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Paramount Channel to launch in the UK

New FTA channel from Viacom and Channel 5 (July 2017)

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JA
JAS84
623058 posted:
MetalGearRex posted:
623058 posted:
How does this differ from five us or give life or even spike. There even adminted the big budget dramas are not coming to the channel, so what's the point of another channel?

The US and UK channels are sharing content; it’s just that the UK Paramount Channel will be given some breathing space and initially won’t be airing big budget drama - but it will do so in the long term.

I’m surprised that it is coming as a FTA channel rather than pay - given how some of the content has been outed to be big budget. From a business sense, it seems logical. Viacom in recent years has been consolidating their position on Freeview and it’s worked out marvellously well for them. Launching Spike, and most significantly, acquiring Channel 5. This will serve to increase their presence in the FTA market.

Freeview space though is scarce. Out of the DVB-T commercial multiplexes (where the new channel will most likely launch on), only COM6 has some free space; a slot left vacant between 12pm - 5am.


Well that slot means it doesn't have to fill up the schedule, and can instead taggart more better profits lots of late afternoon and evening. Of course there could just rebrand Five US I wrongly said Five life, crumbs it not been called that in years.

Five Life became Fiver and then 5Star. 5USA is what was originally Five US.
NW
nwtv2003
I was quite surprised they didn't rebrand 5USA as Paramount Channel as the content of both channels will be similar. However it's a welcome addition to the FTA line up.
WH
Whitnall
It sounds like a premium channel, surprised it is free. I still miss MGM HD.
LL
London Lite Founding member
In France, Paramount is behind a paywall and largely shows archived dubbed US tv series. They don't use the mountain logo for their DOG, instead using the Paramount font with Channel in a smaller sized font.
IS
Inspector Sands
623058 posted:
What the difference to comedy centre?

Well in the story above it says it 'will be a home to “premium” entertainment formats and “HBO-quality” drama and comedy' which is different to what Comedy Central does.


Of course Comedy Central UK was originally The Paramount Channel, which then became The Paramount Comedy Channel before rebranding to Comedy Central. So this will be the second Paramount Channel UK, albeit in a very different form and TV environment
paul_hadley, Rex and Stuart gave kudos
:-(
A former member
JAS84 posted:
623058 posted:
MetalGearRex posted:
The US and UK channels are sharing content; it’s just that the UK Paramount Channel will be given some breathing space and initially won’t be airing big budget drama - but it will do so in the long term.

I’m surprised that it is coming as a FTA channel rather than pay - given how some of the content has been outed to be big budget. From a business sense, it seems logical. Viacom in recent years has been consolidating their position on Freeview and it’s worked out marvellously well for them. Launching Spike, and most significantly, acquiring Channel 5. This will serve to increase their presence in the FTA market.

Freeview space though is scarce. Out of the DVB-T commercial multiplexes (where the new channel will most likely launch on), only COM6 has some free space; a slot left vacant between 12pm - 5am.


Well that slot means it doesn't have to fill up the schedule, and can instead taggart more better profits lots of late afternoon and evening. Of course there could just rebrand Five US I wrongly said Five life, crumbs it not been called that in years.

Five Life became Fiver and then 5Star. 5USA is what was originally Five US.


I had a brain freeze, mind you with the rebrands it just proves there not been succesful.
CO
Colorband
I wonder why the UK Paramount Channel isn't replacing Spike like the US one is...
DV
dvboy
Firstly, they haven't said it's not, and secondly just because something happens in America doesn't mean it happens here.
CO
Colorband
Sorry, just wondering.
DJ
DJGM
So Viacom are launching The Paramount Channel in the UK, even though they already did that in November 1995, which became the Paramount Comedy Channel, and was ultimately rebranded/relaunched as the UK version of Comedy Central.

Anyone remember "World of Paramount" fillers which featured early appearances from Matt Lucas and David Walliams as "Mash and Peas", Leigh Francis as "The Letter Man" (as a sort of response to Paramount showing The Late Show With David Letterman after it was axed from Sky 1) and Dom Joly with hidden camera pranks that became Trigger Happy TV ... ?

Oh, and there was a character called Lenny Beige IIRC!
RE
Rex
Colorband posted:
I wonder why the UK Paramount Channel isn't replacing Spike like the US one is...

Spike has been relatively successful in the two years since it launched in the UK; and it has cemented Viacom’s position in the UK FTA market.

Both Spike and the Paramount Channel will run concurrently.
LL
Larry the Loafer
Reading this just makes me yearn for the Paramount Channel that once was. Watching it's launch ("I'll watch some TV... it'll help me to RELAX!!") made it feel like it was full of so much potential, and they still churned out some golden nuggets you were unlikely to see elsewhere. They were even repeating Kenny Everett's shows as late as the Paramount Comedy 2 days. As much as I like Comedy Central, especially for bringing Impractical Jokers over to us, it's sad to see it reduced to little more than the Friends channel.

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