Former British television channel
Television channel
.tv |
| Country | United Kingdom |
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| Ownership |
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| Owner | British Sky Broadcasting |
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| History |
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| Launched | 1 September 1996 |
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| Closed | 2 September 2001 |
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| Replaced by | PremPlus |
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| Former names | The Computer Channel
(1996–1998) |
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.tv (formerlyThe Computer Channel, pronounced asDot TV and referred to on‑screen as.tv - the technology channel) was aBritish television channel dedicated to technology..tv was owned and operated byBritish Sky Broadcasting. The channel was first broadcast asThe Computer Channel and launched on1 September 1996, broadcasting between 18:00 and 20:00. It timeshared withGranada Good Life when it launched a month later. The broadcasting hours were increased to 6pm–10pm when the channel started broadcasting on British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite platform,Sky Digital in 1998, then midday–midnight the following year. In 1999, the channel interviewed then-Microsoft CEOBill Gates.
Towards the end of its run, .tv implemented several new shows heavily sponsored by online technology storedabs.com, promoting products which were available at that site..tv was closed on 2 September 2001 because of low audience ratings. Most of the programmes were produced byProspect Pictures and Illumina.
- Buyers Guide – A 20-minute weekday show that reviewed gadgets (such asPDAs andprinters), computers and software (such asvideo games,operating systems andphoto manipulation). Presented byWill Hanrahan. Guests included: Lydia Jones, Chris Long, and Ashley Jones.
- Chips with Everything – A 20-minute weekday show presented byKate Russell with guests trying to answer computer-related questions that were sent in by viewers. Guests included: Roger Gann, James Morris, Simon Smart, Nigel Whitfield, Guy Clapperton, and Charles Bocock.
- Ex Machina – A 30-minute weekly show that went behind the scenes of digitally produced entertainment (video games, films and television programmes).
- Game Over (originallyGames World) – A variable-format video game magazine show. The show was presented byAndy Collins[1] and co-presented byMatt Berry, Richard Pitt, Helen Hartley & Kellie Priestley.[2] In November 2000, Matt Cuttle took over as the sole presenter.[3]
- Games Republic – A question-based video game quiz show, presented byTrevor and Simon.
- 404 Not Found – An offbeat news and reviews show with regular viewer letters and emails, written and hosted byDave Green andDanny O'Brien, with additional script‑writing byJames Wallis.
- Global Village – A 30-minute weekly show that looked at how technology was revolutionising our homes from an international perspective. Presented by Will Hanrahan.[4]
- Masterclass – A 20-minute weekday show that gave tutorials on how to use features from programs likeMicrosoft Word,Adobe Photoshop andNero Burning ROM. For the majority of the run, the show was presented by Richard Topping, affectionately known as "Toppers." He left the show to pursue a successful career in writing. His replacement was comedianMarc Haynes, who fronted the show until the channel closed.
- Nexus – A puzzle game show hosted byBrian Blessed.
Buyers Guide,Masterclass andChips with Everything were repeated as omnibus editions (the weekday editions broadcast as one programme) on weekends.
