Watch

Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky, on cable through Virgin Media and later Smallworld Cable and from later in 2012, will be streamed over BT Vision.

History
The channel launched on 7 October 2008 as the new flagship channel for the UKTV network of channels. The channel would feature general entertainment programmes, primarily from the programme archive of the BBC, who own a 50% share of the network through the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The channel featured flagship programmes from the BBC, such as Torchwood, general entertainment programmes from the corporation and international variations to popular current British programming, such as Dancing with the Stars (US version of popular BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing) and the various American editions of Wipeout, which is titled as Total Wipeout USA to avert confusion with the same-named British programme. 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 Watch Channel Controller is currently Paul Moreton.

Timeshift
The channel also operates a timeshift service, called Watch +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.

Watch HD
On 29 July 2011, UKTV announced that it had secured a deal with BSkyB to launch three more high-definition channels on Sky. 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.

2008-2010
When Watch launched in October 2008, the original on screen identity featured a large eye ball nicknamed 'Blinky'. The channels original idents featured a liveaction video of the eye ball being pushed around by a large and varied group of people around various settings until the eye ball 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. 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! was added.

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".

2010-2012
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. Current music used in the background of the television advertisements is 'You Will Leave a Mark!' by Oxford band A Silent Film. 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.

2012-present
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 7 February 2012, but this was postponed until 9 March 2012. However, in an unusual move, Watch was using the 2010 logo, idents and presentation alongside some of the elements of the new identity, such as the logo, the promos, and the break flashes during this time. The 2010 branding was eventually replaced with the new branding on 9 March 2012.

Programming
The channel broadcasts a variety of programmes from the archives of the BBC and from international broadcasters. The following programmes are currently airing on the channel, with the producer listed if the programme doesn't originate from the BBC programme archives:


 * A Gifted Man (US import from CBS)
 * Alcatraz (US import from Fox)
 * Animal Park
 * Antiques Roadshow
 * Bailiffs
 * Being Human
 * The Bill
 * Body of Proof (US import from ABC)
 * Bondi Rescue (Australian import from Network Ten)
 * Cash in the Attic
 * Casualty
 * The Catherine Tate Show
 * Celebrity MasterChef
 * Covert Affairs (US import from USA Network)
 * Creature Comforts
 * Dancing with the Stars (US import from ABC)
 * Doctor Who (Relaunched series only, Series 1-5 + 2009-10 Specials)
 * Don't Tell the Bride
 * Dynamo: Magician Impossible (Watch commission)
 * Emergency Bikers (Channel 5 and Watch commission)
 * Expedition Impossible (US import from ABC)
 * Good Chef Bad Chef (Australian import from Network Ten)
 * Grimm (US import from NBC)
 * The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook
 * Hole in the Wall
 * James May's 20th Century
 * Jonathan Creek
 * Junior MasterChef Australia (Australian import from Network Ten)
 * Little Britain USA (US import from HBO)
 * Love Soup
 * MasterChef Australia (Australian import from Network Ten)


 * MasterChef New Zealand (New Zealand import from TVNZ)
 * Monster Munchies (Good Food commission)
 * Murdoch Mysteries (Canadian Import from Citytv)
 * My Family
 * Nice Day for a Greek Wedding! (Watch commission)
 * No Ordinary Family (US import from ABC)
 * Outtake TV
 * Planet Earth
 * Pride and Prejudice
 * Primeval (ITV and Watch commission)
 * The Real Hustle
 * Real Rescues
 * Robin Hood
 * Sanctuary (Canadian import from Syfy)
 * Scream! If You Know the Answer (Watch commission)
 * The Block (Australian import from Nine Network)
 * Tonight's the Night!
 * Too Fat for 15 (Watch commission)
 * Torchwood
 * Torchwood: Miracle Day
 * Trawlermen
 * Total Wipeout
 * Total Wipeout Australia (Australian import from Nine Network)
 * Total Wipeout USA (US import from ABC)
 * Traffic Cops
 * The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs
 * Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
 * What Do Kids Know? (Watch commission)
 * Who Do You Think You Are? USA (US import from NBC)
 * World's Strictest Parents Australia (Australian import from Seven Network)
 * World's Strictest Parents USA (US import from CMT)

In addition to the entertainment programming, the channel also broadcasts a variety of films.

The channel also produced and broadcast the programmes Richard & Judy's New Position and Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose for a time, however, these are no longer broadcast.

Most watched programmes
The following is a list of the ten most watched shows on Watch, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB up to 8 July 2012. The number of viewers does not include repeats or Watch +1.