History of the BBC
Explore the history of the BBC since its foundation in 1922 to the present day
Explore the BBC’s rich history - uncover the stories behind topical anniversaries, delve into fascinating objects from our diverse collections, or take a deeper look through one of our long‑form articles.
And tell us your memories of what the BBC means to you.
Anniversaries
60 years ago this month Warren Mitchell starred in the first episode of Johnny Speight's classic sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. Curmudgeonly bigot Alf Garnett was central to the story which ran for 54 ground-breaking episodes.
My Journey in Comedy
Breakthrough moments in BBC comedy - five women TV comedians tell their BBC stories, from Mrs. Merton to Andi Osho, via Joyce Grenfell.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2026 - a BBC timeline
How the BBC gradually represented the lives of LGBTQ+ communities in its output over the years - our timeline explores some extraordinary stories for Pride Month 2026.
Attenborough 100
Sir David Attenborough is 100, and, to mark the occasion, BBC History has opened up the BBC Archives to bring you some extraordinary insights into the life of the legendary natural history broadcaster.
The BBC and the General Strike
When the Trades Union Congress called for a General Strike in the UK 100 years ago, few thought of the BBC as a news organisation. David Hendy, Professor Emeritus, University of Sussex explores why that perception was about to change forever.
Faces of the BBC
Lenny Henry in 1992, sporting his red nose for Comic Relief. Lenny launched his TV career in 1975 when he was just 16 years old. Faces of the BBC has more.
Building of the Week - Camden Palace
From 1945-72 the BBC's Camden Palace studios played host to hundreds of comedians in front of enthusiastic live audiences. For many years the famous Goon Show came from this building.
BBC Directors-General
Matt Brittin is the new Director-General of the BBC. Our gallery explores the life and times of the leaders of the BBC.
Links
BBC Archive
Hand-picked and popular selections from the BBC archives.
BBC Archive - Youtube channel
Hop aboard an audiovisual time machine, that will transport you back to the golden age of TV.
BBC Programme Index
Explore the BBC’s historical listings information from 1922 to the present day.
Connected Histories of the BBC
A University of Sussex-AHRC research project
British Entertainment History Project
The UK's largest oral history collection of interviews with professionals from across the film, television, radio and theatre industries.
BBC Memory Bank
Giving longstanding and retired staff the opportunity to write their part of the unofficial history of the BBC.
BBC iPlayer from the Archive
The destination to discover the most distinctive content from the BBC's rich archive.
Archive on Four
Brilliant stories told using archive from the BBC and beyond.
