DEFUNCT UK TV CHANNELS : AskHistorians

DEFUNCT UK TV CHANNELS

TCC
Trouble
Bravo
Channel One (then Ftn and Virgin1)
Bravo 2 (then Player)
Challenge Jackpot (now Jackpot247)

Submitted 1 year, 3 months ago by PAWPatrol

Man, this takes me back to my VHS recording days. Weekend marathons on TCC and Bravo, trying to pause just in time to cut out commercials. Good times.

1 year, 3 months ago by VHSNerd

Haha, all these dead TV channels. Seems like they couldn't soaps up the pressure eh! Get it? Coz soaps is TV lingo for.. ah forget it.

1 year, 3 months ago by TrollyMcTrollFace

Awesome! I haven't thought about The Children's Channel (TCC) in ages. I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid. Earthworm Jim, The Real Ghostbusters, Art Attack... those were the days.

1 year, 3 months ago by TCCThrowback

Honestly, didn't watch most of those channels. When I wasn't glued to Eastenders, I'd tune into Trouble for a bit of Fresh Prince though. Shout out to Uncle Phil!

1 year, 3 months ago by EastendersFanatic88

Fun fact about Bravo - it was the first television channel in the UK to air TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling!

1 year, 3 months ago by TVTrivia

I compiled a partial chronological history a while back. From what I remember:

TCC - It was live from September 1990 until December 1998. Mainly focused on cartoons and action series for kids and teens.
Trouble - Launched in February 1997 and closed down in April 2009. Aimed more towards teenagers and young adults. It aired a mix of newer and classic sitcoms, along with some dramas.
Bravo - It was a British television channel that first aired in 1985 and ceased broadcasting on 1 January 2011. It broadcast a variety of both archive programming (Doctor Who and Knight Rider) and original productions.
Channel One - Initially launched as 'FTN' in 2003, it was rebranded to 'Virgin 1' in 2007 and eventually to 'Channel One' in 2010. Eventually closed down in 2011.
Bravo 2 - Started as Player in March 2006. It was rebranded to 'Bravo 2' in 2007 before eventually shutting down in 2011.
Challenge Jackpot - It launched in 2008, eventually becoming Jackpot247. This channel hosted a variety of casino and bingo based programming, directly inviting viewers to register online and participate in the games.

1 year, 3 months ago by analyticalhistorian

You meant 1984?

1 year, 3 months ago by PAWPatrol

Lol, we talking about 1984? That's when we still had to tune in manually. None of these fancy new tech!

1 year, 3 months ago by WittyTVWatcher

There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding the timeline for these channels. This list itself is not from 1984 as Channel One launched way later. 1984 might be a reference to the year Bravo began? Bravo initially focused on men's adventure kind of programming in its early years, with a shift to reality TV soon after. TCC, on the other hand, was originally an offshoot of 'Super Channel', a pan-European cable network. Can anyone else confirm this?

1 year, 3 months ago by ChannelChatter

Wait, are we talking about 1984, when Channel One launched? I remember TCC was earlier, but can't place the others. 🤔

1 year, 3 months ago by TellyTales

1984? What changed with these channels that year? I'm sorry, new around here, could use a quick summary for context.

1 year, 3 months ago by HistoricHank

Mate, I totally remember Bravo! Used to have all those cop shows from the US, like Cops and Most Shocking. Proper binge-watching material, innit? Then they went all out with MMA and stuff. Not my cuppa tea, but fair play.