Granada Talk (alternatively Granada Talk TV) was a short-lived TV channel owned and operated by

Granada Sky Broadcasting ITV Digital Channels Limited (formerly known as Granada Sky Broadcasting) is a wholly owned subsidiary of British broadcaster ITV plc. It manages all of the company's television channels with the exception of ITV, which is part of the entir ...

, a joint venture between

BSkyB Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of ...

and

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

. It launched on 1 October 1996 with the other channels of the bouquet, but due to low viewership the channel ceased broadcasting on 31 August 1997. The channel is perhaps best known for helping launch the careers of Sacha Baron Cohen (presenter of anarchic children's show '' F2F''), Natasha Kaplinsky (co-presenter of the ''

Paul Ross Paul Ross (born 31 December 1956) is an English television and radio presenter, journalist and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross. Early life Growing up in outer east London, Ross was educat ...

Show'') and Graham Norton (regular guest presenter on ''F2F''). It also bred some of British television's most successful production talent, including Layla Sabih (later commissioning editor at the ITV Network), Mark Cowley (the creative force behind the 'Bush Tucker Trials' on ITV's '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'') and

Rob Burley Rob Burley (born 1969) is an English television producer, formerly the BBC's editor of live political programmes. He was the editor of ''The Andrew Marr Show'', ''Politics Live'', ''Newscast'' on television, '' Newswatch'' and ''The Westminster H ...

(later editor of the ''

Jonathan Dimbleby Jonathan Dimbleby (born 31 July 1944) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David Dimbleby. ...

'' programme and the driving force behind ITV's Sunday political output). Channel controller Will Smith became head of Granada London's Factual department, best known for the hit series ''

Airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

''. It closed on 31 August 1997 and the final day's broadcasts were a simulcast of

Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...

so that it could provide coverage of the

death of Diana, Princess of Wales In the early hours of 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died from injuries sustained earlier that day in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Dodi Fayed, Diana's partner, and Henri Paul, their chauffeur, were found d ...

External links

Granada Talk TV at TVARK
Defunct British television channels Television channels and stations established in 1996 Television channels and stations disestablished in 1997

Granada Talk TV Granada Talk (alternatively Granada Talk TV) was a short-lived TV channel owned and operated by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between BSkyB and Granada Television. It launched on 1 October 1996 with the oth ...

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