U&W
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Owner | UKTV (BBC Worldwide/Virgin Media) |
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of UKTV. The channel was launched on 7 October 2008 on Sky channel 109 and Virgin TV channel 124.[1]
AGB Nielsen Media Research reported on 2 September that Watch +1 would launch on the same day as Watch (7 October).
Current music used in the background of the television advertisements is 'You Will Leave A Mark' by Oxford band A Silent Film.
The Watch Channel Controller or Channel Head is currently Paul Moreton.
On Air identity
October 2008 to April 2009
The original watch idents were produced by Red Bee Media. Four idents were produced each ident was a liveaction video of people push an inflatable ball called Blinky.
April 2009 to September 2010
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In April 2009, the four existing idents from October 2008 were edited by Aardmann Animations to include the inflatable eyeball to blink. Four new CGI idents were introduced as well as the edited idents. In May 2010 a new ident for Scream if you know the answer was added.
2010 rebrand
During May 2010, UKTV were reportedly planning to overhaul the brand identity of Watch, after only eighteen months in operation.[2] The broadcaster held a branding agency pitch and made an appointment within a month. The review was being handled by creativebrief. The work included the creation of a fresh logo, strap-line and tone of voice. However, a spokeswoman for UKTV denied suggestions that the broadcaster would change the name of the channel and said that the overhaul was about 'tweaking the brand and aligning it better with our overall strategy'.
The new Watch logo and channel presentation launched on 23 September 2010, focusing on the idea that “TV is better shared.”[3] The new identity, created by agency Harriman Steel, includes a new strapline, “Watch…together,” along with new idents, end frames and a new logo.
Programming
The output of the channel is mainly British programmes and sometimes feature-length films. These are a combination of internally produced shows, repeats of shows from the BBC archive, and overseas versions of popular British shows.
BBC programmes are edited to fit the time slot, an original broadcast for an hour long programme on the BBC might be as much as 58 minutes long, the same programme here might be 42 minutes long without the commercials.
Movies Programming
- Bruce Almighty
- Ballet Shoes
- Constantine
- Die Hard with a Vengeance
- Daddy Day Care
- Double Team
- Firewall
- Ghostbusters II
- Look Who's Talking Too
- Look Who's Talking Now
- Little Shop of Horrors
- King Arthur
- Nowhere to Run
- The Karate Kid
- The Karate Kid, Part II
- The Recruit
- The Legend of Zorro
- The Neverending Story III: Escape to Fantasia
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
- Street Fighter
- Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
- Stealth
Current Programming
Future programmes
Primeval - *Channel Premiere* - (Starts Monday 11th October at 8pm)
Sanctuary - *UK Premiere* - (Starts Monday 18th October at 9pm)
Emergency Bikers - *Channel Premiere* - (Starts Monday 1st November at 10pm)
Don’t Tell The Bride - *Channel Premiere* - (Starts Wednesday 10th November at 9pm)
Former programming
References
- ^ "UKTV unveils new channel brands". Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "UKTV plans brand overhaul for Watch". Marketing. 18 May 2010.
- ^ "UKTV wants viewers to 'Watch…together'". Marketing Week. 23 September 2010.