ITV Marks 70 Years of Television That Changed Britain

ITV, the United Kingdom’s first commercial broadcaster, is celebrating its 70th anniversary today, September 22, 2025, marking seven decades of entertainment, drama, and cultural milestones that have helped shape British television.

The network, which began broadcasting on 22 September 1955, was created to break the BBC’s monopoly and quickly won viewers with its mix of variety shows, game shows, and regional programming.

Within years, it became the channel of choice for millions, changing not just how Britons watched TV but also what they expected from it.

Among its earliest hits were Sunday Night at the London Palladium and Take Your Pick!, which combined glamour with interactive fun.

But its real landmark came in 1960 with the launch of Coronation Street.

The soap opera, set in the fictional Weatherfield, is now the world’s longest-running soap and remains one of ITV’s defining achievements.

Drama has also been central to ITV’s history.

The network produced acclaimed series such as Brideshead Revisited (1981), Inspector Morse (1987), and Prime Suspect (1990s), all of which raised the standard of British storytelling.

In the 21st century, Downton Abbey became a global sensation, selling to more than 250 territories and cementing ITV’s place on the international stage.

ITV also pioneered some of the world’s biggest entertainment formats.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? launched in 1998 and spread to over 100 countries.

Music competitions like Pop Idol (2001) and The X Factor (2004) reshaped the pop industry, launching global stars including Leona Lewis and One Direction.

Meanwhile, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! turned reality TV into a national obsession.

Beyond entertainment, the broadcaster has delivered hard-hitting journalism and documentaries.

Its willingness to air controversial programmes such as Death on the Rock (1988) and dramas like Hillsborough (1996) showed ITV’s readiness to confront political and social issues.

More recently, Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2024) reignited national debates about corporate accountability.

In 2004, ITV transitioned from a network of regional franchises into a unified company, ITV plc, giving it the scale to compete in a changing media landscape.

Facing challenges from streaming platforms, ITV launched ITVX in 2022, its biggest-ever digital project, offering both archive classics and original programming to capture modern audiences.

As ITV marks its 70th anniversary today, it celebrates a legacy that spans from the cobbled streets of Weatherfield to the grandeur of Downton Abbey, from groundbreaking journalism to global reality formats.

Seventy years after its launch, ITV remains at the heart of British broadcasting, and its story is still being written.