Channel 4

The vast majority of the people who watch the Grand National aren't those who watch racing every Saturday afternoon. Much like most of those who watched the Carling Cup Final aren't those who watch Sky Sports' Premier League coverage week in week out.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/13/bbc-dropping-racing-channel-4

Looks like the deal could be announced during this weeks Cheltenham Festival.

TBH I think for many years, people have tended to associate horse racing with Channel 4. Indeed, in the early 1990s, my late dad told me how, on a Saturday afternoon, at either the local pub or football club, if there was racing on both BBC and Channel 4, the tv was always put onto Channel 4.

C4 always used to give you results from other meetings, in all coverage. The BBC only did this with non Saturday coverage, such as Royal Ascot. Many people said that the BBC should take a leaf out of C4's book, and do it during Grandstand. Alas, it was never to be.

And it should be mentioned, the Derby hasn't always been on BBC since Channel 4 came on the scene in 1982; In 2000, C4 lost the rights of the derby to Channel 4, so in a sense, it would be returning home if the deal is done.

And who remembers the BBCs attempt at a Morning Line style show during Royal Ascot week. It was on BBC1 at 11:30 each day, and was called "Royal Ascot - First Show". It only lasted a couple of years, but at least the BBC did try.

Will The Simpsons make the leap across to E4 or don't Channel 4 own the rights for it on E4?

I thought Channel 4 only had the terrestrial rights...

E4 is a terrestrial channel. FTA on satellite too.

I thought they had separate rights for terrestrial (BBC One, BBC Two, then Channel 4) and then satellite rights or whatever which went to Sky1. I must've been misinformed.

There is little doubt C4's rights only cover C4 and C4+1, while Sky have the "multichannel" rights.

C4 are showing Everyone Loves Raymond and Frasier from 8am, then Sunday Brunch at 10am with The Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons from noon. E4 currently only have the Hollyoaks Omnibus scheduled.

That's strange, Since E4 is only free on Freeview, and its block out on Sky just like dave.

I know that T4 has traditionally been Sunday mornings, but I don't understand why they didn't move the strand to Sunday afternoons on channel 4 to run until 5ish. Even if it meant that the hollyoaks omnibus aired on E4 until 12. Saying that, recently there don't seem to have been that many T4 commissioned programmes. Most are American imports or E4 shared programmes.

It's good to see that even though losing T4 to E4 on a Sunday, princess productions still get the slot.

I've watched plenty of T4 the last few weekends (I usually work weekends, but lately I've had more time off) and noticed that T4 is just pure Simpsons and Big Bang Theory, with a bit of New Girl and Playing it Straight thrown in for good measure, the only original programme I've seen on there is a Product placement one that goes on for about 5 minutes. Gone are the days of Orange Unsigned act....

Further back I remember T4 Sundays with shipwrecked (I know it came back recently, but wasn't it also shown on E4), Popworld, dramas like As if, Programmes like Wise-Up & Your Face or Mine (again this may have been an E4 commission). I suppose the launch of E4 contributed to the T4 commissions dwindling.

When was the last original T4 drama?