BBC Prime

BBC Prime launched, 26 January 1995

This cable and satellite channel was launched in 1987 as BBC TV Europe, serving continental Europe, and was rebranded as BBC World Service Television from 11 March 1991. (See our dedicated page -- BBC World Service Television Europe.)

The station transmitted via the IntelSat satellite, broadcasting on frequency 601 27.5º west, at 10,995 and 11,155 gigahertz. The station broadcast a mixture of delayed programming originally shown on BBC1 and BBC2.

From 26 January 1995, BBC World Service was split into BBC World (for news) and BBC Prime (for entertainment). BBC Prime became the BBC's first entertainment channel available via satellite and cable across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, broadcasting 24 hours a day, and screening a selection of BBC as well as ITV programming.

COUNTRIES

The new BBC Prime was available in the following countries, some of which also had previously aired Doctor Who on their own domestic stations, or had seen the series when the station was called BBC World Service Television Europe:

• Belgium
• Denmark
• Gibraltar
• Hong Kong
• Iceland
• Israel (from June 2000)
• Italy
• South Korea
• Malta
• Monaco?
• Nepal?
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Switzerland?
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Sweden
• Serbia

and no doubt many, many others...

DOCTOR WHO ON BBC PRIME

First episode on BBC Prime: Spearhead from Space, 5:30pm, 28 January 1995

BBC Prime listing in Swedish newspaper; "Dr Who" is on at 10.35am and 18.00pm

Doctor Who commenced on BBC Prime on Saturday, 28 January 1995, at 5:30pm (only two days after the channel was launched). The first story was Spearhead from Space. (None of the William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton stories aired.)

The screening schedule meant that episodes aired four times per week - initially on the Saturday, at 5:30pm, with a repeat on Sunday at 3:15pm, then again on the Thursday evening at 6:30 or 7:30pm, with the last repeat on Friday morning (usually 1:00am). Sometimes, the early morning Friday episodes were not available in Africa. As screenings progressed, the days on which the repeats occurred changed, sometimes Mondays (at 10:30pm), Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays or twice on the Saturday.

GENERAL TRANSMISSION NOTES

• The Ambassadors of Death part one played in colour and the re-colourised episode five was aired for the very first time anywhere.
• Colony in Space appears to have been skipped.
• The Tom Baker stories screened from June 1997.
• On 3 and 7 May 1999, the "30 Years in the TARDIS" special aired.
• Mid-way through The Creature from the Pit, the 1996 TV Movie aired on 30 December 1999, the actual date on which the movie was set.
• Peter Davison stories played from September 2000.
• In August 2001, the schedule changed so two 'new' episodes aired each week. This occurred when season 21 was airing.
• The Sylvester McCoy stories concluded with Survival in August 2002.
• The McCoy era was followed by The Five Doctors (in four parts). BBC Prime dropped its regular screenings at that point (end of August 2002).

BBC Prime was subsequently replaced by BBC Entertainment in Asia (from Oct 2006), in South Africa (September 2008), and for Europe and the Middle East (from November 2009).

• NOTE: The linked Airdates table only catalogues the initial Saturday evening screenings, not the later in the week repeats; towards the end of the run when two 'new' episodes aired per week the dates become even less clear. The table should therefore be treated is a rough guideline only,

• IDENTS:
• BBC PRIME IDENTS 1
• BBC PRIME IDENTS 2