2020

2020

MMXX
 * FA Cup Winners: Arsenal (beat Chelsea FC 2-1). Played on Saturday, 01 August.
 * Christmas Number One:
 * Eurovision Song Contest: cancelled because of coronavirus pandemic (televised event from Rotterdam, 16 May)
 * UK Eurovision Entry: James Newman - My Last Breath
 * Contest Winner: none


 * Blue Peter Team: Lindsey Russell, Richie Driss.
 * Doctor Who: Jodi Whittaker (S12)
 * Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: Greg James
 * Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: none (Christmas specials of Strictly Come Dancing, Blankety Blank, Call the Midwife, EastEnders, Mrs. Brown's Boys)

Main events

 * January: massive bush fires continue in Australia, 'Megxit', coronavirus outbreak in China, Brexit begins.
 * February: coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, more Brexit developments, bad storms hit parts of the UK.
 * March: coronavirus declared global pandemic, many European countries on lockdown
 * April: coronavirus and COVID-19 crisis continue worldwide, contagion slows down in China.
 * May: George Floyd death sparks protests, 6 million COVID-19 cases worldwide, Dragon 2 launched.
 * October. Three-tier anti-COVID system introduced in England; on 31 October new lockdown announced for whole of England.
 * November: New anti-coronavirus lockdown begins in England, Joe Biden elected US President
 * December: 3-tiers system re-adopted in England, Coronavirus vaccine approved and administered

TV
(channel and first broadcast date in brackets)

New shows
full list
 * Dracula (BBC1, 01 January), King Gary (BBC1, 10 January), Deadwater Fell (C4, 10 January), Crackerjack! (17 January), Feel Good (C4, 18 March), The English Game (Netflix, 20 March), Malory Towers (CBBC, 06 April), A Suitable Boy (BBC1, 26 July), All Creatures Great & Small (C5, 01 September), The Wheel (BBC1, 28 November)

Shows ending
full list
 * This Country (BBC3, 23 March)

Other TV events

 * Doctor Who (S12, BBC1), After Life (S2, Netflix), Killing Eve (S3, 12 April), The Great British Bake-Off (S11, C4, 22 September), The Crown (S5, 15 November, Netflix), Strictly Come Dancing (S16, BBC1, 17 October)

Radio

 * April: BBC radio channels adjust schedule timings to accommodate new daily routines due to coronavirus lockdown
 * November: Graham Norton announces he is leaving his BBC Radio 2 weekend show and later confirms he will begin with Virgin Radio in the New Year.

Music
see also
 * Biggest selling singles: The Weeknd - Blinding Lights, Saint Jhn - Roses, Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go (full list)
 * Biggest selling albums: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia, Pop Smoke - Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, Taylor Swift - Folklore, The Weeknd - After Hours  (full list). NB biggest selling album Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired.. (2019), second biggest Harry Styles -  Fine Line (2019)
 * Compilation albums: Title
 * Debut albums: Pop Smoke - Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, (full list)
 * Eponymous debuts - Artist, Artist,
 * Alternative/independent: Artist - Title

Films

 * Tenet, Enola Holmes, The Secret Garden,
 * Dolittle, ...

Biggest selling DVD/Blu-ray:

 * Downton Abbey - The Movie (2019), Star Wars IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Joker (2019), Frozen II (2019), 1917 (2019) (full list)

Births

 * Name Surname (day)

Birthdays

 * 30: Emma Watson, Giovanni Pernice
 * 40: Tom Ravenscroft, Jessica Simpson, Harry Potter, Ben Whishaw, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera
 * 50: Alexander Armstrong, Zoe Ball, Andre Agassi, Melania Trump, Uma Thurman, Rachel Weisz, John Simm, Jason Orange, Tamzin Outhwaite, Gareth Southgate
 * 60: Greta Scacchi, Linford Christie, Paul Humphreys, Bono Vox, Tony Hadley, Vince Clarke, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Richard Jobson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Diego Maradona (dec.), Tilda Swinton, Stanley Tucci, Kim Wilde, Gary Lineker, Kenneth Branagh
 * 70: Billy Ocean, Malcolm MacDonald, Peter Gabriel, Mark Spitz, Agnetha Fältskog, Billy Currie, Suzi Quatro, Princess Anne
 * 80: Tom Jones, David Jason, Annie Nightingale, Penelope Keith, Ringo Starr, Cliff Richard, Geoffrey Boycott, Manfred Mann.
 * 90: Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery (dec. Oct.)

Deaths
(Date of death and age, where known)
 * Derek Fowlds (17 January), Terry Jones (21 January), Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna (26 January)
 * Kirk Douglas (05 February, aged 103) Max von Sydow (08 March, 90), Roy Hudd (15 March, 83)
 * Eddie Large (02 April, 78), Honor Blackman (05 April, 94), Tim Brooke-Taylor (12 April, 79), Stirling Moss (12 April, 90), Jill Gascoine (28 April, 83), Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk, 30 April, 73)
 * Dave Greenfield (03 May, 61), Steve Priest (Sweet, 04 June, 72), Ian Holme (19 June, 88), Dame Vera Lynn (18 June, 103)
 * Ennio Morricone (06 July, 91), Alan Parker (31 July, 76).
 * Diana Rigg (10 September, 82)
 * Frank Bough (21 October?, 87), Bobby Ball (28 October, 76), Nobby Stiles (30 October, 78) Sean Connery (31 October, 90)
 * Geoffrey Palmer (06 November, 93), Peter Sutcliffe (13 November), Des O'Connor (14 November, 88), Ray Clemence (15 November, 72), Diego Maradona (25 November, 60)
 * Paolo Rossi (09 December, 64), Barbara Windsor (10 December, 83)