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===Former programming shown on The Family Channel=== |
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Revision as of 16:55, 6 March 2012
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Owner | British Sky Broadcasting |
Challenge is a United Kingdom digital TV channel that mostly airs programmes dedicated to gameshows. It is owned by British Sky Broadcasting. The channel mostly transmits repeats of programmes acquired from UK terrestrial channel archives (e.g. BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5) and a few from around the world (e.g. NBC (USA), Nine Network (Australia), M-Net (South Africa)), with a few original productions commissioned by the channel itself.
History
The Family Channel UK
The station was originally called The Family Channel. From its launch on 1 September 1993 to 31 January 1997, the channel aired a mixture of genre shows mainly including sitcoms, game shows, dramas and entertainment. The station come about when TVS was sold on 1 February 1993 to the American Company International Family Entertainment Inc. which included the ownership of MTM Enterprises. IFE subsequently launched a UK version of The Family Channel based in The Maidstone Studios and using some elements of the TVS programme archive. Flextech were a partner in the venture, taking a 39% stake in the business.[1]
The Family Channel did produce some UK original programming (see below), but heavily relied upon content from MTM Enterprises/TVS archive and imports from the USA. It was claimed that the channel produced more original series worldwide than any other cable or satellite network.
Family Challenge Weekend
In 1996, IFE sold its remaining 61% share to Flextech, giving them full ownership of the venture. On 1 February 1997, Flextech re-branded the channel to Challenge TV, focusing mainly on game shows. Between this interim period, the channel introduced a new strand called "Family Challenge Weekend".
During the week, The Family Channel continued to broadcast its wide range of programmes, but during the weekend, live in-vision presenters were introduced with chances to win prizes, with all of the programmes being quiz/gameshows. Unfortunately, the deal did not include any of the programme archive which included many TVS game shows, such as Catchphrase and All Clued Up, but the channel did continually broadcast these series until 2000.
Challenge TV
On 1 February 1997, The Family Channel was re-branded as Challenge TV and mainly focuses on gameshows taken from a variety of terrestrial and digital channel archives. Among the few non-gameshows, it has aired the short-lived U.S. drama Dr. Vegas in 2005, and also the 1995 crime drama film Casino.
The channel was originally a primetime block from 17:00 to 00:30 and shared its channel slot with The Children's Channel (which closed on 3 April 1998) and TV Travel Shop until 1999, which resulted in Challenge being able to broadcast 24 hours a day. From 1997 to 1998, between 00:30 and 06:00, the channel was branded as "Family Late" which continued to broadcast series from the old Family Channel schedule.
Presentation
When Challenge TV started, a strand called Prize Time was introduced. It was originally hosted by Andy Crane, Andrea Boardman and Pat Sharp. Carryl Varley and Kevin Duala joined later on in the year.
- Prize Time (1997 - 1999): A slight revamp took place on 27 July 1998, which included the launch of Challenge Late (broadcasting from 21:00 to 00:30), which brought the introduction of general entertainment programmes with a quiz element instead of the traditional game show it had been known for prior.
- The Games Room (1999 - 2000) included hosts: Kevin Duala, Sonya Saul, Carryl Varley and Lisa Rogers.
- iPlay (2000 - 2002) hosts included: Carryl Varley and Toby Anstis.
- On 20 May 2002, the channel was re-named again, becoming Challenge?, with all in-vision presenters being dropped, in favour of out-of-vision links, but viewers could still send in e-mails to announcers who would read them out and in addition to this, the closing credits of a programme were shown in full instead of cutting them out. The logo used in this era looked similar to a street sign. One of the idents used involved classic board games, card games, and arcade games like Asteroids and Space Invaders.
- On 30 June 2003, the "?" part of the channel name was dropped and all live announcers were also dropped, in favour of pre-recorded out-of-vision continuity links. The animated idents used in 2003/4 included a man going through a long traffic jam in a big water ball by bouncing on top of the cars, and some women revolving a table to eat some cheesecake.
- On 1 November 2004, the channel's presentation was revamped for the third time. The logo was a more simplified version of the 2002-2004 logo.
- In September 2006, the presentation was changed for the fourth time. The logo and idents used in this era were more lively than its predecessor. The presentation was created by Liquid TV.
- On 3 June 2008, the presentation was revamped for the fifth time. It was also the channel's first revamp to be broadcast in the widescreen format. The logo used in this era of the channel was a simplified version of the 2006-2008 logo. Idents used involved a yellow object (eg. a paper plane) exploding to transform into the channel's logo. The presentation used in this era were made by Mainframe Motion Shop.
- On 13 September 2011, the channel went through a revamp for the sixth time. This is Challenge's first revamp since Sky took full control of the channel on 1 February 2011. Idents include a Rubik-style cube, a fruit machine, a tilting puzzle, and jumbled up letters. There are also idents themed upon the conveyor belt used in the classic game show, The Generation Game, and also the classic arcade game Pong. The company that produced the presentation for this current era of the channel is Cagney TV. [1]
Additional information
The channel also aired some poker game shows including World Poker Tour, Celebrity Blackjack and Casino Casino, this also launched a very short-lived spin-off channel in 2006, Player (which was replaced just several months later by Bravo 2), it mainly focused on the poker-related programming that Challenge had transmitted. Challenge only aired programmes in the letterbox format (4:3), but on 3 June 2008, it switched to the widescreen format (16:9) along with all other Living TV Group channels. This was coupled with a revamped logo and a new set of idents. The channel used to have interactive features for digital cable and satellite viewers watching certain shows, enabling them to play along at home, and it used to offer many games and competitions before the start of each programme, during commercial breaks and after the end of each programme.
BSkyB takeover
On 15 September 2010, it was announced that it will on an unconfirmed date close its sister channels Bravo, Bravo 2 and Channel One. Bravo, Bravo 2 and Challenge Jackpot closed on 1 January 2011 and Channel One closed a exactly a month later on 1 February 2011 and Channel One's Freeview space on the Freeview multiplex was used by Challenge to launch on the platform two days later. On 25 January 2011, it was confirmed that Total Nonstop Action Wrestling programming would start broadcasting on Challenge from 3 February 2011. It was also confirmed on the same day that the channel number for Freeview would be 46.[2][3][4][4]
Programming
Current programming made by Challenge
| Name of show | Originally aired | When aired by Challenge | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently airing. | |||
| Currently airing. | |||
| Currently airing. | |||
| Currently airing. | |||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 25 March at 4:05am. | |||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 26 March at 3:55am. | |||
| Currently on a break. | |||
| Currently airing. | |||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 7 March at 7:00am. | |||
| Currently on a break. | |||
| Currently on a break. | |||
| Currently on a break. | |||
| Currently on a break. |
Former programming made by Challenge
| Name of show | Originally aired | When aired by Challenge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted by The Krypton Factor's Gordon Burns. Originally made for the BBC. | |||
| Based on an Australian format. | |||
| A filler featuring TV bloopers from the BBC's archives. | |||
| Presented by Bob Mercer (series 1) and Martin Kemp (series 2). | |||
| A variation of the Telly Addicts format. | |||
| A spin-off of Channel 4's Late Night Poker series. | |||
| Home video clip show presented by Richard Orford. | |||
| Comedy quiz show based around travel played by two teams of celebrities, hosted by Paul Coia. | |||
| Another Japanese game show. Used as a filler. It was last shown on Challenge in 2005 as part of 'Japanese Day'. | |||
| The UK version of the cult Japanese show, Za Gaman. | |||
| Short 15-minute segments of Za Gaman. It was hosted by Al Convey. It also featured the voices of Eiji Kusuhara (who was one of the two voiceovers for Banzai) and Ryozo Kohira. | |||
| A spin-off from Catchphrase. | |||
| A 10-part series featuring clips of the different versions of Fort Boyard from around the globe, it was presented by Tim Vine. | |||
| A phone-in segment. | |||
| Replaced by The Blurb. | |||
| A live phone-in segment. | |||
| Series featuring clips from classic gameshows. | |||
| Also replaced by The Blurb. | |||
| Another live phone-in segment. | |||
| A filler programme in which Japanese chefs cook unusual things. It was also the last programme to air on defunct sister channel Ftn. | |||
| Replacement for The Games Room. | |||
| Karaoke-themed game show, presented by various hosts, including Ted Robbins. | |||
| Used during the Japanese Christmas Cracker strand in December 2003. | |||
| Home video clip show narrated by Les Dennis and Stuart Hall. | |||
| A 10-minute filler. | |||
| Clip show featuring games played on Graham Norton's Channel 4 show, V Graham Norton. | |||
| Presented by Jesse May with commentary by Grub Smith. | |||
| Replaced by The Games Room. | |||
| 7-minute pilot, presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ, Scott Mills. | |||
| Music-themed quiz show, presented by Keith Chegwin. | |||
| The Catchphrase host's take on the Auntie's Bloomers format. | |||
| Challenge TV's version of Anglia Television's classic gameshow, it was presented by Keith Chegwin. | |||
| Hosted by one of Challenge's original continuity presenters, Andy Crane. | |||
| Family gameshow, presented by Andrew O'Connor. | |||
| Presented by Matt Brown. | |||
| Celebrity darts competition presented by Sarah Cawood. | |||
| Presented by Lisa Rogers. | |||
| Another variation of the Telly Addicts format. | |||
| Hosted by Aonghus McAnally. | |||
| Another variation of the Telly Addicts format. | |||
| Series featuring clips from various Japanese gameshows, presented by Julian Clary (series 1) and Craig Charles (series 2). | |||
| The UK version of the American gameshow, it was presented by Sarah Cawood. | |||
| A special one-off programme featuring highlights of Yorkshire Television's classic gameshow. It was used during Challenge TV's 3-2-1 night in Christmas 2000. | |||
| Replaced both GameFace and Ginx Files, now only available through Ginx TV's website. | |||
| Late-night gameshow presented by Donna Air and Iain Coyle. | |||
| A short-lived replacement for Prize Time. | |||
| Short-lived game show, loosely based on the famous card game, presented by Andy Goldstein, only lasted 20 episodes. | |||
| Loosely based on the board game of the same name, it was presented by Tony Slattery. | |||
| Now airs on Kix!. | |||
| Challenge TV's version of Yorkshire Television's gameshow, it was presented by Bobby Davro. |
Current programming originally shown by other broadcasters
| Name of show | Original channel(s) | Originally aired | When aired by Challenge | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Used as a filler. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. New episodes air from 19 March at 8:30pm. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 17 March at 12:45pm. New episodes air from 19 March at 7:00pm. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 20 March at 4:00pm. | ||||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 24 March at 5:35am. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Used as a filler. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Starts airing from 10 March at 11:20pm. | ||||
| Currently on a break. Returns on 2 April at 12:00pm. | ||||
| Currently airing. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. | ||||
| Currently on a break. |
Former programming originally shown by other broadcasters
| Name of show | Original channel(s) | Originally aired | When aired by Challenge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The series that Challenge shown in 2009 now airs on Sky Livingit. | ||||
| Now airs on 4Music and Dave. | ||||
| It also aired on Bravo. | ||||
| Now airs on Quest. | ||||
| Now airs on 4Music. | ||||
| Now airs on The Africa Channel. | ||||
| The show has also aired on FX. | ||||
| Aired on Challenge under the title "World's Craziest Outdoor Outtakes". | ||||
| Aired on Challenge TV from late 2001 to early 2003. | ||||
| One of the shows that aired as part of Challenge's 'Caught on Camera' strand in 2004. | ||||
| Still airs on Sky Poker. | ||||
| Aired on Challenge under the title "Sticky Moments On Tour". | ||||
| Aired on Challenge under the title "Celebrity TV Bloopers". | ||||
| Now airs on 5USA. | ||||
| Now airs on 4Music. |
Former programming shown on The Family Channel
| Name of show | Original channel(s) | Originally aired | When aired by The Family Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continued to air on The Family Channel's successor, Challenge TV, till 1998. | ||||
| Now airs on ITV4. | ||||
| Continues to air on Challenge to this present day. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge till 2008. | ||||
| Stuart Hall is the English voiceover who replaced the Welsh voiceover. | ||||
| Now airs on ITV3. | ||||
| Now airs on CBS Action. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge TV till 1998. | ||||
| Now airs on ITV4. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge TV till 1998. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge till 2003. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge till 2007. | ||||
| Continued to air on Challenge till 2009. | ||||
Upcoming content
- Win, Lose or Draw Late - starts 10 March at 11:20pm[5]
- Deal or No Deal (Series 2) - starts 19 March at 7:00pm[6]
- Bullseye (Series 3, 4 & 5) - starts 19 March at 8:30pm[7]
- Blockbusters - New series, coming in Spring 2012[8]
List of presenters and continuity announcers
Here is a list of the people who have presented or announced the programmes on Challenge over the years:
Presenters
- Alex Lovell (2002)
- Andy Crane (1995-1998) - First appeared in the Family Challenge Weekend strand, and went on to present Prize Time in 1997. He also presented Say the Word that same year.
- Andrea Boardman (1997-1998) - The channel's first female presenter.
- Annabel Giles (1997)
- Bradley Walsh (2002)
- Carryl Varley (1997-2002) - Launched Challenge Late in 1998, and went on to present The Games Room in 1999 and the iPlay strand in 2000. She also presented Game Central in 2002.
- Colin Murnane (1998-2001)
- Gail McKenna (1998)
- Kevin Duala (1997-2001) - Presented both Prize Time and The Games Room.
- Kieron Elliot (2001-2002)
- Ian Collins (1997-199?)
- Lisa Rogers (1999-2001) - Presented The Games Room.
- Louise Brady (2002)
- Pat Sharp (1997)
- Paul Hendy (2002)
- Paul Ross (1997-199?)
- Question Mark (1997-199?) - Presented Prize Time. He also took part in Challenge TV's first original production, Karaoke Challenge.
- Sonya Saul (1999-2000) - Also presented The Games Room.
- Toby Anstis (2000-2002) - Presented iPlay and Game Central.
- Yiolanda Koppel (1999)
- Yvette Fielding (1997) - Contributed to weekend in-vision continuity and hosted Karaoke Challenge.
Continuity announcers
- Jane Farnham (2003-present)
- Mark Ryes (2003-2011)
- Philip Sanders (2011-present)
- Trish Bertram (1999-2000)
List of themed strands on Challenge
Here is a list of the strands that Challenge has used over the years:
- Action Weekdays (2009)
- Action Zone (2002)
- Best of British (2007/8)
- Brain Buzz (2004)
- Breakfast Action (2007)
- Caught on Camera (2004)
- Cult Classics vs Modern Masters (2011)
- Cult Selection (2002/3)
- Fully Loaded (2007)
- Gameshow Gods (2004/6)
- Get Physical (2011)
- Hot Nights of Poker (2004)
- Japanese Christmas Cracker (2003)
- Japanorama (2004)
- Morning Mayhem (2009)
- Old School Saturdays (2005)
- Quiz Frenzy (2006)
- Sushi Sundays (2005)
- Teatime Takedown (2007)
- Threesomes (2006/7)
References
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13966243.html
- ^ Sweney, Mark (15 September 2010). "BSkyB to close Bravo and Channel One". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "BARB reported channels". overnights.tv. 17 January 2011.
- ^ a b "TNA set for Freeview". The Sun. 25 January 2011.
- ^ http://digiguide.tv/programme-details/Challenge/10+March+2012/23:20/Win%2C+Lose+or+Draw+Late/Game+Show/
- ^ http://digiguide.tv/programme-details/Challenge/19+March+2012/19:00/Deal+or+No+Deal/Game+Show/
- ^ http://digiguide.tv/programme-details/Challenge/19+March+2012/20:30/Bullseye/Game+Show/
- ^ http://www.challenge.co.uk/news/tv-quiz-show-blockbusters-is-back.html
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