Watch (TV Channel)

U&W is a British free-to-air television channel owned by UKTV, a subsidiary of BBC Studios. It originally launched on 7 October 2008 as Watch and until 2022 was a pay television channel. From 15 February 2016 to 16 July 2024, the channel was known as W.

History of U&W

Watch launched on 7 October 2008, taking over capacity on Sky previously used for UKTV Style +2, which had closed on 15 September 2008 in preparation for the launch.

The channel would feature general entertainment programmes, primarily from the programming archive of the BBC, who owned a 50% share of the network through the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide. Featured programmes included '' Torchwood'', general entertainment programmes, and international versions of popular current British programming, (such as '' Dancing with the Stars'', the US version of ''Strictly Come Dancing'', and the various American editions of '' Wipeout'', which is titled as ''Total Wipeout USA'' to avert confusion with the British programme of the same name). The channel also featured programmes displaced following the repositioning of other UKTV channels (such as the move of all non-crime drama to the channel following Alibi's launch), and programming already shown on other UKTV channels in greater numbers (such as '' Traffic Cops''). The channel controller was Paul Moreton.

On 15 February 2016, Watch was rebranded as W. The channel's programming would be revamped and would feature original dramas, documentaries, and lifestyle shows.

The channel went free on satellite on 21 March 2022, one week ahead of a full relaunch of W as a channel on both Freeview and Freesat on 28 March. The relaunch saw a revised onscreen identity, and a shift in programming to target women. To make way for the addition of W, Dave ja vu (the timeshift service of Dave) moved to the position previously occupied by Drama +1, which had been added to the Freeview lineup following UKTV's purchase and closure of CCXTV.

In November 2023, UKTV announced that it would be rebranding their TV channels and streaming service under the new "U" masterbrand. In early July 2024, UKTV started to roll out a similar logo to its "U" masterbrand. The logo can be found on the corporate website and on "U" (UKTV Play) On 16 July 2024, W rebranded as U&W.

Subsidiary channels

U&W +1

The channel also operates a timeshift service, U&W +1, where the programme schedule is repeated by the channel one hour later. The channel receives no special branding, with the occasional exception of a special Digital on-screen graphic (DOG). It launched the same day as the main Watch channel on 7 October 2008 and was reported by AGB Nielsen Media Research on 2 September 2008.

U&W HD

On 29 July 2011, UKTV announced that it had secured a deal with Sky to launch three more high-definition channels on their platform. As part of Virgin Media's deal to sell its share of UKTV, all five of UKTV's HD channels would also be added to Virgin's cable television service by 2012. Watch HD launched on 12 October 2011 on Sky and Virgin Media, two days after Dave HD, while Alibi HD launched in July 2012. All three channels are HD simulcasts of the standard-definition channels. Watch HD became available on BT TV & Plusnet later in the year. The HD feed on Sky Q and Sky HD closed on 1 April 2025, though it will continue as normal on Sky Glass and Sky Stream.

On-air identity

2008–2016

When Watch launched in October 2008, along with G.O.L.D. and Alibi, the original on screen identity featured a large eyeball nicknamed 'Blinky'. The music used in the background of the television advertisements is "You Will Leave a Mark" by Oxford band A Silent Film. The channels original idents featured a liveaction video of the eyeball being pushed around by a large and varied group of people around various settings until the eyeball ends up in the centre of the screen and the Watch name appears at the bottom of the screen. The set of four idents were produced by Red Bee Media for the channel. However, in April 2009, the four existing idents were edited by Aardman Animations to make the inflatable eyeball blink, along with new soundtracks. In addition, four new CGI idents were introduced as well as the edited idents and in May 2010, a new ident for ''Scream if You Know the Answer!''

During May 2010, UKTV were reportedly planning to overhaul the brand identity of Watch, after only eighteen months in operation. The broadcaster held a branding agency pitch and made an appointment within a month, with the review was being handled by creativebrief. The work included the creation of a fresh logo, strap-line and tone of voice for the channel, however, a spokeswoman for UKTV denied suggestions that the broadcaster would change the name of the channel and said that the overhaul was about "tweaking the brand and aligning it better with our overall strategy".

The 2010 idents have their full tagline "(x) together, (y) together, (z) together, Watch together (e.g.: Sing together, play together, Get it together, Watch together)".

The new Watch logo and channel presentation launched on 23 September 2010, focusing on the idea that "TV is better shared!". The new identity, created by agency Harriman Steel, includes a new strapline, "Watch... together", along with new idents, end frames and a new logo. The idents feature a scene against a black background with various elements of the scene being provided, by people in black outfits. The scenes progress with the appearance of the film being seen in reverse until the ident pans to a screen displaying three phrases related to the scene ending with the word "together." before the Watch logo is placed over the last phrase forming the channel tagline. Other promotional material makes use of the channel tagline or the appearance that the channel promotions are held in place by the black dressed men, as seen by the various covered hands shown at the edge of promotion end boards.

On 23 January 2012, it was announced that Watch would receive a rebrand for a second time, created by DixonBaxi, and was to be launched on 13 February 2012, but only the promos, DOG and ECP changed on that date. But the new idents were made on 9 March 2012.

2016–2022

On 15 January 2016, it was announced that Watch would be renamed to W on 15 February 2016.

In February 2022, ''Broadcast'' magazine reported that the channel would become a free-to-air channel in the spring, joining stablemates Dave, Yesterday and Drama as a Freeview service. In March 2022, this was confirmed by UKTV, who rebranded the channel's mantra to "Life Unfiltered" and introduced a new logo which included the letter W in a slanted rectangle. The logo will be mainly seen on air and in corporate branding with an orange background, with channel idents showing a series of relatable human moments behind the logo. This female skewing channel will be still targeted at a 25 to 44 age range and will be on Freeview channel 25 from 28 March 2022. W have a free-to-air launch schedule with programmes such as ''Inside the Ambulance'', ''Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over'', ''Nurses on the Ward'', ''Emma Willis Delivering Babies'', ''Emma Willis & AJ Odudu Get to Work'' and ''Women on the Force'', part of the line-up.

2022–present

UKTV confirmed the rumours that the W channel was going to rebrand as a free-to-air channel on 28 March 2022 at 6:10am. To coincide with the move, channel bosses unveiled a new logo and "Life Unfiltered" strapline which they say will help the channel connect with its female skewing 25-44 target audience. The 2022 idents were kept in the rebranding to U&W, with the logo being changed to follow the other channels.

Logo history

File:Watch (UKTV) logo.png, First logo, 7 October 2008 until 23 September 2010
File:Watch logo 2010.png, Second logo, 23 September 2010 until 9 March 2012
File:Watch logo 2012.png, Third logo, 13 February 2012 until 15 February 2016
File:W (UKTV) 2016.png, Fourth logo, 15 February 2016 until 28 March 2022
File:W HD logo 2016.png, Third HD logo, 15 February 2016 until 28 March 2022
File:W +1 logo 2016.png, Fourth +1 logo, 15 February 2016 until 28 March 2022
File:W (UKTV) 2022.svg, Fifth logo, 28 March 2022 until 16 July 2024
File:W HD logo 2022.svg, Fourth HD logo, 28 March 2022 until 16 July 2024
File:W +1 logo 2022.svg, Fifth +1 logo, 28 March 2022 until 16 July 2024
File:U&W (2024).svg, Sixth logo, 16 July 2024 - present
File:U&W HD logo 2024.svg, Fifth HD logo, 16 July 2024 - present
File:U&W +1 logo 2024.svg, Sixth +1 logo, 16 July 2024 - present

Programming

Current programming

*''999: Rescue Squad''
*'' American Housewife''
*'' Brothers & Sisters''
*'' Beverly Hills Pawn''
*''The Bill''
*'' Border Patrol''
*'' Boston's Finest''
*'' Booze Patrol Australia''
*'' The Catherine Tate Show''
*''Celebrity Advice Bureau''
*''Celebrity Haunted Mansion''
*''Celebrity Haunted Mansion: High Spirits''
*'' Celebrity MasterChef''
*''Choccywoccydoodah''
*''Dating with My Mates''
*''David Beckham: Into The Unknown''
*'' Derren Brown''
*'' DIY SOS''
*''Doctor Who''
*''Emma Willis: Delivering Babies''
*''Emma Willis: Meet the Babies''
*'' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''
*'' Fatal Attraction''
*'' Gavin & Stacey''
*'' The Good Fight''
*'' Heston's Fantastical Food''
*''Honey I Bought The House''
*''Humble Pie''
*'' In the Club''
*''Inside the Ambulance''
*'' I've Got Something To Tell You''
*'' John Bishop: In Conversation With...''
*'' Jonathan Creek''
*'' ''Luther''''
*''Masterchef Australia''
*'' MasterChef Junior USA''
*'' MasterChef USA''
*''Million Dollar Intern''
*'' Miranda''
*'' The Musketeers''
*''My Dream Home''
*'' My Family''
*''Myleene: Miscarriage and Me''
*''Nev's Indian Call Centre''
*''Nick Knowles' Original Features''
*''Nurses on the Ward''
*'' Oddities''
*'' One Born Every Minute''
*'' Outnumbered''
*'' Property Brothers''
*''Rochelle Humes: Interior Designer in the Making''
*'' Russell Howard's Good News''
*''Sea City''
*'' Sherlock''
*'' Stacey Dooley Investigates''
*'' Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over''
*''The Secrets in My Family''
*'' Supernanny''
*'' Tipping Point''
*'' Traffic Cops''
*'' The Wave''
*''The Wedding Fixer''
*'' W1A''
*'' Who Do You Think You Are?''
*'' Who Do You Think You Are? USA''
*'' Why Women Kill''
*''Women on the Verge''

Former programming

*'' Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show!''
*'' Absolutely Fabulous''
*'' After You've Gone''
*'' Alcatraz''
*'' Atlantis''
*'' Bailiffs''
*''Battlechefs''
*''Baywatch''
*'' Beauty & the Beast''
*'' Being Human''
*'' Believe''
*''Ben Earl: Trick Artist''
*''Best In Town''
*'' Betty White's Off Their Rockers''
*''Bin There, Dump That''
*''Blues and Twos''
*'' The Blue Planet''
*'' Border Patrol''
*'' The Borrowers''
*''Cars, Cops And Criminals''
*''Celebrity Haunted Hotel Live''
*''Celebrity Haunted Hotel: Do Not Disturb''
*''Choccywoccydoodah: Starstruck''
*'' Code Black''
*'' Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders''
*''Crisis''
*''Coastguard Florida''
*''Confessions from the Underground''
*'' Covert Affairs''
*'' Dancing with the Stars''
*'' Daredevil''
*'' David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities''
*'' Dynamo: Magician Impossible''
*''EastEnders''
*''Emergency Bikers''
*'' Escape to the Country''
*'' Fake or Fortune?''
*''Flights & Fights - Inside The Low Cost Airlines''
*''Get Me to the Church''
*'' Grimm''
*'' The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook''
*'' Hart of Dixie''
*'' Haunted Collector''
*'' Haunted Highway''
*'' Helicopter Heroes''
*'' Hollywood Treasure''
*'' The Honourable Woman''
*'' Human Planet''
*'' Iceland Foods: Life in the Freezer Cabinet''
*''Jackpots And Jinxes: Lottery Stories''
*''Katherine Mills: Mind Games''
*''Kolkata with Sue Perkins''
*'' Love Soup''
*'' The Men Who Jump Off Buildings''
*''My Breasts And I''
*''My Flat - Pack Home''
*'' My Hero''
*''Nigel Marven's Cruise Ship Adventure''
*'' Outtake TV''
*'' Paranormal Witness''
*''Perception''
*'' Planet Dinosaur''
*'' Planet Earth''
*''Pointless''
*'' Pride and Prejudice''
*'' Primeval: New World''
*'' Primeval''
*'' Quantum Leap''
*'' Recruits''
*'' Recruits: Paramedics''
*''Rescue: Code One''
*'' The Restoration Man''
*'' Richard & Judy's New Position''
*''Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey''
*''Road Patrol Australia''
*'' The Route Masters: Running London's Roads''
*''The Roux Scholarship 2013''
*''Sara Cox on Friendship''
*'' Secrets and Lies''
*''Seven Envelopes''
*''Silk''
*''Singing in the Rainforest''
*'' Sky Cops''
*''Sophie on Fame''
*''Stacey Dooley in Australia''
*''Stansted: The Inside Story''
*'' Stranded''
*''Supersize My Job''
*'' The Strain''
*'' Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose''
*'' Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps''
*'' Undercover Boss''
*''Vets in Practice ''
*''Vets to the Rescue ''
*'' Walking with...''
*''The Weakest Link''
*''World's Most Talented''
*'' The World's Strictest Parents''

Most watched programmes

The following is a list of the 11 most watched shows on W, based on Live +7 data supplied by ''BARB'' up to 7 February 2016.BARB, vi

/ref> The number of viewers does not include repeats or W +1.

See also

* UKTV
* Television in the United Kingdom

References

External links

*

{{Freeview

Television channels and stations established in 2008
UKTV
UKTV channels