This is a list of British television related events from 1971.
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February
- 3 February – After nearly three months, the ITV Colour Strike ends and programmes resume being made in colour.
- 6 February–13 March – BBC Two first broadcasts the serial Jude the Obscure, starring Robert Powell, in six 45-minute episodes.
- 17 February – BBC2 airs Elizabeth R, a drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
- 25 February – The animated children's adventure series Mr Benn airs on BBC1 with the copyright year shown from the previous year (1970) in the end credits shortly before the BBC tv logo. However the other regular BBC programmes unlike The Trumptonshire Trilogy still wouldn't show any copyright years until the following year (1972).
March
- 5 March – The third in Peter Cook's live late night chat show series Where Do I Sit? is shown on BBC2 after which the BBC pulls the 9 remaining scheduled episodes on quality grounds.[5]
- 29 March – ITV show the television premiere of Ray Harryhausen's 1963 fantasy action film Jason and the Argonauts.
- 29 March – The American children's educational series Sesame Street begins airing on British television for the first time, debuting on ITV by first airing on HTV.
BBC1
- 17 January – The Last of the Mohicans (1971)
- 21 January – Dave Allen at Large (1971–1979)
- 22 January – That's Your Funeral (1971)
- 13 February – The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
- 22 February – Joe and the Gladiator (1971)
- 25 February – Mr Benn (1971, 2005)
- 26 February – Sykes and a Big Big Show (1971)
- 15 March – Island of the Great Yellow Ox (1971)
- 1 April – Now, Take My Wife (1971)
- 10 April – The Two Ronnies (1971–1987, 1991, 1996, 2005)
- 15 April – It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling (1971)
- 19 April
- 14 May – Look, Mike Yarwood! (1971–1976)
- 18 June – Ryan and Ronnie (1971–1973)
- 19 June – Parkinson (1971–1982, 1998–2007)
- 22 August – The Silver Sword (1971)
- 4 September – The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979)
- 15 September
- 20 September – A Taste of Honey (1971)
- 21 September – The Partridge Family (1970–1974)
- 2 October – The Generation Game (1971–1982, 1990–2002)
- 4 October – The Witch's Daughter (1971)
- 15 October – The Onedin Line (1971–1980)
- 21 October – Edna, the Inebriate Woman (1971)
- 23 October – Francis Durbridge Presents: The Passenger (1971)
- 5 November – Now Look Here (1971–1973)
- 8 November – The Runaway Summer (1971)
- 14 November – Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971)
- 24 December – A Ghost Story for Christmas (1971–1978)
- 28 December – The Snow Goose (1971)
Returning this year after a break of one year or longer
1920s
- BBC Wimbledon (1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–2024)
- 1 January – Suzanne Virdee, British regional newscaster (Midlands Today)
- 3 January – Sarah Alexander, actress
- 5 January
- 12 January – Jay Burridge, British artist and television presenter
- 13 January – Sarah Tansey, British actress (Heartbeat)
- 15 January – Lara Cazalet, British actress
- 16 January – Julia Ford, English actress
- 20 January
- 29 January – Clare Balding, sports presenter, journalist and jockey
- 30 January – Darren Boyd, actor
- 31 January – Patrick Kielty, Northern Irish comedian and television presenter
- 2 February – Michelle Gayle, singer and actress
- 13 February – Sonia, English pop singer
- 16 February
- 17 February – Jeremy Edwards, actor
- 20 February – Sarah Hadland, actress
- 23 February – Melinda Messenger, British television presenter and model
- 2 March – Dave Gorman, comedian and broadcaster
- 3 March – Charlie Brooker, presenter and satirist
- 9 March – Stephanie Chambers, actress
- 23 March – Gail Porter, British television presenter.
- 5 April – Victoria Hamilton, actress
- 15 April – Kate Harbour, voice actress
- 16 April – Max Beesley, actor and musician
- 17 April – Claire Sweeney, actress, singer and television personality
- 18 April – David Tennant, Scottish actor
- 27 May – Paul Bettany, British actor
- 5 June – Susan Lynch, Northern Irish actress
- 18 June – Lucy Owen, née Cohen, Welsh news presenter
- 26 June – Emma Noble, actress and model
- 5 July – Nicola Stephenson, actress
- 24 July – John Partridge, actor
- 25 July – Chloë Annett, actress
- 20 August – Helen Grace, actress
- 31 August – Kirstie Allsopp, British television presenter
- 1 September – Debbie Chazen, actress
- 7 September – Lisa Rogers, television presenter
- 8 September – Martin Freeman, actor
- 25 September – Jessie Wallace, British actress
- 29 September – Mackenzie Crook, English actor
- 4 October – Simone Hyams, actress
- 13 October – Sacha Baron Cohen, British comedian
- 16 October – Craig Phillips, British reality show star, winner of Big Brother UK in 2000
- 24 October – Dervla Kirwan, actress
- 1 December – Emily Mortimer, British actress
- Unknown