2006 in British television

|BBC One airs The Queen by Rolf, a documentary following artist Rolf Harris as he paints a portrait of the Queen.{{cite news|last=Billen |first=Andrew |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/node/152317 |title=National portrait |work=New Statesman |date=9 January 2006 |access-date=1 July 2014}}

|BBC One airs the network premieres of Piglet's Big Movie and the Steven Spielberg smash-hit Catch Me If You Can.

|Channel 4 quiz show Countdown celebrates its 4000th edition.{{cite news|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Countdown |title=Countdown |work=UKGameshows.com |access-date=21 February 2015}}

|ITV debuts Soapstar Superstar, a singing talent contest in which soap actors compete to become series champion.{{cite news|last=Simon |first=Jane |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ENTERTAINMENT+SOAPSTAR+SUPERSTAR+ITV1,+8.30pm.-a0140548829 |title=Soapstar Superstar ITV1, 8.30pm |newspaper=The Mirror |date=6 January 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|ITV's Saturday morning children's show MoM is relaunched under the new title of Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown.

|Debut of the offbeat police drama Life on Mars on BBC One and ITV's pilot programme of Dancing on Ice.{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/cbe45ea177494b4789cde4cf7dbd75a0|title=Life on Mars – BBC One London – 9 January 2006 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=22 November 2018}}

|Coronation Street actor Richard Fleeshman wins the first series of ITV's Soapstar Superstar.{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/corries-richard-is-soapstar-superstar-1220231 |title=Corrie's Richard is Soapstar Superstar |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=14 January 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|The BBC announces details of Just the Two of Us, a singing contest following the Strictly Come Dancing format that will air in February and March. Vernon Kay and Tess Daly will present the series which will pair celebrities with professional singers, who will then compete to become series champion.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/01_january/15/two.shtml |publisher=BBC Press Office |title=Just the Two of Us |date=15 January 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|To coincide with the introduction of a new identity across ITV plc stations, UTV replaces its 2003 idents with a brand new set.[http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/idents/0607_about.html UTV Today: 2006–07 Scenery Idents: About These Idents] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106170258/http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/idents/0607_about.html |date=6 January 2009 }}. Retrieved 1 April 2008. The new idents featured newly recorded films shot across Northern Ireland, again in the form of panoramas. The landscape films used in these idents are updated in July 2007 and October 2008.

|Chantelle Houghton, a model from Essex, wins the fourth series of Celebrity Big Brother after entering the series as a "fake" celebrity. In order to remain as a contestant she was required to convince the other participants that she was a famous singer.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4653346.stm |title='Fake' celebrity wins Big Brother |publisher=BBC News |date=28 January 2006 |access-date=23 April 2014}}

|Channel 4 confirms that its pay-per-view movie channel FilmFour will go Free-to-air from July, when it will launch on Freeview.{{cite news|last=Wilkes |first=Neil |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a28928/filmfour-to-go-fta-launch-on-freeview.html#~pajWKqeQsOW2D4 |title=FilmFour to go FTA, launch on Freeview |work=Digital Spy |date=8 February 2006 |access-date=19 April 2015}}

|The events of the 2006 Winter Olympics start broadcasting worldwide.

|Coronation Street bosses defend their decision to film a storyline involving a car breaking down on Saddleworth Moor, scene of the 1960s Moors murders, saying the plot has nothing to do with the events that occurred there.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4711534.stm |title=Street chiefs defend Moors scene |publisher=BBC News |date=14 February 2006 |access-date=2 May 2014}}

|BBC One debuts Davina, a chat show presented by Davina McCall. Guests on the first edition include Charlotte Church, Tess Daly and Vernon Kay.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9c66d39da1e74f839a69cdbbcd6c68dd |title=Davina – BBC One London – 15 February 2006 |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=2018-01-13}} The show proves to be a disaster, with The Guardian{{'}}s Gareth Maclean noting that McCall "found herself floundering and foundering, struggling through [interviews], and exposing herself in a way from which even the hardiest flasher would recoil", while Jonathan Ross blames a poor guest line up. The 8 March edition gives BBC One its worst ever peak time ratings of 2.75 million.{{cite web|author=Gareth Maclean |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/mar/15/broadcasting.bigbrother |title=The question: Why is Davina's chatshow such a disaster? | Media |work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-01-13}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4842480.stm |title=Entertainment | Ross rubbishes Davina chat show |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-03-24 |access-date=2018-01-13}} By the time the show ends on 12 April ratings have fallen to below 2.5 million. It is axed shortly afterwards.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2e5a6295c2a3424aa652371cbc25f8cc |title=Davina – BBC One London – 12 April 2006 – BBC Genome |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=2018-01-13}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4939660.stm|title=BBC drops Davina's flop chat show |publisher=BBC News | date=24 April 2006 | access-date=22 August 2017}}

|Channel 4 airs the penultimate and final episode of Gene Simmons' Rock School where the band Hoax UK (formerly No Comment) opened for Judas Priest at Long Beach Arena. Members included the late Lil' Chris, Ellie Chapman, Samanie Warren-Close, Sammi Reeve, Lindsey Rose, Jess Reid and others.

|Just the Two of Us debuts on BBC One.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/02_february/17/justthetwoofus_stepping.shtml |title=Just the Two of Us celebrities |publisher=BBC Press Office |date=23 February 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|The events of the 2006 Winter Olympics end broadcasting worldwide.

|L!VE TV is moved to the adult section of Sky's EPG, and is rebranded as "Babeworld" two days later. This is because the channel has moved to broadcasting an increasingly adult themed content.

|Charlie Brooker's ...wipe series debuts on BBC Four, starting with the first episode of Screenwipe which is still a rival to ITV's Harry Hill's TV Burp.

|BBC Two shows the network television premiere of Anita and Me, a coming of age drama based on the book of the same name by Meera Syal.{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ed6bac26f8784cb593a72d9f9eb54c10|title=Anita & Me – BBC Two England – 4 March 2006 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=26 August 2018}}

|Siân Reeves and Russell Watson win the first series of Just the Two of Us.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/03_march/05/two.shtml |publisher=BBC Press Office |title=Sian Reeves and Russell Watson are Just the Two of Us champions |date=5 March 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|Dick & Dom in da Bungalow comes to an end after four years on CBBC.

|Christopher Napier, performing as George Formby, wins the fourth and final junior series of Stars in Their Eyes. The programme continues with a number of special editions during 2006, before a final celebrity special on 23 December.

|American period sitcom television series Everybody Hates Chris debuts on Five.

|Coronation Street bosses dismiss as untrue media reports that the child actress who plays Amy Barlow is being replaced because her parents felt her storylines were "too harrowing", and her workload too heavy.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4836794.stm |title=Street denies child actress upset |publisher=BBC News |date=23 March 2006 |access-date=2 May 2014}}

|ITV announces plans to air World of Chat, a show on ITV2 featuring the best from chat shows around the world.{{cite web|author=Ben Dowell |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/mar/24/broadcasting.ITV |title=ITV keeps faith with chatshows | Media |work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-01-13}}

|UKTV Gold presents its Mitchells Weekend to coincide with the return of Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) to EastEnders. The weekend includes The Mitchells – The Full Story, a documentary about the soap family presented by actress Kim Medcalf.{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a29834/kim-medcalf-to-host-eastenders-special.html#~oFhG4bNr3CQ9kc |title=Kim Medcalf to host 'EastEnders' special |publisher=Digital Spy |date=3 March 2006 |access-date=25 May 2014}}

|Graham Norton will present How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, a TV talent search for an actress to play Maria in a stage production of The Sound of Music, it is announced.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4873260.stm |title=Norton leads TV search for Maria |publisher=BBC News |date=3 April 2006 |access-date=12 June 2014}}

|12.6 million viewers watch long-running Coronation Street character Mike Baldwin die in the arms of his long-time rival, Ken Barlow. Baldwin, played by Johnny Briggs, had been in the show for 30 years.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4890916.stm |title=Baldwin finale pulls in viewers |publisher=BBC News |date=8 April 2006 |access-date=10 June 2014}}

|BBC daytime soap opera Doctors air the first same-sex marriage on British television when characters Greg Robinson (Ben Jones) and Rico Da Silva (Felix D'Alviella) get married.{{cite tweet |number=1002994286256934913 |title=Brookside may have had the first gay kiss, but @bbcdoctors had the first gay wedding on British TV. #ThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutBBCDoctors #SoapAwards|date=2 June 2018|user=BBCDoctors}}{{cite news|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/doctors/a31279/doctors-to-show-first-gay-wedding/|title='Doctors' to show first gay wedding|work=Digital Spy|access-date=4 January 2020|archive-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103100548/https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/doctors/a31279/doctors-to-show-first-gay-wedding/|url-status=live}}

|Peter Bayless wins the 2006 series of MasterChef Goes Large.

|ITV launch ITV Play, a new 24/7 participation TV channel, on Freeview in the United Kingdom. It will launch on other platforms later in the year.

|The Queen celebrates her 80th birthday at Windsor. The Prince of Wales makes a televised address in tribute.

|Cartoon Network Too and Nick Jr. 2 are launched in the UK.

|The BBC announces that Grandstand, its flagship sports TV programme, will be phased out within the next year after nearly 50 years on air.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4940490.stm |title=Grandstand axed in BBC facelift |publisher=BBC News |date=5 April 2006 |access-date=15 June 2014}}

|The BBC's local election coverage goes off air shortly before 3:00 am, due to a power failure at their Millbank studios. For the next hour coverage relocates to The Counting House pub, with results being read out using handwritten pieces of paper.

|ITV1 broadcasts the network premiere of Peter Pan.

|Guy Goma, a graduate from the Congo who went to the BBC to attend a job interview, appears on BBC News 24 in place of an IT expert after a mix-up. Guy Kewney had been scheduled to comment on the subject of Apple Computer's court case with The Beatles' record label, Apple Corps, but a producer collected the wrong man from the wrong reception at Television Centre.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4774429.stm|title=BBC News 'wrong Guy' is revealed|publisher=BBC News|date=16 May 2006|access-date=1 July 2009}}

|Former supermarket cashier Michelle Dewberry wins the second series of The Apprentice and a £100,000 a year job working for Sir Alan Sugar.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4758185.stm |title=Ex-cashier wins TV's Apprentice |publisher=BBC News |date=10 May 2006 |access-date=5 May 2014}}

|Producers of Coronation Street confirm that Debra Stephenson, who plays Frankie Baldwin, will be leaving the soap at the end of the year.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4770365.stm |title=Actress Stephenson leaving Street |publisher=BBC News |date=14 May 2006 |access-date=10 June 2014}}

|BBC High Definition Television Trial commences.

|Channel 4 airs the first ever Big Brother episode to be shot in 16:9 widescreen.

|Just minutes before the live Eurovision Song Contest final begins, BBC One's live National Lottery draw is invaded by Fathers 4 Justice protestors. The show is temporarily taken off air, leaving just a programme logo and announcer Alan Dedicoat's voice until the problems are resolved.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5001386.stm | work=BBC News | location=London | title=Lottery show delayed by protest | date=20 May 2006 | access-date=21 February 2012}}

|BSkyB launch High-definition television in the UK under the brand Sky HD.

|UTV changes its registered company name from 'Ulster Television plc' to 'UTV plc', the company's belief being that the existing name no longer reflected the full scope of the company's business.[http://www.utvplc.com/uploads/statements/UTVNoticeofAGM2005.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060910061534/http://www.utvplc.com/uploads/statements/UTVNoticeofAGM2005.pdf|date=10 September 2006}}

|The BBC's first scheduled HDTV broadcast on BBC HD.

|It is announced that the traditional live Saturday morning kids' programmes are to be axed after 38 years on either channels, ending on 1 July. This is because children have more choice to digital multi channels and ITV will rival Saturday Kitchen with Saturday Cooks!.

|Scottish and Grampian are rebranded as STV Central and STV North respectively.

|Coronation Street confirms that Richard Fleeshman, who plays Craig Harris, will be leaving the soap to follow a singing career.{{cite news|last=Green |first=Kris |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a33816/richard-fleeshman-quits-the-street.html#~oI21ogr0slirBz |title=Richard Fleeshman quits the Street |publisher=Digital Spy |date=4 June 2006 |access-date=23 June 2014}}

|Actress Lucy Benjamin wins The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, a celebrity version of the ITV music talent contest.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5051026.stm |title=Soap star wins celebrity X Factor |publisher=BBC News |date=6 June 2006 |access-date=1 October 2015}}

|ITV announces that Central News South's existence as a news region will end after 17 years when the eastern half of the region (the area served by the Oxford transmitter) merges its operations with Meridian West's output, forming a new news region named ITV Thames Valley.

|Live coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Germany is aired by the BBC and ITV.

|The BBC announces that Billie Piper will leave her role as Rose Tyler on Doctor Who at the end of the second series the following month.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5082668.stm| title=Billie Piper to leave Doctor Who|publisher=BBC News | date=15 June 2006| access-date=16 March 2012}}

|BBC One Controller Peter Fincham announces that They Think It's All Over will not be recommissioned for a new series, ending a run of eleven years on air.{{cite news|first=Leigh |last=Holmwood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jun/19/sport.bbc |title=They Think It's All Over ... it is now |newspaper=The Guardian |date=19 June 2006 |access-date=1 October 2015}}

|The BBC announces that Top of the Pops will be axed, the final show airing on 30 July.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5099894.stm |title=BBC calls time on Top of the Pops |publisher=BBC News |date=20 June 2006 |access-date=21 June 2014}}

|James Martin presents his first edition of Saturday Kitchen, taking over from Antony Worrall Thompson who has moved to ITV with rival show Saturday Cooks!.

|Live coverage of the Wimbledon 2006 is aired by the BBC with the first Wimbledon season to be shot in 16:9 widescreen.

|The last live Saturday morning regular-based children's show, Holly and Stephen's Saturday Showdown, is aired after 38 years of broadcasting Saturday morning kids' shows on both channels. They are replaced by cookery programmes permanently.

|Actress Freema Agyeman is announced as the new Doctor Who companion Martha Jones replacing Billie Piper's Rose Tyler.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/05/agyeman2.shtml

|title=Freema Agyeman confirmed as new companion to Doctor Who

|publisher=BBC

|date=5 July 2006

|access-date=5 July 2006}}{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5146666.stm

|title=Doctor's next assistant is named

|date=5 July 2006

|access-date=5 July 2006}}

|Launch of Only Fools on Horses on BBC One, a celebrity show jumping contest airing over nine successive nights in aid of Sport Relief.

|PokerFace debuts on ITV1, stripped across a week with a nightly prize of £50,000 to the winning contestant. The final will then feature the winners of the first six shows gambling their winnings for the chance to walk away with one million pounds.

|It is announced that actress Wendy Richard will leave EastEnders as Pauline Fowler at Christmas. She is one of the only remaining cast members from the show's 1985 launch.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/11/broadcasting.bbc|title=Pauline to leave EastEnders|work=The Guardian|first=Michael|last=Stuart|date=11 July 2006|access-date=4 June 2009|location=London}}

|Sarah Lang wins one million pounds in the final of the ITV1 gameshow PokerFace.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5186468.stm|title=£1m winner has stars in her eyes|publisher=BBC News|date=17 July 2006|access-date=3 July 2009}} As she had also won £32,500 on the BBC One gameshow In It to Win It the previous year, this makes her the biggest known female gameshow winner in UK television history, and second overall behind Ian Woodley.

|CITV transmits its last ever episode of Thomas and Friends. From here, Channel 5 will take over the license to broadcast the series on free-for-air television.

|James Dreyfus replaces Ardal O'Hanlon as George Sunday (Thermoman) in the sixth and final series of My Hero. The series ends in September due to low viewing figures.

|FilmFour is relaunched as a free-to-air channel. It had originally been a subscription service, but this has ended four days previously.

|Debut of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? on BBC One.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/11/maria.shtml |publisher=BBC Press Office |title=How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? |date=29 July 2006 |access-date=12 June 2014}}

|Top of the Pops airs its final regular edition after being axed earlier in the year.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5215906.stm |title=Curtain falls on Top of the Pops |publisher=BBC News |date=26 July 2006 |access-date=21 June 2014}} However, the show returns for a Christmas special.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6172060.stm |title=Piper and Lucas top BBC Christmas |publisher=BBC News |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=21 June 2014}}

|The One Show is first broadcast on BBC One.

|Pete Bennett wins series seven of Big Brother.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5260766.stm |title=Pete Bennett seizes Brother title |publisher=BBC News |date=18 August 2006 |access-date=2 April 2014}}

|ITV secures a deal to sell its 45% stake in Ireland's TV3 for £70m.{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Wray |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/aug/24/itv.television |title=ITV sells £70m stake in Irish broadcaster TV3 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=24 August 2006|access-date=11 April 2012}}

| Playhouse Disney removes most of its in-vision continuity, and its two main presenters Dave Benson Phillips and Alex Lovell (referred to as Big Dave and Little Alex) leave the network.

| Bianca Gascoigne and model Calum Best win the second and final (for the time being) series of Love Island.

| Supernanny airs the controversial Hillhouse-Docharty Family episode where Kerry Hillhouse and his 9-year old son Ryan’s violent behaviour, where they became the second ever UK episode where she failed to work with.

|BBC Entertainment replaces BBC Prime in global markets.

|ITV Lunchtime News moves to 13:30 and returns to run for 30 minutes.

|Ingram Wilcox, a civil servant and quiz show fanatic, has become the fifth person to win the £1 million prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, it is reported. The episode showing his win, the first in two and a half years, is aired on 16 September.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5341708.stm |title=Quiz fan wins Millionaire jackpot |publisher=BBC News |date=13 September 2006 |access-date=13 May 2014}}

|Connie Fisher wins BBC One's How Do You Solve a Problems Like Maria?. She will make her debut in the role in a revival of The Sound of Music at London's Palladium Theatre on 14 November.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5351816.stm |title=Connie wins Maria talent contest |publisher=BBC News |date=17 September 2006 |access-date=12 June 2014}}

|Loose Women now broadcasts weekdays at 12.30pm.

|Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is seriously injured after crashing a jet-powered car at 280 mph.{{cite news|first=Julia |last=Day |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/sep/21/lifeandhealth.bbc |title=Top Gear host 'serious but stable' after 300mph crash |newspaper=The Guardian |date=21 September 2006 |access-date=21 February 2015}}

|BBC One airs Episode 5000 of Neighbours.{{cite web|url=http://www.neighboursepisodes.com/index.php?year=2006&episode=5000|title=Neighbours Episode 5000 from 2006 - NeighboursEpisodes.com|website=neighboursepisodes.com|access-date=7 October 2018}}

|BBC One airs the National Lottery one-off show Everyone's A Winner, and is the first BBC show to be presented by Noel Edmonds in over seven years. At the same time, the National Lottery draws are moved to a new separate studio base with its own individual presenter.

|Lianna Fowler wins Cycle 2 of Britain's Next Top Model.

|Matt Dawson wins the 2006 series of Celebrity MasterChef.

|1 vs. 100, the National Lottery game show, debuts on BBC One.

|QI publishes its first book: The Book of General Ignorance. The book becomes a No. 1 best-seller for amazon.co.uk.

|The BBC defends presenter Graham Norton after he admits to having taken recreational drugs, including ecstasy in an interview for Marie Claire magazine. Of Norton's revelation the broadcaster says: "The issues that Graham discusses in this interview are aimed at an adult audience and reflect the frank and open nature of his personality".{{cite news|first=Jo |last=Revill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/oct/08/bbc.drugs |title=BBC backs Norton over drugs admission |newspaper=The Guardian |date=7 October 2006 |access-date=17 May 2014}}

|After four and a half years, the BBC 'Rhythm & Movement' idents are shown for the final time on BBC One at 1:10 am, as part of a special montage (2:55 am on BBC One Northern Ireland). Their replacements, the 'Circle' idents, debut at 10 am.

|ITV announce that Where the Heart Is will not be commissioned for a new series.{{cite news|last=Green |first=Kris |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s39/where-the-heart-is/news/a38099/where-the-heart-is-axed-after-a-decade.html#~pdCAsya0uGxEIF |title='Where The Heart Is' axed after a decade |work=Digital Spy |date=12 October 2006 |access-date=24 May 2015}}

|Five Life is launched. Among its schedule includes the introduction of a 'first look' showing of Home and Away episodes before they are shown on the main Five channel the next day.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6035029.stm|title=Five TV spin-offs bring escapism|publisher=BBC News|first=Kevin|last=Young|date=13 October 2006|access-date=4 June 2009}}

|Five US is launched.

|Entertainer Jimmy Tarbuck is forced to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing because of his health problems.

|ITV confirms the axing of its prison drama, Bad Girls after eight series.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6088240.stm |title=Axe falls on ITV drama Bad Girls |publisher=BBC News |date=26 October 2006 |access-date=7 June 2014}}

|Family Fortunes returns to ITV1 after a four year absence with new host Vernon Kay and under the title of All Star Family Fortunes, with celebrities playing alongside their real life families to win money for their chosen charity.

|After a six-year absence from television, The Royle Family returns for what is billed as its final episode, an hour-long show titled "The Queen of Sheba".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comedy-a-royle-tribute-421723.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230070853/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comedy-a-royle-tribute-421723.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2012 |title=Comedy: A Royle tribute |newspaper=The Independent |date=28 October 2006 |access-date=14 June 2014}}

|In the Grid, a 70 episode primetime game show hosted by Les Dennis, premieres on Five.

|Pop star Madonna appears on Newsnight, where she gives her first British television interview about her controversial adoption of an African baby.{{cite news|first=Jeevan |last=Vasagar |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/nov/01/musicnews.bbc |title=Madonna on BBC2 to defend adoption |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 November 2006 |access-date=22 September 2018}}

|Virgin Media comes into being when NTL Telewest does a deal to license the Virgin name.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/nov/08/citynews.digitalmedia|title=NTL rebrands as Virgin Media|first=Katie|last=Allen|date=8 November 2006|website=The Guardian|access-date=26 August 2018}}

|Lorraine Chase makes her final appearance in Emmerdale as Steph Stokes.

|BBC Parliament broadcasts in full screen format for the first time on the Freeview service, having previously only been available in quarter screen format.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/6144072.stm|title=BBC Parliament goes full screen|access-date=1 May 2009 |date=13 November 2006|publisher=BBC News}} The BBC has eventually found the bandwidth to make the channel full-screen after receiving "thousands of angry and perplexed e-mails and letters",{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2006/10/resizing_parliament.html|title=BBC NEWS – The Editors|access-date=1 May 2009}} not to mention questions asked by MPs in the Houses of Parliament itself.

|Cadbury announces its intention to end its £10m a year sponsorship deal with Coronation Street after a decade. The current sponsorship contract is due to expire at the end of 2007, but Cadbury says it would end the deal earlier if another sponsor is found.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6148006.stm |title=Coronation Street loses sponsor |publisher=BBC News |date=14 November 2006 |access-date=30 August 2015}}

|Episode eight of Series D of QI is a Children in Need special with Alan Davies, Rich Hall, Jonathan Ross and Phill Jupitus, who discuss the topic of Descendants with presenter Stephen Fry.{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d7886b76ec004d5cac9c6fb6b4dce2e8|title=QI – BBC Two England – 17 November 2006 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 November 2018}}

|ITV Summer tropical reality series Love Island is axed after two series, due to poor ratings. The programme would see a successful return in 2015 on ITV2.

|The BBC confirms that the long-running Holiday Programme is being axed after 37 years on air.{{cite news |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a39995/bbc-axes-holiday-after-37-years.html |title=BBC axes 'Holiday' after 37 years |publisher=Digital Spy |date=27 November 2006 |access-date=13 June 2013 |author=West, Dave}}

|ITV confirms that BBC chairman Michael Grade is to become its chief executive in early 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/nov/28/itv.citynews|title=Grade confirmed as ITV boss|work=The Guardian|first=Katie|last=Allen|date=28 November 2006|access-date=30 April 2009|location=London}}

|After seven and a half years on air, Jungle Run airs its last episode.

|Matt Willis, a former member of boy band Busted wins the sixth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6198146.stm |title=Matt crowned 'King of the Jungle' |publisher=BBC News |date=1 December 2006 |access-date=23 April 2014}}

|The last edition of Central News South is aired. From tomorrow the Central South region will cease to exist. The east of the region including Oxford becomes part of ITV Thames Valley, the west half of the region, covering Cheltenham and Gloucester is absorbed into the ITV West region, while Herefordshire rejoins the Central West region.

|The ITV Thames Valley region, a composite of the old Meridian West and eastern part of the Central South regions, goes on air with a new regional news programme Thames Valley Tonight.

|Equestrian Zara Phillips is named as this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, following her mother, Anne, Princess Royal, who won the title in 1971.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/dec/10/1 |title=Awards: Zara Phillips is BBC Sports Personality of the Year |newspaper=The Guardian |date=10 December 2006 |access-date=6 November 2015}}

|The Berwick-upon-Tweed transmitter transfers from Border to Tyne Tees as part of the preparations for the digital switchover of the Border region in 2008.{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Baldwin |title=Digital switchover confusion is resolved |work=Berwick Advertiser |url=http://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=970&ArticleID=1654750 |date=27 July 2006 |access-date=16 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222001428/http://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=970&ArticleID=1654750 |archive-date=22 February 2008}}

|At 5.30am BBC Two airs the final Open University course-related television broadcast. With Open University course content now available through media such as podcasts and DVDs it is no longer necessary for the programmes to be aired on television and radio. However, the Open University continues to make programming for a broader audience, with series including Coast, Child of Our Time and Battle of the Geeks.{{cite web|url=https://www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=9898|title=End of a cultural era – but OU on TV evolution continues|website=www3.open.ac.uk|access-date=22 February 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2609c15ac27b49f594dae26638c89d76|title=BBC Learning Zone: Open University/General Interest|date=16 December 2006|publisher=BBC Genome|access-date=22 February 2019}}

|Following the success of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, BBC One announces plans for Any Dream Will Do, a follow-up series that will search for someone to play Joseph in the West End musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6195135.stm |title=TV search for new West End Joseph |publisher=BBC News |date=19 December 2006 |access-date=12 June 2014}}

|CITV programmes are aired on a weekday afternoon on ITV1 for the final time after 23 years. From 2007, CITV programmes are aired exclusively on its own dedicated channel, though ITV1 continues to air some CITV programmes on weekend mornings up until 2023.

|BBC One airs the network premiere of the 2003 DreamWorks animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

|Christmas Eve highlights on BBC One include Calendar Girls, a film starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters along with an ensemble cast.{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9e21c14485ab435abf0d52f697b59d41|title=Calendar Girls – BBC One London – 24 December 2006 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=23 November 2018}}

|Actress Wendy Richard makes her final appearance in EastEnders after her character, Pauline Fowler, is killed off in a dramatic storyline. She has been in the show since its inception in 1985. Richard dies in February 2009 at the age of 65.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a40664/pauline-dies-alone-in-the-square.html|title=Pauline dies alone in the Square|publisher=Digital Spy|first=Kris|last=Green|access-date=4 June 2009}}

|Casper is aired on BBC One for the last time. Boxing Day highlights on BBC One include the films Freaky Friday and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. ITV airs a one-off dramatisation of After Thomas, with Keeley Hawes, Ben Miles, Sheila Hancock, Asa Butterfield and Andrew Byrne. It is produced by Beryl Vertue and Elaine Cameron, directed by Simon Shore, and written by Lindsey Hill. The film centres on the severely autistic child Kyle Graham and the progress he makes when his parents adopt a golden retriever named Thomas. It is based on the true story of Scottish child Dale Gardner and his dog Henry.

|Life on Mars

|Johnny and the Bomb

|Hotel Babylon

|The Virgin Queen

|Gideon's Daughter

|Waterloo Road

|The Family Man

|Casualty 1900s

|The Street

|New Street Law

|Home Again

|Don't Get Done, Get Dom

|The Likeaballs

|The Chase

|Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart

|Aftersun

|TMi

|Young Dracula

|Jane Eyre

|The Amazing Mrs Pritchard

|Not Going Out

|Robin Hood

|Something for the Weekend

|Wide Sargasso Sea

|The State Within

|The Ruby in the Smoke

|Dracula

|Hyperdrive

|Petrolheads

|The Line of Beauty

|Saxondale

|Soundproof

|Time Trumpet

|Me Too!

|The Secret Show

|Something for the Weekend

|Numberjacks

|Sinchronicity

|Torchwood

|Charlie Brooker's ...wipe

|The Chatterley Affair

|Lead Balloon

|Dancing on Ice

|Northern Lights

|Lewis, a spin-off from Inspector Morse.

|Love Lies Bleeding

|A Good Murder

|Ghostboat

|The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant

|If I Had You

|See No Evil: The Moors Murders

|The Thieving Headmistress

|PokerFace

|Jane Hall

|Losing It

|Bel's Boys

|Horrid Henry

|Dickinson's Real Deal

|Strictly Confidential

|Extinct

|Housewife, 49

|Losing Gemma

|After Thomas

|My Name Is Earl

|The IT Crowd

|How I Met Your Mother

|All in the Game

|How to Look Good Naked

|Blunder

|Low Winter Sun

|Goldplated

|Longford

|A Harlot's Progress

|Everybody Hates Chris

|Suburban Shootout

|Respectable

|Tripping Over

|Kappa Mikey

|Hannah Montana

|The Batman

Pokémon: Advanced Battle

|Ben 10

|My Gym Partner's a Monkey

| Skatoony

|Blanche

|Doodlebops

|Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

|Bliss

|Player

|Boomerang +1

|CITV

|Disney Cinemagic

|ITV Play

|Cartoon Network Too

|TCM 2

|BBC HD

|Artsworld HD

|Sky Sports HD 2

|Five Life

|Five US

|Cartoon Network +

|Toon Disney

|UKTV People +1

|FilmFour Weekly

|VH2

|FilmFour

|Film4

|Film4 +1

|Sky Sports HD

|Sky Sports HD 1

|Player

|Bravo 2

|rowspan=5| Channel 4

| Sky One

|rowspan=6| Five

| BBC One

|rowspan=2| ITV

| Channel 4

| GMTV

| GMTV2 / CITV

| BBC Two

| BBC Three

| Playhouse Disney

| CITV

|1 March 1985
6 August 1996

|CITV

|6 January 2006

|rowspan="3"|N/A (Same channel as original)

|24 March 1996

|BBC One
CBBC

|27 November 2006

|31 May 1985
30 December 2002

|ITV

|28 October 2006

|2001

|BBC One & BBC Two

|2006

|CBeebies

|Muffin the Mule

|CBeebies

|1946 & 2005

|ITV

|rowspan=2|2005

|Rock School

|Channel 4

|Love Lies Bleeding

|ITV

|2006

|Pingu

|CBeebies/BBC One

|rowspan=|1986 & 2004

|CD:UK

|ITV

|1998

|The Family Man

|BBC One

|2006

|Footballers' Wives

|ITV

|2002

|CITV

|1991 & 2006

|They Think It's All Over

|BBC One

|1995

|Cash Cab

|ITV

|rowspan="2"|2005

|Coach Trip

|Channel 4

|Saturday morning kids' programmes

|CBBC & CITV

|1968

|Top of the Pops (weekly episodes)

|BBC One & BBC Two

|1964

|Sugar Rush

|Channel 4

|2005

|The Kumars

|BBC One

|2001

|(Celebrity) Love Island

|rowspan="3"|ITV

|2005

|Bad Lads' Army: Extreme

|2002

|Where the Heart Is

|1997

|BBC One

|2000

|Bullseye

|Challenge

|1981 & 2006

|Jane Eyre

|BBC One

|2006

|Prime Suspect

|rowspan="3"|ITV

|1991

|Vincent

|rowspan="2"|2005

|Afterlife

|The State Within

|rowspan="2"|BBC One

|2006

|Byker Grove

|1989

|Extinct

|rowspan="4"|ITV

|2006

|My Parents Are Aliens

|1999{{cite web |last1=Rodger |first1=James |title=My Parents Are Aliens cast reunite after 17 years as fans left emotional |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/parents-aliens-cast-reunite-after-26543597 |website=BirminghamLive |access-date=25 March 2023 |language=en |date=23 March 2023}}

|Losing Gemma

|2006

|Stars in Their Eyes

|1990

|The Biggest Loser

|Sky

|2005

|John Woodnutt

|81

|actor (Jeeves and Wooster, Doctor Who)

|Henry McGee

|76

|actor (The Benny Hill Show)

|Peter Philp

|85

|television presenter (Collectors' Club)

|Dennis Kirkland

|63

|television director and producer (The Benny Hill Show)

|Lou Gish

|38

|actress (Casualty, EastEnders, New Tricks)

|Linda Smith

|48

|comedian

|Jack Wild

|53

|actor (H. R. Pufnstuf, The Newcomers, George and the Dragon)

|John Junkin

|76

|comic actor and screenwriter (The Sweeney, Only When I Laugh, Inspector Morse)

|Moira Redmond

|77

|actress (Domitia in I, Claudius)

|Michael Attwell

|63

|actor (Kenny Beale in EastEnders)

|Lynne Perrie

|74

|actress (Ivy Tilsley in Coronation Street)

|Richard Bebb

|79

|actor (Compact, Poirot)

|John Read

|85

|television producer

|Peter Cadbury

|88

|television executive

|Jennifer Jayne

|74

|actress (The Adventures of William Tell)

|Peter Bryant

|82

|actor (The Grove Family) and television producer

|Ronald Cass

|83

|television scriptwriter

|Alec Bregonzi

|76

|actor (Hancock's Half Hour, The Two Ronnies, Filthy Rich and Catflap)

|Elkan Allan

|83

|television producer

|84

|actor and documentary film-maker (Minder, Lovejoy)

|Tom Weir

|91

|mountaineer and television presenter (Weir's Way)

|Peter Hawkins

|82

|actor and voice artist (Doctor Who, Rainbow, Captain Pugwash)

|David Maloney

|72

|television director and producer (Doctor Who, Blake's 7)

|Bob Simpson

|61

|BBC news correspondent

|Patrick Allen

|79

|actor (The Saint, UFO, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

|Stella Moray

|83

|actress (Coronation Street, Crossroads, The Bill, Midsomer Murders, George and Mildred)

|Tony Jay

|73

|actor, voice actor and singer (Mighty Ducks, ReBoot, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Beauty and the Beast)

|Joyce Blair

|73

|actress (The Morecambe and Wise Show, The Benny Hill Show, The Adventures of Robin Hood)

|David Plowright

|75

|television producer and executive

|Charlie Williams

|78

|footballer, actor and comedian (The Comedians, Love Thy Neighbour)

|Anne Gregg{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2349094,00.html|title=Anne Gregg: Multitalented TV presenter whose work on magazines and TV continued long after her controversial exit from Holiday |work=The Times|location=London|date=9 September 2006|access-date=7 May 2011}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

|66

|travel writer and television presenter (Holiday)

|89

|actress (Maid Marian and her Merry Men)

|Frank Middlemass

|87

|actor (As Time Goes By, To Serve Them All My Days, Heartbeat)

|Peter Ling

|80

|television scriptwriter (Crossroads)

|Raymond Baxter

|84

|television presenter (Tomorrow's World)

|Tom Bell

|73

|actor (Prime Suspect)

|Jennifer Moss

|61

|actress (Lucille Hewitt in Coronation Street)

|Derek Bond

|86

|actor (Callan, Thriller)

|Ross Davidson

|57

|actor (Andy O'Brien in EastEnders)

|Peter Barkworth

|77

|actor (The Avengers, Manhunt, Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years)

|59

|television producer

|Richard Mayes

|83

|actor

|Nigel Kneale

|84

|television scriptwriter (The Quatermass Experiment)

|Diana Coupland

|78

|actress (Bless This House)

|63

|comedian

|Ronnie Stevens

|81

|actor (Goodnight Sweetheart, Only When I Laugh, Ever Decreasing Circles, Hi-de-Hi!, Yes, Prime Minister, As Time Goes By)

|John Hallam

|65

|actor (EastEnders)

|Nick Clarke

|58

|television presenter

|Anthony Jackson

|62

|actor (Rentaghost, Bless This House)

|Alan Freeman

|79

|radio DJ and presenter (Top of the Pops)

|Mavis Pugh

|92

|actress (Are You Being Served?, Fawlty Towers, You Rang, M'Lord?)

|Desmond Briscoe

|81

|television sound engineer

|Charlie Drake

|81

|comic performer (The Worker)