Really (TV channel)

Last updated

Really
Logo used from 2013 onwards
Country United Kingdom
Broadcast area United Kingdom and Ireland
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 16:9 576i SDTV
Timeshift serviceReally +1 (not launched yet)
Ownership
Owner UKTV (2009–2019)
Discovery, Inc. (2019–2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery (2022–present)
Sister channels Animal Planet
Boomerang
Cartoonito
CNN International
Cartoon Network
Discovery Channel
Discovery History
Discovery Science
Discovery Turbo
DMAX
Food Network
HGTV
Investigation Discovery
Quest
Quest Red
TLC
History
Launched19 May 2009;15 years ago (2009-05-19)
Replaced UKTV Gardens
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview Channel 17

Really is a British free-to-air digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel launched on 19 May 2009 as UKTV's channel for female audiences. The channel shows a mixture of lifestyle, medical, real life, crime and paranormal programming. It is available on satellite through Sky and Freesat, cable through Virgin Media and also on digital terrestrial provider Freeview.

Contents

History

The channel was launched on 19 May 2009 at 9am as part of the major rebranding and repositioning of the UKTV network. The new channel was created to provide fashion, medical, real life, and crime programming on the UKTV network, by airing programming previously aired on UKTV Style. As part of the repositioning of UKTV Style to Home, this channel would focus primarily on home and garden programming. As part of this, UKTV Gardens was closed, with programmes merged with Home. The new channel Really would launch from UKTV Gardens' broadcast slot and would replace the channel on that service. Responsible for launching Really would be the channel head: Clare Laycock since July 2008. [1] The channel was originally available only on satellite and cable services, however on 14 June 2011, UKTV announced that Really would launch on Freeview channel 20 on 2 August 2011. [2] The channel, along with Drama, were added to Virgin Media in Ireland in September 2018.

On 1 April 2019, it was announced that UKTV co-owner Discovery, Inc. would acquire the BBC's stake in Really. [3]

Identity

Really logo from 19 May 2009 to 14 May 2013. Really logo.svg
Really logo from 19 May 2009 to 14 May 2013.

Really's identity originally centred on a pop art style cartoon of women in various situations which as the ident goes on resolves itself into an unusual outcome. At this outcome, the characters are shown with speech bubbles containing the Really logo, which then forms into the centre of the screen. [4] Really used a generic promotion layout, consisting of the logo starting off the promotion before being located in the bottom right corner of the screen throughout before forming in the centre of the screen, alongside one of the ident characters, at the end. [5]

Really received a new look on 15 May 2013, created by Red Bee Media, along with a new slogan 'Really gets you'. [6]

On 31 March 2016, Really received new idents. This time, the screen is split into two at a 45-degree angle, and that 2 objects come together to form one, these idents are similar to the launch of the UKTV network in 1997. For example, a rose and a hypodermic needle, a camera and a bank safe and X-ray and ink.

On 29 May 2017 Really received another new identity.

In January 2021, Really introduced a new set of idents whilst retaining the old logo.

Programming

The majority of Really's programmes came from the programme archives of the BBC, through their once part ownership of UKTV. Due to a similar remit between the two channels, Really re-broadcasts many programmes previously shown on the channel BBC Three, and a few from BBC One, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The channel also has UK exclusive airings of the US shows Hart of Dixie and Covert Affairs .

Since the channel began airing in 2009, Medicals Real Life and Crimes on 7 September 2009 Most Haunted Live! 2015 remains the most watched programme in the channel's history. The episode featured a paranormal investigation at '30 East Drive'.

Really's current schedule of programmes include:

Medical programming

Real life programming

Crime programming

See also

Related Research Articles

U&Gold is a British premium television channel from the UKTV network that was launched in late 1992 as UK Gold before it was rebranded UKTV Gold in 2004. In 2008, it was split into current flagship channel Gold and miscellaneous channel, W, with classic comedy based programming now airing on Gold, non-crime drama and entertainment programming airing on W, and quiz shows and more high-brow comedy airing on Dave. It shows repeats of classic programming from the BBC, ITV and other broadcasters. Every December, from 2015 until 2018, the channel was temporarily renamed Christmas Gold. This has since been discontinued, although the channel still continues to broadcast Christmas comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV2</span> British free-to-air television channel

ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a claim now held by its sister service ITV3 both of which are freely available to a majority of households.

UKTV Media Limited, trading as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through a joint venture between the BBC and Thames Television. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.

U&Eden is a British free-to-air channel broadcasting nature content with some factual entertainment programming in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel originally launched on 8 March 2004 and relaunched in its current format on 27 January 2009. U&Eden was a pay television channel until 2024. On 29 November 2023, UKTV announced its intention to launch 'U' - a new masterbrand that will unite its family channels and its streaming. Eden rebranded to U&Eden on 16 October 2024.

UK Horizons was a television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom, as part of the UKTV network of channels, showing mainly BBC documentaries. Most programmes were abridged for commercial timing purposes. It took its name from the BBC series Horizon, which formed a staple of its output in the early years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Food</span> Former British television channel

Good Food is a retired subscription cookery channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, latterly as part of the Discovery, Inc. network of channels. The channel originally launched on 5 November 2001 and relaunched in its final format on 22 June 2009. Good Food was available on satellite through Sky, on cable through Virgin Media, and through IPTV with TalkTalk TV, BT TV. From 2015 to 2018, Good Food was temporarily rebranded as Christmas Food.

U&Yesterday is a British free-to-air television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It launched on 30 October 2002 as UK History and relaunched in its current format on 2 March 2009. It is available on satellite through Sky, Freesat and through the digital terrestrial provider Freeview. Hours on Freeview had previously been cut, with transmissions finishing at 6 pm, but were restored on 1 June 2010.

U&Dave is a British free-to-air television channel that mainly broadcasts comedy-oriented factual programming. It is owned by UKTV, a subsidiary of BBC Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blighty (TV channel)</span> Television channel by UKTV

Blighty was a British pay television channel broadcasting as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was originally launched on 8 March 2004.

<i>Most Haunted</i> British television series

Most Haunted is a British paranormal reality television series.

BBC Knowledge was a British television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 1 June 1999, broadcasting documentary, cultural and educational programmes. It was shut down on 2 March 2002, and was replaced by BBC Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More4</span> British free-to-air television channel

More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas.

<i>Most Haunted Live!</i> 2002 British TV series or programme

Most Haunted Live is a spin-off of the paranormal reality television series Most Haunted and was also produced by Antix Productions. The show consists of paranormal investigations broadcast live over a period of one or more nights, usually with interactive sections that involve the viewer.

U&W is a British free-to-air television channel owned by UKTV, a subsidiary of BBC Studios. It originally launched on 7 October 2008 as Watch and until 2022 was a pay television channel. From 15 February 2016 to 16 July 2024, the channel was known as W.

Channel 5 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK and Australia division. It was launched in 30 March 1997 to provide a fifth national terrestrial channel in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great! TV</span> British general entertainment channel owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited

Great! TV is a British-English language general entertainment channel in the United Kingdom owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited. It originally launched as Sony Entertainment Television on 7 April 2011. However, it was closed on 6 February 2018 and replaced by Sony Crime Channel. It was brought back for a second time on 10 September 2019 when it replaced True Entertainment. The relaunched Sony Channel had different idents and programming than the former due to inheriting some programming from its predecessor True Entertainment and on 25 May 2021, following Narrative Capital's acquisition of Sony's channels, it was rebranded as Great! TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quest Red</span> Digital television channel in the UK

Quest Red is a British free-to-air television channel in the United Kingdom broadcasting factual, lifestyle, crime and reality programming aimed at a female audience. The channel is operated by Warner Bros. Discovery and runs as a sibling to Discovery's established Freeview channel Quest, launched in 2009.

This is a timeline of UKTV, a television company that broadcasts seven television channels in the United Kingdom.

Sky Living was a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky. The channel's programming was aimed mainly at women and young adults. It originally launched as UK Living.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HGTV (British and Irish TV channel)</span> Television channel about homes and gardens

HGTV is a British free-to-air interior home and garden-orientated lifestyle television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel originally launched on 1 November 1997 as UK Style and then was rebranded to Home on 30 April 2009 and was rebranded to its current form on 21 January 2020. HGTV is broadcast 24 hours a day on Sky. UK Style was transmitted by terrestrial provider ITV Digital 24 hours a day until the company's collapse in 2002. After a slight rebrand to UKTV Style, the channel made a return to terrestrial screens for a time in the mid-2000s as part of the now-defunct Top Up TV system. Before 2016, HGTV was a pay channel. Home became available as a free-to-air linear service on Freeview from 1 March 2016.

References

  1. "Jane Rogerson and Clare Laycock, UKTV". Broadcast. 5 November 2009.
  2. "UKTV secures free to air slot for Really, its cutting edge lifestyle channel". UKTV. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011.
  3. White, Peter (1 April 2019). "Discovery & BBC Reignite Global Content Deal With SVOD & UKTV Agreement, Six Years After Ending Previous Pact". Deadline. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. "Really May 2009 – present Idents". The TV Room. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  5. "Really May 2009 – present Promotions". The TV Room. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  6. "UKTV announce Really brand refresh". imediamonkey. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2013.