Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American
movie-oriented pay-TV
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...
network owned by
Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the
Midtown business district of
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
.
The channel's programming consists mainly of
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
theatrically released
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
s from the
Turner Entertainment Co. film library – which comprises films from
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
(covering films released before 1950),
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
(covering films released before May 1986), and the North American distribution rights to films from
RKO Radio Pictures
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...
. However, Turner Classic Movies also licenses films from other studios and occasionally shows more recent films. Unlike its sister networks
TBS,
TNT, and
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...
, TCM does not carry any sports coverage through
Turner Network Television Sports.
The channel is available in the United States, Canada, Malta (as Turner Classic Movies), Latin America, France, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, the Middle East and Africa (as TNT).
History
Origins
In 1985, nine years before the launch of Turner Classic Movies,
Ted Turner
Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...
announced plans to acquire the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
/
United Artists
United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
film studio for $1.5 billion.
On March 25, 1986, the deal was finalized, with Turner renaming the studio MGM Entertainment Co. Furthermore, Turner's purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer separated the studio from United Artists, which remained with
Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor Kirk Kerkorian (; June 6, 1917 – June 15, 2015) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the president and CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian ...
, after they had merged in 1981.
However, concerns over MGM and
Turner Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its ass ...
's corporate
debt
Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money Loan, borrowed or otherwise withheld from another party, the creditor. Debt may be owed by a sovereign state or country, local government, company, or an individual. Co ...
load (totaling $2 billion) resulted in
Turner selling the studio back to Kerkorian, from whom Turner had purchased the studio less than a year before.
On August 26, 1986, Turner sold MGM's production and distribution assets for $300 million to United Artists, while MGM's production and film laboratories were sold for $190 million to
Lorimar-Telepictures
Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation, Inc. was an entertainment company established on February 19, 1986 with the merger of Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Telepictures Corporation. Headquartered at the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now Sony Pi ...
. However, Turner Broadcasting still retained the MGM film library, primarily for its cable "superstation"
WTBS.
Following the exchange, Turner rebranded his organization
Turner Entertainment Company.
The film library of Turner Entertainment Co. would serve as the base form of programming for Turner Classic Movies upon the network's launch. Before the creation of Turner Classic Movies, films from Turner's library of movies aired on the
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its asse ...
's advertiser-supported cable network
TNT along with
colorized versions of black-and-white classics such as ''
The Maltese Falcon''.
Launch and contributions (1994–1996)

Turner Classic Movies debuted on April 14, 1994, at 6 p.m.
Eastern Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico.
* Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behi ...
, with Ted Turner launching the channel at a ceremony in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
's
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
district. The date and time were chosen to mark the exact centennial anniversary of the first commercial exhibition of a motion picture in the United States. ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind ...
'' (1939) was the first film broadcast on TCM; it was also the same film that served as the debut broadcast of its sister channel
TNT six years earlier on October 3, 1988. At the time of its launch, Turner Classic Movies was available to approximately 1 million cable television subscribers.
The network originally served as a competitor to
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
, which at the time was known as "American Movie Classics" and was owned by Rainbow Media (now
AMC Networks
AMC Networks Inc. is an American mass media and entertainment corporation headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York City. The company owns and operates the AMC cable channel, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, and We TV. It also owns the art ho ...
), a subsidiary of the now-defunct
Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation was an American cable television company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. It was the fifth-largest cable provider and ninth-largest television provider in the United States. Throughout its ex ...
. AMC maintained a virtually identical format to Turner Classic Movies, as both networks largely focused on films released prior to 1970 and aired them in an uncut,
uncolorized, and commercial-free format.
Time Warner ownership (1996–2018)
In 1996,
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its asse ...
merged with
Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City.
It was established as Time Warne ...
which, besides placing Turner Classic Movies and
Warner Bros. Entertainment under the same corporate umbrella, also gave Turner Classic Movies access to Warner Bros.' library of films released after 1950 (which itself includes other acquired entities such as the
Lorimar Lorimar may refer to:
* Lorimar Television, previously Lorimar Productions and later Lorimar Distribution, an American film and television production and marketing company from 1969 to 1986
* Lorimar-Telepictures, formed in 1986 after the merger of ...
,
Saul Zaentz
Saul Zaentz (; February 28, 1921January 3, 2014) was an American film producer and record company executive. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and, in 1996, was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
Zaentz's film pr ...
and
National General Pictures
National General Corporation (NGC) was a theater chain holding company, film distributor, film distribution and film production, production company and was considered one of the "instant majors". It was in operation from 1951 to 1974.
Division ...
libraries); incidentally, Turner Classic Movies had already been running select Warner Bros. film titles through a licensing agreement with the studio that was signed prior to the launch of the channel.
In the early 2000s, AMC abandoned its commercial-free format, which led to Turner Classic Movies being the only movie-oriented basic cable channel to devote its programming entirely to classic films without commercial interruption or content editing. By 2002, AMC had broadened its film content to feature colorized and more recent films. That same year, AMC retired the American Movie Classics name due to shifting
its programming. It now mainly airs dramas and documentaries.
TCM Movie Database (2006–2019)
Launched in 2006, Turner Classic Movies maintains its own comprehensive database of actors, actresses, and film crew (listing more than 1.25 million people, with 15,000 written biographies),
and motion picture titles (more than 130,000 titles), not limited to the film libraries that Turner Classic Movies owns, and it includes links by which a user can request that Turner Classic Movies schedule any title for viewing.
[
] ''TCM Movie Database'' has lost some functionality.
The portal page is now unavailable, yet database entries are still available and function.
[*
*] Richard B. Steiner was the creator, architect, and supervisor of ''TCM Movie Database''.
By 2013, the ''Watch TCM''
app for iOS, Android, and Blackberry had some ''TCM Movie Database'' information.
Leonard Maltin's reviews appear in the TCM Movie Database.
Corporate restructuring (2019–present)
On March 4, 2019, Time Warner's new owner
AT&T
AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...
(who renamed the company
WarnerMedia
Warner Media, LLC (Trade name, doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational corporation, multinational mass media and show business, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 ...
) announced a planned reorganization to effectively dissolve the Turner Broadcasting System division, which involved
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
,
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
, Turner Classic Movies, and digital media company
Otter Media
Otter Media Holdings, LLC was an American digital media company owned by AT&T. The company was founded in April 2014 by AT&T and The Chernin Group as a holding company of the anime streaming service Crunchyroll, in which the latter invested in ...
being transferred directly under Warner Bros. Entertainment. Aside from Otter, which was transferred to
WarnerMedia Entertainment on May 31, 2019 to oversee development of
HBO Max
Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
, the newly transferred properties came under a newly formed division,
Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics.
On September 1, 2021, Turner Classic Movies introduced a new logo and slogan, "Where Then Meets Now", in the network's first major rebranding since its launch. The rebranding was intended to give Turner Classic Movies a more modern and energetic presentation while continuing to emphasize its commitment to showcasing classic cinema; new branding elements include
Technicolor
Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
-inspired color schemes, and a new stylized "C" in its wordmark, which resembles a camera lens and symbolizes themes of "curation", "context", "culture" and "connection".
In March 2023, it was announced that TCM was marking the centennial of Warner Bros., in conjunction with
The Film Foundation and the
TCM Classic Film Festival. This included special airings of newly-restored Warner Bros. films: ''
Rio Bravo'' (introduced by
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
), and ''
East of Eden'' (introduced by
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. Wes Anderson filmography, His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative ...
and
Joanna Hogg).
On June 20, 2023, multiple TCM executives (including executive vice president Pola Changnon, who had been with Turner for over 25 years) were released by the channel's current owner,
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), as part of layoffs affecting its U.S. Networks division. The network was to be moved under the oversight of Cartoon Network head
Michael Ouweleen, and it was reported that there were plans for more synergies and cross-promotion of TCM with the rest of the networks group. The layoffs led to concerns over the future of the channel, with filmmakers
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
,
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
, and
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. Often described as one of the most preeminent writer-directors of his generation, List of awards and nominations received by Paul Thomas Anders ...
holding a meeting with WBD CEO
David Zaslav to discuss them. They later issued a joint statement, explaining that the channel has been a "precious resource of cinema, open 24 hours a day seven days a week", and had "always been a profitable endeavor".
On June 23, 2023, WBD appointed the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group's CEOs
Michael De Luca
Michael De Luca (born August 13, 1965) is an American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter. He is also the former president of production at both New Line Cinema and DreamWorks. De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Aw ...
and
Pamela Abdy as heads of the network, reporting to head of U.S. Networks Kathleen Finch.
The pair stated that "We have each spent time talking to Zaslav, separately and together, and it's clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him. Our primary aim is to ensure that TCM's programming is untouched and protected."
On June 28, it was announced that Scorsese, Spielberg, and Anderson would actively collaborate with De Luca and Abdy on the network's direction; a spokesperson stated that "TCM is not immune to the very real pressure on the entire linear ecosystem, but we have taken steps to ensure that we stay true to the mission of the network — bringing more titles to the air, driving content investment, and preserving and protecting the culture of cinema."
Programming
Turner Classic Movies essentially operates as a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services
** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money
* a dose of advertising ...
-free service, with breaks between films usually consisting of
promos for its programming, advertising for the network's events and merchandising, and interstitial segments profiling classic film actors and actresses. In addition to this, extended breaks between features are filled with theatrically released movie trailers and classic short subjects – from series such as ''The Passing Parade'', ''Crime Does Not Pay'', ''
Pete Smith Specialties'', and
Robert Benchley
Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist, newspaper columnist and actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, through his many years writing essays ...
– under the banner name ''TCM Extras'' (formerly ''One Reel Wonders''). In 2007, some of the
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
s featured on Turner Classic Movies were made available for
streaming
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
on Turner Classic Movies's website. Partly to allow these interstitials, Turner Classic Movies schedules its feature films either at the top of the hour or at :15, :30 or :45 minutes past the hour, instead of in timeslots of varying five-minute increments.
Turner Classic Movies' film content has remained mostly uncut and uncolorized (with films natively filmed or
post-produced in the format being those only ones presented in color), depending upon the original content of movies, particularly movies released after the 1968 implementation of the
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
's
ratings system and the concurrent disestablishment of the
Motion Picture Production Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the Cinema of the United States, United States from 1934 to 1968. It ...
. Because of this, Turner Classic Movies is formatted similarly to a
premium channel with certain films – particularly those made from the 1960s onward – sometimes featuring
nudity
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and not ...
, sexual content,
violence
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
and/or strong
profanity
Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, is the usage of notionally word taboo, offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion (such a ...
; the network also features rating
bumpers prior to the start of a program (most programs on Turner Classic Movies, especially films, are rated for content using the
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the American television industry, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...
, in lieu of the MPAA's rating system).
The network's programming season runs from March of one year until the following February of the next when a retrospective of
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
-winning and Oscar-nominated movies is shown, called ''31 Days of Oscar''. As a result of its devoted format to classic
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
s, viewers who are interested in tracing the career development of actresses such as
Barbara Stanwyck or
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras.
Regarded as one of the g ...
or actors like
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
or
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
have the unique opportunity to see most of the films that were made during their careers, from beginning to end. Turner Classic Movies presents many of its features in their original
aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...
(
widescreen
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ...
or full screen) whenever possible – widescreen films broadcast on Turner Classic Movies are
letterboxed on the network's
standard definition
Standard-definition television (SDTV; also standard definition or SD) is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either high or enhanced definition. ''Standard'' refers to offering a similar resolution to the ...
feed. Turner Classic Movies also regularly presents widescreen presentations of films not available in the format on any
home video
Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
release.
Occasionally, Turner Classic Movies shows restored versions of films, particularly old
silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
s with newly commissioned musical soundtracks. Turner Classic Movies is also a major backer of the
Descriptive Video Service (created by
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
PBS member station
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV (channel 2), branded GBH or GBH 2 since 2020, is the primary PBS List of PBS member stations, member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Affiliated stations and facilities
WGBH-TV is the Flagship (broadcasting), ...
), with many of the films aired on the network offering
visual description for the
blind and
visually impaired
Visual or vision impairment (VI or VIP) is the partial or total inability of visual perception. In the absence of treatment such as corrective eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment, visual impairment may cause the individual difficul ...
, which is accessible through the
second audio program
Second audio program (SAP), also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over-the-air and by cable television. Used mostly for audio description or ot ...
option through most television sets, or a cable or satellite receiver. After Turner’s merger with Time Warner, it began to air classic films made by
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, mainly those before the 1960s.
During the prime time hours, an ident for the "Watch TCM" app is shown after every movie. Watch TCM is Turner Classic Movies’ official
TV Everywhere
TV Everywhere (also known as authenticated streaming or authenticated video on-demand) refers to a type of American subscription business model wherein access to streaming video content from a television channel requires users to "authenticate" ...
app. Certain titles on Turner Classic Movies are not available to
streaming services
A streaming media service (also simply called a streaming service) is an online platform that allows users to watch or listen to content, such as film, movies, Television show, TV shows, music, or podcasts, over the internet. Instead of downloadi ...
, due to restrictions through this service platform, and during these scheduled times, the movie title is blocked from airing and a visual notice is provided to the viewer.
''Now Playing''
Turner Classic Movies formerly published ''Now Playing'', a monthly program guide, originally available through a standalone subscription, which provided daily listings and descriptions for films scheduled to air on Turner Classic Movies in the coming month. The digest-size magazine highlighted a featured actor on the cover, and featured essays about the "guest programmer" as well as a movie-and-actor themed crossword puzzle. The May 2017 issue, following the death in March 2017 of host
Robert Osborne
Robert Jolin Osborne (; May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American film historian, author, actor and the primary television host for the premium cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for over twenty years. Prior to hosting at TCM, Os ...
, contained "Remembering Robert Osborne" by
Ben Mankiewicz.
Turner Classic Movies ceased print publication of ''Now Playing'' (which had been one of the few channel-specific program guides that remained in print circulation for most of the 2000s and 2010s) with the August 2017 issue, moving it to an electronic format available via email free of charge.
Movie library
Turner Classic Movies' library of films spans several decades of cinema and includes thousands of film titles. Before its launch in April 1994, Turner's film library had included pre-1986 MGM and RKO films, as well as all pre-1948
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
films. In August 1993, TCM obtained exclusive rights to 300 films from
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, for a cost of $30 million. In August 1996, TCM obtained an exclusive, three-year licensing deal to 36 films from
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
(primarily film content from
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
and
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation.
The compan ...
).
In April 2004, near their 10th anniversary, TCM purchased the television licensing rights to 146 titles from
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
and Columbia Pictures. In August of the same year,
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
agreed to license several classic film titles from their library. In 2014,
Walt Disney Studios agreed to license titles from their library, including episodes from their
anthology television series
An anthology series is a written series, radio program, radio, television show, television, film series, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, Season (television) ...
. These were aired during their ''Treasures From the Disney Vault'' programming block, hosted by film historian
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
.
Turner Classic Movies includes movies in the public domain, mostly from the 1900s to 1920s. Although most movies shown are from the 1930s through the 1970s, the channel sometimes shows newer movies.
Hosted and special programming
Regular features

Most feature movies shown during the
prime time
Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
and early overnight hours (8:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time) were presented by film historian
Robert Osborne
Robert Jolin Osborne (; May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American film historian, author, actor and the primary television host for the premium cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for over twenty years. Prior to hosting at TCM, Os ...
. He was the network's first host since its 1994 launch until 2016, except for a five-month medical leave from July to December 2011, when guest hosts presented each night's films. In September 2003,
Ben Mankiewicz was hired as the network's daytime weekend host. In October 2012, Osborne announced he was delegating his on-air appearances over to Mankiewicz, who assumed primetime hosting duties on Fridays by the next year. Osborne nevertheless continued hosting the ''Private Screenings'' and ''The Essentials'' series.
In January 2014, during his "Noir City" film festival in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
Eddie Muller announced he had been hired as an on-air host for the network.
In May 2016, Tiffany Vasquez, a graduate of
NYU Tisch School of the Arts, became the network's first female host, introducing films on Saturday afternoons. She had previously won TCM's 20th Anniversary Ultimate Fan Contest, flying to Atlanta to introduce a film of her choice on-air with Robert Osborne. In January 2018, Vasquez announced on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
she had taped her last introductions and her contract was not renewed. That same year,
Dave Karger and
Alicia Malone were jointly announced as full-time hosts for the network. In September 2019,
Jacqueline Stewart was hired and became the network's first African-American host.
=''Star of the Month''
=
Turner Classic Movies regularly airs a ''Star of the Month'' throughout the year in which most, if not all, feature films from a film star are shown during that night's schedule. August is the only month to not have a ''Star of the Month'' due to ''Summer Under the Stars''.
=''Silent Sunday Nights''
=
''Silent Sunday Nights '' is a weekend late-night programming block showcasing
silent cinema broadcasting on Sunday midnights Eastern Time.
Its first broadcast was on April 17, 1994 when it aired
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...
's ''
The Cameraman
''The Cameraman'' is a 1928 American silent film, silent Romantic comedy, romantic comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton. The picture stars Keaton and Marceline Day.
It was Keaton's first film under contract to ...
'' (1928). In 2013, Ben Mankiewicz began hosting the block.
In September 2019,
Jacqueline Stewart became the current host.
Two years later, in September 2021, Sibling Rivalry, a
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based independent creative agency, designed the latest bumper intro for the block.
=''TCM Imports''
=
''TCM Imports'' is a weekend late-night programming block showcasing
international cinema. Originally broadcast on Friday nights at 2 a.m. Eastern Time,
the block was moved to late Saturday nights. It currently airs on Sunday nights at 2 a.m. Eastern Time. In 2013, Mankiewicz began hosting the block.
In March 2019,
Alicia Malone became the current host.
The first bumper intro was designed by the animation studio
Cuppa Coffee Studios, which featured several
stop-motion animated men rolling a giant globe brandishing the programming logo. During the 2010s, the logo design studio Hool & Co. designed a new bumper featuring a customary countdown meant to highlight several international film movements. In September 2021, Sibling Rivalry designed the latest bumper.
=''Noir Alley''
=
During its early years, TCM devoted a programming block to the ''
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
'' genre titled ''Darkness After Dawn''.
In March 2017, the program was rebranded as ''Noir Alley'', hosted by
Eddie Muller.
''
The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) was its first broadcast.
It broadcasts on Saturday nights and repeats on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
In January 2013, Muller had previously hosted a four-film marathon block titled "Night in Noir City". In June of the same year, he was invited back to host their "Friday Night Spotlight," showcasing 16 noir films with adapted stories by crime fiction writers, including
Dashiell Hammett and
James M. Cain.
He was invited back again for the ''Summer of Darkness'' retrospective in 2015, which proved popular with viewers.
=''Musical Matinee''
=
In October 2022, TCM announced their latest programming block titled ''Musical Matinee'' broadcasting musical films, primarily from the
Golden Age of Hollywood
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome, Stroud#Golden Val ...
. The program is hosted by Dave Karger and broadcasts on Saturday afternoons Eastern Time. ''
Singin' in the Rain'' (1952) was the block's first film broadcast on November 5, 2022.
=''TCM Guest Programmer''
=
TCM features a monthly programming block called the ''TCM Guest Programmer'', in which one of the hosts is joined by a celebrity guest responsible for choosing that evening's films (examples of such programmers during 2012 include
Jules Feiffer
Jules Ralph Feiffer ( ; January 26, 1929 – January 17, 2025) was an American cartoonist and author, who at one time was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for Pulitzer Prize for Editori ...
,
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael Bourdain ( ; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author and Travel documentary, travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the huma ...
,
Debra Winger,
Ellen Barkin,
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
,
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin ( ; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business", he held th ...
and
Jim Lehrer
James Charles Lehrer ( ; May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. He was the executive editor and a news anchor for the ''PBS News Hour'' on PBS and was known for his role as a debate ...
). Since 2023, the ''TCM Guest Programmer'' block has appeared sporadically, with appearances from Martin Scorsese (during his promotional tour of his 2023 film ''
Killers of the Flower Moon''),
Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach (born September 3, 1969) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making light comedies set in New York City and his works are inspired by filmmakers such as Woody Allen and Whit Stillman. His frequent collaborators include Wes A ...
,
George Miller (during his promotional tour of his 2024 film ''
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga''),
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...
(during his promotional tour of his 2024 film ''
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1''), and
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the List of highest-paid film actors, world's second-highest-paid actor in 202 ...
(during his promotional tour of his 2024 film ''
Deadpool & Wolverine
''Deadpool & Wolverine'' is a 2024 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Deadpool and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed ...
'').
Seasonal blocks
Turner Classic Movies suspends its regular schedule twice each year for a special month of film marathons. ''31 Days of Oscar'' is a programming block airing each
Oscar season
The Oscar season is the time period in which Hollywood studios release or promote the films they consider most likely to be critically acclaimed, hoping to win at the Academy Awards.
Criteria
Oscar season usually begins in the fall following the ...
on the network during the month of the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
. Each feature that TCM airs in this block can be either an Oscar winner or nominee. Each August, TCM airs ''Summer Under the Stars'', featuring an entire daily schedule devoted to the filmographies of a particular actor, with programming pertaining to the star of the day. Since 2022, TCM has aired ''Creepy Cinema'', a programming block in October co-hosted by Ben Mankiewicz and actor and comedian
Mario Cantone
Mario Cantone (born December 9, 1959) is an American comedian, writer, actor, singer, and television host. He is best known for his numerous stage shows. He played Anthony Marentino in '' Sex and the City'' and Terri in '' Men in Trees'' (2006– ...
, presenting a double feature of horror and thriller films leading into
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
.
Defunct programming blocks
In the summer of 2007, the channel debuted ''Funday Night at the Movies'', a block hosted by actor
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
(best known as the voice of
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
). This summer block featured classic feature films (such as ''
The Wizard of Oz'', ''
Sounder'', ''
Bringing Up Baby
''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a numb ...
'', ''
Singin' in the Rain'', ''
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' is a 1939 American political comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold. The film is about a naive, newly appointed United ...
'', ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood
''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...
'', and ''
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...
'') aimed at introducing these movies to new generations of children, and their families.
In 2008, ''Funday Night at the Movies'' was replaced by ''Essentials Jr.'', a youth-oriented version of its weekly series, ''
The Essentials'' (originally hosted by actors
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 after playing Olive Hoover in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which Breslin received a nomin ...
, and
Chris O'Donnell, then by
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...
from 2009 to 2011, and then by
Bill Hader
William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...
, starting with the 2011 season), which included such family-themed films as ''
National Velvet'', ''
Captains Courageous'', and ''
Yours, Mine and Ours'', as well as more eclectic selections, such as ''
Sherlock Jr.'', ''
The Music Box'', ''
Harvey'', ''
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...
'', and ''
The Man Who Knew Too Much''.
In 2014, the channel debuted ''Treasures from the Disney Vault'', hosted by
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
. This block showcased a compilation of vintage
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
feature films, cartoons, documentaries, episodes of
Disney's anthology television series'','' and episodes of ''
The Mickey Mouse Club
''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...
''. The last scheduled ''Treasures from the Disney Vault'' aired on September 2, 2019 due to the launch of
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
in November of that year.
''
TCM Underground'' debuted in October 2006 as a Saturday late night block which focused on
cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...
. The block was originally hosted by rocker/filmmaker
Rob Zombie
Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...
until December 2006; , it was the only regular film presentation block on the channel that did not have a host. ''TCM Underground'' was discontinued in February 2023 after its programmer,
Millie De Chirico, was laid off from the network.
Documentaries
In addition to films, Turner Classic Movies also airs original content, mostly
documentaries
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill ...
about classic movie personalities, the world of filmmaking and particularly notable films. An occasional month-long series, ''Race and Hollywood'', showcases films by and about people of non-white races, featuring discussions of how these pictures influenced white people's image of said races, as well as how people of those races viewed themselves. Previous installments have included "Asian Images on Film" in 2008, "Native American Images on Film" in 2010, "Black Images on Film" in 2006 "Latino Images on Film" in 2009 and "Arab Images on Film" in 2011. The network aired the film series ''
Screened Out'' (which explored the history and depiction of homosexuality in film) in 2007 and ''Religion on Film'' (focusing on the role of religion in cinematic works) in 2005. In 2011, TCM debuted a new series entitled ''
AFI's Master Class: The Art of Collaboration''.
TCM Remembers
Many films shown on Turner Classic Movies were made during the
Golden Age of Hollywood
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome, Stroud#Golden Val ...
, an era with few survivors. In December 1994, Turner Classic Movies debuted "TCM Remembers", a tribute to recently deceased film personalities (including actors, producers, composers, directors, writers, and cinematographers) which occasionally airs during promotional breaks between films. The segments appear in two forms: individual tributes and a longer end-of-year compilation. Following the recent death of an especially famous film personality (usually an actor or filmmaker), the segment will feature a montage of select shots of the deceased's work.
Every mid-December, a more inclusive ''TCM Remembers'' interstitial is produced, featuring a selection of clips interspersed with scenes from settings such as an abandoned drive-in (2012) or a theatre which is closing down (2013). Since 2001, most of the soundtracks for these have been introspective melodies by indie artists such as
Badly Drawn Boy (2007) or
Steve Earle (2009). 2015's song, "Quickly Now", was written especially for ''TCM Remembers'' by Chuck Moore and Reid Hall, and sung by Eryn McHugh.
TCM Remembers soundtracks
Accolades
Turner Classic Movies received a
2008 Peabody Award for its dedication to film preservation and "a continuing, powerful commitment to a central concept—the place of film in social and cultural experience".
Turner Classic Movies received a
2013 Peabody Award for its presentation of
Mark Cousins' ''
The Story of Film: An Odyssey'', a 15-episode documentary about the development and advancement of the medium of motion pictures. Drawing on its exhaustive film library, Turner Classic Movies complemented each episode with short films and feature films from the familiar to the little-seen. The Peabody Award praised Turner Classic Movies's ''The Story of Film'' "for its inclusive, uniquely annotated survey of world cinema history".
Streaming
In April 2016, TCM announced it had partnered with
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of art film, arth ...
to create a subscription streaming service called
FilmStruck. The service included a curated selection of more than 1,000 classic Hollywood, international, arthouse and independent films, including those from the
Janus Films and
Kino libraries. FilmStruck was launched on November 1, 2016, and included exclusive bonus content such as hosted introductions, interviews and rare media. In November 2018, FilmStruck was shut down by WarnerMedia, under the ownership of AT&T, to streamline business operations.
Since its 2020 launch, TCM has been associated with its parent company
Warner Bros. Discovery's
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
streaming service. TCM has its own category hub on the service with a curated selection of classic films.
Merchandising and events
TCM Vault Collection
The TCM Vault Collection consists of several different
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
collections of rare classic films that have been licensed, remastered and released by Turner Classic Movies (through corporate sister
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment). These boxed set releases are of films by notable actors, directors or studios that were previously unreleased on DVD or
VHS. The sets often include bonus discs including documentaries and shorts from the Turner Classic Movies library. The initial batch of DVDs are printed in limited quantities and subsequent batches are made-on-demand (MOD).
* ''Universal Collection'' – Featuring films licensed by Turner Classic Movies from the
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
vault.
* ''The Lost RKO Collection'' – Featuring
RKO films from the 1930s.
* ''TCM Spotlight'' – A series of DVD box sets released by Warner Home Video featuring
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...
and stars such as
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...
,
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
,
Jean Arthur,
Deanna Durbin
Edna May Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born American soprano and actress, who moved to the U.S. from Canada with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1 ...
, and
Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
.
TCM Wine Club
In October 2015, Turner Classic Movies announced the launch of the TCM Wine Club, in which they teamed up with Laithwaite to provide a line of mail-order wines from famous vineyards such as famed writer-director-producer
Francis Ford Coppola's winery. Wines are available in 3-month subscriptions and can be selected as reds, whites, or a mixture of both. From the wines chosen, Turner Classic Movies also includes recommended movies to watch with each, such as a "True Grit" wine, to be paired with the
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
film
of the same name.
TCM Young Composers Film Competition
In 2000, Turner Classic Movies started an annual Young Composers Film Competition, inviting aspiring composers to participate in a judged competition that offers the winner of each year's competition the opportunity to score a restored, feature-length
silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
as a grand prize, mentored by a well-known composer, with the new work subsequently premiering on the network. As of 2006, films that have been rescored include the 1921
Rudolph Valentino
Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
film ''
Camille'', two
Lon Chaney films: 1921's ''
The Ace of Hearts'' and 1928's ''
Laugh, Clown, Laugh'', and
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras.
Regarded as one of the g ...
's 1926 film ''
The Temptress''.
TCM Classic Film Festival
In April 2010, Turner Classic Movies launched their first Classic Film Festival, an event—now held annually—at the
Grauman's Chinese Theater and the
Grauman's Egyptian Theater on
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...
.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, also known as Hotel Roosevelt, is a historic hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.
History
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was built in 192 ...
serves as the festival's key venue for special events. Initially hosted by
Robert Osborne
Robert Jolin Osborne (; May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American film historian, author, actor and the primary television host for the premium cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for over twenty years. Prior to hosting at TCM, Os ...
, the four-day festival features celebrity appearances, special events, and screenings of around 50 classic films, including several newly-restored films by
The Film Foundation, an organization devoted to preserving Hollywood's classic film legacy.
The Classic Film Festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and was moved to a virtual setting, billed as the "Special Home Edition". In 2021, the festival was cancelled again as a live event, and continued its virtual setting. In 2022, the festival returned to its live setting, with its theme being "All Together Now: Back to the Big Screen." A year later, the festival celebrated the centennial anniversary of Warner Bros. launching with the premiere of a newly-restored edition of ''
Rio Bravo'' (1959).
TCM Classic Cruise
In 2011, TCM launched its inaugural Classic Cruise event, first aboard the ''
Celebrity Millennium'' cruise ship traveling from
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
to
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...
and
Cozumel
Cozumel (; ) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán Channel. The ...
. In 2013, the Classic Cruise held its maiden voyage aboard the ''
Disney Magic
''Disney Magic'' is a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She is the line's first vessel, later followed by the ''Disney Wonder'', ''Disney Dream'', ''Disney Fantasy'', ''Disney Wish'', ...
'' for the first time. In 2016, the cruise instead used the ''
Disney Fantasy'', which holds 4,000 passengers compared to the ''Magic'' 2,700-passenger accommodation. In 2019, the Classic Cruise returned from a three-year absence aboard the ''Disney Magic'', sailing from New York to
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
.
International versions
Turner Classic Movies is available in many other countries around the world. In Canada, Turner Classic Movies began to be carried on
Shaw Cable
Shaw Communications Inc. was a Telecommunications in Canada, Canadian telecommunication, telecommunications company which provided telephone, Internet, television, and mobile services. The company was founded in 1966 as Capital Cable Televisio ...
and satellite provider
Shaw Direct
Shaw Direct G.P. is a direct broadcast satellite television distributor in Canada and a subsidiary of the telecommunications company Rogers Communications. As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers. It broadcasts on Ku band from two ...
in 2005.
Rogers Cable started offering Turner Classic Movies in December 2006 as a
free preview for subscribers of its
digital cable
Digital cable is the distribution of cable television using digital data and video compression. The technology was first developed by General Instrument. By 2000, most cable companies offered digital features, eventually replacing their previo ...
tier and was added to its analogue tier in February 2007. While the schedule for the Canadian feed is generally the same as that of the American network, some films are replaced for broadcast in Canada due to rights issues and other reasons. Other versions of Turner Classic Movies are available in France, Greece, Canada, Spain, Middle East, Africa, Asia,
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
,
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...
, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta. The UK version operated two channels, including a defunct spinoff called
Turner Classic Movies 2. TCM UK ceased operations on 6 July 2023.
See also
*
The Great Movie Ride – a former attraction at
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Br ...
that was sponsored by Turner Classic Movies.
*
Turner Classic Movies 2 – A defunct sister network to the UK & Ireland version of Turner Classic Movies.
*
Movies!
Movies! (also known as simply M!) is an American free-to-air television network, owned by Popcorn Entertainment, LLC, a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corporation. The network's pr ...
– an American digital multicast television network operated as a joint venture between
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting Co. is an American television broadcasting company based in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV (Channel 26), at 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown, Chicago, Greektown neighborhood. It cur ...
and the
Fox Television Stations
Fox Television Stations, LLC (stylized as FOX TV STATIONS; also known as FTS) is a group of television stations in the United States owned-and-operated by Fox Corporation. It owns LiveNOW from Fox, Fox Local, and Fox Soul. It also oversees ...
, specializing in classic feature films primarily sourced from the
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
and
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
library.
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The Film Detective – an American internet television service specializing in restored seldom-seen titles.
*
Family Movie Classics – an American cable and satellite television network operated by
Family Broadcasting Corporation.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
1994 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Television channels and stations established in 1994
Classic television networks
Nostalgia television in the United States
Commercial-free television networks
Film preservation
English-language television stations in the United States
Movie channels in the United States
Peabody Award winners
Warner Bros. Discovery networks
Television networks in the United States
Companies based in Atlanta