That is the only positive that I think can come from this. It would be good to have more history programmes that haven't been shown on Yesterday before.

Won't me on mine either, what a load of crap

This channel looks dire. Looks like it will be full of crappy period dramas, it would be fine if they showed modern dramas such as Casualty, The Bill, Skins, Shameless etc and classic soaps Corrie, EastEnders and Hollyoaks.

You can get better British drama on CBS Drama and Sony TV.

If you remember UKTV Drama started putting stuff like last of the summer wine on so it's just the channel reborn again just with the UKTV bit dropped from the bottom.

Clearly they've only given a few titles of programmes they know they will have access to at the start, and it can hardly be a complete list unless it is to be a very part time channel, or the same things are going to be repeated as often as a record on commercial radio. All channels evolve and who knows how it might develop over time. Yesterday is a very different channel now to compared with its fairly recent past.

Makes me wonder if all the drama and sitcoms were put on Yesterday as a tester to see how popular that sort of thing would be if it had its own channel on Freebies

I think Scripps should get rid of Food Network on Freeview, give the slot to UKTV which they own 50% and launch another UKTV channel on Freeview.

+1 channels would be better to get rid of, as many programmes are repeated during week, and nany have PVRs or access to on demand.

But UKTV, bbc, scripps dont have ant +1 channels (over than DJU which is being replaced by this UKTV drama)

I'm surprised by the negative whingeling attitude that is being displayed in this thread. From what's been in the press so far, this channel will be showing quality dramas and this channel's nearest equivalent will be ITV3. Furthermore, you won't have to pay Rupert Murdoch or Virgin Media to get access to this channel.

Probably as its another channel people will skip past and not watch. No doubt very limited programmes like most 'UKTV' channels right now.

I'll make a prediction right now that it'll at least have a respectable 700,000+ average daily reach according to BARB figures.

Is it too much to hope that the new channel will be a bit like UK Gold of old and a mix of Bravo

It would be fantastic to have Casualty on from the beginning, The Bill and Doctor Who on a Sunday morning. Classic shows like The Saint and The Avengers ..... ok perhaps Im dreaming a bit now.

Are you serious? Do you know how successful ITV3 has been? This will end up doing very well for UKTV indeed and is a good addition for Freeview.

You're forgetting this is Digital Spy.
Some posters think that if a channel is not to their personal taste, then it is obviously doomed to failure.

You can watch much of that on the big four channels, and in HD, already, so what benefit would we get from putting them on another channel as well? I also dispute your assertion that period dramas are, by definition, 'crappy'. They may not be your thing, but that does not make them rubbish.

Drama is expensive to produce, which is why only the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have any sort of decent track record. Sky have been making efforts recently but, having seen a fair amount of what they are coming up with, I can't say that I have been very impressed. It seems to me that the most creative minds still work for the Beeb, ITV and Channel 4.

Which leaves the question of what a channel like 'Drama' will actually show. UKtv does not have the wherewithal to make its own big budget drama series. Therefore it has no option but to recycle back catalogue stuff or import cheap programmes from the USA or Australia, much of which (not all) is, frankly, of very poor quality.

That being the case, I welcome 'Drama', depending on what they actually end up showing, of course. Hopefully, as others have mentioned, it will free up space on 'Yesterday' for historical documentaries.

itv3 is the 6th most watched channel and additional free content which isn't shopping, gambling or porn is welcome!

Though I can see UKTVs' drama content split in two across Drama and Alibi thus having two mediocre channels where personally I think they could have 1 very good channel. And this may happen in time, I just don't think it has happened now due to long term agreements signed to sell there pay channels to Sky, Virgin, BT ect so it is a way of launching additional content now and building a loyalty base and try to get more money in.

And I think Drama will launch on Sky, Virgin if the room is there.

And shows like spooks, hustle are now on Sonys' entertainment channel so will be a fair while before there rights can be got back and shown on UKTV channels again.

I'll be happy if Drama takes all the crap off of Yesterday, and Yesterday goes back to history documentaries. Look at their listings for today - not one documentary between 0740 and 0150! I can see how they might get away with period dramas on Yesterday, but what the hell is New Tricks or Reggie Perrin doing on there?

Yesterday has seriously lost it's way and lost it's focus.

Looks like it is going to be on LCN25 so that should keep the +1 complainers happy.
SDN mux
Last edited by Bizman : 07-05-2013 at 17:43

How do you know this?

It's on my local transmitter forum, posted by the man that knows all the answers (I guess he is one of the transmitter employees).

So unsurprisingly just a direct replacement for Dave Ja Vu.

At least it wont involve doing yet another retune to get it.

Only to changes the EPG name Film 4+1 might be added on the same day.Just speculation by me but it would make sense as only one rescan would be needed.

Hardly, it's a drama channel, not a home of witty banter. Expect 'Lark Rise to Candleford' and similar.
And wait 'til you see the DoG.

You're not understanding what I mean.

Dave Ja Vu was recently resurrected as a temporary channel in that slot, and the new Drama channel will just directly replace it on the EPG.

Nothing to do with its programme content.