Difference between revisions of "BBC Prime"

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[[File:BBCPrimeLaunch.JPG|thumb|250px|right|BBC Prime launched, 26 January 1995]]
 
[[File:BBCPrimeLaunch.JPG|thumb|250px|right|BBC Prime launched, 26 January 1995]]
This cable and satellite channel was launched in 1987 as '''[[wikipedia:BBC TV Europe|BBC TV Europe]]''', serving continental Europe, and was rebranded as '''[[wikipedia:BBC World Service Television|BBC World Service Television]]''' from '''11 March 1991'''. (See our dedicated page -- [[BBC World Service Television Europe]].)
+
This cable and satellite channel was launched in 1987 as '''[[wikipedia:BBC TV Europe|BBC TV Europe]]''', serving continental Europe, and was rebranded as '''[[wikipedia:BBC World Service Television|BBC World Service Television]]''' from '''11 March 1991'''. (See our dedicated page -- [[BBC World Service Television Europe]].)  
  
 
The station transmitted via the [http://wn.com/Intelsat_5 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.  
 
The station transmitted via the [http://wn.com/Intelsat_5 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 '''[[wikipedia:BBC Prime|BBC Prime]]''' (for entertainment). '''BBC Prime''' became the BBC's first entertainment channel available via satellite and cable across Europe, Asia, the [[:Category:Middle East|Middle East]] and [[:Category:Africa|Africa]], broadcasting 24 hours a day, and screening a selection of BBC as well as ITV programming.  
+
Most of the programming available in Europe and Asia was subtitled into a number of different languages.
 +
 
 +
From '''26 January 1995''', '''BBC World Service''' was split into '''BBC World''' (for news) and '''[[wikipedia:BBC Prime|BBC Prime]]''' (for entertainment). '''BBC Prime''' became the BBC's first entertainment channel available via satellite and cable across Europe, Asia, the [[:Category:Middle East|Middle East]] and [[:Category:Africa|Africa]], broadcasting 24 hours a day, and screening a selection of BBC as well as ITV programming.  
  
  
 
'''COUNTRIES'''
 
'''COUNTRIES'''
 
+
[[File:BBCPrimeAAA.JPG|thumb|right|300px|First episode on BBC Prime: Spearhead from Space, 17:30pm, 28 January 1995]]
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|BBC World Service]]:
+
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|BBC World Service]]:  
 
*[[Belgium]]
 
*[[Belgium]]
 +
*[[China]]
 +
*[[Czech Republic]]
 
*[[Denmark]]
 
*[[Denmark]]
 
*[[Gibraltar]]
 
*[[Gibraltar]]
 
*[[Hong Kong]]
 
*[[Hong Kong]]
*[[Hungary]]?
+
*[[Hungary]]
 
*[[Iceland]]
 
*[[Iceland]]
 
*Israel (from June 2000)
 
*Israel (from June 2000)
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*[[Norway]]
 
*[[Norway]]
 
*[[Poland]]
 
*[[Poland]]
 +
*Romania
 +
*[[Yugoslavia|Serbia]]
 
*[[Singapore]]
 
*[[Singapore]]
*[[South Africa]]
+
*[[South Africa]] (from 1999)
 +
*[[Sweden]]
 
*[[Switzerland]]?
 
*[[Switzerland]]?
 
*[[Thailand]]
 
*[[Thailand]]
 
*[[Turkey]]
 
*[[Turkey]]
*[[Yugoslavia|Serbia]]
+
and no doubt many, many others...
*[[Sweden]]
+
 
 +
For [[Arabic]] countries in [[:Category:Africa|North Africa]] and the [[:Category:Middle East|Middle East]], the signal was beamed via the Orbit Network, so the signal reach was not country-specific. 
  
and no doubt many, many others...
+
In some regions, such as [[South Africa]] and Asia, the programming was different to what was seen in Europe due to rights issues, so it's possible that '''Doctor Who''' was not ever part of the scheduling in some of the countries listed above.
  
  
 
=='''DOCTOR WHO ON BBC PRIME'''==
 
=='''DOCTOR WHO ON BBC PRIME'''==
[[File:BBCPrimeAAA.JPG|thumb|right|300px|First episode on BBC Prime: Spearhead from Space, 5:30pm, 28 January 1995]]
 
 
[[File:BBCPrime96.JPG|thumb|right|200px|BBC Prime listing in Swedish newspaper; "Dr Who" is on at 10.35am and 18.00pm]]
 
[[File:BBCPrime96.JPG|thumb|right|200px|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 black and white William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton stories aired.)
 
'''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 black and white 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.   
 
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'''
 
'''GENERAL TRANSMISSION NOTES'''
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*The [[Sylvester McCoy stories]] concluded with [[Survival]] in '''August 2002'''.  
 
*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).  
 
*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).  
*The [[New Series#BBC ENTERTAINMENT .28MULTIPLE_COUNTRIES.29|New Series]] began airing from '''1 September 2007'''.  
+
*The [[New Series#BBC ENTERTAINMENT .28MULTIPLE_COUNTRIES.29|New Series]] began airing from '''1 September 2007'''.
 +
 
  
 
BBC Prime was subsequently replaced by '''[[wikipedia:BBC Entertainment|BBC Entertainment]]''' in Asia (from October 2006), in [[South Africa]] (September 2008), and for Europe and the Middle East (from November 2009).  
 
BBC Prime was subsequently replaced by '''[[wikipedia:BBC Entertainment|BBC Entertainment]]''' in Asia (from October 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,
  
 
{{airdates-left|the UK (BBC Prime)}}
 
{{airdates-left|the UK (BBC Prime)}}
*'''NOTE''': The '''Airdates table''' only catalogues the initial Saturday evening screenings, not the repeats shown later in the week; 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,
 
  
  

Revision as of 03:14, 30 June 2020

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.

Most of the programming available in Europe and Asia was subtitled into a number of different languages.

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

First episode on BBC Prime: Spearhead from Space, 17:30pm, 28 January 1995

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:

and no doubt many, many others...

For Arabic countries in North Africa and the Middle East, the signal was beamed via the Orbit Network, so the signal reach was not country-specific.

In some regions, such as South Africa and Asia, the programming was different to what was seen in Europe due to rights issues, so it's possible that Doctor Who was not ever part of the scheduling in some of the countries listed above.


DOCTOR WHO ON BBC PRIME

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 black and white 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


BBC Prime was subsequently replaced by BBC Entertainment in Asia (from October 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,
Airdates in the UK (BBC Prime)
← AIRDATES ...... (CLICK ICON TO GO TO TABLE SHOWING EPISODE BREAKDOWN AND AIRDATES - N/S = story title is Not Stated)