Play UK

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Play UK

Ownership
Owner	UKTV (BBC Worldwide/Sky Witness)
History
Launched	10 October 1998
Closed	30 September 2002
Replaced by	Yesterday
Former names	UK Play (1998-2000)
Availability (at time of closure)
Terrestrial
ITV Digital	Channel 37
Cable
Virgin	Channel 100
Telewest	Channel 151
Satellite
Astra 1E analogue (Between 1 am and 7 am, until 31 March 2001)	Astra 1E, 10.832V
Sky Digital	Channel 217

Play UK was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel had originally been planned as a television version of BBC Radio 1 but launched without the Radio 1 tie-up as UK Play on 10 October 1998, changing its name to Play UK in November 2000. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon, while broadcasting comedy during primetime and evenings.

Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E satellite system it broadcast between 1 am and 7 am when UK Horizons was not broadcasting.

Music Programming[]

The majority of the music programmes broadcast (quizzes, interviews and compilations) on Play UK were produced by themselves. Play UK also used to air reruns of TOTP2, which were originally broadcast on BBC Two.

• The Joy of Decks
• Mental! - The Music Quiz
• The Phone Zone (music request programme using The O Zone branding)
• The Sound of Play
• The Sound of Disco
• The UK Top 20

Comedy programming[]

Most of the comedy programming on Play UK had already been broadcast on the BBC's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming and, later on, broadcast American comedy and animation.

Originally produced/American programming[]

• The Alphabet Show
• Cherry Pop
• The Chris Moyles Show
• Duckman (1999-2001)
• Either/Or (1999-2002)
• The Larry Sanders Show (2000-2002)
• Mark and Lard's Pop Upstairs Downstairs
• The Mitchell and Webb Situation (7 April 2001-2002; 2004)
• Pop Will Shoot Itself
• RE:Brand
• Rock Profile (1999-2002)
• Swivel on the Tip
• Terrorville (2000-2001)
• TOTP@Play
• Unnovations
• Vic Reeves Examines

BBC shows on reruns[]

• Attention Scum! (2001-2004)
• Bottom (1998-2001)
• Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer (2001)
• Big Train (1998-2002)
• Coogan's Run (1999-2001)
• The Day Today (1999-2002)
• Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (2001)
• The Fast Show (1998-2002)
• Game On (2000-2002)
• Goodness Gracious Me (1998-2002)
• Harry Enfield and Chums (2001; 5 April 2004 – 2006)
• Hippies (2003-2005)
• Human Remains (2001-2004)
• I'm Alan Partridge (1999-2002)
• LA 7 (2000-2002)
• The League of Gentlemen (2000-2002)
• Marion and Geoff (October 1999 – 2001)
• Miami 7 (2000)
• The Office (Fall 2002-2004)
• Operation Good Guys (2000-2002)
• The Royle Family (2000-2002)
• Shooting Stars (1998-2002)
• The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer (2001)
• Stella Street (1999-2002)
• Stressed Eric (2003)
• Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2003-2007)
• World of Pub (1999-2002)

Closure[]

Play UK closed on 30 September 2002 at 12am due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital on 1 May 2002; also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to Gold and then to UKTV G2.

Exactly one month later, UK History (now known as Yesterday) started broadcasting on Freeview using the space vacated by the closure of Play UK.

External links[]

• The TV Room looks at presentation/branding on the UKTV channels