, Did You See..?, Friday Night Saturday Morning, We Interrupt This Week, Who Said That?, The Book Programme, The Movie Quiz, Call My Bluff, Film Night, Cinema, Where Do I Sit?, Quiz of the Year, The David Frost Show, Aquarius, Dee Time and Late Night Line-Up.
February 18, 2026 at 11:54 PM
tvark.bsky.social
18 February 2001

BBC One debuts the 3 part drama Best of Both Worlds.

A flight attendant leads a bigamous life with a husband in London and a man she's engaged to in Italy.

Alice Evans plays the bigamist whose lies unravel.
Best of Both Worlds is a 3 part drama broadcast on BBC One on 18 & 25 February, and 4 March 2001. A flight attendant leads a double life, married to one man in London while engaged to another in Italy. As her lies mount, she risks losing everything when her deception is inevitably exposed. The cast includes Alice Evans, Cal MacAninch, Rosie Cavaliero, Stanley Townsend, Jo Stone-Fewings, Frog Stone, Joseph Kpobie, Linda Kerr Scott, Alex Noodle, Ewan Phillips, Bradley Elias, Susan Brown, Carol Starks, Anita Zagaria and Kate Williams. A Zenith Entertainment in association with aka productions for BBC.
February 18, 2026 at 10:08 PM
tvark.bsky.social
17 February

1976 - BBC 2 debuts One Man and His Dog. Hosted by Phil Drabble (pictured).

2001 - Channel 4 begins showing Canadian animated series Pelswick.

2016 - BBC Two shows the 3 part drama One Child.

2021 - Netflix launches all episodes of thriller Behind Her Eyes.
One Man and His Dog is a television sheepdog trials competition broadcast on BBC 2 from 17 February 1976 to 22 September 2012. The show was then integrated into the BBC One Countryfile programme from 27 October 2013 to 17 September 2023. Originally presented by Phil Drabble, with commentary by Eric Halsall. Other presenters and commentators included Ray Ollerenshaw, Robin Page, Gus Dermody, Clarissa Dickson-Wright, Ben Fogle, Shauna Lowry, Matt Baker, Kate Humble, Michaela Strachan, Julia Bradbury, Andy Jackman, Helen Skelton, Ellie Harrison, Anita Rani, Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson. Pelswick is an animated series from Canada that first appeared in the UK on Channel 4 from 17 February 2001. 2 series totalling 26 episodes were made. Pelswick Eggert is just like most 13 year olds, except that he is in a wheelchair.. or permanently seated as he prefers to call it but he doesn't let that stop him, as he deals with the usual obstacles that come with being a teenager, including school bully Boyd. Voice cast includes David Arquette, Robert Tinkler, Phil Guerrero, Peter Oldring, Ellen-Ray Hennessy, Tracey Moore, Tony Rosato, Julie Lemieux, Kim Kuhteubl, David Huband, Lee Tockar and Chuck Campbell. A CBC production in association with Nelvana and Nickelodeon. One Child is a 2 part miniseries shown on Sundance Television in the US in 2014. It was first shown in the UK in 3 parts on BBC Two on 17 & 24 February, and 2 March 2016. It was aired as part of the BBC's China season. The series follows a girl called Mei Ashley who discovers that she has a brother (Li Jun) that she never knew about and that he is due to be sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. The cast includes Katie Leung, Donald Sumpter, Elizabeth Perkins, Mardy Ma, Sebastian So, Linh Dan Pham, Junix Inocian, Harry Wong and Selina Lo. A Sundance Television production. Behind Her Eyes is a 6 part psychological thriller television series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Sarah Pinborough. The series began streaming on Netflix on 17 February 2021 with all episodes released on that day. Louise is a single mother who begins an affair with her new boss, David. Matters take a strange turn when she is drawn into an unlikely friendship with his wife, Adele. What starts as an unconventional love triangle soon becomes a dark, psychological tale of suspense and twisted revelations, as Louise finds herself caught in a dangerous web of secrets where nothing and no one are what they seem. The cast includes Tom Bateman, Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, Robert Aramayo, Tyler Howitt, Georgie Glen, Nichola Burley, Roshan Seth, Nila Aalia and Eva Birthistle. A Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures production for Netflix.
February 18, 2026 at 7:57 PM
tvark.bsky.social
17 February

1981 - BBC 2 debuts Scotland based drama Maggie.

1981 - ITV shows the feature length drama A Sense of Freedom.
tvark.org/sense-of-fre...

1986 - Sitcom Dear John... debuts on BBC 1.
tvark.org/dear-john

1986 - US sitcom Kate & Allie debuts in the UK on Channel 4.
Maggie is a Scotland based drama series broadcast on BBC 2 between 17 February 1981 and 3 May 1982. 2 series totalling 18 episodes were made. The series was based on a quartet of books written by Joan Lingard during the 1970s (The Clearance, The Resettling, The Pilgrimage and The Reunion). Set in Glasgow, the series centres on teenager Maggie McKinley from a council flat in a high-rise tower block whose family has been uprooted for generations. Maggie experiences the tribulations of adolescence as she aspires to further her education at university, a career and an independent life, while also struggling to better her family's economic situation. Maggie's parents expect her to get a job, get married and settle down. The cast includes Kirsty Miller, Michael Sheard, Mary Riggans, Anne Berry, Paul Ferry, Ian Michie, Ron Paterson, Ann Scott-Jones, Joe Mullaney, Jane Garven, Dee Hepburn, Alison Groves and Benny Young. The theme tune was sung by BA Robertson. A BBC Scotland production. A Sense of Freedom was a feature length crime drama broadcast on ITV on 17 February 1981. It is based on the autobiography of Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle. The cast includes David Hayman, Jake D'Arcy, Sean Scanlan, Alex Norton, John Murtagh, Roy Hanlon, Fulton Mackay, Martin Black, Hector Nicol, Frank Welshman, Katy Gardiner, Billy Jeffrey, David Steuart, Ken Drury, Gerry Slevin, Ron Paterson, Hugh Martin and Jackie Farrell. The following evening there was a discussion programme called Discussion - A Long-Term Solution. Hosted by Desmond Wilcox with politicians, Jeremy Isaacs who produced the drama, prison officers, a penal expert and an ex-prisoner who knew Jimmy. A Scottish Television production. Dear John was a sitcom that was broadcast on BBC 1 from 17 February 1986 and 21 December 1987. 2 series totalling 14 episodes were shown. It was written by John Sullivan. The sitcom's title refers to "Dear John" letters, usually written by women to their partners as a means of ending a relationship. John discovers in the opening episode that his wife is leaving him for a friend. He has to leave his home, while still being expected to pay the mortgage, and finds lodgings. In desperation, he joins the 1-2-1 Singles Club and meets other people who have fared equally unfortunately in their romantic lives. The cast includes Ralph Bates, Peter Blake, Peter Denyer, Rachel Bell, Belinda Lang, Lucinda Curtis, Jean Challis, Irène Prador, Terence Edmond, Wendy Allnutt, Sue Holderness, William Bates, Sheila Manahan, Kevin Lloyd, Darren Traynor, Michael Cochrane, Frank Windsor and Ron Pember. Kate & Allie is a US sitcom series that was first aired in the UK on Channel 4 from 17 February 1986. 6 series totalling 122 episodes were made. 2 divorced mothers decide to live together and raise their children in the same home. The cast includes Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin, Ari Meyers, Allison Smith, Frederick Koehler, Sam Freed, Peter Onorati, Greg Salata, Paul Hecht, Harley Venton, John Heard, Jack Gilpin, Michael Countryman, Wendie Malick, Alan North, Ben Stiller, Kelsey Grammer, William H Macy, Lindsay Wagner, Mercedes Ruehl, Ricki Lake, Dick Cavett, Patricia Richardson, Barbara Barrie, Paul Gleason, Rosemary Murphy, Andrea Martin, John Heard, Debra Jo Rupp, Marilyn Cooper, Susie Essman, Joe Namath, Christa Miller and Peggy Pope. An Alan Landsburg Productions for Universal Television (Series 1–2). A Reeves Entertainment Group production for Universal Television (Series 3-6).
February 18, 2026 at 1:25 AM
tvark.bsky.social
17 February

1956 - ITV arrives in the Midlands with the arrival of ATV for the weekdays.
tvark.org/atv-ident

1971 - BBC 2 debuts drama serial Elizabeth R. Glenda Jackson portrayed the monarch.
tvark.org/elizabeth-r
On 17 February 1956, ITV arrived in the Midlands with the arrival of ATV for the weekdays. https://tvark.org/atv-ident Elizabeth R is a drama serial of 6 90 minute plays first broadcast on BBC 2 from 17 February 1971. The final episode was shown on 24 March 1971, the anniversary of the monarch's death in 1603. The life of Queen Elizabeth I, from her early years as a princess to her long reign as the final Tudor monarch. The cast includes Glenda Jackson, Ronald Hines, Robert Hardy, Stephen Murray, John Shrapnel, Angela Thorne, Robin Ellis, Vivian Pickles, Rachel Kempson, Peter Jeffrey, Peter Howell, Daphne Slater, Hugh Dickson, Rosalie Crutchley, John Nettleton and Clifford Rose.
February 18, 2026 at 12:24 AM
tvark.bsky.social
Happy Birthday 🎈🎉🎂🎁

16 February 1971

Happy 55th Birthdays to
Actor and singer Steven Houghton.
Britain's Got Talent panellist Amanda Holden.

17 February

Happy 55th Birthday to actor Jeremy Edwards.

Happy 35th Birthday to Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright.
Happy Birthday 🎈🎉🎂🎁 Actor and singer Steven Houghton was born on 16 February 1971. Happy Birthday 🎈🎉🎂🎁 Britain's Got Talent panellist Amanda Holden was born on 16 February 1971. Happy Birthday 🎈🎉🎂🎁 Actor Jeremy Edwards was born on 17 February 1971. Happy Birthday 🎈🎉🎂🎁 Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright was born on 17 February 1991.
February 17, 2026 at 11:43 PM
tvark.bsky.social
We remember

John Schlesinger 16/2/1926 – 25/7/2003
Film, television and stage director, and actor

Ian Lavender 16/2/1946 – 2/2/2024
Private Pike in legendary BBC sitcom Dad's Army

Dennis Kirkland 2/12/1942 – 16/2/2006
Producer and director known for association with Benny Hill
John Schlesinger was born on 16 February 1926 and passed away on 25 July 2003 at the age of 77. He was a film, television and stage director, and actor. John worked on television productions such as The Valiant Years, Monitor, but Days in the Trees, A Question of Attribution, Separate Tables, An Englishman Abroad, Cold Comfort Farm and The Tale of Sweeney Todd. Ian Lavender was born on 16 February 1946 and passed away on 2 February 2024 at the age of 77. He was a stage, film and television actor. Ian is most well known for playing the role of Private Pike in legendary BBC sitcom Dad's Army between 1968 and 1977. Lavender's other television roles were on EastEnders, Man About the House, Rising Damp, Mr Big, Come Back Mrs Noah, The Glums, Yes Minister, The Hello Goodbye Man, Keeping Up Appearances, Goodnight Sweetheart, Casualty and Stella. Dennis Kirkland was born on 2 December 1942 and passed away on 16 February 2006 at the age of 63. He was a television producer and director. Dennis was best known for his long association with the comedian Benny Hill. He joined Thames Television in 1968. Apart from The Benny Hill Show, Kirkland also worked on Rainbow, The Tomorrow People, What's on Next?, The Plank (1979), The Freddie Starr Show, Jim Davidson's Special, The Eric Sykes 1990 Show, The Ken Dodd Laughter Show, The Tommy Cooper Show, London Night Out, Looks Familiar, Night Out at the London Casino, Wednesday at 8, Billy Dainty Esquire, Rainbow and Whodunnit?
February 17, 2026 at 11:26 PM
tvark.bsky.social
16 February 2016

BBC Three officially closed on linear television and began its dedicated online only channel.

It was also farewell to BBC Three's news service 60 Seconds. The show began on BBC Choice before moving to Three.

tvark.org/bbc-three-id...
tvark.org/60-seconds-l...
16 February 2016 BBC Three officially closed on linear television and began its dedicated online only channel. https://tvark.org/bbc-three-ident-45 16 February 2016 It was farewell to BBC Three's news service 60 Seconds. The show began on BBC Choice on 16 July 2001 before moving over to Three on 9 February 2003. https://tvark.org/60-seconds-last-ever-bulletin
February 17, 2026 at 10:41 PM
tvark.bsky.social
16 February

2016 - It's Not Rocket Science debuts on ITV. Ben Miller is among the presenters.

1996 - ITV shows Catherine Cookson's The Girl. Mark Benton is among the cast.

1996 - Adult gameshow Carnal Knowledge debuts on ITV. Hosted by Maria McErlane with Graham Norton.
It's Not Rocket Science is a 6 part fast-paced science-based show that aired on ITV from 16 February to 22 March 2016. It was presented by Rachel Riley, Ben Miller, and Romesh Ranganathan with resident scientist Doctor Kevin Fong. Guests included Joey Essex, Luther Burrell, Adam Gemili, Elfryn Evans, Eamonn Holmes, Tim Peake, Calum Chambers and Andy Green. An ITV Studios production. The Girl was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Catherine Cookson. It was broadcast on ITV on 16 February 1996. In mid-19th century Northumberland, Hannah Boyle is left with the family of Matthew Thornton, the man her dying mother claims fathered her. Ill-treated by Thornton's bitter and vindictive wife Anne, who views Hannah only as evidence of her husband's infidelity, she is married off to the village butcher, whose waspish mother torments her further. But through her patience, intelligence and strength, she wins her freedom and the man she loves. The cast includes Mark Benton, Susan Jameson, Siobhan Flynn, Jonathan Cake, Ian Thompson, Kerry Angus, Sarah Turnbull, Emily Hamilton, Lizzie McKenzie, Guy Manning, Daphne Goddard and Ursula Mohan. A Festival Film & Television production for ITV. Carnal Knowledge was a late night adult series broadcast on ITV from 16 February to 1 August 1996. It originally was broadcast as a pilot episode on Channel 4 in 1993. Each edition featured two different couples being asked personal questions by host Maria McErlane about their sex lives. Graham Norton acted as the assistant. One of his roles was keeping the scores. A Rapido production in association with Granada for ITV.
February 17, 2026 at 10:27 PM
tvark.bsky.social
16 February

1956 - Comedy series Alfred Marks Time debuts on ITV.

1981 - 7 episode comedy West End Tales debuts on ITV. Starring Robin Nedwell and Toni Palmer.

1986 - Andrew Marshall and David Renwick's tabloid satire Hot Metal debuts on ITV.
tvark.org/hot-metal
Alfred Marks Time is a comedy series which aired on ITV from 16 February 1956 to 10 May 1961. 4 series plus specials totalling 38 episodes were made. Of these, 5 currently survive. The series often parodied popular movies and TV shows. Joining Alfred on the series were many special guests. These included Paddie O'Neil, Ray Ellington, Steve Race and His Orchestra, RSM Brittain, Leslie Mitchell, John Abineri, Robert Rietty, Anita West, Leslie Randall, Kenneth Connor, Robert Beatty, Graham Stark, Erik Chitty, Greta Gynt, Danny Green, Hughie Green, Miriam Karlin, Spike Milligan, Irene Handl, Michael Balfour, Sydney Tafler, Dulcie Gray, Jimmy Hanley, Dick Vosburgh, Doris Hare, Peter Butterworth and Harry Fowler. An Associated-Rediffusion production in association with Jack Hylton Productions. West End Tales is a 7 episode comedy series broadcast on ITV from 16 February to 6 April 1981. Comedy series which looks at life through the eyes of Fiddler, a likeable rogue, and his two cronies. The cast includes Robin Nedwell, Toni Palmer, Susan Skipper, Peter Childs, Larry Martyn, Garfield Morgan, John Cannon, Dave Cooper, Stuart Myers, John Salpeas, Paul Copley, Nick Tate, Robert Lang, Norman Rossington and Joe Melia. An ATV production. Hot Metal is a tabloid satire comedy series broadcast on ITV from 16 February to 17 April 1988. 2 series totalling 12 episodes were made plus a Red Nose Day special broadcast on BBC 1 on 10 March 1989. The Daily Crucible, the dullest newspaper in Fleet Street, is abruptly taken over by media magnate Terence "Twiggy" Rathbone (a parody of real-life media magnates). Its editor Harry Stringer is 'promoted' to managing editor, and is replaced in his old job by Russell Spam. Spam turns the Crucible into a sensation-seeking scandal rag, very much in the style of the British tabloids of the 1980s. The cast includes Robert Hardy, Richard Kane, Geoffrey Palmer, John Gordon Sinclair, Geoffrey Hutchings, John Horsley, Sarah Mortimer, Richard Wilson, Caroline Milmoe and David Barrass. An LWT production.
February 17, 2026 at 9:52 PM
tvark.bsky.social
16 February 1991

A new look not only for BBC 1 and 2, but also for The Open University.

Yes, they forgot to put the BBC moniker on the first "2"!!

tvark.org/bbc1-first-d...
tvark.org/1st-showing
tvark.org/open-univers...
tvark.org/bbc2-open-un...
16 February 1991 A new look for BBC 1. 16 February 1991 A new look for BBC 2. Yes, they forgot to put the BBC moniker on the first "2"!! 16 February 1991 A new look for The Open University on BBC 1. 16 February 1991 A new look for The Open University on BBC 2.
February 17, 2026 at 8:49 PM
tvark.bsky.social
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 contestant for the United Kingdom has been announced.

Say hello to....

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER!
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 contestant for the United Kingdom has been announced. Say hello to.... LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER!
February 17, 2026 at 11:15 AM
tvark.bsky.social
15 February 2016

ITV debuts antiques gameshow Masterpiece. Created and hosted by Alan Titchmarsh.

BBC One shows The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years On. Stephen Fry looks at what's changed since 2006.

BBC Four debuts 4 part series The Renaissance Unchained.
Masterpiece is an antiques themed gameshow broadcast on ITV from 15 February 2016 to 16 June 2017. Created and hosted by Alan Titchmarsh with assistance from Rachel Houston-Holland. 2 series totalling 40 episodes were made. The teams must pick what they believe is the highest-rated item from an assortment laid out on a table to be. The team which picks the highest-valued item amongst the team wins. The winner picks what they believe to be the 'masterpiece', worth £10,000 or more. Values are not revealed until the end of the programme. A Spun Gold production for ITV. The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years On was a documentary follow up to the 2006 documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. 10 Years On was broadcast on BBC One on 15 February 2016. Ten years ago, in an award-winning series, Stephen Fry first spoke about living with manic depression and began a national conversation about mental health. A decade later, we return to the subject to understand where he and thousands of others diagnosed with bipolar (as it is now called) are now. As a society, do we need to do more for those with the illness? Is the treatment better? Has the stigma reduced? The Renaissance Unchained is a 4 part historical documentary series broadcast on BBC Four from 15 February to 7 March 2016. Hosted by Waldemar Januszczak. In this series, Januszczak challenges the traditional review that the European Renaissance originated in southern Europe, advocating a case for the north instead. A ZCZ Films production for BBC.
February 15, 2026 at 7:48 PM
tvark.bsky.social
15 February

1966 - BBC 2 debuts 3 part series A Farewell to Arms

1976 - ITV debuts 8 part drama Dominic. The sequel to Boy Dominic

1996 - BBC 1 debuts insect series Alien Empire

1996 - Carlton debuts drama London Bridge. Not shown in all ITV regions
tvark.org/london-bridge
A Farewell to Arms was a 3 part adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC 2 on 15 & 22 February, and 1 March 1966. The story of a doomed love affair in World War One, between an English nurse and an American lieutenant. The cast includes Vanessa Redgrave, George Hamilton, Susan Engel, Erik Chitty, Ann Rye, Carl Jaffe, Maureen Lane, Laurence Payne, Jean Benedetti, Peter Elliott, David Spenser, George Zenios, Donald Sutherland and Ellen Pollock. All episodes are missing, believed wiped. Dominic was an 8 part drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 15 February to 4 April 1976. The series continued on from the 1974 series Boy Dominic. Dominic Bulman, a 16 year old cadet in 19th century England, tries to discover the secret of his parents' murder. The cast includes John Hallam, Murray Dale, Gordon Gostelow, Stacey Tendeter, Jerold Wells, Gerry Cowan, Edwin Richfield, Ruth Kettlewell, Trevor Smith, Stephen Peach, Michael Long, Paul Duffy, Matthew Higgins, Wendy Williams, Eric Francis, Thorley Walters, Ken Kitson, Louise Jameson, Tom Harrison, Josie Lane and Richard Todd. A Yorkshire Television production. Alien Empire was a 6 part documentary series about insects broadcast on BBC 1 from 15 February to 21 March 1996. It was subtitled Inside the Kingdom of the Insect. Narrated by John Shrapnel. Earth is really the planet of the insects. This series shows insect behaviour and society. A BBC Bristol production. London Bridge was a soap opera and drama that debuted in the Carlton region only from 15 February 1996 to 31 March 1999. A total of 237 episodes were made over 4 series. Some ITV regions broadcast the series though not at the same time. The series centred around people living in a converted mill near the River Thames in London. The cast included Annabel Leventon, Jo-Anne Stockham, Dawn McDaniel, Simone Lahbib, Oliver Haden, Ayub Khan-Din, Rosalind March, Sean Francis, Charles Simpson, Mandana Jones, Seretta Wilson, John Michie, Nicola King, Angela Belton, Glen Berry, Sally Edwards, Kemi Baruwa, Nick Reed, Nicola Meering and Sunetra Sarker. A Carlton production.
February 15, 2026 at 6:08 PM
tvark.bsky.social
15 February

2006 - Chat show Davina debuts on BBC One. It lasts just 8 shows.

1991 - it was the last broadcast of the COW Globe on BBC 1 and the TWO ident on 2.

tvark.org/bbc1-final-c...

tvark.org/bbc-two-fina...
Davina was an 8 episode chat show that was shown on BBC One from 15 February to 12 April 2006. Davina McCall was your host. Guests included Max Beesley, Charlotte Church, Pierce Brosnan, Westlife, Gloria Hunniford, Sugababes, Ed Byrne, Girls Aloud, Omid Djalili, Cyndi Lauper, Dawn French, Will Young, Lulu, Russell Watson, Richard Wilson and Katie Melua. The COW Globe was the BBC 1 ident from 18 February 1985 to 15 February 1991. The TWO was the BBC 2 ident from 31 March 1986 to 15 February 1991.
February 15, 2026 at 5:01 PM
tvark.bsky.social
15 February 2016

BBC Three's final day on linear television...well, until 2022!

BBC Two shows The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.

UKTV channel Watch is rebranded as W.

BBC Worldwide report that sitcom Keeping Up Appearances is their most popular export.
15 February 2016 was BBC Three's final day on linear television....... Or so they thought! BBC Three returned to linear television in 2022. The People v OJ Simpson was a 10 part fact based US drama adapted from the book The Run of His Life: The People v OJ Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin. It was first broadcast in the UK on BBC Two from 15 February 2016. It was the first series of American Crime Story. The series revolves around the murder trial of OJ Simpson as well as the combination of prosecution confidence, defense witnesses, and the Los Angeles Police Department's history with African-American people. The cast includes Sterling K Brown, Kenneth Choi, Christian Clemenson, Cuba Gooding Jr, Bruce Greenwood, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B Vance. There was also archive footage featuring OJ Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, Bill Clinton, Barbara Walters, Rodney King and Penny Daniels. An FX production. On 15 February 2016, UKTV channel Watch was rebranded as W. On 15 February 2016, BBC Worldwide reported that sitcom Keeping Up Appearances is their most popular export having been sold to international broadcasters over 1,000 times.
February 15, 2026 at 4:05 PM
tvark.bsky.social
Happy Birthday 🎂🎁🎉🎈

Actress Jane Seymour is 75 today.

Actress Claire Bloom is 95 today.
Happy Birthday 🎂🎁🎉🎈 Actress Jane Seymour was born on 15 February 1951. Happy Birthday 🎂🎁🎉🎈 Actress Claire Bloom was born on 15 February 1931.
February 15, 2026 at 2:50 PM
tvark.bsky.social
We remember

Margaret Courtenay 14/11/1923 – 15/2/1996

Actress
Appeared on TV in

The House Under the Water
Thriller
Mind Your Language
Only When I Laugh
Don't Wait Up
Never the Twain
Fresh Fields
Paradise Postponed
Executive Stress
The Two Mrs Grenvilles
The House Of Windsor
Margaret Courtenay was born on 14 November 1923 and passed away on 15 February 1996 at the age of 72. She was an actress. Although more well known for her theatre work, Margaret has made appearances on television in The House Under the Water, Bel Ami, Thriller, Mind Your Language, Only When I Laugh, Winston Churchill The Wilderness Years, Don't Wait Up, Never the Twain, Fresh Fields, Paradise Postponed, Executive Stress, The Two Mrs Grenvilles, Vanity Fair, Miss Marple The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side and The House Of Windsor.
February 15, 2026 at 1:53 PM
tvark.bsky.social
14 February 2011

Five rebrands as Channel 5 and introduces a new set of idents.
tvark.org/branding/cha...

Channel 5 debuts news magazine show OK! TV.
tvark.org/ok-tv-1-2

CBBC Channel debuts the sci-fi serial The Sparticle Mystery. Abigail Hardingham and Karim Zeroual star.
On 14 February 2011, Five rebrands as Channel 5 and introduces a new set of idents. OK! TV was a magazine programme broadcast on Channel 5 from 14 February to 16 December 2011. 208 episodes were broadcast. OK! TV aired on weekdays and featured a mix of news, celebrity gossip, interviews, and chat. Presenters were Matt Johnson, Kate Walsh, Jeff Brazier, Jenny Frost and Josie Gibson. The series was cancelled due to ITN taking over news coverage on Channel 5 in 2017. A 5 News and Sky News production for Channel 5 in association with OK! Magazine. The Sparticle Mystery is a science fiction series written and created by Alison Hume. It was broadcast on CBBC Channel from 14 February to 30 March 2015. 3 series totalling 36 episodes were made. The series follows a group of ten children in modern Britain, where an experiment at a Large Hadron Collider-like facility, the Sparticle Project, goes wrong, sending anybody aged 15 and over into a parallel dimension at exactly 11:11 am. The children travel to the Sparticle Project in an attempt to bring back the adults and re-align the two dimensions. The cast includes Abigail Hardingham, Karim Zeroual, Emily Sanderson, Grace Mandeville, Karene Peter, Abbie Hayes, Gerran Howell, Oliver Bell, Gia Lodge O'Meally, Adam Scotland, Stephanie Dale and Oliver Dillon. A Sparticles Productions and Ingenious Broadcasting co-production for BBC.
February 14, 2026 at 10:32 PM
tvark.bsky.social
14 February

1991 - BBC 2 debuts the US comedy series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

1996 - BBC 1 launches two new shows.

Kids series Out of Tune featuring Jane Danson and James Corden.

Drama Into the Fire. Shown over 3 consecutive nights. Donal McCann and David Morrissey star.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a US comedy series that was first broadcast in the UK on BBC 2 from 14 February 1991. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his upper-class relatives. Joining Will in the cast are James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M Ali, Joseph Marcell, Ross Bagley, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Vernee Watson-Johnson, Michael Weiner, Lisa Fuller, Virginia Capers, Jenifer Lewis, Charlayne Woodard, Perry Moore, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tyra Banks, Nia Long and Jim Meskimen. A co-production of The Stuffed Dog Company, Quincy Jones/Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment and NBC Productions. Out of Tune is a kids sitcom shown on BBC 1 as part of the Children's BBC section of programmes from 14 February 1996 to 9 June 1998. 3 series totalling 40 episodes were made. The show revolves around a group of fictional children who are part of a church choir at a school, focusing on their humorous misadventures during practice sessions. The choir is comically inept and their practices are frequently disrupted by various events. The cast includes Jane Danson, Tim Downie, Jotham Annan, Louise Sullivan, Thomas Maher, John Waterhouse, Nick Maloney, John Labanowski, Jonathan Praeger, Lianne Islin, James Corden, Rebecca Clarke and Charlie Brooks. Into the Fire was a 3 part drama shown over 3 consecutive nights on BBC 1 on 14, 15 & 16 February 1996. Frank Cody is a businessman whose struggling leather goods company is thrown a lifeline when it wins a new order from America. But when he re-mortgages his house to finance the project, events take a dramatic turn, and death, deceit and adultery arise from a misguided scheme to commit insurance fraud via arson. The cast includes Donal McCann, David Morrissey, Sharon Duce, Sue Johnston, Neil McCaul, Stephen Lord, Anne Carroll, Carol Starks, Peter Wingfield, Christopher Fairbank and Kate Reynolds.
February 14, 2026 at 9:50 PM