
On This Day...
7th June
Channels
1946
The BBC Television service resumed, having been off air since 1st September 1939, due to World War II. At 3pm, one of the original announcers welcomed back viewers:
"Good afternoon everybody. How are you? Do you remember me,
Jasmine Bligh? Well here we are after a lapse of nearly seven years ready to start again and of course we are all terribly excited and thrilled."
The first item on the schedule that day was a repeat showing of the Mickey Mouse cartoon -
Mickey's Gala Premier - which was the final programme to be shown on 1st September 1939.
2016
A high-definition version of S4C is reinstated, having been closed down on 1st December 2012 due to funding cuts.
S4C HD is available on DSat.
Programmes
1950
The first episode of Prudence Kitten airs on BBC TV.
1957
The first edition of Criss Cross Quiz airs on ITV.
1962
The first episode of Steptoe and Son airs on BBC TV.
This episode was a repeat of the Comedy Playhouse pilot, The Offer.
The first new episode - The Bird - was broadcast on 14th June 1962.
1968
The final edition of Whistle Stop airs on BBC One.
Children’s variety show. Features musical guests. Hosted by Roger Whittaker.
1971
Blue Peter buries a time capsule, which is not to be opened until the year 2000.
1973
The first episode of Warship airs on BBC One.
Drama series. Follows the adventures of the crew of frigate HMS Hero.
1981
The final edition of Blue Peter Special Assignment airs on BBC One.
1984
The first edition of Crimewatch UK airs on BBC One.
Presented by Nick Ross and Sue Cook.
Radio Times: "The first in a new monthly series which asks you, the viewer, to turn detective, crime-solver and crime-preventer."
1985
The final episode of The Detective airs on BBC One.
Dramatised by Ted Whitehead from the novel by Paul Ferris.
1996
The final edition of Jeopardy! (revived version) airs on Sky TV.
Game show. Hosted by Paul Ross. Based on the US version of the same title.
Previous incarnations of the programme aired on Channel 4 (1983 – 1984) and ITV (1990 – 1993). It was revived again by ITV in 2023.
1997
The first episode of The Other Half airs on BBC One.
2004
The first edition of The Gadget Show airs on Channel 5.
2017
The first episode of Ackley Bridge airs on Channel 4.
2021
The final episode of Motherland airs on BBC Two.
2024
The 600th edition of Have I Got News for You? airs on BBC One.
Hosted by Alex Horne. With guest panellists Jack Dee and Carol Vorderman.
Test Card/Teletext In-Vision Music
1982
BBC One tape Water Mountain airs for the first time.
1982
BBC Two tape Mon Bijoux airs for the first time.

On This Day...
7th June
Births
1935
Former TV/radio news reporter and presenter, Rory McPherson.
1953
TV sports presenter, Dougie Donnelly.
1967
TV presenter, Sid Sloane.
1989
Comedian, TV writer and presenter, London Hughes.
Deaths
1985
Former actor and TV presenter, Gordon Rollings.
1996
Former radio/TV presenter, Glyn Worsnip.
Events
1982
Michael Buerk presents the
Nine o'Clock News (BBC One) for the first time.
2002
The BBC confirms that
Michael Buerk will leave the
Ten o’Clock News by the end of the year. Michael Buerk confirmed his plans the previous evening, saying:
"By November I will have presented the main evening news more than 4,000 times. It's more than enough."
The official BBC statement said that he would continue to work as a presenter on BBC Radio 4 and on news/current affairs specials.
It also mentioned possible foreign assignments, including "babysitting" some of the BBC's foreign bureaux - with a spell in India apparently already lined up.
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.