Five is Ten (technically)

One thing to say about the launch of Channel 5, Spice Girls and The Jack Doherty Show.

I say this from listings as I envied at not being able to recieve it on terrestrial back in 1997.

So did I, I thought it was a great line up!

Stripped and Stranded, that was their big thing. Not that I can remember quite what it means.

I remember reading somewhere pre-launch that they were expecting their '5' logo to be as well-recognised as the Nike swoosh. That lasted long, didn't it?

So no one remembers Jail Break then?

Only thing I watch is Home & Away, and the short series of Tripping Over.

And I use Five Life fot H&A half the time.

Some interesting reading about five - written for their fifth birthday:
http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/features/c5/programmehistory.htm

One thing I'm sure I remember with regards to Channel 5's launch is the first break, in which they showed an ad for the perfume Chanel No. 5. I wonder whose idea that was?

I vaguely remember it. It was most notable for the set becoming flooded after heavy rainfall. It was located in the middle of a field, pretty daft idea to begin with!

I think all the ads in the first break were '5' related, they had special versions made up where any significant numbers in an ad were replaced with a 5. The voiceovers also included some kind of '[company name] welcomes channel 5 to television' message.

I used to love " Bring Me The Head of Light Entertainment " which was with Graham Norton ( when he was still fresh and funny ).

I remember the early days with the lifestyle programming on at 8pm, daily showbiz news at 7pm in Exclusive! and the chat show Jenny Eclari hosted. Didn't they used to have a lunchtime kids' programme on a Saturday and Sunday with Josie Derby and Paul Leyshon?

The only home grown programmes I seem to watch on Five are The Gadget Show ( a Tomorrow's World for the new millenium lol ), Colin and Justin, House Doctor and Build A New Life in the Country, and even now House Doctor is looking tired.

Five isn't all bad, although I don't watch their US imports they do appear to have a very fine selection (i'm sure i'm really missing out on House and Prison Break).

They also had IMHO the best new sketch show of the last couple if years in the form of "Swinging" much better than the raft of sketch shows on BBC3; "Respectable" was also quite good.



The Mole was fantastic and had many more series in the format. Likewise Wanted from the 90's on C4 would suit today's interactive television and the internet very well.

Yes they definitely ended it too early. I also used to enjoy Wanted. Bring 'em both back!!