
On This Day...
14th April
Miscellaneous
1958
Set up to provide theme tunes, incidental music and audio effects for BBC programmes, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is officially opened.
Programmes
1937
The first television demonstration of snooker airs on BBC TV.
The match is between Horace Lindrum and Willie Smith.
1958
The 100th edition of
Picture Parade airs on BBC TV.
Presented by
Peter Haigh and Derek Bond.
1964
The first episode of Meet the Wife airs on BBC TV.
1969
The pilot episode of The Liver Birds airs on BBC One.
1970
The first episode of A Family at War airs on ITV.
1980
The first episode of Young at Heart airs on ITV.
1984
The final episode of The Saturday Show airs on ITV.
1985
The first episode of Mapp and Lucia airs on Channel 4.
Drama. Starring Geraldine McEwan and Prunella Scales in the title roles.
1986
The final edition of Joan Rivers: Can We Talk? airs on BBC Two.
1989
The first episode of Surgical Spirit airs on ITV.
1991
The first episode of Tonight at 8.30 airs on BBC One.
1992
The first edition of Crosswits airs on ITV.
1992
The first edition of Noel's Addicts airs on BBC One.
1994
The first episode of The Golden Palace airs on Channel 4.
2001
The pilot edition of Saturday Kitchen airs on BBC Two.
Easter special presented by Ainsley Harriott.
2006
The final episode of Footballers' Wives airs on ITV 1.
2012
The Grand National airs for the final time on BBC TV (BBC One).
2013
The first episode of Endeavour airs on ITV 1.
The pilot episode aired on 2nd January 2012.
2021
The final episode of Too Close airs on ITV.
2025
The first episode of The Feud airs on Channel 5.
Drama. Starring Jill Halfpenny.
Test Card/Teletext In-Vision Music
1965
BBC TV/BBC One tape Souvenir in Three-Four Time airs for the final time.
1965
BBC One tape Fury airs for the first time.
1993
BBC Two tape Soledad airs for the final time.

On This Day...
14th April
Births
1940
Former TV announcer/presenter,
John Duncanson.
1950
Actor and TV presenter,
Jon Glover.
Deaths
1985
Former actress and TV announcer/presenter,
Noele Gordon.
2005
Former TV announcer/presenter,
Kate Matheson.
2013
Former actor and TV presenter, Randal Herley.
2023
Former TV news presenter and announcer,
Tony Raymont.
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.