2016

2016

MMXVI


 * UK Prime Minister: David Cameron succeeded by Theresa May (from 13 July 2016)


 * FA Cup Winners: Manchester United (beat Crystal Palace 1-2, aet, 21 May)


 * Premier League winners: Leicester City


 * Christmas Number One: Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie - Rockabye


 * Eurovision Song Contest: Stockholm, 14 May 2016
 * Contest Winner: Jamala - 1944 (Ukraine)


 * UK Eurovision Entry: Joe and Jake - You're Not Alone (position 24th/26 finalists)


 * Blue Peter Team: Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell, Radzi Chinyanganya


 * Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi (no regular season, Christmas Special only)


 * Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: Nick Grimshaw


 * Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: Frozen (3.10 pm)


 * Olympic Games: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 05 - 21 August

Main events

 * David Bowie dies, aged 69
 * Tim Peake, first British astronaut to spacewalk, junior doctors' strike and disruption to non-emergency services, Independent newspaper goes on-line only, England win the Six Nations Grand Slam, Storm Katie over Easter weekend,  National Living Wage introduced.


 * EU membership referendum announced by David Cameron, takes place on 23 June, LEAVE vote wins. Cameron resigns as PM.
 * UEFA Euro 2016 begins in France - England face disqualification before the tournament, then eliminated by Iceland, manager Roy Hodgson resigns. Wales reach semi-final.
 * 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Team GB second in the medals table.

TV

 * BBC Three shut down (16 Feb., Sky Movies becomes Sky Cinema, Robot Wars goes to BBC 2, Black Mirror moves from C4 to Netflix (S3)
 * BBC launches Landmark Sitcom Season, a celebration of 60 years of television sitcoms - new episodes of Are You being Served, Porridge, Keeping Up Appearances and Goodnight Sweetheart broadcast.

New shows

 * BBC1: ''War & Peace, Tracey Ullman's Show, Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle, Ambulance, Planet Earth II,
 * BBC2: ''Victorian Bakers, Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking, Cunk on Shakespeare
 * BBC Three: Fleabag
 * BBC4: ''The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven, Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury,
 * ITV: The Durrells
 * C4: The Windsors
 * Other:

full list

Shows ending
full list

Radio

 * Tony Blackburn sacked by the BBC in January over Savile enquiry evidence, returns in December.
 * RIP Ed Stewart, Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young
 * Desmond Carrington presents final show for Radio 2 (d.2017)

Music
UK Top 40 debuts:
 * Biggest selling singles: Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance, Lukas Graham - 7 years, Sia featuring Sean Paul - Cheap Thrills (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_in_British_music#Best-selling_singles full list])
 * Biggest selling albums: Adele - 25 (2015), Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Michael Ball & Alfie Boe - Together (rel. November), David Bowie - Blackstar  (full list)
 * Compilation albums: David Bowie - Best of Bowie (2002), [èPhil Collins]] - The Singles
 * Debut albums: Artist - Title (full list)
 * Eponymous debuts - album
 * Alternative/independent: Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool