Television History, Told Through the Archive
Explore existing articles and archive material tracing the programmes and people remembered on screen.
Archive Articles
Television Programmes
People on Screen
A Guide to the Past
Explore Television History
This page brings together existing articles and archive material about television history. Browse writing on classic British and American television, revisit programmes, and discover the people featured in the archive. Follow the subjects that interest you, then explore related articles for a closer look at television remembered.
Browse the History Archive
British Television
American Television
Classic Programmes
Actors and Performers
Explore Television History
British Television
Articles and archive material
Browse existing writing on British television history and the programmes and people featured in the archive.
American Television
Articles and archive material
Discover published articles and archive material relating to American television.
People and Programmes
Stories from the archive
Read existing features about the actors and programmes that shaped television viewing.
Search Television History
Use the search bar to find published articles and related archive material by programme, performer, or subject.
In-Depth Television History
Fawlty Towers: The Hotel Comedy Built on Basil’s Impossible Standards
Explore Fawlty Towers, the 1970s BBC sitcom created by John Cleese and Connie Booth, and the hotel staff whose clashing goals made its farce last.
Columbo: Why Peter Falk’s Unassuming Detective Became a Television Classic
Explore Columbo’s history, Peter Falk’s defining performance, its celebrated guest stars and the ingenious murder mysteries that made the series a television classic.
Only Fools and Horses: Why Del Boy and Rodney Remain British Comedy Legends
Explore the history of Only Fools and Horses, John Sullivan’s celebrated BBC sitcom, and why Del Boy, Rodney and the Trotters remain British comedy favourites.
Follow the Story Beyond History
Continue exploring television’s past through our British TV and American TV collections, browse programmes in Shows A–Z, discover the people behind them in Actors, or read more in Articles.