Dubai 33

Dubai Channel 33 (originally branded as Ch33) was a national television channel transmitting terrestrially out of Dubai in English, targeting the expat community in the U.A.E. It was founded in 1977. Up until the late 1980s, it was a 12-hour channel, switching broadcasts adjacently from one of Emirates Dubai Television's frequencies starting at 2:00 pm, U.A.E. time, with a children's block, and concluding at 2:00 am. The times of the switch often changed usually during Ramadan, which varied each year. It was the only free-to-air English-language channel in Dubai at the time.

The channel shut down on 23 December 2004, being replaced by a newer service, One TV, which was created to cater to newer audiences.

History

From the late 1990s, its popularity started dwindling due to availability of alternate channels in English as well as the expat communities native languages via growing use of satellite TV and mainstream cable (E-Vision in 2000).

On 1 October 2002, it started transmitting over the satellite using Arabsat and Nilesat initially over a two-month trial period of four hours, and turned into a free-to-air 24-hour channel on 2 December, the national day, even though retaining the children's block timing at 2:00 pm.

In 2004, it changed its identity completely and relaunched as Dubai One (after being known as One TV for a short initial period) and is now part of Dubai Media Incorporated. Dubai One managed to recapture some of the lost expat market due to its more U.S.-based premium programming, even though when it was temporarily known as "One TV", it retained most of Ch33's original programming, including the signature children's block, which was later removed. However, Ch33 had an originality that could never be replaced and is now being copied by other Gulf states expat televisions.

Ch33 originally had a habit of changing the type-face of their logo every few years.

Programming

It originally aired popular US TV shows, UK comedy, horse racing, daily news and every Thursday at 10.00pm, a Hindi movie subtitled in English. Later, its programs became even more diversified to include more soap operas from Australia and Canada.

The Hindi film ceremony Zee Cine Awards was also shown in February 2004, which took place in Dubai.

As with other media in the UAE, all programs on Channel 33 were to be aired after heavy and inconsistent censoring of whatever content was deemed inappropriate by its censor boards. The channel only allowed Islamic shows and no other religious shows were permitted.

Channel 33 had a teletext service called Gulfax. From 1989, the channel relayed pages from the service between 1pm and 4pm on weekdays before regular programming started.''The Emirates News'', TV listings, 22 November 1989

Former programming

Action

* '' 18 Wheels of Justice''
* '' The Adventures of Sinbad''
* ''Airwolf''
* ''The A-Team''
* '' Bring 'Em Back Alive''
* '' Cagney & Lacey''
* ''Cleopatra 2525''
* ''Cobra''
* ''CHiPS''
* '' The Fall Guy''
* ''The Flash''
* '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys''
* '' Highlander: The Series''
* '' Jack of All Trades''
* '' Knight Rider''
* ''Kung Fu''
* '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues''
* ''MacGyver''
* '' Magnum, P.I.''
* '' Manimal''
* ''Miami Vice''
* '' McClain's Law''
* '' Nasty Boys''
* ''The Old Fox''
* '' The Pretender''
* ''Quantum Leap''
* ''Remington Steele''
* '' Renegade''
* ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King''
* '' Six Million Dollar Man''
* '' Sliders''
* '' Street Hawk''
* '' S.W.A.T.''
* '' Team Knight Rider''
* ''T.J. Hooker''
* ''Walker, Texas Ranger''
* ''Zorro''

Animated shows

* '' 101 Dalmatians: The Series''
* ''2 Stupid Dogs''
* ''64 Zoo Lane''
* '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective''
* '' The Adventures of Alix''
* '' The Adventures of Blinky Bill''
* ''The Adventures of Gulliver''
* ''The Adventures of Marco and Gina''
* '' The Adventures of Paddington Bear''
* ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog''
* '' The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
* '' The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''Aladdin''
* ''Alfred J. Kwak''
* '' ALF: The Animated Series''
* '' The Amazing Adventures of Morph''
* '' Andy Panda''
* '' Andy Pandy''
* '' Animal Crackers''
* '' Animal Shelf''
* ''Animaniacs''
* ''Anne of Green Gables''
* ''Arthur''
* '' Avenger Penguins''
* ''Babar''
* ''The Baby Huey Show''
* '' Bad Dog''
* '' Barbapapa''
* '' Batman: The Animated Series''
* ''Beany and Cecil''
* ''Beethoven''
* ''Beetlejuice''
* ''Biker Mice from Mars''
* '' Billy the Cat''
* '' Bill and Ben''
* ''Bimble's Bucket''
* ''Bingo and Molly''
* ''Binka''
* '' Bionic Six''
* '' BlackStar''
* '' Blazing Dragons''
* '' Bob Morane''
* ''Bob the Builder''
* '' Bonkers''
* '' The Brothers Flub''
* ''The Bubblies''
* '' Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars''
* '' Budgie the Little Helicopter''
* '' The Busy World of Richard Scarry''
* '' Captain Planet and the Planeteers''
* ''Care Bears''
* ''Carrot Top''
* '' Cédric''
* '' Centurions''
* '' Challenge of the GoBots''
* '' Channel Umptee-3''
* '' Chilly Willy''
* '' Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers''
* ''Cone Control''
* ''Count Duckula''
* '' Creepy Crawlies''
* '' Cro''
* '' Danger Mouse''
* ''Defenders of the Earth''
* ''Delook and Sharpy''
* '' Dennis the Menace''
* ''Dennis the Menace and Gnasher''
* ''Denver, the Last Dinosaur''
* '' Dink, the Little Dinosaur''
* ''Dinosaucers''
* ''Dog City''
* ''Dr Otter''
* ''Dragon Tales''
* '' DragonFlyz''
* '' The Dreamstone''
* '' Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop''
* ''DuckTales''
* ''Dungeons & Dragons''
* ''Earthworm Jim''
* '' Eckhart''
* '' Elliot Moose''
* ''ExoSquad''
* ''Fables of the Green Forest''
* '' Family Dog''
* ''Fantastic Four''
* '' Fantomcat''
* ''Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids''
* ''Fat Dog Mendoza''
* ''Felix the Cat''
* '' Ferdy the Ant''
* ''Fireman Sam''
* '' Fix and Foxi''
* ''The Flintstones''
* '' The Flying House''
* ''Flying Rhino Junior High''
* '' Foofur''
* ''Free Willy''
* ''Funny Little Bugs''
* ''Futurama''
* '' Gadget Boy & Heather''
* '' Galtar and the Golden Lance''
* '' George Shrinks''
* '' The Get Along Gang''
* '' Go Go Gophers''
* '' Godzilla: The Series''
* ''Goof Troop''
* '' Gummi Bears''
* '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero''
* '' Hammerman''
* ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''
* ''Hocus and Lotus''
* '' The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats''
* ''Inspector Gadget''
* ''Iron Man''
* '' It's Punky Brewster!''
* ''The Jetsons''
* ''Jumanji''
* '' Jym and Jam''
* ''Kampung Boy''
* ''The Karate Kid''
* ''Kimba the White Lion''
* ''Kipper''
* '' The Legend of Calamity Jane''
* '' The Legends of Treasure Island''
* '' Little Bear''
* ''The Magic Ball''
* '' The Magician''
* '' Maisy''
* '' The Mask: The Animated Series''
* ''Maya the Bee''
* '' Mighty Ducks''
* '' Monchhichis''
* '' Monster Force''
* '' The Moomins''
* '' Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm''
* ''Mother Goose and Grimm''
* '' The Mozart Band''
* '' Mr. Bogus''
* '' Mr. Hiccup''
* '' Mr. Men Show''
* ''Mummies Alive!''
* '' Muppet Babies''
* ''My Little Pony''
* '' My Little Pony Tales''
* '' M.A.S.K.''
* ''Ned's Newt''
* ''The Neverending Story''
* ''The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh''
* '' The New Fantastic Four''
* '' Noah's Island''
* '' Noddy's Toyland Adventures''
* '' Norman Normal''
* '' Oakie Doke''
* '' Oggy and the Cockroaches''
* ''Oscar's Orchestra''
* '' Paw Paws''
* '' Percy the Park Keeper''
* '' Pigeon Street''
* ''Pim Wright''
* ''Pingu''
* ''The Pink Panther''
* ''Pippi Longstocking''
* ''Pokémon''
* ''Pole Position''
* ''Police Academy''
* '' Popeye and Son''
* ''Popeye the Sailor

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