From: rkl@csc.liv.ac.uk (Richard Lloyd)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Sky One ? What's up with it ? It's...it's...looking good (shock) !
Date: 2 Oct 92 15:40:32 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Liverpool University

Has anyone noticed how Sky One's schedule next week (beginning 5th October)
looks rather good compared to the mostly dire stuff that's been served up
prior to then ?

It includes, for those who don't know:

* ST:TNG Seasons 1 to 3 five nights a week, once at 5pm (WARNING: THIS IS AN
  EDITED VERSION) and the same episode repeated at 10.30pm (this is unedited).

* New episodes of The Simpsons at 6pm Monday to Friday (directly following
  ST:TNG of course).

* First UK showing of some interesting new US series, including "Gabriel's
  Fire", "Anything For Love" and "W.I.O.U." [and "Melrose Place" at the end of
  October]

* A re-run of "Alien Nation" sci-fi series from the start.

So what's the reason for this sudden improvement in the scheduling ? I think
it's Sky One beefing its programming up prior to the introduction of a new
competitor. Now read on (extracted from ITV's teletext pages):

"UK Gold, the satellite channel devoted to repeats of British TV drama,
comedy soaps and kids' shows, will start broadcasting on November 1st. It will
be free at first to people with an Astra dish or cable, but is likely to start
charging subscribers for a scrambled service from early 1994. Thames [an ITV
franchise loser] and the BBC archives have been raided to provide a very
British service which looks sure to win viewers from Sky One, which uses mainly
US and Australian imports.

Funding for UK Gold - 35 million pounds - will be underwritten by US media
company Cox Enterprises, Inc. in return for a majority stake in the equity of
the new company. Thames TV will own 15% of UK Gold and BBC Enterprises 20%. The
rich pickings from the BBC and Thames programme vaults is exciting much inter-
est. For starters, the new channel will repeat 'The Bill' and 'Eastenders' from
when they started, Mondays to Fridays across the schedule in regular peak time
slots.

Other British 'classics' to be 'stripped' [huh ?] across the schedule each
night of the night include Terry & June [awful sit-com], Don't Wait Up [bad
sit-com], Doctor Who [yes !!! Unless it's Sylvester McCoy] and Benny Hill
[sexist tripe]. At weekend and on individual weekdays...Shoestring [EXCELLENT],
Casualty [boring], Miss Marple [boring], Till Death Do Us Part [racist crap],
The Good Life [a classic, but repeated plenty of times already], The Duchess
Of Duke Street [OK drama], Hannay [boring], The Brothers [never seen this],
A Very Peculiar Practice [weird, but not bad], Rumpole Of The Bailey [sometimes
OK]. There's also Carrot Confidential Yvery good, but quite recent], The Young
Ones [BRILLIANT !], Three Of A Kind [excellent - Tracey Ullman's big UK break]
and Ripping Yarns [very good, but been repeated recently].

Film slots seven evenings a week will ensure that Hollywood culture gets a
prominent showcasing on UK Gold. A number of American programmes creep in, too,
particularly in the daytime schedule, with Degrassi High and Knots Landing
being on five times a week. Overall, though, the schedule looks very strong
and very British in appeal. Initially, it will be financed by advertising.
There will be no ad breaks in the middle of programmes, only the end."

Richard K. Lloyd, 
Computer Science Dept.,   JANET     : rkl@uk.ac.liverpool.compsci
Liverpool University,     Internet  : rkl@csc.liv.ac.uk
Merseyside, England,    Q: "What's the world's fastest home micro ?"
Great Britain.          A: "The Archimedes A3000. 4 MIPS for under 800 pounds."
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