Turner Classic Movies (UK and Ireland)

This article is about the UK television channel. For the USA and other countries' versions of Turner Classic Movies, see Turner Classic Movies and Turner Classic Movies (around the world).
Turner Classic Movies
Launched 15 October 1999
Owned by Turner Broadcasting System Europe (Time Warner)
Picture format 16:9, 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audience share 0.12%
0.06% (+1) (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB)
Replaced TNT
Sister channel(s) Boomerang
Cartoonito
CNN International
Cartoon Network
TruTV
Timeshift service Turner Classic Movies +1
Website www.tcmuk.tv
Availability
Satellite
Sky Channel 317 (SD/HD)
Channel 318 (+1)
Channel 341 (SD)
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 415
Channel 416 (HD)
Channel 417 (+1)
WightFibre Channel 37
Virgin Media Ireland Channel 327
Channel 328 (+1)
Naxoo Channel 49
IPTV
TalkTalk Channel 512
BT Channel 512

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a subscription digital television channel featuring classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. film libraries, which include many MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. titles.

History

It was launched in 1999, when its predecessor, TNT, dropped its film programming to become a general entertainment channel. Its penetration increased when it took over TNT's space on various platforms on 1 July 2000.[1]

Unlike other versions of Turner Classic Movies and the other Turner channels in the UK, Turner Classic Movies UK was for a long time broadcast free-to-air. The channel became encrypted in January 2004 when it joined Sky's subscription packages.[2]

In 2009, Turner Classic Movies received a graphical makeover and a new logo in an attempt to attract a younger audience. With the makeover several new films were added to the channel's catalogue.[3] A high definition version of the channel launched on 4 September 2012,[4] at the same time the standard definition version began broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen, whereas Turner Classic Movies 2 continued to be broadcast in 4:3.

A one-hour timeshift, Turner Classic Movies +1, launched on 13 August 2013, replacing Turner Classic Movies 2.[5]

On 6 October 2015, the channel was rebranded from Turner Classic Movies to TNT in Poland and Romania.

Television series

Turner Classic Movies 2

Turner Classic Movies 2 (TCM 2) was a British television channel. It was a UK-only spin-off channel from the UK version of Turner Classic Movies, and showed popular films from the Turner Entertainment library (which includes MGM and Warner Bros. films).

Films were shown from 8pm to 4am (interspersed with various original short films about the films) from Monday-Sunday, and the following week included a new line-up. This allowed the viewer to "catch-up on the big films", thus allowing the chance to see the preferred film on any day of the week. The channel timeshared with Cartoonito, another UK-only spin-off channel. The channel began airing Adult Swim at 10pm every Wednesday as of 4 January 2012, before moving to Friday later in April 2012.[6]

For unknown reasons, Turner Classic Movies 2 closed at 4am on 13 August 2013 and was replaced by Turner Classic Movies +1 later in the day.[5]

Adult Swim

As Adult Swim shows cannot be shown on the UK version of Cartoon Network (as Ofcom regulated children's channels are not allowed to broadcast adult content), they were shown on Turner Classic Movies 2 instead. They typically started at 1.15am on Saturday mornings and included shows such as:[7]

TNT UK

TNT logo.

TNT UK was launched on 17 September 1993 along with Cartoon Network UK. The two channels shared the same transponder with Cartoon Network broadcasting during the day with TNT taking over for the evening and overnight period. Initially TNT was on air from 7pm until 5am although in 1996 TNT's start time was pushed back to 9pm. In the early years TNT was primarily a movie channel although the final year saw the channel move to a general entertainment schedule until TNT (UK) was replaced by Turner Classic Movies on 1 July 2000. Its old slogan was "Classic Movies".

World Championship Wrestling launched on TNT (UK) in April 1996 with WCW Monday Nitro. On 9 October 1998 WCW Thunder was added. Both aired in a 9pm to 12.30am (variant) block starting with the debut of Thunder. When TNT (UK) was closed down, WCW programming was briefly moved over to Turner Classic Movies and then Bravo. Trailers aired on Turner Classic Movies informing viewers of the change.

WCW Nitro

(WCW Nitro then changed to Bravo in 2000, on Thursday Nights - 9pm - 11pm, until March 2001, when WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation).

WCW Thunder

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Timeline: Turner Broadcasting System Europe LTD". Turner Info. Retrieved 21 August 2006.
  2. ↑ "TCM encrypts on satellite". Digital Spy. 6 January 2004.
  3. ↑ "Turner Classic Movies unveils ambitious plans to win younger film fan demographic". Turner Media Innovations. 9 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "TCM Movies channel launching in HD on Sky". Digital Spy. 31 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 "System Updates". Overnights.tv. 2013-07-22. Archived from the original on 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2016-05-01. TCM2 will cease broadcasting at the end of the broadcast day on 12th August, 2013. TCM +1 will be BARB reported from 13th August, 2013.
  6. ↑ What's on
  7. ↑ "Listings from TCM and TCM2". TCM. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
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