Sky Movies
Encyclopedia
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television
, and later British Sky Broadcasting
. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV
in the UK and Ireland
. In addition to the television channels, it has an interactive 'red button' service, a website (sky.com/movies) and recently launched a 3G Mobile service via Vodafone
. Sky Movies is said to be the largest television movie service in the world.
It competes with its rival Film4
, which reaches 18 million households.
All of the channels are available in high-definition with the exception of Sky Movies Premiere +1.
satellite on 5 February 1989. First showing of the film is Dirty Dancing
. Prior to its launch, Sky Movies signed first-run deals with 20th Century-Fox, Warner Bros. Columbia Pictures Entertainment
, Orion Pictures
and Buena Vista Distribution Co.
After one year of broadcasting free-to-air, in February 1990 it became the first Sky channel to scramble its signal, using a card-encryption system called VideoCrypt
which rendered the picture totally obscured to anyone attempting to view it without a decoder and smart card. During 1990, Sky Movies also started broadcasting for 24 hours per day. The main channel was rebranded as Sky Movies Screen 1 on 1 November 1997.
it acquired BSB's The Movie Channel, and with the launch of the second Astra
satellite (Astra 1B
) in 1991 The Movie Channel
became part of the Sky package. First showing of the movie is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
. During the launch branding, The Movie Channel was used with NBC
's Movie intros up until 1993. The channel was closed on 31 October 1997 and replaced with Sky Movies Screen 2 the following day.
is replaced with Sky Movies Gold, a "classic movies" channel was added as a 3-channel Sky Movies package. First showing of the movie is Rocky. In 1997, Sky Movies Gold kept using it's name before Sky Cinema was relaunched the following year.
's satellite and Sky Movies subsequently launched on that transponder.
The launch of Sky Digital
from the new Astra 28.2°E
satellite position in October 1998 was accompanied by a dramatic expansion of channels. Sky Premier 2 through 4 , Sky Moviemax 2 through 5 and Sky Cinema 2, along with Sky Premier Widescreen – at the time, the only channel devoted to showing widescreen
movies, were all launched exclusively on digital satellite.
On 1 July 2002 saw yet another re-branding exercise. The Sky Premier channels were renamed Sky Movies Premier, the Sky Moviemax channels became Sky Movies Max, and the Sky Cinema channels became Sky Movies Cinema.
Eventually in June 2003 Sky listened to demands for more widescreen movies. The Sky Movies Premier Widescreen channel was closed and the majority of films on the remaining channels were shown in widescreen.
From 30 January 2006, Sky Movies 9 and the new Sky Movies 10 started broadcasting from 5 pm to 3 am. They were PIN
-protected, meaning that for the first time 15 rated films were able to be shown as early as 5 pm. With the launch of Sky HD
, the two channels were also available in a high definition
format.
Sky Movies also got a new logo, where the V is supposed to be from searchlights, similar to the searchlights used by Fox (which is also owned by Sky's parent company, Newscorp). The new idents for the channels were also based on the searchlight theme.
Sky later made Sky Movies HD1 and HD2 available to subscribers without HDTV equipment through two channels simulcasting the same content in SDTV format. These channels were known as Sky Movies SD1 and SD2. These channels were renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 and Screen 2 in February 2008. The HDTV channels were renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 HD and Screen 2 HD accordingly.
As of 20 March 2008 an additional high definition movie channel called Sky Movies Premiere HD which is a high definition simulcast version of the current Sky Movies Premiere channel was added after many requests for the channel from Sky HD
subscribers.
Sky also announced that in October 2008, they would launch six new high-definition simulcast channels called Sky Movies Action/Thriller HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Family HD and Sky Movies Comedy HD. This means that almost all Sky Movies channels are broadcast in both standard- and high-definition, except for Sky Movies Premiere +1, Sky Movies Classics and Sky Movies Indie which remained standard-definition only until Sky Movies Indie HD launched on 26 October 2009.
During December 2009, Sky Movies Screen 2 was temporarily rebranded as Sky Movies Christmas Channel, showing Christmas-themed movies and "box sets" of entire movie franchises.
On 1 January 2010, Sky Movies changed its logo to match with the new Sky logo. The new logo no longer has the searchlight "v".
On 26 March 2010, a new Sky Movies Showcase channel replaced Sky Movies Screen 1, carrying box sets, collections and seasons. Sky Movies also reshuffled its bouquet of ten channels to achieve greater "clarity" for subscribers. The changes included Sky Movies Action & Thriller becoming Sky Movies Action & Adventure, Sky Movies Drama becoming Sky Movies Drama & Romance and Sky Movies Screen 2 becoming Sky Movies Crime & Thriller.
The Sky Movies HD channels launched on the Virgin Media platform on 2 August 2010.
Sky Movies Classics HD launched on 9 August 2010, exclusively on Sky. The channel was added to Virgin Media on 4 October 2011.
On 1 December 2010, Sky Movies Showcase and Sky Movies Showcase HD was temporarily rebranded Sky Movies Christmas Channel and Sky Movies Christmas Channel HD.
On 1 February 2011, Sky Movies was given a new look with a bold new theme tune. It coincided with a number of changes to the Sky network that day.
Sky Movies regularly sponsors the theatrical premieres of major film titles – such as Shrek 2
, The Incredibles
, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
.
A brief experiment with small on-screen logos
in the early 1990s caused a storm of protest, and so movies are now shown logo-free although the channels use logos over feature programmes like movie Top Tens.
Sky Movies is part of a "Rate Card" within the UK and BSkyB must supply other TV operators (such as Virgin Media
) if they agree to pay a price set down by Sky.
In 1998, Elisabeth Murdoch
(who was Sky's director of channels and services at the time) advocated Sky setting up a film funding and production unit (similar to BBC Films
and Film4 Productions
). The result was Sky Pictures, which existed in order to invest in both low-budget and mainstream British films. However, following a lack of success and her decision to leave Sky and set up her own production company, Shine, the unit was scaled back and closed in 2001.
Viewers are prompted for a PIN when trying to watch a programme rated 15 before 20:00, and when trying to watch a programme rated 18 before 22:00. This must be done live, so an unattended video recording will fail, or with Sky+ the PIN will need to be entered when watching the recording.
A Sky system has a 4 digit PIN code. The default Sky PIN code is the last four digits of the Sky viewing card. However, there are some disadvantages in the PIN system used; for example, a parent could give a 15 year old the PIN in order for them to watch a programme rated 15, not realising that it also lets them watch programmes rated 18. This is because the PIN controls on Sky cannot be set to only activate temporarily when watching programmes of a lower rating but still restrictive.
A similar system is used when watching the Sky Movies channels through Virgin Media's cable TV service.
Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc was a public limited company which operated its four-channel satellite television service, launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International on 5 February 1989...
, and later British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
in the UK and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. In addition to the television channels, it has an interactive 'red button' service, a website (sky.com/movies) and recently launched a 3G Mobile service via Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
. Sky Movies is said to be the largest television movie service in the world.
It competes with its rival Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
, which reaches 18 million households.
Sky Movies channels
The current Sky Movies channels are Sky Movies Action, Sky Movies Classics, Sky Movies Comedy, Sky Movies Drama & Romance, Sky Movies Family, Sky Movies Indie, Sky Movies Modern Greats, Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Premiere +1, Sky Movies SciFi/Horror, Sky Movies Showcase and Sky Movies Thriller.All of the channels are available in high-definition with the exception of Sky Movies Premiere +1.
1989-2003: Launch and early years
Sky Movies was originally a single movie channel offered as part of Sky's original 4-channel package on the Astra 1AAstra 1A
Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES . During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite originally....
satellite on 5 February 1989. First showing of the film is Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
. Prior to its launch, Sky Movies signed first-run deals with 20th Century-Fox, Warner Bros. Columbia Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
, Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
and Buena Vista Distribution Co.
After one year of broadcasting free-to-air, in February 1990 it became the first Sky channel to scramble its signal, using a card-encryption system called VideoCrypt
VideoCrypt
VideoCrypt is a cryptographic, smartcard-based conditional access television encryption system that scrambles analogue pay-TV signals. It was introduced in 1989 by News Datacom and was used initially by Sky TV and subsequently by several other broadcasters on the SES Astra satellites at 19.2°...
which rendered the picture totally obscured to anyone attempting to view it without a decoder and smart card. During 1990, Sky Movies also started broadcasting for 24 hours per day. The main channel was rebranded as Sky Movies Screen 1 on 1 November 1997.
The Movie Channel
When Sky merged with rival British Satellite BroadcastingBritish Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
it acquired BSB's The Movie Channel, and with the launch of the second Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
satellite (Astra 1B
Astra 1B
Astra 1B was the second satellite launched and operated by Société Européenne des Satellites , now SES Astra. It was bought during its construction from GE Americom, and was launched to add extra capacity to the satellite television services from 19.2° east, serving Germany, the UK and Republic of...
) in 1991 The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel (UK)
For the unrelated American service, see The Movie ChannelThe Movie Channel was a British television channel, which only showed movies. Launched on BSB in 1990, The Movie Channel was a predecessor of some of the Sky Movies channels, having survived the merger with Sky Television, another satellite...
became part of the Sky package. First showing of the movie is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
. During the launch branding, The Movie Channel was used with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Movie intros up until 1993. The channel was closed on 31 October 1997 and replaced with Sky Movies Screen 2 the following day.
Sky Movies Gold
On 1 October 1992, The Comedy ChannelThe Comedy Channel (UK)
The Comedy Channel was a United Kingdom subscription television channel during the early 1990s.The channel launched soon after the merger of Sky Television plc and British Satellite Broadcasting...
is replaced with Sky Movies Gold, a "classic movies" channel was added as a 3-channel Sky Movies package. First showing of the movie is Rocky. In 1997, Sky Movies Gold kept using it's name before Sky Cinema was relaunched the following year.
Other dates
On 8 April 1991, music channel The Power Station closed down on BSBBritish Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
's satellite and Sky Movies subsequently launched on that transponder.
The digital era
After a rebrand on 10 September 1998 Sky Movies Screen 2 became Sky Premier, Sky Movies Screen 1, became Sky Moviemax, and Sky Movies Gold was renamed Sky Cinema.The launch of Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
from the new Astra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 28.2° East position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
satellite position in October 1998 was accompanied by a dramatic expansion of channels. Sky Premier 2 through 4 , Sky Moviemax 2 through 5 and Sky Cinema 2, along with Sky Premier Widescreen – at the time, the only channel devoted to showing widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
movies, were all launched exclusively on digital satellite.
On 1 July 2002 saw yet another re-branding exercise. The Sky Premier channels were renamed Sky Movies Premier, the Sky Moviemax channels became Sky Movies Max, and the Sky Cinema channels became Sky Movies Cinema.
Eventually in June 2003 Sky listened to demands for more widescreen movies. The Sky Movies Premier Widescreen channel was closed and the majority of films on the remaining channels were shown in widescreen.
2003-2007: Rebrand
On 1 November 2003, the Sky Movies Premier and Sky Movies Max channels were all brought under one banner as Sky Movies 1 through 9. At the same time, Sky Movies Cinema 1 and 2 became Sky Cinema 1 and 2.From 30 January 2006, Sky Movies 9 and the new Sky Movies 10 started broadcasting from 5 pm to 3 am. They were PIN
Personal identification number
A personal identification number is a secret numeric password shared between a user and a system that can be used to authenticate the user to the system. Typically, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system...
-protected, meaning that for the first time 15 rated films were able to be shown as early as 5 pm. With the launch of Sky HD
Sky HD
Sky+ HD is the brand name of the HDTV service launched by BSkyB on 22 May 2006 in the United Kingdom and Ireland to enable high definition channels on Sky to be viewed. For the first 2 years after launch, the service was branded Sky HD. The service requires the user to have a Sky+ HD Digibox...
, the two channels were also available in a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
format.
2007-present: Sky Movies goes categorised
From 4 April 2007, Sky Movies channels were revamped with each channel covering a different genre. Sky Cinema 1 and 2 merged to become Sky Movies Classics. The names of the new channels became, Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Premiere +1, Sky Movies Comedy, Sky Movies Action & Thriller, Sky Movies Family, Sky Movies Drama, Sky Movies Classics, Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror, Sky Movies Modern Greats, Sky Movies Indie, Sky Movies HD1 and Sky Movies HD2. Three of the HD channels have launched already before the other.Sky Movies also got a new logo, where the V is supposed to be from searchlights, similar to the searchlights used by Fox (which is also owned by Sky's parent company, Newscorp). The new idents for the channels were also based on the searchlight theme.
Sky later made Sky Movies HD1 and HD2 available to subscribers without HDTV equipment through two channels simulcasting the same content in SDTV format. These channels were known as Sky Movies SD1 and SD2. These channels were renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 and Screen 2 in February 2008. The HDTV channels were renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 HD and Screen 2 HD accordingly.
As of 20 March 2008 an additional high definition movie channel called Sky Movies Premiere HD which is a high definition simulcast version of the current Sky Movies Premiere channel was added after many requests for the channel from Sky HD
Sky HD
Sky+ HD is the brand name of the HDTV service launched by BSkyB on 22 May 2006 in the United Kingdom and Ireland to enable high definition channels on Sky to be viewed. For the first 2 years after launch, the service was branded Sky HD. The service requires the user to have a Sky+ HD Digibox...
subscribers.
Sky also announced that in October 2008, they would launch six new high-definition simulcast channels called Sky Movies Action/Thriller HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Family HD and Sky Movies Comedy HD. This means that almost all Sky Movies channels are broadcast in both standard- and high-definition, except for Sky Movies Premiere +1, Sky Movies Classics and Sky Movies Indie which remained standard-definition only until Sky Movies Indie HD launched on 26 October 2009.
During December 2009, Sky Movies Screen 2 was temporarily rebranded as Sky Movies Christmas Channel, showing Christmas-themed movies and "box sets" of entire movie franchises.
On 1 January 2010, Sky Movies changed its logo to match with the new Sky logo. The new logo no longer has the searchlight "v".
On 26 March 2010, a new Sky Movies Showcase channel replaced Sky Movies Screen 1, carrying box sets, collections and seasons. Sky Movies also reshuffled its bouquet of ten channels to achieve greater "clarity" for subscribers. The changes included Sky Movies Action & Thriller becoming Sky Movies Action & Adventure, Sky Movies Drama becoming Sky Movies Drama & Romance and Sky Movies Screen 2 becoming Sky Movies Crime & Thriller.
The Sky Movies HD channels launched on the Virgin Media platform on 2 August 2010.
Sky Movies Classics HD launched on 9 August 2010, exclusively on Sky. The channel was added to Virgin Media on 4 October 2011.
On 1 December 2010, Sky Movies Showcase and Sky Movies Showcase HD was temporarily rebranded Sky Movies Christmas Channel and Sky Movies Christmas Channel HD.
On 1 February 2011, Sky Movies was given a new look with a bold new theme tune. It coincided with a number of changes to the Sky network that day.
Advertising and promotion
All of the Sky Movies channels have always carried commercials between movies, although the movies themselves are uninterrupted. Additionally some strands and seasons are sponsored. All advertising for Sky Movies (traditional & interactive ads, sponsorship, online) are handled by Sky Media – the advertising sales part of BSkyB.Sky Movies regularly sponsors the theatrical premieres of major film titles – such as Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
, The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka...
, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 British clay-mation animated comedy horror film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorksPictures...
.
A brief experiment with small on-screen logos
Digital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
in the early 1990s caused a storm of protest, and so movies are now shown logo-free although the channels use logos over feature programmes like movie Top Tens.
Sky Movies is part of a "Rate Card" within the UK and BSkyB must supply other TV operators (such as Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
) if they agree to pay a price set down by Sky.
Original production
Sky Movies has a dedicated production team that produces over 100 hours of original film-related programming each year – including Sky Movies News (a half hour weekly film release round-up), and UK/US Top Tens. In addition, Sky's close relationships with the Film Studios means it regularly gets exclusive access on-set and to talent for one-off 'making-of's', talent-based programming etc.In 1998, Elisabeth Murdoch
Elisabeth Murdoch (businesswoman)
Elisabeth Murdoch is an executive in the British television industry and a daughter of international media mogul Rupert Murdoch...
(who was Sky's director of channels and services at the time) advocated Sky setting up a film funding and production unit (similar to BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
and Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.- History :Before 1998, the...
). The result was Sky Pictures, which existed in order to invest in both low-budget and mainstream British films. However, following a lack of success and her decision to leave Sky and set up her own production company, Shine, the unit was scaled back and closed in 2001.
PIN protection
PIN protection of some films was brought in on 30 January 2006 to increase the range of films available to customers during the daytime.Viewers are prompted for a PIN when trying to watch a programme rated 15 before 20:00, and when trying to watch a programme rated 18 before 22:00. This must be done live, so an unattended video recording will fail, or with Sky+ the PIN will need to be entered when watching the recording.
A Sky system has a 4 digit PIN code. The default Sky PIN code is the last four digits of the Sky viewing card. However, there are some disadvantages in the PIN system used; for example, a parent could give a 15 year old the PIN in order for them to watch a programme rated 15, not realising that it also lets them watch programmes rated 18. This is because the PIN controls on Sky cannot be set to only activate temporarily when watching programmes of a lower rating but still restrictive.
A similar system is used when watching the Sky Movies channels through Virgin Media's cable TV service.
Logos
This section includes brandings of all of the three Sky Movies channels and sub-channels until 3 April 2007.1st Sky Movies channel
Brandings were:- Sky Movies (5 February 1989 until 31 October 1997)
- Sky Movies Screen 1 (1 November 1997 until 9 September 1998)
- Sky Moviemax (10 September 1998 until 30 June 2002, 4 multiplex channels)
- Sky Movies Max (1 July 2002 until 31 October 2003, 4 multiplex channels)
- Sky Movies 1 through 9 (1 November 2003 until 3 April 2007, merged with 2nd Sky Movies channel)
2nd Sky Movies channel (Premier branding)
Brandings were:- The Movie Channel (25 March 1990 until 31 October 1997)
- Sky Movies Screen 2 (1 November 1997 until 9 September 1998)
- Sky Premier (10 September 1998 until 30 June 2002, 4 multiplex channels)
- Sky Movies Premier (1 July 2002 until 31 October 2003, 4 multiplex channels)
- Sky Movies 1 through 9 (1 November 2003 until 3 April 2007, merged with 1st Sky Movies channel)
3rd Sky Movies channel (Cinema branding)
Brandings were:- Sky Movies Gold (1 October 1992 until 9 September 1998)
- Sky Cinema (10 September 1998 until 30 June 2002, 2 multiplex channels)
- Sky Movies Cinema (1 July 2002 until 31 October 2003, 2 multiplex channels)
- Sky Cinema (1 November 2003 until 3 April 2007, 2 multiplex channels)
Voice-overs
- Eddie Outwaite (February 1989 – September 1989)
- James SmillieJames SmillieJames Smillie is a Scottish-born actor, known for his role in both British and Australian stage and television productions. Smillie emigrated from the Glasgow tenements, carving out a career in Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to appear in stage roles in London's West End. On...
(February 1989–1994) - Charlie NeilCharlie NeilCharlie Neil, born 12 May 1961 in Upper Gornal, West Midlands, is a British weather forecast presenter who worked for Central TV in Birmingham, UK...
(September 1989 – September 1990) - Caroline Law (September 1989 - September 1990)
- Juliet Daniels (September 1989 – September 1994)
- Richard MadeleyRichard MadeleyRichard Madeley is a British television presenter and columnist. With his wife Judy Finnigan, Madeley has presented This Morning and later the weekday chat show Richard & Judy...
(September 1990 – September 1991) - Leslie CrowtherLeslie CrowtherLeslie Crowther, CBE was an English comedian, actor and gameshow host.-Biography:Crowther was born in West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. At the end of 1944 he moved to London with his parents, but was evacuated for a few months to Bute until just after the war ended.His father, Leslie Frederick...
( September 1991 – September 1992) - Steven RobertsSteven RobertsSteven Roberts or Steve Roberts may refer to:* Steven V. Roberts, American journalist and writer* Steven Roberts , first British soldier to die in the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
(September 1992 – September 1993) - Bruce Hammal (September 1993 – September 1998)
- Tom BakerTom BakerThomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
(September 1993 – September 1998) - Eamonn HolmesEamonn HolmesEamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:...
(September 1993 – September 1994) - Darren Tarbuck ( September 1994 – September 1995)
- Nigel Gallagher (September 1995 – September 1996)
- Gail Townsend (September 1996 – October 1997)
- Andy Sherriff (November 1997 – September 1998)
- Barnaby Hiles (September 1998 – June 2002)
- Sheiley Bailey (September 1998 – December 2001)
- Sarah-Jane HoneywellSarah-Jane HoneywellSarah-Jane Honeywell is an English television presenter, actress, dancer, acrobat/aerialist best known for her work on the CBeebies television channel....
(September 1998 – June 2002) - Justin FletcherJustin FletcherJustin Fletcher, MBE is an English children's TV personality in the United Kingdom.Fletcher is most associated as a presenter and actor on the BBC pre-school television channel CBeebies, both speaking and performing in various often self-created roles.-Biography:Born in Reading, Berkshire, he is...
(September 1998 – June 2002) - Trevor McDonaldTrevor McDonaldSir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...
(December 2001 – June 2002) - Danielle NichollsDanielle NichollsDanielle Nicholls is a British television presenter, best known for her presenting of CITV from 1998 to 2001.-Personal life:...
(July 2002 – October 2003) - Natalie Lawless (July 2002 – October 2003)
- Pauline Brownslaw (November 2003 – April 2007)
- Chris JensenChris JensenChris B. Jensen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 74 games over six seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.-External links:...
(January 2006 – April 2007) - Neil Fox (April 2007 – October 2008)
- Matthew KellyMatthew KellyMatthew Kelly is an English television presenter and Olivier-award winning actor. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as You Bet! and Stars in Their Eyes...
(April 2007 – October 2008) - Katey SagalKatey SagalCatherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
(April 2007 – October 2008) - Veronica RobertsVeronica RobertsVeronica Roberts is a British actress, best known for playing Dorothy Bennett in the BBC drama Tenko and Laura Elliott in the ITV series Peak Practice....
(April 2007 – October 2008) - Tony FrancisTony FrancisAnthony "Tony" Francis is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Francis attended Campbelltown High School and first played senior football in the SANFL with the Norwood Football Club, debuting in 1988...
(April 2007 – October 2008)
- Ken MorleyKen MorleyKen Morley is an English comedian and actor who is best known for his role as Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street. He played the role from 1989 until quitting the show in 1995...
(October 2008 onwards) - Rob Moon (October 2008 onwards)
- Carol Clarke (October 2008 onwards)
- Sue Weaver (October 2008 onwards)
- Barry SmithBarry SmithBarry Smith may refer to:*Barry Smith , ontologist at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York*Barry Smith , preacher from New Zealand...
(October 2008 onwards) - Alf RobertsAlf RobertsAlfred Sidney "Alf" Roberts was a fictional character in the British ITV soap Coronation Street. He ran a grocery shop at No. 15 and was heavily involved in local politics, including two spells as mayor of Weatherfield...
(October 2008 onwards) - Stephen MulhernStephen MulhernStephen Daniel Mulhern is a British TV presenter, entertainer, and former magician. He began presenting in the studio on CITV in May 1998 and became a leading presenter until he left in August 2002. He has presented a number of shows, including SMTV Live, Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown and...
(October 2008 onwards) - Melanie SykesMelanie SykesMelanie Ann Sykes is an English television presenter and model.-Career:Melanie Sykes was born to an English father, and an Anglo-Indian mother. She first came to public attention as the bikini-clad girl in the Boddingtons beer advertisements with the broad "Northern" accent in the mid-1990s...
(October 2008 onwards) - Adrian Vaughan (October 2008 onwards)
- Paul GrantPaul GrantPaul Grant was a British bodybuilder. He was born as a twin in Wales in 1943. He left school at 16 and began working with his own bread delivery business whilst training with weights to increase his muscle mass....
(October 2008 onwards) - Donna Shepherd (April 2009 onwards)
- Bethany Roberts (April 2009 onwards)
- Jimmy NailJimmy NailJames Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
(from 26 March 2010) - Kelly JonesKelly JonesKelly Jones is a Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist and the lead singer of the band Stereophonics. Influenced by classic rock bands such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Sex Pistols, Jones is noted for his strong, gravelly voice, which has been described as "whisky" vocals...
(from 26 March 2010) - Danny Smile (from 26 March 2010)
- Andrew DavenportAndrew DavenportAndrew Davenport is an award winning British producer, writer and composer specialising in creating television and publishing for young children...
(from 1 February 2011)