
On This Day...
26th May
Channels
1998
CITV introduces a new on-screen presentation package.
Live in-vision continuity links return, with presenters Stephen Mulhern and Danielle Nicholls.
2015
Talking Pictures TV begins broadcasting.
Miscellaneous
1965
The BBC's experimental UHF NTSC tests cease and are replaced by PAL tests beginning during the afternoon trade tests from 26th May 1965.
The decision to use PAL for British colour television was taken the following year.
People
1982
Alasdair Milne succeeds Ian Trethowan as director-general of the BBC.
Programmes
1961
The first episode of Hancock airs on BBC TV.
1967
The first episode of Not in Front of the Children airs on BBC One.
1973
The first edition of That's Life! airs on BBC One.
1975
The final episode of Sadie, It's Cold Outside airs on ITV.
Sitcom. Created by Jack Rosenthal. Starring Bernard Hepton and Rosemary Leach.
The pilot aired in 1974.
1980
The final episode of the third season of Dallas airs on BBC One.
The episode ends with the shooting of J. R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman), by an unidentified would-be killer.
The culprit was finally revealed in November 1980.
1985
The first episode of Connie airs on ITV.
Drama. Set in the Midlands fashion and rag trade industry. Starring Stephanie Beacham.
1990
The first edition of Takeover Bid airs on BBC One.
Game show. Presented by Bruce Forsyth.
2010
An Audience with Michael Bublé airs on ITV.
2014
Goodness Gracious Me: Reunion Special airs on BBC Two.
2021
The first episode of Before We Die airs on Channel 4.
Crime drama. Starring Lesley Sharp and Vincent Regan.
2024
The final edition of Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour airs on BBC Two.
Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark recreate the original package holiday – the Grand Tour – a cultural odyssey around Europe.

On This Day...
26th May
Births
1917
Former artist, actress and TV announcer,
Olga Edwardes.
1924
Former actor and TV presenter, John Stone.
1952
Singer and TV presenter, Berni Flint.
1960
TV news presenter, Ben Brown.
1963
TV news presenter, Mary Nightingale.
1993
TV weather presenter, Katerina Christodoulou.
Deaths
2012
Former TV announcer/presenter,
Jean Morton.
Events
1998
Stephen Mulhern and Danielle Nicholls make their debut as in-vision continuity presenters on CITV, on the first day of CITV's new look on-screen presentation.
Research for On This Day in TV History is by Paul R. Jackson.
Details about test card/teletext in-vision music and BBC trade test films are available as a result of decades of research and logging by members of the Test Card Circle.