BBC Entertainment
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2013) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC Worldwide |
BBC Entertainment is an international television channel showcasing comedy, drama, light entertainment, reality and children's programming (some regions only) from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and other UK production houses. The channel broadcasts in regional versions made to suit the local demands and is the replacement for BBC Prime. It is wholly owned by BBC Worldwide.
Launch dates
The channel was launched in October 2006, replacing BBC Prime in Asian markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea. On December 28, 2006, it launched on the Astro platform in Malaysia. The channel launched in India in May 2007 on the Tata Sky platform and on India online Broadband Private Limited, but ceased broadcasting at the end of November 2012 due to "commercial considerations".[1]
The channel launched in Poland, on Cyfrowy Polsat, in December 2007, and replaced BBC Prime on DStv in South Africa on September 1, 2008. It launched together with its sister channels (BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and BBC HD) in the Nordic countries in November 2008, when it replaced BBC Prime on Canal Digital, Com Hem, Telia Digital-TV and FastTV. The Nordic countries get a separate feed of the channel which differs to that in the rest of Europe. It was also launched in Mexico on the SKY México digital satellite platform in August 2008 in a deal with Televisa, and it has since extended to other Central and South American countries.
The channel replaced BBC Prime in Europe and the Middle East in November 2009. In Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, BBC Entertainment is carried alongside BBC One and BBC Two, on the Telenet, Ziggo, and Naxoo cable networks.
On 1 December 2009, Astro dropped the channel and replaced it with the Biography Channel. On 1 March 2010 in Italy Sky Italia also dropped the channel. In 2010 Kabel Deutschland (Germany) made it a pay-TV channel.
RCS&RDS launched the channel in Romania in November 2012
A selection of programmes – past and present
This table is not complete
| Progamme name | Format / Genre | First broadcast | Broadcast region(s)* | First seen on BBC Entertainment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Point 4 Children | Sitcom | 1991-1999 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| After You've Gone | Sitcom | 2007-2008 | Europe | April, 2013 |
| Alan Carr: Chatty Man | Comedy chat show | 2009- | Europe | March, 2013 |
| As Time Goes By | Sitcom | 1992-2005 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Bedlam | Supernatural drama | 2011-2012 | Europe | |
| Being Erica | Comedy drama | 2009-2011 | Europe, Latin America | May, 2013 ** |
| Big Barn Farm | Children's TV | 2008- | ||
| Casualty | Medical drama | 1986- | Europe | April, 2013 |
| Coast | Travel | Europe | December,2012 | |
| Come Dine with Me | Cooking | 2005- | ||
| Doctors | Soap opera | 2000- | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Doctor Who | Sci-fi drama | 1963-89 2005- | Europe | February, 2013 |
| Dragons Den | Entrepreneural reality TV | 2005- | ||
| EastEnders | Soap opera | 1985- | Europe | February, 2013 |
| Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Reality TV | 2003-2012 | ||
| Full Circle Michael Palin | Travel documentary | 1997 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Grandpa in My Pocket | Children's TV comedy | 2009- | ||
| Green, Green Grass, The | Sitcom | 2005-2009 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Holby City | Medical drama | 1999- | ||
| Humf | Children's TV | |||
| Hustle | Drama | 2004-2012 | Europe | May, 2013 |
| Ideal | Comedy drama | 2005-2011 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Lark Rise to Candleford | Period drama | 2008-2011 | Europe | April, 2013 |
| Lead balloon | comedy | 2007-2011 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Live at the Apollo | Standup comedy | 2004- | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Love Life | Drama | 2012 | Europe | |
| Luther | Psychological crime drama | 2010-2011 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Monarch of the Glen | Drama | 2000-2005 | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work | Documetary | 2007 | ||
| My Family | Sitcom | 2000-2011 | Europe | February, 2013 |
| New Tricks | Crime drama | 2003- | Europe | March, 2013 |
| Ocean Giants | Natural history | 2011 | ||
| One Foot in the Grave | Sitcom | 1990-2000 | Europe | November, 2012 |
| Only Fools and Horses | Sitcom | 1981-2003 | Europe | April, 2013 |
| Penelope K, by the way | Children's TV | 2010-2012 | ||
| Sahara with Michael Palin | Travel documentary | 2005 | Europe | May, 2013 |
| Secret Millionaire, The | Reality TV | 2006- | ||
| Silk | Legal crime drama | 2011- | Europe | May, 2013 |
| Smart sharks | Natural history | 2003 | ||
| South Pacific | Nature documentary | 2009 | ||
| Spooks | Drama | 2002-2011 | Europe | May, 2013 |
| Top Gear | Motoring/Entertainment | 2002- | ||
| Twenty Twelve | Comedy | 2011-2012 | Europe | November, 2012 |
| Ty's Great British Adventure | Reality TV | 2008-2010 | ||
| Underground, The | Sketch comedy | 2006 | ||
| Waking the Dead | Police procedural drama | 2000-2011 | Europe | February, 2013 |
| Walking with Dinosaurs | Documentary | 1999 | ||
| Walk on the Wild Side | Comedy | 2009- | Europe | April, 2013 |
| Waybuloo | Children's TV | 2009- | ||
| Weakest Link | game show | 2000-2012 | Europe | January, 2013 |
| Yes Minister | Political satire | 1980-1984 |
* Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America
** Date is for Europe only
See also
References
- ^ Davies, Will (2012-11-02). "BBC Pulls Plug on Two India Channels - India Real Time - WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
External links
- BBC Entertainment - Official website
- BBC Nordic - Official website
- BBC to launch global TV channels BBC News Online
- BBC Worldwide bows new channels Variety Magazine
- BBC launches entertainment, kids channels
- BBC Worldwide, Televisa to launch channels
- BBC Prime to be rebranded as BBC Entertainment in Europe and Middle East
| UK channels | |
|---|---|
| UK nations and regions | |
| Services and programming blocks | |
| UKTV channels | |
| International channels and joint ventures | |
| Defunct channels |
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