Play UK
Encyclopedia
Play UK was a television channel
broadcasting in the United Kingdom
as part of the UKTV
network of channels. The channel was launched (as UK Play) on 10 October 1998. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon, while broadcasting comedy in the evening.
Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E
satellite system it broadcast between 1am and 7am when UK Horizons
was not broadcasting.
It closed on 30 September 2002 due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital
in May 2002; also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to UK Gold (now GOLD).
, which was originally broadcast on BBC Two
.
's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming and, later on, broadcast American comedy and animation.
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
broadcasting in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as part of the UKTV
UKTV
UKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
network of channels. The channel was launched (as UK Play) on 10 October 1998. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon, while broadcasting comedy in the evening.
Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg....
satellite system it broadcast between 1am and 7am when UK Horizons
UK Horizons
UK Horizons was a television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom, as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was in existence between 1997 and 2004.-Launch:...
was not broadcasting.
It closed on 30 September 2002 due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
in May 2002; also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to UK Gold (now GOLD).
Music Programming
The majority of the music programmes broadcast (quizzes, interviews and compilations) on Play UK were produced by themselves. Play UK also repeated TOTP2TOTP2
Top of the Pops 2 is a British television music show broadcast on BBC Two, showing archive footage from the long-running Top of the Pops show, some dating back to the 1960s when the programme first aired on British television....
, which was originally broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
.
- The Joy of Decks
- Mental! - The Music Quiz
- The Phone Zone (music request programme using The O Zone branding)
- The Sound of Play
Comedy programming
Most of the comedy programming on Play UK had already been broadcast on the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming and, later on, broadcast American comedy and animation.
Originally produced programming
- Either/OrEither/Or (television programme)Either/Or was a surreal 1999 television comedy game show, which was broadcast on the digital channel UK Play. The show takes its name from the book Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard. It starred Simon Munnery as his League Against Tedium character and was a precursor to his BBC series Attention Scum!...
- Mark and Lard'sMark and LardMark and Lard, the stage name of Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley , are former BBC Radio 1 disc jockeys. Mark and Lard joined Radio 1 in October 1993 and left in March 2004...
Pop Upstairs Downstairs - RE:BrandRE:BrandRE:Brand was a British documentary and comedy television program that aimed to take a challenging look at cultural taboos.It was conceived, written and hosted by Russell Brand, with the help of his comic partner for many projects, Matt Morgan. The series was shown on the now defunct digital...
- Rock ProfileRock ProfileRock Profile is a British television comedy show written by and starring comedy partnership Matt Lucas and David Walliams, both now widely known for the sketch show Little Britain. Rock Profile first appeared on the channel UK Play in 1999, before moving to BBC Two in 2000...
- Terrorville
- The Chris MoylesChris MoylesChristopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
Show - The Mitchell and Webb SituationThe Mitchell and Webb SituationThe Mitchell and Webb Situation was a British television sketch show shown on Play UK in 2001. Written by and starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, it lasted for one series of six episodes and was released on region 2 DVD in 2006 by Eureka Video...
- Vic ReevesVic ReevesJames Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
Examines - Honky SausagesHonky SausagesHonky Sausages was a 1990s English comedy that aired on the BBC and Play UK about the most obscene family ever to grace the TV.-Outline:There's happy homemaker Honky Mum played by Laila Morse , her television-obsessed husband Honky Dad, aging punk rocker Honky Grandad, hooligan son Honky One,...
- Swivel on the Tip
- Joe's Pop ShopJoe's Pop ShopJoe's Pop Shop was an English comedy that aired on UK Play in 1999. Its central story line revolved around a small record shop run by two inept friends Joe and Ben.-Outline:...
- The Alphabet ShowThe Alphabet ShowThe Alphabet Show was a late-1990s television show broadcast on UK Play. It was presented by Lauren Laverne and Chris Addison. Each episode focused on a different letter of the alphabet, it featured music videos and discussion which was loosely related to the chosen letter....
- UnnovationsUnnovations"Unnovations" was a TV series that ran on the now defunct satellite/cable channel Play UK in 2001. The series came from the makers of TVGoHome, Zeppotron. Since the demise of Play UK in 2002, the series has never been repeated....
- Pop Will Shoot Itself
Repeated BBC shows
- 'orrible'Orrible'Orrible is a British television sitcom produced by the BBC. Broadcast in 2001, it was written by and starred Johnny Vaughan. Vaughan appears as a taxi-cab driver and wannabe small time criminal in Acton . Despite the BBC having high hopes and heavily promoting the series, it was panned by critics...
- Attention Scum!
- Bang Bang, It's Reeves and MortimerBang Bang, It's Reeves and MortimerBang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer was comedy double act Vic & Bob's third television sketch show. It aired during January 1999 on BBC2 in the United Kingdom...
- Big TrainBig TrainBig Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted...
- Camberwick GreenCamberwick GreenCamberwick Green is a British children's television series, originally seen on BBC One, featuring stop-motion puppets. It was one of the first British television series to be filmed in colour.-Background:...
- The Day TodayThe Day TodayThe Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
- Dr. Terrible's House of HorribleDr. Terrible's House of HorribleDr. Terrible's House of Horrible is a British television series, created by Graham Duff, co-written by and starring Steve Coogan. Originally aired on BBC2 in 2001, the programme was designed as an anthology series, in the style of Tales from the Crypt, and lampooned many aspects of the horror...
- The Fast ShowThe Fast ShowThe Fast Show, known as Brilliant in the US, was a BBC comedy sketch show programme that ran for three series from 1994 to 1997 with a special Last Fast Show Ever in 2000. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and...
- Goodness Gracious Me
- HippiesHippies (TV series)Hippies is a six-part British television comedy series broadcast from 12 November to 17 December 1999. It was created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, the writing partnership most famous for Father Ted, but the scripts were written by Mathews alone.It starred Simon Pegg, Sally Phillips, Julian...
- I'm Alan PartridgeI'm Alan PartridgeI'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
- The League of GentlemenThe League of Gentlemen (comedy)The League of Gentlemen are a quartet of British dark comedy writers/performers, formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith...
- The OfficeThe Office (UK TV series)The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
- Shooting StarsShooting StarsShooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
- Sir Bernard's Stately HomesSir Bernard's Stately HomesSir Bernard's Stately Homes was a series of British TV comedy series first shown in 1998 on BBC Two and later re-run on Play UK. Only six 10 minute programmes were produced, all written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. It bore many similarities to the more well-known Rock Profile...
- Stella StreetStella StreetStella Street is a British television comedy programme, originally screened on BBC Two between 1997 and 2001. It focuses on the antics of a group of British and American celebrities who all happen to live on Stella Street in Surbiton ....
- Stressed EricStressed EricStressed Eric is a British/American/New Zealand cartoon series that was produced by Absolutely Productions for the BBC Two television channel in the United Kingdom and the Television New Zealand. The series revolves around Eric Feeble, a middle class man who is always stressed, because of his...
- TrumptonTrumptonTrumpton is a stop-motion children's television show from the producers of Camberwick Green first shown on the BBC in the 1960s. The third and final series in the sequence was Chigley....
- World of PubWorld of PubWorld of Pub is a radio and television sitcom, set in a pub in the East End of London, written by Tony Roche and produced by Jane Berthoud....
External links
- The TV Room looks at presentation/branding on the UKTV channels