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Channel 5 airs a wide variety of programming that covers various genres and themes, with programmes about farming, trains and royalty being popular.
The channel is notable for its travel and holiday shows, whether presented by comedians such asSusan Calman[1][2] andAlexander Armstrong[3] or whether they are programmes in a fly-on-the-wall reality format likeAllo Allo! Brits in France[4] or theBargain Loving Brits... series.[5][6][7][8] The channel has also become associated with a number of people and programmes from Yorkshire[9][10] with shows includingJane McDonald,[11]The Yorkshire Vet'sJulian Norton[12] and shepherdessAmanda Owen,[13] (the latter two also contributing to episodes ofThis Week on the Farm,[14] filmed atCannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire).
Channel 5 is also notable for securing the rights toHome and Away in 2001, which helped boost early evening viewing figures for the channel,[15] and acquiringNeighbours from theBBC after a bidding war with other broadcasters. However, where once imported drama made up a large part of its schedule, Channel 5 has increased the number of titles released under the banner ofChannel 5 Original Dramas, withThe Drowning[16] and a new version ofAll Creatures Great and Small[17] bringing in more than 4 million viewers to the channel, making it one of Channel 5's biggest hits of Autumn 2021 along withOur Yorkshire Farm andThe Madame Blanc Mysteries (all with audiences of over 2.5 million viewers).[18]
Channel 5, as a British public service broadcaster, are required to broadcast a wide variety of programming. As opposed toChannel 4, whose programming remit targets the fringes of society and ranges a variety of cultures, Channel 5's remit is more likeITV's. The Channel's remit is laid out in theCommunications Act 2003, Section 265 and is regulated byOfcom. The section states that:
As a public service broadcaster, Channel 5 is required to show a quota of news bulletins and educational programmes. Documentaries such asHidden Lives,Revealed andExtraordinary People are examples of how the channel has met these criteria. In 2005, Channel 5 acquired the right to the annualRoyal Institution Christmas Lectures, with the broadcasts occurring on the channel for three years (as they are now on BBC Four).[20] The channel has also featured some short educational documentary series such asYour Sport focusing on sport in local communities.
Upon launch, Channel 5's programming followed a strict schedule with the intention that viewers could tune in and always know what to expect. Major features of Channel 5's early scheduling structure included daily soap operaFamily Affairs at 6.30pm, a nightly news broadcast at 8.30pm, presented byKirsty Young. That was followed by a film at 9pm every night andThe Jack Docherty Show, a comedy chat show. Daytime programmes includedSunset Beach, the American soap opera,Leeza Gibbons' chat show,Leeza and5 News Early. Weekend programming includedNight Fever, a panel show presented bySuggs and the fantasy seriesXena: Warrior Princess andHercules: The Legendary Journeys.[citation needed]
For its 10th birthday on Friday 30 March 2007, the channel (then typeset as Channel 5) scheduled a few special programmes which resulted in the channel achieving its lowest viewing figures on a Friday for nearly 10 years and, for any day, its lowest peak time share performance since 2002.[21]
The birthday schedule started with the 7.30pm programmeGordon Brown Meets the 10-Year-Olds which got 200,000 viewers watching Channel 5, the channel's lowest amount of viewers for that timeslot in two years.Gordon Brown Meets the 10-Year-Olds was followed byThe Ten Demandments at 8pm andI Blame the Spice Girls: The Monster Quiz of the Decade an hour later.[22] The latter show, produced by Zeppotron[23] was a comedy quiz presented byLiza Tarbuck, and featuring contestantsTrisha Goddard,Johnny Vegas,Ben Miller andFrankie Boyle,[24] which took its name from the fact that the Spice Girls had been the first act to be seen launching the service in 1997. Questions were based on stories from the news between the period 1997 - 2007, as well as shows that had been broadcast on the channel. Unlike Channel 4'sThe Big Fat Quiz of the Year, which has had numerous editions since December 2004,I Blame the Spice Girls remains a one-off, as only 600,000 viewers tuned in to see the 90 minute 9pm quiz.
The channels best ratings for its birthday night of programming was forThe Most Shocking Celebrity Moments of the Decade at 10.30pm, a programme which attracted 900,000 viewers from 10.30pm on 30 March 2007, and a format which would be still commissioned by the channel (under variousMost Shocking names) 15 years later.[25][26][27][28][29]
Channel 5's pre-school programming blockMilkshake! is shown from 06:00 to 09:15 each day. The block has a number of presenters and features a range of pre-school programming, includingFifi and the Flowertots,Peppa Pig andHi-5. Until October 2007, the channel also had a block calledShake! at weekends, which was aimed at an older audience. However, Channel 5 then removed theShake! block from its schedules, asNeighbours was taking up the Sunday slot.[30]Shake! made a return to the channel on 4 October 2009 every Sunday morning after agreeing a deal with Disney. The block featuresHannah Montana,Wizards of Waverly Place andSnobs. It also saw the return of Channel 5's hit showThe Tribe, a futuristic New Zealand teenage drama series which was shown in its entirety from 1999 to 2003.[31]John Walsh produced several documentary series, "Boyz & Girlz", "Cowboyz & Cowgirlz" and "TREX" for children's controller Nick Wilson.[citation needed]
Channel 5 currently showsFriends each weekend with a block of episodes shown back-to-back in the mornings. Prior to the channel acquiringFriends (along with sister channel Comedy Central), the channel premiered spin-off seriesJoey, though this series is not being broadcast as part of the re-runs in 2021. Numerous other American sitcoms were shown on Channel 5, including the first season ofTwo and a Half Men, the first 2 seasons ofEverybody Hates Chris and the revival ofWill and Grace, though by 2021 these shows were either moved by ViacomCBS to5Star and Comedy Central or were picked up by rival broadcasters.[citation needed]
Sitcoms aired on the channel include:
Channel 5 has always struggled to make inroads into the daytime TV ratings having tried a variety of magazine formats, quizzes and discussion shows since 1997. In the early days, Channel 5's morning schedules consisted mainly of American imports such as the soapsThe Bold and the Beautiful andSunset Beach. Between 1998 and 2003,Gloria Hunniford hostedOpen House with Gloria Hunniford, an afternoon chat and lifestyle magazine show featuring interviews, cookery and consumer advice.[43]
On 2 June 2003,Terry Wogan andGaby Roslin joined the channel to host the morning talk showThe Terry and Gaby Show, which lasted only 10 months, as it could not compete with ITV'sThis Morning.[44] In September 2004,Trisha Goddard leftITV Anglia to join Channel 5[45] in a new programme titledTrisha Goddard, which made its debut on 24 January 2005. Similar in style to her old show, it focused on relationships, families in crisis, and reunions. In January 2009, Channel 5 announced it was not renewing her contract for financial reasons.[46]
Until March 2007, the station screened quiz showBrainTeaser which was presented byAlex Lovell. After 4 and a half years,BrainTeaser was withdrawn, following the revelation that production staff were faking winners on the programme's premium rate call-in competition. Other game shows have since been aired in daytime, including a new version ofGoing for Gold[47] andWordplay.
In February 2008, the station acquired the AustraliansoapNeighbours fromBBC One, and moved its lunchtime showing ofHome and Away to followNeighbours.[48]
In September 2010, documentary seriesEddie Stobart: Trucks & Trailers featured haulage firmEddie Stobart's Haulage, Rail and Air divisions. The programme followed drivers responsible for delivering diverse orders such as the new pitch at Cardiff'sMillennium Stadium, and the lights to be installed at London's famousPiccadilly Circus.
The Vanessa Show presented byVanessa Feltz was launched in a morning timeslot in January 2011. Following low ratings, the format was moved to an afternoon slot but the programme was not a success and it was axed in June 2011.[49]
In 2013, Channel 5 bought the rights to screenTrisha Goddard'sAmerican version of her former chat showTrisha Goddard, which was broadcast on Channel 5 until 2009.[50] However, due to low viewing figures, the programme is thought to have been pulled from the schedules.
Currently, Channel 5's daytime schedule consists of the flagship programmeJeremy Vine with the soapsNeighbours andHome & Away its main ratings successes. In the afternoons, the channel usually screens American and Canadian TV movies and sometimes US produced mini-series and one-off TV dramas. Its daytime and weekend morning schedules also contain repeats of documentaries, lifestyle programming and American crime series.
In 2000, Channel 5 launched its flagship daytime showThe Wright Stuff presented byMatthew Wright in which celebrity guests on a panel debate news stories in front of a small audience. In January 2011,The Wright Stuff was extended to an hour and 45 minutes from 09:15 to 11:00am. From June 2011, the format was extended further with the launch ofThe Wright Stuff Extra with Gabby Logan presented by formerBBC Radio 5 Live hostGabby Logan, however this was later dropped from the schedule, with the main show being extended a further 10 minutes, now airing from 09:15 to 11:10am.
In 2018, Matthew Wright left his morning television showThe Wright Stuff after 18 years, leaving the 09:15 to 11:15am show without a host and the problem of the programme's punning title. When BBC Radio 2 presenterJeremy Vine was announced as the new host, it was decided that the programme would continue simply under his name, with the show having the same format asThe Wright Stuff, the same timeslot and presenterStorm Huntley continuing in the same role as before. In 2021, Jeremy Vine could be seen top-and-tailing[51][52] the Channel 5 daytime schedule as the rights to the12 Yard produced showEggheads had been acquired by Channel 5 from the BBC, with new episodes of the Jeremy Vine presented quiz show going out each night at 6.30pm.[53][54]
On 17 January 2022, it was announced that Vine's morning show slot would be extended by an hour[55] from 19 January 2022 by dropping the scheduled repeat[56][57] ofNightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords at 12:15pm[58] and movingShoplifters and Scammers: At War with the Law by an hour.[59][60][61] The extended part of the programme will be known asJeremy Vine Extra with the hour hosted by Storm Huntley, as Vine has a radio show on BBC Radio 2 that starts at 12:00pm (though for the schedules of 19 January, Tina Daheley is sitting in for Vine on the radio).[62][63]
Channel 5 has broadcast a number of documentaries following the lives of numerous individuals.The Hotel Inspector hosted initially byRuth Watson and later byAlex Polizzi is an example of 1 of the channel's documentaries and is one of the channel's most watched programmes.The Business Inspector was a four-part spin-off show presented byHilary Devey in 2010 who later moved to become a dragon on the BBC'sDragon's Den. In 2011, the channel hosted the latest addition to the 'Inspector' franchise,The Restaurant Inspector.
Animal and nature programmes have been a popular element in Channel 5's schedules with a number of series often repeated. These includeMichaela's Zoo Babies,Wild Animal ER,Animal Rescue Squad,Vets in Action andZoo Days. Older series such asNick's Quest are repeated in the early morning schedules.Monkey World aired a new series in 2011 but the emphasis on wildlife and animal rescue programmes has been reduced since 2008. In August 2011, the channel broadcast repeats ofMeerkat Manor the popular wildlife documentary series 1st broadcast on BBC TV. In 2012,Dominic Monaghan's Wild Things aired, a series that followed British actor Dominic Monaghan travel the globe to find – and then handle – some of the biggest and most dangerous creatures on the planet.
Educational documentaries have also been prominent in Channel 5's schedule, many originally produced for theDiscovery Channel.Highland Emergency andHow Do They Do It? are often shown in the 7:30pm slot. The 8pm slot is often filled with male-oriented programmes such asIce Road Truckers,Police Interceptors,Emergency Bikers,Revealed (mystery and archaeology),Monster Moves,Nature Shock and theDemolition series. The documentary series,Sea Patrol UK has aired since 2009 and in 2011, the spin-off show,Royal Navy: Caribbean Patrol made its début.
From 2002, the channel aired several major documentary series on the arts, architecture, philosophy and religion representing a major shift away from the station's previous down-market image. These included series on the lives of the great artists presented byTim Marlow who also presented regular previews of major art exhibitions and a series onTate Modern.Divine Designs, presented by Professor Paul Binski examined religious architecture around the UK with two series. These arts programmes are no longer produced on a regular basis but are often repeated.
Crime series are another established part of the Channel 5 schedule, some repackaged repeats such asTrue CSI andForensic Files and the channel has featured several series on serial killers such asFred West,Myra Hindley andJack the Ripper. In 2012, crime seriesBorn to Kill? was screened, which delved into the matter of whether killers such asHarold Shipman andFred West were born to kill. Another crime series titledMurder Files was also broadcast in 2012, which focused on several notorious criminal cases such as The Schoolboy Assassin, looking back at how police eventually caught their killer.[64]Countdown to Murder aired in 2013, a unique new crime show that follows a countdown of events that led to the murder of a victim.[65]
New programming for 2011 included a series titledCandy Bar Girls based on the lives of young lesbian women in a bar in London'sSoho district.[66] 2011 also sawJustin Lee Collins presentLiving in Las Vegas andThe Restaurant Inspector, building on the success ofThe Hotel Inspector.[67] In 2011, Collins also presented the documentary series,Justin Lee Collins Turning Japanese. Additionally, the four-part documentary series,Essex Jungle aired in Spring 2011 focusing on the world of exotic, often dangerous reptiles living in people's homes.[68]
In 2012,Chris Tarrant became the presenter of a documentary series titledChris Tarrant: Extreme Railways, with new episodes broadcast on the channel until 2020. Each week, Tarrant undertook a railway journey in a foreign country, meeting the passengers and people who work on railways which go through extreme environments. Tarrant also delved into the history of these extreme railways and found out how they were built. In 2017, Channel 5 showed another train-based series with Tarrant, this time delving into the history of lines and companies in the United Kingdom. The series was calledThe Railways That Built Britain with Chris Tarrant,[69] and was followed by a couple of series about trains (Intercity 125: The Train That Changed Britain' andWorld's Busiest Train Stations) which were narrated by Tarrant.
In 2013, Channel 5 broadcastBen Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, which followed the presenter as he travelled to meet some of the world's few people who have swapped the usual life for something a little different, such as living in a desert as opposed to living in New York City. The programme regularly ranked among the channel's top ten.[70] In November 2015, Fogle's spin-off seriesNew Lives In The Wild UK introduced Channel 5 viewers to farmers Amanda and Clive Owen, who would go on to have their own Channel 5 show calledOur Yorkshire Farm.[71][72][73]
Also in 2013, Channel 5 broadcastGibraltar: Britain in the Sun, a documentary following the life of the residents in theBritish Overseas Territory ofGibraltar. The six-part series enjoyed steady ratings, and as a result was recommissioned for a second series which aired shortly afterwards in 2014.
In 2014, the channel pioneered "Supersize Season", which included sets of documentaries each attached to the same theme of supersize people. Documentaries produced within this season includedSaving Britain's Biggest Man,Fat For Cash,My Gastric Band Ruined My Life,Too Fat To Fly,Got Thin - Got Fat Again! andI Lost Weight and Lost My Husband.[74] The use of "seasons" was a common theme during 2014, with Nazi Season, a season dedicated to the Nazis, also produced.
In 2017 Channel 5 aired two new documentary series -Secrets of the National Trust with the anchor hostAlan Titchmarsh andTony Robinson: Coast to Coast
In December 2021, Channel 5 acquired the fifth series ofMeerkat Manor[75][76] fromOxford Scientific Films/BBC America for its 6.30pm slot (usually featuringEggheads). The programme, known internationally asMeerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty[77][78] was narrated byBill Nighy and tracked the meerkat mobs known under the group names Whiskers, Hakuna Mata and Ubuntu. WhenNeighbours went on its Christmas break,Meerkat Manor was put with a half-hour version ofDogs With Incredible Jobs at 6pm,[79] adding to Channel 5's slate of natural history and animal programmes, which has also seen theSecret Life of the Forest[80][81][82] (showing various wildlife residing in Kielder Forest, Northumberland)[83][84] broadcast in November 2021.
In spring 2022, the channel went back to stripping[85] documentary series across the week in the afternoon and early evening, with the channel trying out a new format with Susan Calman[86] in the 7pm slot calledBig Antique Adventure[87] which also featured the antiques experts Natasha Raskin Sharp, Danny Sebastian and Paul Martin. In addition to this,Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun[88] was recommissioned as a 40-part series[89] to run every weekday at 4pm, where previous series have been made up of around eight-to-ten episodes going out on Sunday nights.[90] The series, set around Benidorm and Malaga,[91] features drag queen showbars, animal rescue centres[90] and the residents of various caravan parks,[92] in addition to emigrants making a living on Spain's markets. As well as this 40-part series 8, earlierBargain-Loving Brits programmes have been repeated in this lot along with the 2013-2014 seriesGibraltar: Britain in the Sun, which turned up on electronic programme guides asBargain Brits in the Sun to fit the title format of the more recent show.[93][94]
The changing of programme titles on Channel 5 is a regular occurrence, with the channel known for changing a programme title at short notice or having an on-screen title that does not correspond with that of theRadio Times or electronic programme guide. On 10 June 2022, the channel finishes off showing theirAllo Allo! Brits in France series, which follows the lives of various ex-pats in the country, such as Andy and Richard, the owners of a restaurant called Les Roches on the banks of the River Sioule in Auvergne.[95] Whereas the programme previously used the name of the old BBC One sitcom'Allo 'Allo! in its title, the series has been rebranded asThe Good Life: Brits in France, also using the name of anold BBC One sitcom.[96]
In the 2010s, Channel 5 became known, in certain parts of the media, as the TV channel which is obsessed with Yorkshire,[97][98][99] so much so that commissioning editor Daniel Pearl had to tell a television festival audience that he did not want to see "another programme about Yorkshire".[100] Programmes based in Yorkshire includeThe Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard, filmed on theNorth Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) based atPickering railway station,[101][102]The Yorkshire Vet, with filming taking place at local farms and in a number of vet surgeries in Yorkshire (including one inKirkbymoorside, 7 miles away from the NYMR in Pickering),Traffic Cops[103] (which featured episodes with North Yorkshire Police),Yorkshire: A Year In The Wild[104] andToday at the Great Yorkshire Show[105]
Saturday night royal documentaries have been a ratings winner for Channel 5, with programmes about past members of the British Royal Family also getting good viewing figures, with a programme aboutKing George V (whose reign was from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936) achieving a rating of 1.4 million viewers when it was first broadcast.[106] Most of these documentaries are made by ITN Productions[107] and feature archive clips with contributions from historians and royal watchers like former BBC royal correspondentJennie Bond.[108] These documentaries have become a dependable part of the weekend line-up, and can be dropped into the schedule at the last minute to replace under-performing scheduled programmes, as was the case when the third episode of the newChallenge Anneka series was replaced byZara & Mike: The People's Royals andFergie & Meghan: Inconvenient Royal on 1 April 2023.[109] As well as the British Royal Family, the slot was used to schedule an ITN documentary calledThe Grace of Monaco: Hollywood Princess aboutGrace Kelly, the American actor who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in April 1956, one of the few titles featuring foreign-born royalty.
In 2011, the 8:00pm daily weekday documentary slot was given the title "8 O'Clock Heroes" with a stripped content of action-packed documentaries focusing on police, emergency services and other "heroic" deeds. Series included in the strand includePolice Interceptors andEmergency Bikers. Other series in the strand includeSupersize Grime, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series focusing on the world of industrial cleaners from the makers of ITV1's popularGrimefighters and Sky 1'sReal Filth Fighters.
In the following decade sister channel 5Star was repositioned as a more of areality TV channel, than the youth TV channel it once was, and so a lot of its comedy programmes were dropped in favour of programming with emergency services. This meant that shows such asSkin A&E,[110]999: Critical Condition[111] andAmbulance: Code Red[112] were more likely to debut on that channel first before being seen on Channel 5. However, after being a programme title used to bulk out the schedule on 5Star or Paramount, series 20 ofPolice Interceptors was commissioned to debut on the main channel at 8pm on 10 November 2021,[113][114] with the repeats continuing in daytime on its sister channels.
By 2022, the channel have decided to use their8 O'Clock Hour to schedule a number of consumer advice programmes, the majority of which have been presented byAlexis Conran and scheduled for Thursday nights. Unlike the BBC, who still use theWatchdog branding for their consumer advice features onThe One Show,[115] Channel 5 have not grouped Conran's shows around one title, with the programmes having names likeCall Centre Chaos: Britain On Hold,[116]Britain's Dog Poo Scandal[117] andPhone Scams: Don't Get Caught Out.[118] In addition to these programmes, Conran has also presented the seriesSecrets of Fast Food Giants for the channel[119][120] and has been one of the presenters hired to host the channel'sJeremy Vine Extra programme while Storm Huntley is on maternity leave.[121]
In addition to Conran's investigative consumer advice shows, the channel has reported on holiday travel problems caused by staff shortages inBritain's Airport Chaos,[122] with a similar show, dealing with rail transport as well, calledBritain's Travel Chaos: How To Save Your Summer scheduled for 12 July 2022 at 8pm.[123]
In recent years, the channel emphasises on retrospective clip shows that usually feature celebrity talking heads from stars and critics. These strands include20 Moments That Rocked...,The Best of Bad TV,When... Goes Horribly Wrong,Most Shocking... Moments,Britain's Favourite...,The... Story andGreatest... among others. These programmes covers a range of topics from TV bloopers to chocolate bars; where the same limited amount of clips have been used from time to time and they are often renamed in EPGs or TV listings guides. The latest programme in this format wasFunniest Royal Cock-Ups on 7 November 2021, which had a number of clips where the bloopers featured members of the British Royal family and which had taking head interludes fromPaul Burrell, comedianJudi Love andLady Colin Campbell.[124][125][126][127]
By 2021, many of the emergency service shows had been moved away from Channel 5 to debut as 1st run programmes on 5Star (with repeats used as schedule fillers either late night or at 7:00pm against the soaps on BBC One or ITV) as Channel 5 decided to introduce a number of shows celebrating the Great British countryside.[128][129][130] As well as its numerous shows about Yorkshire (a fact picked up by comedy shows on other channels such asIt's Clarkson On TV andComplaints Welcome with Jessica Knappett),[131][100] the channel has had hits with comedians driving around Britain in campervans, with Paul Merton featuring inMotorhoming with Merton and Webster[132] and Susan Calman diving her 1999 Daihatsu Romahome 'Helen Mirren'[133] around various locations in herGrand Day Out series,[134] a programme which builds on the success of herSecret Scotland show.[135][1] Other travel shows found on the channel includeThe Cotswolds with Pam Ayres,[136]Iceland With Alexander Armstrong[137][138] and theBill Nighy narratedWorld's Most Scenic Railway Journeys[139][140] which has featured British[141][142] and international train routes over its five series.[143]
In October 2021, Channel 5 picked up the rights to the 2019 Nat Geo[144] seriesEgypt With The World's Greatest Explorer (known on National Geographic UK asFiennes: Return to the Nile),[145] which they rebranded asThe Nile with Sir Ranulph Fiennes,[146] a three-part series which they decided to show beforeThe Madame Blanc Mysteries at around 8pm.[147][148][149] However, to keepThe Madame Blanc Mysteries scheduled against the BBC's reboot ofBlankety Blank with Bradley Walsh, they dropped the third episode from Channel 5's line-up on 6 November 2021, deciding to putSally Lindsay's mystery drama[150] on earlier and aThen & Now[151] documentary about ABBA on at 9.10pm.[152] The final episode ofThe Nile with Sir Ranulph Fiennes was moved to 5Select on 6 November 2021, replacing an already scheduled episode ofWild Britain at 8pm.
In 2022, Jane McDonald will follow-up herCruising with... travel shows with a new 6-part commission calledJane McDonald's Yorkshire,[153][154][155] while the cruising shows returned on 20 December 2021 with the first episode in a two-part Christmas special that saw new presenter Susan Calman on board the MS Maud in Norway.[156][157][158][159][160]
Cruising with Susan Calman is one of a number of documentaries from Channel 5's VIS[161] (Viacom International Studios) sister company. Other shows and series includeSinatra: King of the Crooners (a feature-length documentary about Frank Sinatra),[162]Terry Wogan: Now You're Talking[163] (about the late BBC Radio 2 breakfast show host),The Wonderful World of Chocolate (with its spin-off series about cakes retitled asAmazing Cakes and Bakes on the EPG)[164][165][166][167] andInside...[168][169] (a documentary series which started off looking at places like Kensington Palace, Strangeways and St Paul's Cathedral, before becoming more focused on stores[170] like Harrods,[171] Aldi,[172] Selfridges and John Lewis with a few episodes devoted to hotels like The Savoy).[173] VIS have also provided the channel with a number of historical documentaries such asOur Victorian Christmas[174] (a follow-up toWartime Christmas from December 2020),[175][176]D-Day Remembered: Minute by Minute[177][178] andIn the Footsteps of... a series withGyles Brandreth,[179] which looks at the lives of Jane Austen,[180][181] Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens and the Brontes.
In July 2022, with Channel 5 coming to the end of its time broadcastingNeighbours,[182][183][184][185] VIS put into production two programmes to be broadcast alongsideThe Finale[186][187] as part of aNeighbours theme night on 29 July 2022.[188][189][190] The first programme from VIS forNeighbours Night is a documentary calledNeighbours Made Me a Star: From Ramsay St to Hollywood,[191][192][193] with the second being a pop clips collection calledNeighbours: All the Pop Hits & More, Especially For You[194][195] which features tracks from Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, alongside "Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance and the video for Stefan Dennis' "Don't It Make You Feel Good?".[189]
In 2023, Paramount Global announced that it was closing VIS, its UK-based non-scripted production division, with all programmes on Channel 5 to be commissioned from various independents in the future. Some of the last productions VIS UK made for Channel 5 includedBritpop: The Music That Changed Britain[196][197] (commissioned asThe Story of Britpop),[198] a 4-part music history docu-series which lasted 2 episodes in primetime before being shifted to a late-night slot after the casino, and Nick Knowles' travel programmes in and around the Grand Canyon.[199][200][201][202]
As VIS UK was closing, Viacom Head of Factual & Features executive Oliver Wright[203][204] moved over to the Objective Media Group[205] to set up the production company Coming Up Roses,[206][207] where he would continue to produce Nick Knowles travel documentaries[208] and royal palace programmes[209] alongside new commissions likeMalta: The Jewel of the Med,[210]The 1970s Dinner Party[211] andKensington & Chelsea: The Royal Borough[212] In addition, travel shows featuring Susan Calman[213] and Jane McDonald were picked up by Entertainment One's Daisybeck Studios,[214][215] the company already responsible for Channel 5 programmes likeThe Yorkshire Vet,[216]...On the Farm andThe Highland Vet, with the company also addingIsle of Wight: Jewel of the South to its production slate for Channel 5.
On 28 January 2024, the channel started showingThe Big Posh Holiday Swap[217] a six-part series[218] about theThirdHome[219] home exchange service, whose members swap their million pound properties with other clients of ThirdHome. The programme was based on footage from the American television seriesMillionaire Holiday Home Swap[220] added to Paramount+ in 2022, with changes added for the British market. After debuting at 10:00pm on 28 January 2024, the second episode was pulled from its 10:30pm timeslot on 4 February 2024[221][222] and replaced with a repeat ofNicola Bulley: The Disappearance That Gripped Britain,[223] an investigative documentary which had been first broadcast on Channel 5 two days earlier, with episode 3 being replaced by the 2008 Jason Statham filmThe Bank Job[224] the week after.
Channel 5 has occasionally commissioned its own drama series. In 2004, it commissioned the hit dramaMurder Prevention which lasted just one series and in 2006, it co-commissionedTripping Over withNetwork Ten in Australia. Channel 5 also screenedPerfect Day, a commissioned British drama, in 2005. The success of this one-off drama led to the commissioning of a prequel and a sequel,Perfect Day: The Millennium andPerfect Day: The Funeral, which were shown in 2006. In 2009, Channel 5 broadcast a new version ofMinder starringShane Richie. Other dramas broadcast includeA Mind to Kill,Beyond Fear,Wing and a Prayer andUrban Gothic.
Channel 5 returned to homegrown drama in 2013, as they announced the commission of police dramaEvidence,[225] which was later re-titledSuspects.Suspects has proven one of the more successful original dramas that the network has ever produced and has received praise from critics as well, including those writing forThe Guardian andThe Daily Telegraph.[226] Keith Watson, writing for theMetro newspaper said it had him hooked and rated it four stars out of a possible five.[227]Jake Wallis Simons said the drama was "unnervingly true to life", calling it sassy and cynical, rating it four stars out of a possible five.[228] The show starsDamien Molony,Fay Ripley andClare-Hope Ashitey, with all three actors receiving critical praise.[229] Most of the show's dialogue is improvised in order to make it seem natural, the actors have a detailed story document[230] and perform from there. The first series began on 12 February 2014, airing Wednesdays at 10:00pm. After strong critical praise and a relatively strong number of total viewers, Channel 5 renewed the show for two more series,[231] which premiered on 20 August 2014 and 13 January 2015 respectively.[232]
In 2021, Channel 5's version ofAll Creatures Great And Small was bringing in more than 4 million viewers to its Thursday night slot,[233][234][235] a programme joining Sally Lindsay's comedy-dramaThe Madame Blanc Mysteries[236] and P.D. James'Dalgliesh[237][238] in its 'Original Dramas'[239] line-up for 2021.
British dramas shown on Channel 5, include:
On 29 April 2013, Channel 5 announced that they had acquired the rights to airWentworth.[240] The show is a re-imagining of the classic cult dramaPrisoner: Cell Block H, a soap that they had shown repeats of at the turn of the century.[241] The first season premiered under the titleWentworth Prison on 28 August 2013, airing Wednesday nights at 10:00pm. After strong ratings, Channel 5 purchased the second season[242] and set a premiere date for 3 September 2014, where the show aired again on Wednesday nights at 10:00pm.[243] However, as sister channel 5Star[244][245] moved away from targeting the same youth audience as E4, to a channel featuring emergency services programming likeCriminals: Caught on Camera[246] andPolice Interceptors[247] it was decided that the drama was a better fit for that channel with later seasons only broadcast there (the last episode ofWentworth: The Final Sentence would be broadcast on 5Star at 10:00pm on 26 October 2021).[248]
On 4 January 2014, Channel 5 premiered Australian comedy crime drama seriesMr & Mrs Murder, airing the show Saturday nights at around 6:00pm. The show was pulled from the schedule after three episodes due to poor ratings.Secrets & Lies began on 23 September 2014, the latest Australian drama to air on Channel 5.[249] Upon their acquisition of the show, Katie Keenan (Head of Acquisitions) said, "Channel 5 viewers love compelling, character-led drama packed with twists and turns. Secrets & Lies ticks all these boxes. We're thrilled to add it to our 2014 drama line-up."[250]
In 2021,Fremantle Australia produced the Australian-set dramaLie With Me[251][252][253] for broadcast onViacomCBS' Channel 5 and its Australian channelNetwork 10. The four-part thriller, branded as a 'Channel 5 Original Drama' in the UK, starredEastEnders'Charlie Brooks alongside formerNeighbours actorsCaroline Gillmer,Nadine Garner andBrett Tucker.
In February 2013, Channel 5 began broadcastingJack Taylor, a television crime drama that first aired in Ireland.[254] In March 2013, Channel 5 announced another acquisition of Irish drama,Love/Hate. In April 2013, it was confirmed that Channel 5 had acquired the rights to the first two seasons of the drama, with plans to air them as one block of episodes later in the year.[255] A premiere date was later set for 24 July 2013 at 10:00pm.[256]
Channel 5 has screened a variety of entertainment programs. The channel screened game showFort Boyard from October 1998 to December 2001.[257] Channel 5 bought the rights toMiss World in 1998 and aired thebeauty pageant for three years (1998–2000). In April 1999, the channel bought the rights to classic game showIt's a Knockout[258] and aired two series of the revived show from 3 September 1999 to 6 January 2001. On 20 April 2001, it was announced that a third series would not be produced and that it would be replaced by two new challenge game shows,The Desert Forges andUnder Pressure.[259]
Between 12 January to 9 December 2001, Channel 5 broadcast two seasons of the popular game showThe Mole which quickly gained a cult following. In 2003, Channel 5 acquired cult showRobot Wars, previously shown onBBC Two, though the show ended soon after this.
The evening magazine showLive from Studio Five was launched in September 2009 with a strong emphasis on entertainment news.[260] The show was axed in February 2011 and replaced withOK! TV co-hosted byKate Walsh who also presented the former show.[261] As part of the relaunch of February 2011, Channel 5 commissioned a range of new entertainment programming includingImpossible with mind-reader Philip Escoffey hosting a gameshow with a jackpot of £40,000.[67]
Blind Date returned in 2017 on Channel 5. The new series began airing on 17 June 2017 in its usual Saturday night slot and is produced bySo Television andStellify Media, a firm part-owned bySony Pictures Television.[262]Paul O'Grady presents the revived series.[263]Melanie Sykes became the new voice of the show, taking over the role most famously held byGraham Skidmore in the original series.[264]
After success with her cruising and travelogue shows such asHolidaying with Jane McDonald[265][266] andCruising Down Under,[267] Jane McDonald was given her own entertainment showJane & Friends which was produced in-house by Channel 5's parent company ViacomCBS in Manchester.[268] The programme would go on to win the RTS North West Award for Best Light Entertainment show and would feature McDonald singing a range of songs with her band and with special guests such as Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley.[269]
In the last five years, Channel 5 have picked up a couple of game show formats from the BBC, with National Lottery showWin Your Wish List, in which families answer questions to win prizes from their wish list, reformatted as a star vehicle forGino D'Acampo[270] andEggheads continuing on the channel with Jeremy Vine (with new episodes debuting on Channel 5 at 6:30pm, whilst BBC Two show old episodes at lunchtime).[271][272][273][274] In addition to the new series of the standard quiz, Channel 5 also commissioned a new series of the spin-offCelebrity Eggheads, with Vine questioning Channel 5 presentersAnne Diamond,Jon Bentley, Kemi Majeks and Gyles Brandreth in the first episode (with the celebrities coming from Vine's morning show,The Gadget Show,Milkshake! and the channel's various literary walks).[275][276]
In the early days of the channel, one of the first quiz shows to appear wasWhittle[277] broadcast from the second day of transmission until December 1997. The show was presented by Jeremy Vine's brotherTim,[278] a comedian who also has the distinction of being the first man to appear on Channel 5 when he co-hosted the launch programme on 30 March 1997, alongside Julia Bradbury and musical guests The Spice Girls.
In 1998, the channel began to show more risqué late-night programmes such as Compromising Situations, Hotline and the controversially explicitSex and Shopping. In 1999, there was a large increase in adult entertainment shown on the channel, includingUK Raw andRed Shoe Diaries, giving the channel a reputation for being home to hours of pornography.[279] Adult entertainment, live football, and the 21:00 films were the main source of viewing for the channel at the time.[280] As the broadcaster entered the 2000s, changes were made to address this problem. The level of adult entertainment was scaled back, and reality shows such asNaked Jungle andThe Mole proved popular.
On 31 August 2021, a new three-part documentary series about celebrity and newspaper tabloid culture calledSex & Power started with an episode featuring interviews with Kerry Katona, Ulrika Johnson and Danniella Westbrook, calledCelebrity Wars. It was listed in the schedules at 9pm with repeats of fly-on-the-wall documentaryAdults Only[281][282] and episodes ofRed Shoe Diaries following it. On 1 September 2021 all the scheduled shows were replaced by documentaries about emergency services, though the three episodes ofSex & Power were put on streaming service My5 (with the episodes available until June 2026)[283][284] andAdults Only could be seen on 5Star.
Early evening lifestyle and makeover programmes formed a major part of Channel 5's early schedules and they saw a revival in 2011. Former series include property shows, such asHouse Doctor, presented byAnn Maurice,Build a New Life in the Country andHow Not to Decorate, presented byColin McAllister and Justin Ryan. Makeover and property shows have declined in Channel 5's schedules but former series such asHouse Doctor andHousebusters are often repeated in the daytime and early morning schedules. In 2011, the channel launched new makeover programmesGarden ER andSuperior Homes withKelly Hoppen. In September 2011, a new cookery show with a focus on healthy eating was launched,Real Food Family Cook Off sponsored byTesco.
In 2012, Channel 5 introduced property showHalf Built House, which was fronted by property guru Sian Astley, and focused on Astley rescuing homes that have had DIY disasters.[285]Best House In The Street, another property show, also went to air in 2012, and saw Charlie Luxton transform a family's home in each episode.[286]
In 2013,Great Northern Cookbook aired, a cookery series following Sean Wilson (best known for his role inCoronation Street, a Michelin-star chef) as he travels around the North of England, cooking up recipes past and present, exploring the heritage of the towns, completing a series of competitive challenges, and hoping to please the locals.[287]
In June 2012, chefMarco Pierre White launched his own cookery competition show, comprising seven 60-minute episodes, to find a couple who creates Britain's Best Dining Experience.
The premise of the show from Channel 5 is:Marco Pierre White uses his exceptional culinary eye to find the UK's best restaurant partnerships balancing fabulous food with seamless service. They're fighting for a place in a specially designed studio restaurant, where the top three couples will each be given both their own kitchen and set of diners to impress. It's not just about being a good chef; it's also about having the skills to run the best restaurant. Who will make the cut?
Channel 5's first regular music chart countdown wasThe Pepsi Chart Show which was broadcast on Saturdays from 4 February 1998 to 25 June 2002,[288][289][290][291] and was the channel's first advertiser-supplied programming deal.[292][293] Over the next couple of decades, music programming was rare apart from within a few one off slots, including licensingTop of The Pops: Christmas 1985[294] from the BBC for a day of retro programming and nostalgia.
In 2021, Channel 5 started scheduling music chart countdowns and documentaries on Friday nights, with series such asGreatest Hits of the 80s,[295][296][297]The Story of Songs[298] andBritain's Biggest 90s Hits[299][300][301] made by Viacom International Studios UK (VIS), the British production arm of parent companyViacomCBS, in MediaCity, Salford.
MTV Studios in London produced a three-hour video countdown for the channel, known asThe 80s & 90s Mega Mix on My5,[302] with the 1980s lists hosted by formerNight Fever presenterSuggs and the 1990s rundowns hosted by Vernon Kay. These programmes were originally broadcast on a Saturday afternoon before being moved to the Friday night music slot.
In October 2021, VIS followed up their 1980s and 1990s chart rundowns, produced using information from theOfficial Charts Company,[303] with weekly 1970s countdowns, with the episode devoted to 1970 starting on Channel 5 at 10pm on 22 October 2021.[304] These countdowns, featuring vintage videos and performances from foreign music shows (likeTopPop andSoul Train) interspersed with taking head comments (from people like Toyah Willcox, David Grant andBarry Blue), were usually followed by a sister 'tracks and facts' clip show, also made by VIS, with titles likeThe 70s Greatest Pop Groups.[305]
The final countdown in the series,1979: Britain Biggest 70s Hits, was broadcast afterAll Creatures Great and Small on Christmas Eve,[306] with the clip shows70s Greatest Electropop and70s Greatest Novelty Records scheduled after the countdown. On Christmas Day 2021, Channel 5 devoted all of its hours from 9:15 in the morning until 12:30am (when VIS'sThe Wonderful World of Chocolate came on) to music and musicals. The channel featured the musicalChitty Chitty Bang Bang, and programmes about ABBA and Kylie Minogue, alongside countdowns under theBritain's Favourite name, devoted to Christmas songs, 1980s hits and party songs[307] (with the latter two programmes in the series repeated on New Year's Eve in the run-up to 2022).[308]
In January 2022, Viacom/Channel 5'sGreatest Hits of the 80s was reformatted without the chart countdown as80s Greatest Pop Videos, keeping the regular talking head comments (from 'experts' such as Paul Gambaccini, Nina Myskow, Katie Puckrik, as well as pop stars from the period such as Carol Decker, Nick Heyward, Andy Summers, Midge Ure and Clare Grogan) and adding tracks that were not already covered by the Official Charts Company's Top 30 of the year.[309][310] Again ten episodes were commissioned for the 1980s, with Mark Powell and Malcolm Donkin overseeing the production, as per the previous Friday night music shows.
In addition to programmes featuring pop stars such as Adele,[311] Ed Sheeran[312] and ABBA,[313][314] the channel have ordered a number of programmes featuring country music stars such as Dolly Parton,[315] with various documentaries and 'tracks and facts' video playlist shows[316] (such as theirKings of Country compilation)[317][318] broadcast by the channel. The channel will also mark the last ever episode of long-running Australian soapNeighbours, with a playlist show calledNeighbours Greatest Hits featuring hits from Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia, Rogue Traders, Kylie Minogue and Holly Valance, alongside Stefan Dennis' video for his single "Don't It Make You Feel Good?"[319]
On 28 August 2022, theMTV Video Music Awards was held at the Prudential Center in New Jersey and due to the link between the channel and Paramount Global'sMTV in America, the ceremony was again scheduled for a free-to-air late night slot on Channel 5 the day after,[320] similar to previous MTV VMA andEMA shows.[321][322]
Channel 5's news service relaunched as5 News on 14 February 2011. In September 2021, Ofcom approved the removal of Channel 5's 6.30pm news slot by in order for the channel to scheduleNeighbours at 6pm andEggheads at 6.30pm (with a new hour long5 News programme going out at 5pm).[323][324][325] The first hour long-version of5 News at 5 was broadcast by Channel 5 on 8 November 2021, with programme presented bySian Williams andClaudia-Liza Vanderpuije.5 News at 5 has a live reporting team across the UK and is produced by ITN,[326] who were also given an extra hour on Channel 5 every weekday in 2022, with an extension to their morning current affairs phone-in programme calledJeremy Vine Extra.[327]
Quiz Call was broadcast simultaneously on Five, Fiver and Five USA on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights between around 00:00 and 04:00/04:30. The phone-in quiz show invited viewers to play along for a chance to win cash prizes in return for solving on-screen puzzles. Entrants must be aged eighteen or over to participate and each call and SMS text is charged whether an entrant successfully gets through to the show or not.Quiz Call ended its programming on Five when the channel signed with NetPlayTV to air itsLive Roulette programming from midnight to 04:00 - 7 nights a week. This marked the first time a channel had aired a roulette related show in British television history. Currently namedSuperCasino, it was one of the two remaining roulette shows on television, along withJackpot247 which is also produced by NetPlayTV and broadcast onITV. SuperCasino ended on the channel during the early hours of 1 January 2019. A new roulette show called 21.co.uk has been broadcasting on the channel from 21 May 2019.
Channel 5 has a history of broadcasting reality TV shows. Shows broadcast include a UK version ofThe Mole, to which the channel acquired the format rights, and which was well received: the websiteUKGameshows.com announced thatThe Mole beatThe Crystal Maze to win its first reader poll to find the best UK gameshow of all time. There was also a series ofTouch the Truck andJailbreak, however these were less successful.
In 2004, the channel hosted the "ultimate" reality show,Back to Reality featuring contestants from a variety of reality shows under one roof. Despite high hopes, the series failed to gain a large audience. Another programme broadcast wasMake Me a Supermodel, a reality show in which contestants try to win a contract with the Select Modelling Agency. The format lasted two series, and the second series was also featured on5*.
The winner ofBig Brother 11 and Channel 5'sOK! TV reporterJosie Gibson was given her own 3-part reality show,There's Something About Josie which aired in May 2011.[328]
In Solitary: The Anti-Social Experiment aired on Channel 5 on 28 August 2017, and was produced by Stellify Media. The programme involved three members of the public being locked up insolitary confinement for five days and was presented byGeorge Lamb (who also participated in the experiment). A celebrity edition of the format calledCelebs In Solitary in whichAnthea Turner,Professor Green,Eddie Hall, andShazia Mirza attempt to spend five days in solitary confinement was also made (also presented by Lamb).[329] Even though Stellify Media promoted the format as an entertainment show, this gruelling, psychological 'anti-social' experiment was usually listed as a Factual or Lifestyle programme by others.[330][331]
A more recent format to air on the channel isCast Away, in which a well known celebrity is stranded on the uninhabited island of Ankerea, off the coast of Madagascar, for ten days without a film crew and must document the experience themselves.[332] The first series, consisting of two episodes, was aired in April 2023 and starred comedianRuby Wax. Her friendJoanna Lumley, who starred inGirl Friday, a similar survival programme aired on the BBC in 1994, made a guest appearance in the first episode.[333] A three-part second series was announced in September 2024 withPhillip Schofield revealed as the celebrity taking part.[334]
The survival show10,000 BC debuted in February 2015. The show is a joint production of Channel 5 andMTV.[335]
The social experiment series follows 20 contestants from across Great Britain, ranging in age from 20 to 65, as they go back to the conditions of theStone Age and try to survive two months in the wilderness.[336]
On 14 June 2011, Channel 5 made the announcement that they will now air the British version ofThe Bachelor, a spin-off of the popular American reality series,The Bachelor. The British version had previously been broadcast on BBC Three.
In the first series to air on Channel 5 (Series 4), the role of the bachelor was by rugby star and formerStrictly Come Dancing contestantGavin Henson. In the second series to air on Channel 5 (Series 5), the role of the bachelor was bySpencer Matthews, star of theE4 reality TV seriesMade in Chelsea.
In addition to the UK show, Channel 5 importedThe Bachelorette Australia, with singer andLove Island hostSophie Monk in the main role,[337][338] from Australian sister channel Network 10 for broadcast on 'youth network' 5Star.
On 6 April 2011, it was confirmed that Channel 5 had signed a £200 million contract with media companyEndemol to screen formerChannel 4 reality showBig Brother for 2 years.[339] The series returned at 9pm on 18 August 2011 withCelebrity Big Brother 8. Series 1 ofCelebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 kicked off with the entry of housemates including reality show regularsKerry Katona,Amy Childs andJedward. It was followed in September by the twelfth series of the show.
Brian Dowling signed up to be main presenter of the show following the move to Channel 5, whilstEmma Willis became the host of the new spin-off discussion show,Big Brother's Bit on the Side.From Big Brother 2013 Emma Willis is the main presenter.
On 14 September 2018, it was confirmed that bothBig Brother andCelebrity Big Brother had been axed by Channel 5. The final series ofCelebrity Big Brother was won byRyan Thomas on 10 September 2018 with the final series ofBig Brother launching four days later on 14 September 2018, ending after 53 days on 5 November 2018.
In total Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother aired twenty-three series on Channel 5 between 2011 and 2018, with 8 regular and 15 celebrity series respectively.
On 17 June 2013, Channel 5[340] announced that they had commissioned a new reality television show that would follow six celebrities working in a spa based in Liverpool. The celebrities, such as actor Helen Flanagan and chef Rustie Lee, would be taught to pamper, preen and pluck by Herbert Howe, a man with fifty years experience in the hair and beauty industry.Celebrity Super Spa was broadcast later in the year with the six-episode show starting on 13 September 2013 (though the show would be dumped from the schedules before the last episode had been aired).[341]
The Farm[342] was Channel 5's version of the international TV formatThe Farm. It had a series of celebrities appearing on it during its two series run in 2004-2005 and did attract some controversy as one episode sawRebecca Loos masturbating a pig in order to collect semen.[343] Channel 5 cancelledThe Farm following series two in 2005, though an updated version of the idea calledCelebs on the Farm (made originally for5Star) was briefly shown on Channel 5 in 2019, before ViacomCBS decided that this reality TV show format was a better fit for the demographic of viewers watchingMTV and so moved it from a slot on their free-to-air services.[344]
When Channel 5 launched in 1997, the staple of its earlier programming was the channel's newly commissioned soap,Family Affairs. The soap continued throughout the Channel's life until it was dropped on 30 December 2005 due to poor ratings.[345]
Channel 5 has screened a number of acquired soap operas. Every episode of the cult Australian soapPrisoner Cell Block H was aired between April 1997 and 11 February 2001 and they also showed another classic Australian soapSons and Daughters, (which likePrisoner Cell Block H had also been previously shown onITV in the 1980s and early 1990s) running the entire series between March 1998 and 6 November 2005.
In addition, the channel showed two popular American soap operasSunset Beach andThe Bold and the Beautiful every weekday morning. After the end ofSunset Beach in 1999, the remaining episodes were screened until early 2000. The channel replaced it with another soap opera popular in AmericaDays of Our Lives, though after poor ratings it removed both soaps from weekday morning schedules in 2002.
Channel 5 also acquired the rerun rights to the BBC andNetwork Ten serial dramaOut of the Blue, which were screened from 2009 on Channel 5's digital sister channel,5*.
On 18 May 2007, Channel 5 acquired the rights to Australian soap operaNeighbours, previously screened onBBC One.[346] This was the second time UK networks had fought over an Australian soap, with Channel 5 having previously competed over broadcast rights toHome and Away.[347]Neighbours became one of Channel 5's most popular programmes, and was more popular in the United Kingdom than in its home country of Australia, where new episodes debuted on ViacomCBS' digital channel10 Peach. However, in February 2022, Channel 5 confirmed thatNeighbours would not be part of their schedule from August 2022, though ViacomCBS' Australian company Network Ten are still free to find new backers to keep the show in production if they wanted to. The final episode aired on 29 July 2022.[348][349][350][351]
Channel 5 has had the rights to regularly screenHome and Away in the UK since the early 2000s and was broadcasting it in a double bill along with its fellow Australian soap,Neighbours at lunchtimes and in the early evenings for about 20 years. However, on 8 November 2021Home and Away lost its early evening slot toNeighbours as the channel launched the hour-long5 News a 5[326] which shiftedNeighbours back half an hour to 6pm. As another former BBC programme, the quiz showEggheads, was continuing in its new Channel 5 slot of 6.30pm,Home and Away could only continue on Channel 5 at lunchtimes. The last early evening outing forHome and Away on the channel was episode 7659 on Friday 5 November 2021, with the show debuting new episodes on 5Star at a similar time the week after (until it went on its Christmas break) and with the afternoon repeat still playing back-to-back withNeighbours at 1.15pm on Channel 5 in February 2022.[352]
Golf coverage consisted of weekly highlights from thePGA Tour, excluding majors, though by October 2021 this coverage had been dropped
Channel 5 broadcasts live coverage of theGreat South Run and a few other marathons a 10-mile road race held inPortsmouth in October.
Channel 5 screenedWorld's Strongest Man between 2006 and 2009, and took on the rights again from 2011 to present. On 1 November 2021, Channel 5 will start to strip theUK's Strongest Man 2021 across its television schedules at 7pm each night.
In 2009, Channel 5 signed a deal to broadcast highlights of theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on terrestrial television in the UK.[353] In 2015, Channel 5 picked up highlights of everyBAMMA event. As parent company Viacom also owned the rights to theBellator MMA[354] brand, their matches were shown free-to-view on Channel 5 and a number of the network's sub-channels until a deal withWWE saw more wrestling being broadcast by the network's channels[355][356] (by 2021 the UK rights toBellator MMA had been picked up by the BBC for its iPlayer).[357]
Channel 5 broadcasts occasional boxing matches following a deal withHennessy Sports. Coverage is presented byMark Pougatch andPaul Dempsey with punditry from former boxers such asAlex Arthur. Commentary comes fromDave Farrar andRichie Woodhall and have shown fights featuring Josh Taylor, George Groves, Carl Frampton and Tyson Fury. Depending on international rights,Showtime Sports fights may be carried in the UK on Channel 5.
In 2006, Channel 5 began highlights coverage of all ofEngland'sTest andlimited overscricket home matches. This followed a period of success forEngland and when the exclusive live rights to home matches were awarded toSky Sports, Channel 5 was a surprise choice to pick up the highlights in the light ofChannel 4's respected coverage and the BBC's previous interest.[359] Prior to Channel 4, the BBC had long held the rights and Channel 5 were newcomers to cricket, but the coverage has taken up where Channel 4 left off in its coverage (with the help of production companySunset + Vine). The show also secured former Channel 4 commentators such asSimon Hughes,Geoffrey Boycott and the anchor of Channel 4's coverageMark Nicholas to offer expert analysis on the day's play.[360]Cricket on 5 (which shows daily highlights of England's matches) is broadcast at 19:00 (or midnight forday/night cricket), with highlights extended to an hour from the previous 45 minutes for the 2011 season. The theme tune as of May 2011 is entitled "The Time is Now", performed byRuss Ballard.[361] Channel 5 coverage continued with the only major change being the replacement of Simon Hughes in 2018 with Alison Mitchell.
Cricket on 5 ended in September 2019 with the conclusion of the 2019 Ashes, BBC Sport won the rights to be the Free to Air partner for ECB Cricket from 2020 to 2024 covering all England Men & Women's Tests, ODI & T20 highlights as well as selected live T20 England International matches and the new Hundred competition. Channel 5 signed off with a thanks from the team and from Joe Root after 13 years, the end of the highlights could mean the end of Sunset & Vine cricket coverage after 20 years with Channel 4 & Channel 5 and could also mean the end of Mark Nicholas career in England after 20 years.
Until 2012 Channel 5 showed a mix of European and international club football, notably weekly matches or highlights from the DutchEredivisie, Portugal'sSuperLiga,Primera División Argentina andCopa Libertadores from South America. They acquired exclusive live rights to the ItalianSerie A 2007/08 season, but lost them for the following season. For many years Channel 5 showed live matches from theUEFA Europa League and when the package was centralised Channel 5 became the principal rights holder, sharing coverage of the group stages withITV Sport andESPN.[362] Channel 5 also held UK rights for the Europa League Final.[363] The channel showed the2008FIFA Club World Championship. In 2007, the channel resumed coverage ofMajor League Soccer (MLS) with a match betweenToronto FC andLos Angeles Galaxy on 4 August 2007; the match was expected to beDavid Beckham's competitive debut as a Galaxy player. In the past, the channel has shown other MLS matches on tape delay or as highlights, generally in the same manner as its coverage of European domestic leagues (excluding Serie A). MLS coverage used to includeDavid Beckham's Soccer USA, a show presented byTim Lovejoy on Wednesdays at 19:15 during the season to show highlights of the week's matches, funny moments and also interviews with Beckham on his latest match. Other guests made appearances from time-to-time. Channel 5 stopped showing live football after the 2012 Europa League Final with ITV taking over as main broadcaster of the Europa League.
From 2012 to 2015 Channel 5 showed no football but this changed when they got the rights to the Football League, they show highlights from 9.00pm-10.30pm on Saturday nights from the EFL Championship, League One & League Two as well as highlights from the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy for 3 years from 2015 to 2018. The programme was presented by George Riley and Kelly Cates in the first season, Lindsay Hipgrave replaced Cates in the second season and Colin Murray returned to Channel 5 for the 2017–18 season as sole presenter with Caroline Barker also featuring in the studio and as a stand in presenter. On 2 May 2016, Channel 5 showed a football legends match between England and Germany live.[364] Channel 5 lost the highlights to the EFL in 2018 by going to Quest. Quest continue to show EFL highlights at 9pm on a Saturday night with a repeat on Sunday morning, Colin Murray moved to Quest to continue showing the highlights.
The channel has also covered motor sports, most notablyMotoGP from 2000 to 2002 showing every race live before rights were snapped up byBBC Sport, these rights returned in 2017 albeit as highlights with this being broadcast from 7pm-8pm the Monday after a race weekend. Channel 5 held rights to show weekly highlights from theNASCAR Sprint Cup Series and theIndyCar Series, although this was beset by cancellations, inaccurate scheduling and technical difficulties. The channel held right to broadcast highlights from theA1 Grand Prix series.[365] As of 2010, most of their motor sport coverage, including NASCAR, IndyCars, V8 Supercars, Rolex Grand-Am Series and NHRA drag racing has been discontinued. In 2017, Channel 5 announced they had signed a 2-year deal with MotoGP and BT Sport for the free to air rights. They also cover World Rally on Monday at 7pm following a race weekend also broadcasting part of the Wales Rally GB Live.
On 4 September 2016, it was announced that Channel 5 had acquired the UK broadcasting rights toFormula E from the2016–17 season onwards following Formula E's termination of its contract withITV.[366] From round three live studio coverage was added with the formerITV team of Andy Jayed and ex-former F1 / Formula E driverJaime Alguersuari, while commentary comes from the world feed from BBC F1's Jack Nicholls andDario Franchitti, withNicki Shields as the pit lane reporter. For rounds one and twoMartin Haven stood in for Nicholls.
Channel 5 lost the rights to the coverage for the2018–19 season to BBC, Quest, and BT Sport, and MotoGP highlights from the2019 season to Quest. However, starting in the2020-21 season, they again assist Paramount Global, which holds United States rights to Formula E.
On 4 May 2017 it was announced that Channel 5 would broadcast up to 5 livePremiership Rugby games for the first time on terrestrial TV for the next four seasons alongside main broadcasterBT Sport. The new deal also sees them broadcast a weekly highlights show of both the premiership and thePremiership Rugby Cup previously shown by ITV.[367] After the demise of the BBC'sRugby Special programme, Channel 5 previously briefly showed free-to-air highlights of English Premiership Rugby during 2000, though these later transferred toChannel 4 for a short time and then subsequently toITV. Aviva Premiership coverage is presented by former ITV duoDavid Flatman &Mark Durden-Smith with Flatman also providing commentary alongsideConor McNamara or Mark Robson andPaul Grayson. British Hockey Olympic gold medalistSam Quek acts as pitch side reporter and completes Channel 5's team. The coverage moved back to ITV from 2022 onwards.
Previously, Channel 5 picked up the rights in 1997 to England v Argentina (shown on the same night as the England football team's World Cup qualifier against Poland). They also broadcast a live match betweenScotland and invitation sideBarbarians in 2000.
For a brief time, Channel 5 showedprofessional wrestling in the form of theWCW Worldwide show between Summer 1999 and March 2001 on Friday nights at 7pm, when the company was purchased byWorld Wrestling Entertainment, and ceased to produce any more shows. Channel 5 returned to covering wrestling in 2018 when Spike bought the rights to cover impact wrestling and this is shown on Friday night at 11pm. From 2 February, Channel 5 will airWWE Raw andWWE Smackdown 1-hour highlights, Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am.[368]
Until 2010 late-night sports programming had been a feature of the channel since its original launch, especially focusing on live or short-delay coverage of major North American sports. Most notably, the channel coveredMajor League Baseball games, both regular season and playoffs since its 1st night on air. After the conclusion ofFamily Affairs,Five's MLB baseball coverage was the longest and continuously run programme on the channel.Jonathan Gould was the host, with former Great Britain national team playerJosh Chetwynd as the in-studio analyst. Due to theGreat Recession, the channel did not renew its contract to show Major League Baseball in 2009. This left no Baseball available on free to air television in the UK, though Gould, Chetwynd and their producer Erik Janssen continued to broadcast baseball coverage on the digital radio stationBBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
Until 2004, Channel 5 also covered the regular season andStanley Cup playoffs of theNational Hockey League; followingthe lost 2004–05 season, the primary broadcast rights passed toNASN. However, since 2006–07, 5 has relaunched its coverage with a weekly NHL game on short-delay along with highlights of other action from around the league. After the end of the2009 Stanley Cup Finals, which had been reduced to edited highlights and shunted to a timeslot after 4am, and the NHL did not return to the channel.
Channel 5 also acquiredAmerican football andbasketball coverage in the wake ofChannel 4 dropping them. Channel 5 was the home of terrestrialNFL coverage between 1999 and 2004 and in 2007, the channel renewed its NFL coverage with a 2-year deal to screenMonday Night Football andNBC Sunday Night Football live (the latter coverage began once the MLB Playoffs andWorld Series ended).Nat Coombs hosted andMike Carlson, a former college-football player, was the studio analyst, with game commentary taken from the American broadcasters. In 2009, Channel 5 dropped the Monday night game and only broadcast the Sunday night game for the 2009–10 season, with a Saturday morning magazine programme calledNFL UK showing highlights and previews of the coming weekend's games. Channel 5 decided not to renew its contract with the NFL for the 2010–11 season, and the sport returned to its original home on UK television,Channel 4 which had shown the sport since the channel's launch in 1982 until 1997. Coombs followed Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd to cover the sport on 5 Live Sports Extra, while Carlson hooked up as analyst on Channel 4 withGary Imlach, and on BBC One alongsideJake Humphrey for their coverage of theNFL International Series held at Wembley, the playoffs andSuper Bowl.
The channel also showed Basketball, with the hostsMark Webster and Andre Alleyne, who took over as analyst from British former NBA starJohn Amaechi. It generally followed the model of the channel's NHL coverage, a single midweek game either live or on short-delay, plus a review of the previous week's action. Sport coverage has included forays into theNCAA scene, notably theRose Bowl and the NCAA basketball tournament. On 18 February 2008, Five showed full live coverage of theNBA All-Star Game. Along with all the other sports dropped by the channel, the NBA coverage followed suit - the last game screened was theLos Angeles Lakers' Game 5 win over theOrlando Magic to take the 2009 NBA title.
Current ownership includes in the United States theNFL on CBS brand, an NFL broadcast partner in the United States from 1956 to 1993 and again since 1998, Channel 5 reacquired the rights toMonday Night Football beginning in2020. Coverage is hosted fromLos Angeles by Kirsten Watson, sideline reporter for theLos Angeles Dodgers, andMaurice Jones-Drew, a former running back for theJacksonville Jaguars. As part of the deal, Channel 5 also runs a Sunday morning pregame show titledNFL End Zone withCori Yarckin.[369][370]
From 2002, the broadcaster pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, and screened several of the highest-rating American dramas, including all 4CSI series, all 3NCIS series, the 1st 3Law & Order series,The Mentalist,Grey's Anatomy (also shown at that time onSky Living),House (later moved toSky 1)[371] andPrison Break (later moved to Sky 1). By 2021, Channel 5 has decided to concentrate on its own dramas likeAll Creatures Great and Small andThe Madame Blanc Mysteries[372][373] in peak time, with American drama shows, including those from theLaw & Order franchise, being moved to5USA. American productions currently shown on Channel 5 include a number of long-form mystery dramas which have shown in the afternoon TV movie slot,Friends andNFL: Monday Night Football.[374][375]
Channel Five's Pepsi Chart
Channel 5 runs The Pepsi Chart in a half-hour program Thursday at 7 p.m.
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