Play UK
 |
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | UKTV (BBC Worldwide/Flextech) |
Play UK was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel had originally been planned as a television version of BBC Radio 1 but launched without the Radio 1 tie-up as UK Play on 10 October 1998, changing its name to Play UK in November 2000. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon, while broadcasting comedy during primetime and evenings.
Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E satellite system it broadcast between 1 am and 7 am when UK Horizons was not broadcasting.
Music Programming
The majority of the music programmes broadcast (quizzes, interviews and compilations) on Play UK were produced by themselves. Play UK also used to air reruns of TOTP2, which were originally broadcast on BBC Two.
- The Joy of Decks
- Mental! - The Music Quiz
- The Phone Zone (music request programme using The O Zone branding)
- The Sound of Play
- The Sound of Disco
- The UK Top 20
Comedy programming
Most of the comedy programming on Play UK had already been broadcast on the BBC's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming and, later on, broadcast American comedy and animation.
Originally produced/American programming
- The Alphabet Show
- Cherry Pop
- The Chris Moyles Show
- Duckman
- Either/Or
- futurTV
- Honky Sausages
- Joe's Pop Shop
- The Larry Sanders Show
- Mark and Lard's Pop Upstairs Downstairs
- The Mitchell and Webb Situation
- Pop Will Shoot Itself
- RE:Brand
- Rock Profile
- Swivel on the Tip
- Terrorville
- TOTP@Play
- Unnovations
- Vic Reeves Examines
BBC shows on reruns
- 500 Bus Stops
- Attention Scum!
- Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer
- Big Train
- Coogan's Run
- The Day Today
- Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible
- The Fast Show
- Goodness Gracious Me
- Harry Enfield's Television Programme
- Hippies
- Hollywood 7
- I'm Alan Partridge
- Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge'
- L.A. 7
- The League of Gentlemen
- Marion and Geoff'
- Miami 7
- The Office
- Operation Good Guys
- 'orrible
- The Royle Family
- Shooting Stars
- Sir Bernard's Stately Homes
- The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
- Stella Street
- Stressed Eric
- Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps
- World of Pub
Closure
Play UK closed on 30 September 2002 at 12am due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital on 1 May 2002; also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to UK Gold (now Gold). It was later replaced with UK History (now known as Yesterday) exactly one month later.
External links
- The TV Room looks at presentation/branding on the UKTV channels