This is a list of British television related events from 1949. Events January – June No events. July July – BBC Television revives the regular televised weather forecast. 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) Continuing television shows 1920s BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024) 1930s Picture Page (1936–1939, 1946–1952) For the Children (1937–1939, 1946–1952) The Boat Race (1938–1939, 1946–2019) 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) Births 13 March – David Neilson, actor 30 March – Sue Cook, broadcaster and author 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 5 July – Sue Robbie, television presenter 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 David Stafford, writer and broadcaster Deaths 10 June – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, Director General of the BBC, aged 57 See also 1949 in British music 1949 in the United Kingdom List of British