Universal Channel (UK And Ireland)
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Universal TV was a British and Irish
pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...
channel owned by the NBCUniversal International Networks division of
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...
. It was devoted primarily to imported drama series, mostly from the United States, and operated under various names between 1999 and 2020.


History


As Hallmark Channel

The channel launched in October 1999 and was previously owned by the privately backed Sparrowhawk Media Group, until late 2007 when it was bought out by NBCUniversal. It previously licensed programming and branding from Crown Media Holdings, and was previously known as the Hallmark Entertainment Network and the Hallmark Channel (Crown Media had sold off their international assets in 2005). Coinciding with the launch of Hallmark Channel HD, Hallmark Channel became 16:9
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 ...
capable on 28 June 2010.


As Universal Channel

In June 2009, a memorandum leaked to the television trade newspaper ''
Broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...
'' stated that NBC Universal planned to rebrand the Hallmark Channel as a
Universal Channel Universal TV, formerly Universal Channel, is an international pay television network specializing in movies and television series in the Thriller (genre), thriller, Drama (genre), drama, comedy, Horror (genre), horror, Crime (genre), crime and in ...
in October 2009. The "Hallmark Channel" brand was licensed to NBC Universal from Crown Media (which operates the US Hallmark Channel) and was due to expire. An NBC Universal spokesperson denied such a rebrand would happen. On 2 September 2010, Universal Networks International confirmed plans to rebrand the Hallmark Channel as the Universal Channel in the UK. On 18 October, the pay-TV channel and its timeshift and high definition variants became the Universal Channel, Universal Channel +1 and Universal Channel HD. The Universal Channel gave UK premieres to cop show '' Rookie Blue'' and legal drama '' Fairly Legal'' in early 2011. It also aired '' Shattered'', which stars
Callum Keith Rennie Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a Canadian actor, based in British Columbia. His breakthrough role was as punk rocker Billy Tallent in the music mockumentary ''Hard Core Logo'' (1996), followed by a starring role as Det. Stanle ...
as a homicide detective suffering from multiple personality disorder. On 1 December 2010, Universal Channel launched a specific feed which targets Ireland. Universal Channel in Ireland airs localised advertising. The Irish feed does not include
subtitles Subtitles are texts representing the contents of the audio in a film, television show, opera or other audiovisual media. Subtitles might provide a transcription or translation of spoken dialogue. Although naming conventions can vary, caption ...
. TV3 act as the Irish variation's advertising sales agents. On 31 July 2013, Universal Channel unveiled a refreshed branding and new slogan it launched on 5 August, "100% Characters". The brand reflected "that great characters are the magnets that draw viewers back to their favourite shows - week after week".


As Universal TV

On 3 May 2018, NBCUniversal unveiled a new name and branding for its Universal Channel chain, Universal TV, launching first on the United Kingdom feed. The rebranding was intended to make the network a "destination brand that celebrates world-class, high-quality, character-driven content".


Closure

In December 2019,
BT TV EE TV (formerly BT Vision and then BT TV until 2023) is a subscription IPTV service offered by EE; a brand of British telecommunications company BT Group. It requires the signing up to and use of the EE Broadband internet and phone service, w ...
announced that Universal TV would be leaving the UK market along with VH1 and that the channel will close. The channel closed down its operations on 27 January 2020, with Sky Comedy taking its place on EPG guides.


Programming


Final Programming

Sources: * '' Gone'' * '' Law & Order'' * '' NCIS'' * '' Private Eyes'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' Teleshopping''


Former Programming

* '' Acceptable Risk'' * '' Bates Motel'' * '' Battle Creek'' * '' The Border'' * '' Boston Legal'' (now on
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 ...
) * '' Breakout Kings'' * '' Burden of Truth'' * '' Chance'' * '' Chicago Justice'' * '' Chicago Med'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' Cold Case'' (now on Prime Video) * ''
Community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
'' (now on ITVX) * ''
Condor Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua language, Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. One species, the And ...
'' (now on
MGM+ MGM+ (formerly known as Epix; pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as eᴘix), is an American Pay television, premium cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of M ...
) * ''
Conviction In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is Guilty (law), guilty of a crime. A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a ...
'' * '' Coroner'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' CSI: Miami'' (now On Pluto TV) * '' CSI: NY'' (now On Pluto TV) * ''
Damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...
'' (now on Sony One Thriller TV) * '' Departure'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' Diagnosis: Murder'' * '' The Disappearance'' * '' The District'' * '' Fairly Legal'' (now on Prime Video) * '' The Finder'' * '' Flashpoint'' * '' Graceland'' * '' Harry's Law'' * ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
'' (now On Prime Video) * '' How to Get Away with Murder'' (on Netflix UK until 9 December) * '' In Plain Sight'' * '' JAG'' * ''
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
'' * '' Law & Order'' (now on
5USA 5USA is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global, which is grouped under Paramount Networks UK & Australia division. It was launched on 16 October 2006 as ...
) * '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' * '' Law & Order: LA'' * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' Law & Order: Trial By Jury'' * '' Lie to Me'' (now on
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 ...
) * ''
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' * '' Major Crimes'' (now on Alibi) * '' McLeod's Daughters'' * '' The Mentalist'' (now on U&Alibi) * ''
Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
'' (now on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
UK * '' Motive'' * '' Mr. Robot'' (now on ITVX) * '' The Murders'' * '' Necessary Roughness'' * ''
Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
'' * '' Prime Suspect'' * '' Proven Innocent'' * ''
Psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened o ...
'' (now on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
UK and Pluto TV) * '' Pure Genius'' * '' Quincy, M.E.'' * '' Rake'' * '' Ransom'' (now on
5USA 5USA is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global, which is grouped under Paramount Networks UK & Australia division. It was launched on 16 October 2006 as ...
) * '' Rescue: Special Ops'' * '' The Resident'' (now on Sky Witness) * '' Rookie Blue'' (now on 5USA) * '' Royal Pains'' * '' Sea Patrol'' * '' Second Chance'' * '' Shattered'' * '' Sleepy Hollow'' (now on
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 ...
) * '' True Justice'' * '' White Collar'' (now on
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 ...
and U&Alibi) * '' Without a Trace''


Sister and subsidiary channels


Universal TV HD

Universal TV HD, a high-definition simulcast, launched on Sky (as the Hallmark Channel HD) on 28 June 2010 at 7pm. Showing US shows like the '' Law & Order'' titles, '' CSI'' and '' Without a Trace'' in high definition. Universal TV HD was also launched on
BT TV EE TV (formerly BT Vision and then BT TV until 2023) is a subscription IPTV service offered by EE; a brand of British telecommunications company BT Group. It requires the signing up to and use of the EE Broadband internet and phone service, w ...
on 1 September 2016.


Hallmark 2

In July 2005, there were rumours that Sparrowhawk were going to launch a sister channel to the Hallmark Channel, called Hallmark 2. This was denied by a spokesperson for Hallmark who said that "a second channel from Hallmark will not be launching 'anytime soon'". Movies 24 was launched instead.


Former logos

Hallmark Channel.svg, Hallmark Channel logo (2001–2010) Universal channel.svg, Universal Channel logo (2010–2013) Logo Universal Channel.svg, Universal Channel logo (2013–2018)


See also

*
Universal Channel Universal TV, formerly Universal Channel, is an international pay television network specializing in movies and television series in the Thriller (genre), thriller, Drama (genre), drama, comedy, Horror (genre), horror, Crime (genre), crime and in ...
* Hallmark Channel * Hallmark Channel (International)


References


External links

* {{Universal Networks International Universal Networks International Defunct television channels in the United Kingdom Television channels and stations established in 1999 Television channels and stations disestablished in 2020 1999 establishments in the United Kingdom 2020 disestablishments in the United Kingdom